CHAPTER ONE-CIRCLE THE DRAIN
I'm sitting here on the Roses kitchen floor. I'm drunk. Who knows how much I have had of that, altered to be stronger, Midori punch we made, but I'm down in the dumps. Jacob my ex-boyfriend from freshman year, that I have continued to pine for all the way too senior year, just asked me and my sister Alice, who might I add is 10 years older than me, if we want a threesome, I'm sick and gutted.

I'm at Rose's 16th birthday party. Themed with an 'H' for Hale, Come dressed in something or someone starting with H. I'm Currently dressed in what you could class as a slutty Hermione. except for your not allowed to come as a hoe. Guess what? many ''hoe's'' came. How original. Rose was Pissed but now she is drunk, so she doesn't care.

Two entnie clad feet appear in my line of sight as I'm counting tiles, I look up to see Seth. Seth and I have known each other since elementary school but tend to run in different circles now we are in high school. Though at parties them cliques don't seem to matter much

"Hey Seth, what's up, long time see'' I manage not to slur, so I realize I'm not too far gone

''hey yeah it's been a while, what's got you sitting down in here'' he says being kind of reserved while crouching down beside me, he has always been on the quieter side. I sadly don't know much about him even know we have known each other for so long.

''Oh, you know boys, you know how it is, what else would a girl be doing on the floor, at what's probably the party of the century?'' I laugh unamused at my predicament, there are people milling about, drunk, dancing. We even pitched in to get club lights put up for the dance floor.

''don't tell me you're still after Jacob? He is only after one thing Bells'' yeah, yeah it's the running joke that Bella has goo-goo eyes for the fuck boy of the school. The difference is, I was his girlfriend, the only one. He said he loved me and spoke of future kids while we made out, out the back of the church that his mom made us go to on Sundays. That Jacob, doesn't exist anymore, well if he does no one see's it, not even me.

''Yeah, I know that now, he has changed since we were together, I sometimes see the old Jacob and my hopes rise, fucking stupid I know. Anyway, what you been up to. You still hang out with Edward?''

Edward. where do I start? Can you have ''the one that got away when your only 16?''. Well if you can, he is it. We were the best of friends all through elementary, he was my first kiss in grade 4 and he even asked me to be his girlfriend, I freaked out and didn't stay at his house that night. Can anyone say daddy issues, even at that young of an age, I already had commitment and abandonment issues. That was until grade 6 camp, we had to pair up and dance some stupid dance and he acted all weird towards me. I now know it most likely had something to do with the dynamics changing, we were still kids, but attraction started to become a thing, being cool or not cool was an even bigger thing and I assume maybe I wasn't just cool enough for him. I was the quiet girl that always got good grades. Not long after that, some shit went down with my friends Angela and Jessica and I thought it would be best to move from the beach, in with my dad in the city, what a fucking mistake that was, but that story is for another time. I was back just in time for the start of freshman year and back at my quiet beachside home town with my mum. With a whole world of new experiences and as Tyler said ''you've changed Bells, where has the quiet Bella gone?'' my response to that was. Dead. It was funny at the time and kind of true, but quite morbid when you think about.

"yeah, we still hang out, he dropped out of school not long ago. He is working, moving furniture but is also apprenticing at that tattoo shop across from the school"

Though I didn't realize it back then Edward was headed down a dark path even when we were little, I knew the group he was involved in now we were teen, they are your typical stoner group in High School but do alot more heavy crap, it scares me he is one of the heads of that group, and I usually steer clear of them during school hours. I think the only words Edward had ever said to me between freshman year to now my senior year, is this one tine when I went to one of the beach parties and followed Rose down into the stoners hidey-hole in the trees was, ''you don't belong here'' he said looking at my legs instead of up at me, he pulled on his bong in a deep breath, blew it out and spat on the ground. I wasn't sure how to act that night, but I was taken aback that he had the audacity to speak to me like that and I won't lie and say I didn't feel that sting of hurt. Even now my friendship with him meant something to me, clearly not so much to him.

''oh yeah he was always into drawing and good at it too, I'm glad he is aiming to do something with it'' I don't offer up much more. To the people that came from elementary school, knew me and Edward were inseparable, and suddenly we were.

"he still talks about you, you know? Not often and only when it's with people from back in the day.''
I have no words; how do I respond? I'd cut my losses long ago with Edward when I realized his life and mine were so very different. So different I wasn't even comfortable putting my foot out just in case i got sucked in. My close friends respect my stance on hard drugs, they do them, but I don't and they're ok with it, well there is no peer pressure anyway. I lost my brother to a drug overdose a few years ago and ever since I have been terrified of anything harder than weed, and even then, I must be in a good place and atmosphere to even share a joint.

''I don't know what he talks about, he has acted like I don't exist for the past 5 years except to tell me I don't belong. What could he possibly even know about me?'' I look Seth in the eye trying to grasp what he is getting at, I'm angry at that comment for some reason but I don't stew on it, he laughs and shakes his head mumbling about ''not tainting''. I don't understand? taint what?

''you want his number? I'm sure he'd like to hear from you. You're his B, time won't change that'' Seth takes my phone out of my hand and programs Edwards number into it, then gets up with a nod goodbye and walks out. I'm wondering about all the cryptic words, that probably mean nothing more than, he has brought me up in conversation in passing. I read too much into things most of the time, active imagination and all can sometimes be a curse.

I stare at my phone with its new contact ''Ed''. He hated that name when we were kids. I changed it to Edward.

I get up to get another drink. I take a walk around the house and take an unenthusiastic look for Rose. She is sitting in the corner with her Boyfriend Quil. Pretty sure she plans to lose her virginity tonight. I'm sure I'll hear all about it tomorrow. Unfortunately for her, I don't believe Quil be giving her something to remember back on fondly, but I'll keep that to myself because last time I spoke ill of Quill, Rose cracked it at me and I really cannot be screwed dealing with Rose's many moods.

I go back to my spot in the kitchen, on the floor. Its semi-quiet here and in the spur of the moment, and a pair a ball's I didn't know I had, I pull out my phone and search for Edwards Name, I press send on his number and put the phone to my ear. I listen to the ringing through the speaker. I have butterflies in my stomach for some unknown reason. I'm just an old friend looking to catch up. Right?

''Hello''

a girl answers and I freak. What the fuck has Seth thrown me into? Fuck...