Author's Note: I DO NOT own any Twilight characters, settings, etc. Those belong to Stephenie Meyer.

***I thought at first that I wouldn't be able to change my life, the way it was, but he showed me that I could. I thought that I'd always be in this deep dark tunnel, with no way to light, but he gave the flashlight to help me through. ***

Chapter 1

I got home from school one Thursday, throwing my backpack across the room angrily. It hadn't been a good day at school. Actually, school hadn't been going that well lately at all.

There were three reasons for this. One, my parents were arguing, even though they didn't even live together. I lived in Forks, Washington, with my dad, Charlie. Whenever I called my mom, my dad would end up on the phone and they'd yell at each other. Second, my friend Alice and I were fighting. Alice had been drinking a lot lately, and I kept telling her to stop because it was really bad for her. She refused, though, and was mad at me for trying to make her stop. Third, Mike Newton. That was the only word for a reason I needed to say.

Mike Newton was my boyfriend, unfortunately. Ever since Alice forced me to go out with him a few months ago, he annoyed me by doing many things. However, whenever I tried to break up with him, he would…yell or threaten me. It scared me to make him mad at me, because he could severely hurt me if he wanted to.

Why did Alice make me go on a date with him? She wasn't a great judge of character, or what is right. She was drinking, after all. Why did I listen to her?

My dad knew I was dating him, but she didn't know his real personality. Whenever he was around, he'd be so polite to him.

I didn't know whether I should tell someone or not. I was so scared…scared for my life, even. If I told, he might hit me or something…you never know. So, because of that, I kept my mouth shut. I didn't even tell Alice.

The phone rang, and I knew who it would be. Him. He called all the time to see what I was up to.

"Yes, Newton?" I asked with little humor in my voice as I sat at the kitchen counter. I always called him Newton, which pissed him off. I held the phone under my chin as I made a sandwich.

"Did you walk home today?" he asked.

"No."

"How'd you get home?"

"You would like to know, wouldn't you?"

"Bella, how did you get home?"

"Alice drove me."

"You shouldn't let Alice drive you home. What if she's drunk or something?"

"She wasn't. I can tell when she is."

"I'll drive you home tomorrow. It's only a matter of months before you get your license."

"I'm fine getting a ride from Alice."

"No you're not!"

"All right, all right. Is that all you wanted to ask me?"

"I also wanted to tell you we're going to a party on Friday."

"Oh, we are? Do I have a say in that?"

"Not really."

"Why?"

"Look, Bella, you know I know what's best for you. You're going."

Dial tone.

I hung up the phone, taking a bite of my sandwich. What a jerk he was. I wished I could just tell someone what a jerk he was. Even if he thought he knew the best for me, he didn't and he bossed me around.

The front door opened, and my dad walked in from work.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hi, Bella. How was school?"

"Fine. All right if I go to a party on Friday?"

"Yeah."

My dad was the kind of dad who trusted me and didn't question me. This was a good thing, in most cases.

"Okay."

"How's that Mike Newton kid? I haven't seen him in awhile."

"He's fine."

"Good, good. Um…are you going to this party with him?"

"Yes."

"Oh…right."

"I'll be fine, Dad."

"All right, just making sure." He awkwardly walked away to go watch TV in the family room.

My phone beeped, and I had a text message. I looked at my phone and saw it was from Alice. I hadn't talked to Alice in awhile, so I was surprised. It read:

R u going to that party?

I answered:

U mean the one on Friday?

No, the one in 5 years…of course the one on Friday!

Well, sorry. Yeah, I'm going. R u?

Duh

Y r u even asking? Y would u care?

Cause ur kinda my friend, aren't u?

U don't seem to wanna be my friend.

Well I haven't talked to u in awhile cause u were being a jerk about the whole me drinking thing. I drink cause I wanna drink, and u shouldn't try to stop me.

As a friend I'm telling u it's really bad for u, but go ahead if that won't stop u.

It won't.

Fine.

So…friends again?

Fine.

K, see u tomorrow.

All right.

Did she just apologize in her own way? Who knew. I went past the TV and upstairs to go to my room.

I sat at my desk, and behind me on the back of the chair was Newton's sweatshirt, which he'd forced me to wear the other day when it was really cold outside. I didn't give it back to him yet, and I didn't know if I was going to. Maybe I would just keep it but not wear it, just to piss him off.

I started my homework, every once in awhile looking out the big window onto the street, which was covered in ice. Very few cars passed by, but one familiar car parked in front of our house. Newton's. It still made me laugh every time I called him Newton.

He got out of the car, slammed the door shut-like he always did-and then walked up the steps to my front door. Just then, the doorbell rang two times, and I heard he and my dad talking.

"Hello, Mr. Swan." I heard Newton say from downstairs.

"Hey! How've you been?" my dad asked happily.

"Great, thanks. Is Bella home?"

"Yes, she's upstairs doing homework, I think. Maybe a smart kid like you could help her."

They both laughed. "See you later, Mr. Swan."

I heard him coming up the steps, so I looked back at my books and pretended I didn't know he was here. I wrote some calculus problems on a piece of paper, hoping to distract myself.

"Hey." He said, walking into the room without even knocking on the closed door. I should've locked it. He walked closer to me. "Is that my sweatshirt?"

"Maybe," I answered as he yanked it from the back of the chair. "You're the one who gave it to me."

"Yeah, to borrow. Not to keep."

"Is that why you came here?"

"No."

"Then, why? I'll see you tomorrow."

He grabbed the chair abruptly, making me face him. He held the two arms of the chair so that I couldn't walk away.

"I'm not going to tolerate you acting so bitchy toward me." He said quietly. "Got it?"

I nodded quickly. "Yes." I said.

He stood back. "Good." He turned and walked toward the door. "I just wanted to tell you that."

I just stared at him.

"See you tomorrow, Bell." He smiled and then left the room. I heard him say goodbye to my dad, and then I heard the tires of his old car screech as he drove down the road.

I sighed angrily and continued doing my homework. If Newton actually did his homework once in awhile, he'd never come over here. I wished that were the case.

I put my books away when I was done with homework, and looked down at the scar on my arm. It was a deep scar, I'd needed stitches for it. And it was all because Newton got mad at me.

***

"Please leave." I told Newton. "I'm tired. I need sleep."

"All I'm asking is for a kiss goodnight."

"You're not getting one."

"Why is that? I thought you were my girlfriend."

"I don't want to, okay?"

He picked up a piece of paper, lifted my arm abruptly, and sliced the sharp edge across my arm. I shrieked, and the cut burst out bleeding. It was deep and red, and I shook in pain as I looked at my arm.

My dad came upstairs and saw my arm. "What happened?!" he demanded.

"He-"

I was interrupted by Newton saying, "She fell and the side of this metal scratched her." He pointed at the bed, which had a point sticking out below the mattress.

"We have to get to a hospital, now!"

***

And so, I was rushed off to the hospital, later to find out that it was deep enough to need stitches and leave a bright scar. Newton even had the nerve one time to ask where I got the scar from.

"Time for dinner, Bella!" my dad called from downstairs.

Putting a hand to the scar, I sighed and then stood to go downstairs.