Just Friends
Chapter 1 – Prologue
BPOV
SEPTEMBER 23
"Edward!" I laughed. "This is heavy!" I was having him open the door for me but he was pretending that he couldn't open it.
"Come on, B, use your muscles," he laughed. He opened the door for me and I put my last box inside of my claimed room.
"This apartment is awesome," Edward mused. Edward and I were moving into an apartment together, fresh out of college. We have been best friends and have dreamed of this day since I was five and Edward was seven. Now I'm twenty three and Edward is twenty five.
I went up to my room and started unpacking. I hung up pictures of me and my friends on my wall. There was Emmett, my brother and my best friend. With his dark brown buzz cut and his light brown eyes he was the sweetest guy you would ever meet. He had the biggest smile that left dimples on his cheeks and laughter that was highly contagious. He went to the gym at least four times a week so he was extremely fit. All in all he's a big teddy bear. He is also interning in physical therapy.
Then there is his girlfriend Rosalie Hale. When I first met her I thought she was a heinous bitch. But after I got to know her she was actually one of the coolest people I have ever met. She's a model for a living but right now, it's not bringing her much money. She has long silky blonde hair that goes down an inch past her shoulders. Her figure resembles an hour glass. Her blue eyes are strikingly gorgeous.
Her twin brother, Jasper, is her opposite. He isn't anything but polite sans alcohol. His eyes are the same as Rose's. His body is slender and fit; a six pack hiding under his shirt. Jasper is a psychiatrist.
Jasper is dating Alice Cullen, a pixie-like woman. She's petite, a mere five foot two. Her dark brown hair is short and normally spiked. Her curves are small, like everything else about her. She is a pediatric surgeon.
Alice's brother is Edward, my roommate and my all time best friend. Edward's emerald green eyes seemed to capture and hold your eyes when they made contact. His smile was dazzling. He was muscular and strong. He's a pediatrician, like me.
After I finished unpacking I sat on my bed with my parents' scrapbook. The hard cover had worn edges. The picture on the cover was of them as teenagers. My dad, Charlie had a mullet and my mom, Renee had hair long enough to reach her chin. The caption said Everlasting Love. I turned the page and it was filled with pictures of my parents together. I felt tears fall over the brim of my eyes. I wiped them away as I continued to look at the pictures. They stopped with the picture of my graduation.
"Hey, Bella," Edward said as he poked his head in the door. "Do you – woah, what's wrong?" he asked as he came into my room. He came over and sat on my bed. He wrapped his arms around me and rubbed my arm. He looked at the scrapbook in my lap. "Bella, why are you doing this to yourself?" he asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes you do. It's been five years."
"I don't care if it's been ten years, Edward. It's still my fault," I sniffled.
"It's not your fault! Stop thinking that!" he said with a hint of anger. I moved so that his arms weren't around me and I was facing him.
"If I didn't want to go home to change before going out to dinner after graduation they would still be here, Edward," I said harshly.
"It was a freak accident. You couldn't have possibly known about that drunken asshole. At least you're safe." I closed the scrapbook and stood up. I took it over to my desk and set it down.
"What do you want to do?" I asked. I looked in my newly hung mirror and fixed my make-up.
"Do you want to have a movie marathon all night?" he asked. "I told Tanya I couldn't go out tonight because we're hanging out tonight."
"Tanya doesn't like me much," I pointed out.
"Yes she does," he laughed.
"No, Edward. She doesn't." I walked out and into our compact living room.
"How do you know?" he asked as he followed me.
"Have you seen the way she gets territorial whenever I'm around you two?" I asked. He just laughed.
"You're crazy, you know that?" I put in Happy Gilmore into the DVD player and sat in the recliner, avoiding talking. We watched about three Adam Sandler movies before I went up to bed.
"Night," I said as I walked out of the room.
"Goodnight," Edward sighed.
EPOV
As Bella and I sat in the living room I couldn't help but think about the night that Bella graduated from high school.
"Congrats Bells!" I cheered as she came over to me.
"Did you see that? I didn't fall!" she laughed. I chuckled before hugging her. "Hey mom? Dad? Could we go home before we go out to eat so that I could change?"
"Yeah, of course," Charlie answered her.
"I'll meet you guys at the restaurant. Save us a spot," Bella smiled. We all went to a restaurant called Mamma Mia's. We sat at the table and waited. And waited. Then waited some more. Carlisle tried calling Renee and Charlie but no one answered. Alice and I both called Bella with no success.
"Well, they'll understand that we couldn't wait any longer," Ms. Whitlock said. We ordered our food and started eating silently.
Emmett came with us and he had an uneasy look on his face.
"Em, what's up?" Rose asked.
"What if something happened? They never do this."
"They're fine, baby. Bella probably can't find something to wear," she laughed lightly.
"Bella's not you, Rose. She'll wear whatever she grabs first. I have to try calling them." He pulled his phone out and started dialing Bella's number.
My dad's beeper went off a few minutes later.
"I thought I said no work tonight," my mother sighed.
"I told them not to beep me unless it's absolutely necessary. I've got to go."
"Do you have enough room for us in your car?" my mom asked Ms. Whitlock.
"All but one."
"It's fine, I'll go with dad and hang out around the lobby until I can head home," I offered.
"Are you sure, honey?" my mom asked.
"Yeah," I smiled. My dad and I got up and headed out to his Mercedes. We drove to the hospital and my dad rushed in. We were met with a paramedic waiting to give him the prognosis.
"What do we have?"
"An eighteen year old female, a lot of lost blood, and a broken leg. The two parents were pronounced dead at the scene. Drunk driver hit them," the paramedic briefed. My thoughts immediately went to the Swans.
"Thanks," dad said before he rushed back.
"What does she look like?" I asked.
"Pardon?" she asked.
"What does the eighteen year old look like?"
"Uh, brown hair, fair skin, about my height, graduation gown."
"The parents?"
"The man had dark brown hair and a moustache; the woman had light brown hair."
"Thanks," I said almost inaudibly. I found my way to a chair and sat down. I grabbed my cell phone and called Emmett.
"Yo," he answered.
"Can you c-come down here?" I stuttered.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Just come down here."
"Ms. Whitlock," Emmett called. "Can you take me to the hospital? I'll be there in a few," he told me. I hung up and quickly found the observing room for the operation my dad was performing. I saw Bella on the table and tears started falling down my cheeks. I went back out to the lobby and Emmett met up with me.
"What's up, man? Woah, dude, what's wrong?" he asked when he saw my expression.
"Bella is in the operating room," I breathed. "The car was hit by a drunk driver."
"Where are my parents?" I just looked up at him.
Hey everyone!
Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! Please review!
Lots of love,
Nikki