Chapter 1

A/N: Bella's natural hair in this story is blonde, but…You'll see. The flashback is in third person, but other than that, it's in Bella's point of view.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. All rights belong to Stephenie Meyer.

"Edward!" Bella, at five, yelled to Edward, her best friend.

"Bella!" Edward, who just turned six, called back.

"Happy birthday, Eddie," she said in a normal voice as they got closer.

"Thanks. I am happy. My best friend just got here," he smiled. Even at such a young age, he was quite the charmer.

"Good, because that's the only present you're gonna get." Bella laughed at the expression on Edward's face. "I'm just kidding. Come on. Follow me."

They ran, hand in hand, to Bella's back yard, and Edward gasped. Both of their parents hosted a huge surprise party for him.

"Thanks, Bells. I love this so much," he told her in awe.

"And I love you," she replied, hugging him tightly. He returned it gladly, reveling in the moment of the perfect sixth birthday.

ELEVEN YEARS LATER:

Great. Another day in Mr. Malkenheim's class. He taught English and Literature, and I was not in the mood to put up with him today. So, while he was lecturing us on the fundamentals of creative writing, I began to doodle all over my paper and think about Edward, my ex-best friend.

I met Edward Anthony Masen Cullen fifteen years ago, when he moved into the house next to mine in our nice, suburban community of Forks, Washington. When we first saw each other, we instantly clicked, becoming best friends at the young age of two. When we were five, we both began to hang out with Emmett, his older brother, Alice, who was his twin, and my older brother, Jasper. Edward and I were inseparable, two peas in a pod, and we never fought.

That was until we were ten, when I punched a guy who was making fun of Edward's love for music. The bully caught him playing the piano in the school's small studio, and I did what I could do to shut him up. Edward was humiliated, to say the least. He ended our friendship of eight years abruptly, and I was devastated.

He began to hang out with a different crowd, as I began to hang out with only Alice, my best friend. He gave up his music, his whole life, for this new one. One filled with popularity and what he thought to be happiness. He began sleeping around with all types of girls and gained a bad boy reputation for vandalism and such, with a constant strain of detentions and suspensions. He wasn't my Edward, anymore.

But then, I changed, too. Hanging out with Alice rubbed off on me, and I changed my entire appearance with her advice, just so I could let go of the past. I began dressing in really funky clothes, dying my blonde hair a pretty auburn, but my personality never changed. I was exactly the same inside. Alice and I weren't exactly popular, but we weren't at the bottom, either; we were just your average high school teenagers. I focused more on my schoolwork, too, now that Edward was out of my life. I couldn't afford college without a scholarship, and even though Edward's adoptive parents, Carlisle and Esme, loved me and offered to pay, I couldn't accept their money.

Edward lived a charmed life, getting everything he wanted, even with his two siblings. Emmett was accepted to a prestigious college this year, and he left last summer. It didn't seem as though Edward cared, but I did. Emmett and I were close, and I hated to see him leave. I wrapped my arms around him at the airport, and Jasper had to pull me off before he missed the flight. And Alice…She loved both Edward and Emmett, but Edward denied their relationship at school, not wanting to damage his rep. I could tell he cared a lot about his twin and brother outside of school and when we were younger. It was a sad, sad story.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the bell ring, and Alice linked her arm through mine as we walked down the hall. We stopped at my locker, and I dropped some books off. Closing the stupid, metal piece of junk, I saw Jasper leaning against the one right next to me.

"Hey, Bells, Alice," he greeted, giving Alice a quick kiss before he turned to me.

"What's the occasion?" he asked.

"Huh?" What was he talking about?

"You're wearing a skirt today. I haven't seen you wear one in awhile."

"Oh, no occasion. I just found it in my closet yesterday."

"Yeah. You can tell I didn't approve that outfit," Alice piped in. "I mean, really, Bella? A band shirt, mini skirt, and Converse? Sometimes, I wonder why I even speak to you."

"Because you love me. Duh." We all laughed, and I looked down at my clothes. "Do I really look that bad?"

"No, you look like you, and it's perfect," Jasper complimented.

"Thanks, bro." I grinned happily at the fact that I didn't look like anyone else.

Just then, I felt a leather-clad Edward walk past me and brush against my arm. I stared after him in disgust of the person he had become.

"Hey, Bella. Nice look you got going there. Thrift store bargain bin, right?" Jessica, who was attached to Edward's arm, said to me. He just smirked and gazed at me, gauging my reaction.

I just rolled my eyes and walked away, not really wanting to fight with the blonde bitch. She just wasn't worth the effort.

"It's okay, Bella! We all make mistakes!" Edward yelled.

I stopped, turned around, got in his face, and whispered menacingly, "My mistake was becoming your friend and sticking up for you. If I had known you would've turned out like this, I wouldn't have wasted my time."

Angry tears were threatening to spill, so I pivoted and continued my walk, now with Jasper and Alice following. I looked back for a mere second, just to see Edward covering the hurt that was plain on his face.

A/N: Please review and tell me your opinions. I have the story all mapped out, I just have to write the chapters. Don't be afraid to give criticism, just please make sure it's constructive. Thank you.