Disclaimer. I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They all belong to the Stephenie Meyer. I don't also own the lyrics used in this fanfic - they are from a song called 17 by Avril Lavigne from her newest album called Avril Lavigne.
A/n The words in bold are lyrics from the song and the words in italics are meant as the memories.
Bella was sitting in traffic, going to work. It was early summer in LA and it was the perfect day for photo shoot. Oh, no she wasn't photographing for a fashion or travel magazines – at only 25 Isabella Swan was a world-famous extreme sports photographer and today was just another day on the job – photographing a skydiving event. Or so she thought..
Today the traffic was worse than other days, apparently there were an accident and both lanes were blocked. So she had to stop and wait. 10 minutes passed, then 20. The music blaring through the speakers started to bore Bella so she started to look around. Just besides her there was another car waiting for the road to clear – a pickup truck. It reminded her of her teenage years. Her first love had a truck just like it.
As Bella looked closer at the person that was driving the truck she couldn't believe it – it was the truck from way back when, because the person behind the weal was Jasper Cullen – her first crush, her first love, her first everything.
And right at that moment he also turned her way as if sensing that he is being watched and his eyes shone in recognition. He also remembered her. And just then the first chords of their song started to blear through the speakers and it all came back as if it was yesterday:
Hey, those days are long gone
But when I hear that song
It takes me back...
We were on top of the world
Back when I was your girl
We were living so wild and free
Acting stupid for fun
All we needed was love
That's the way it's supposed to be
We were running red lights
We were going all night
Didn't care about anything
'cause it was you and me
We were living our dream
And we were 17
They were just 17. So young, they weren't scared of anything and the whole world was open to them, just because they were together and they were fearless.
He was working at the record shop
I would kiss him in the parking lot
Tasting like cigarettes and soda pop
17
It was 2005 and Jasper Cullen was working in a record shop to earn some extra money for all the crazy things he liked to do – surfing, skating, rock climbing to name a few, because his folks didn't support his crazy adventures.
He had rich parents; she came from trailer park, but not even that could keep them apart. Jasper and Bella had met at friend's party just 2 weeks ago but they were already in love.
The record shop closed at 6 and Bella was already waiting Jasper by his truck in the parking lot. They would drive around all night drinking soda pop, smoking cigarettes and making out. They were happy.
He would tell me I was beautiful
Sneaking in the neighbor's swimming pool
Yeah, he taught me how to break the rules
17
Jasper always told Bella she was beautiful, because growing up she didn't have loving parents and a lot of money – her mother either was at work or passed out on their trailers couch, she didn't know her father. But still Bella was good girl, because she was the one who needed to take care of herself and her mother.
One night they were lying on Jasper's bed and it was one of the hottest days of the summer – even if it was 11 o'clock at night they were still sweating by doing nothing.
"Hey Bella" he would say with that mischievous tone he always got when he wanted to do something crazy.
"Yeah, Jazz?" Bella replied too tired from her life and the heat.
"Let's go for a swim" Jasper said
"But you don't have a swimming pool, Jazz" Bella looked at Jasper confused.
"But my neighbors do.."
So they jumped the fence that separated Jasper's parent's house from their neighbors, striped down to their underwear and jumped in the pool. Don't caring about anything but each other.
And that was the first of many times they broke the rules, at first Bella was afraid, but as the time passed and their love grew stronger she stopped fearing, because Jasper was there and she was tired of being the responsible one. So she became a rebel and started to like danger and adventure. And that is why she is what she is now, because without loving danger she couldn't do what she does.
Stealing beers out of the trailer park
Flicking lighters just to fight the dark
My favorite place was sitting in his car
17
We laid a blanket on the rooftop
That time I knew I wouldn't make him stop
The nights were cold but we kept 'em hot
17
And then there was the most magical night of them all. They sneaked inside Bella's trailer home and stole a couple of beers from her mother who once again was passed out. They got inside Jasper's truck and drove till they found a small road on the side of the forest and parked there, because no one would find them in that spot, no one would disturb the peace between them.
The only light source was their lighters that they shone upon each other faces to see the happiness, the passion, the love written all over them and the moon that shone high in the sky.
They laid a blanket on the sturdy rooftop of Jasper's truck and gave everything to each other. He was her first. And she was his. It was one of those colder summer nights but they kept each other hot. They kept their love going.
I remember what it felt like
Just a small town kind of life
If I could only just go back in time
17
We were on top of the world
Back when I was your girl
We were living so wild and free
Acting stupid for fun
All we needed was love
And as Bella remembered the best night of her life the road cleared and she needed to drive forward. With anguish she glanced once more at Jasper who gazed back at her mirroring her facial expression, because the same song was blasting through those old speakers of his truck.
But she needed to move on. There was no choice. She was in traffic, in inexorable current of cars and people. And with one last took they simultaneously stepped on the gas as if trying to escape the memories that once made them so happy but now only hurt, they left each other once more. And a small little thought flashed inside Bella's mind:
That's the way it's supposed to be
That's the way it's supposed to be even now, because that kind of love will never die, that kind of love can't be recreated.
With all these thought Bella drove to the sight of the photo shoot trying to clear her head for the upcoming task, because she simply can't afford to jump for a plane and skydive with all those thoughts in her head. That could cost her her life.
Bella finally parked her car in the small private airports parking lot from where they would take off and in a daze walked inside. She was greeted by the extreme sports magazine editor who hired her for this job and her good friend – Liam.
"Bella! Hello. You are finally here! How are you?" Liam inquired.
"Good. And you?" Bella said.
"Fantastic. Let me introduce to the owner of this small airport and our pilot for today - Jasper Cullen." and as Liam spoke these words Jasper turned around and in his eyes shone the same emotions that were there when they were 17.
At that moment Bella knew that it was only she and him and they were finally living the dream. Their dream. Together.