A/N:Yup second shot at this story. One of you told me to not be so hard on myself. Thanks soo much. I tried to reply to that review but…ff was being stubborn.

Title: The Portraying Woodland Painting
Summary: Bella recently became an orphan & she's moved in with her Grandma in Forks. She befriends a girl named Alice but what happens with Bella & Alice's tormented, shadowed brother as she unfolds their unknown connections in the woods...

Chapter: Irrelevantly Kept Proportionate

I looked around curiously…knowing something was wrong. Definitely wrong…something was out of proportion. I gazed at the trees. They were leafy green.

I gazed at the birds and they were chirping. The wind was blowing and the flowers were blooming. Kids were at the playground running wildly and ignorantly as they were. People were walking hand in hand. Just glancing at the sky, thanking it for their luck.

Cathy was with Jonathan talking about their relationship most likely. Ricky was busy discussing stuff with Jacob that most likely was about Call of Duty. And I was with my pal Riley.

Riley was talking endlessly, not pausing to make sure I was paying attention. I looked around and saw that the space next to me was empty. I stared at it concentrated. Try to think of possible ways why this spot was empty.

"Jane! Why aren't you listening?" he whined.

I shot him a look. "I was just noticing that the space next to me was empty. Where's Bella?"

His eyes softened. The energetic glint in his eye gone. Vanished. The quickest transition of emotion I'd seen in him. He was always happy and jovial. He's always so ignorantly happy usually. I raised my eyebrow in curiosity.

I'd just come back from Tampa with my family. We'd been with some of our cousins for a visit. But all of us would be together at this park every Thursday. The seven of us. The only one missing was Bella.

"You didn't hear did you?" he quietly asked. He avoided my eyes. I was never really close to Bella. She would be unusually quiet but I still liked her. We'd have common interests. Some stuff we'd go on and on talking about. Nonstop. She was real and wouldn't always think about bags, clothes, or latest trends. She was just her.

I knew of Bella's problem…but it's just that sometimes she was emotionally tired. She'd give me a look when she wouldn't say anything and I understood. But no matter what, I'd have her back. For someone quiet, she had a great deal of talent.

I knew Bella was the greatest friend anyone could have. She'd keep your secrets. She'd take it to her grave. But she had her own goddamn secrets and they made her mysterious.

Riley can be pretty stupid. But at the moment, he'd just open and close his mouth. He couldn't spill out the damn secret over Bella.

He hesitated and then said it. "It happened." He began. I widened my eyes, "It happened just like she predicted. She moved to the other town now."

I raised my eyebrow. "You mean Forks?"

"Yup." He said nonchalantly. I felt a great big wave of guilt smack me in the face. I wasn't able to say goodbye to Bella. I felt so extremely guilty. I've known Bella for a few years and now she left without even saying goodbye. I felt my eyes get a little damp.

Cathy, Jonathan, Jacob, and Ricky stopped in their conversation. They were looking at me and then glanced at Riley. Riley sunk his head in shame. Then they gave me pitiful looks. Except Jacob. He looked like a lost puppy.

"She did come to say goodbye. She said sorry she couldn't say it to you." Cathy faltered a bit. I swallowed deeply and looked at my feet. I realized how mucky my sneakers were from all the running in Tampa. Bella finally left and the stupid burden of hers crashed down on her.

Jonathan spoke up. "I'm going to miss her. She was someone I could always confide in. I'm so sorry she had to go through this. But she was so quiet."

"Yeah." began Ricky. "I used to talk to Bella all the time in middle school. We were good friends. We were pretty close. Too bad she was so quiet."

"Totally" agreed Jonathan. "It's just that everyone would talk and have fun. She'd be there just sitting there quite content."

"She'd blush soo fucking red whenever she'd trip or be embarrassed." Laughed Riley.

"She was cute too!" exclaimed Cathy. "Lots of guys really had a thing for her. She just intimidated them. What a shame." She shrugged.

I felt anger starting to build up on me.

"Guess I couldn't win the bet then, eh?" Ricky playfully elbowed Jonathan.

I looked at them curiously. "What bet?" Ricky just grinned wide at me. "I made a bet with Jonathan that I'd be able to make her my girlfriend and tap her first." He shrugged. "Guess she and I weren't lucky at all."

I couldn't handle it. I stood up and was about to yell when someone cut me off.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up Ricky? Stop being a dick!" I looked up to see Jacob with his ears practically having smoke coming out of his ears.

"She's facing a lot. A lot for her fucking age. She was my close friend you know? She still is. I just gave her my fucking space. I think the only two people that were truly her friends was Jane and I." I looked at him surprised. He caught my look. "After what happened, you shouldn't even talk about that stupid ass bet! What would you do Ricky if you were in her spot? You'd bawl like a baby. Now shut the fuck up you fucking pussy."

Ricky scoffed. "Relax dude. I was just kidding. That bet was never going to happen. I was just joking. I said I felt sorry for her."

Jacob just looked at him and was about to say something when I cut him off.

"You're sorry for her?" I was literally astounded. "Why would you feel sorry for her? Did you cause any of this?" Ricky opened his mouth to say something but I continued talking. "Instead of you guys saying sorry, just shut up or say something else. Jacob is right. I feel like both of us were the only two true friends she had. You guys just fucking practically used her."

Cathy looked taken back. She scoffed as well. "We used her? How did we use her? We didn't take anything from her."

I just shook my head. "No you didn't take anything. But you made her listen to all your girly crap because nobody else would even listen to it. Bella was a great listener and she'd keep your secrets. But I know that you never bothered to hear her feelings and problems. The problems she was facing. You guys didn't even get to know her. She was just a useless sponge for you guys to use. Just absorb but never give out."

Cathy glared at me. "Oh really? Do you and Jacob know anything about her?"

Jacob and I scoffed. "I think we're the only one s that know her real problems. You just know the problem."

Riley leaned back and opened his ears dramatically as if he finally was listening. "Okay please share to us her real problems."

I smirked. Jacob rolled his eyes. "If she kept our secrets at bay, why would we tell you hers?"

Rickey, Cathy, Riley and Jonathan just looked down, backing down from their battlegrounds. I gritted my teeth. I didn't feel victorious. I felt sorry for Bella so much. Wait…sorry doesn't seem right to say at all.

Riley looked at me questioningly. "Okay, fine. But let me ask you something. If we shouldn't say sorry, what is the other thing we should say? What else possible is there if sorry sounds fucking wrong." He looked at me as if I was stupid. I glanced at Jacob. He was glaring at Riley.

I thought about it and then finally came up with what to say.

"Say you empathize her." I breathed out.