This is a rewrite of a fanfic I never finished. Enjoy!

In Pieces

Chapter One

"Oh, Alice, I will miss you so much while I am away!" I cried, running over to Alice for one last hug before I boarded the train.

It wasn't proper for girls to make such a scene in public, but Alice was my best friend, and one of my only friends. Just the thought of being alone for weeks with only my father and grandmother as company was horrible.

"Isabella, we shall only be apart for three and a half weeks, until January first," she tried to say in a soothing voice, but she was on the verge of tears as well. "After the winter holidays, we won't have to leave each other's side until the summer."

I knew our friendship seemed odd to other people, but we couldn't help it.

Alice Cullen and I were both attending Hale Academy. It was a boarding school for "young women"—as Cecily Hale, the headmistress, likes to call us—like Alice and me. At Hale Academy we would learn the basic skills it took to become good, doting wives and to run a family. According to Headmistress Hale, the preferred wife of most men was artistic, fluent in as many languages as possible, polite, witty, and charming. She's a good dancer, she has good posture… the list keeps going.

However, we "young women" knew that you didn't need to be all of those things.

From my experience it seemed that you just needed to be wealthy and come from a well-respected family, and the rest you could fake. I suppose a good, doting wife was also a good actress.

Alice, on the other hand, was not so convinced that all men were that shallow. Lucky Alice had already found her soul mate—Jasper Hale. Jasper was the son of Cecily Hale, he was the History teacher at Hale Academy, and he was absolutely in love Alice. I knew Jasper would have loved Alice even if she was poor, ugly, and came from a family with a horrible reputation, but it didn't hurt that she was extremely rich, beautiful—inside and out—and had one of the most respected families in all of Great Britain.

I guess you could say I envied Alice in some ways, but I tried not to let it interfere with our friendship. I tried to be optimistic, and I knew someone for me was out there. I just worried I'd never find him, that I might have to settle in the end.

"Just remember," Alice said, "we may see each other sooner than we think. My family might go to London for Christmas. Mother needs to do some shopping and there just aren't many stores in the Ireland countryside."

This made me laugh. Alice had once gone to her family's home in Ireland, planning to spend two weeks there, and only brought four dresses because she thought there would be shops where she could buy new clothes. Much to her surprise, the nearest town was a four hour carriage ride away.

"I'm sure that your visit to London will have nothing to do with the fact that Jasper will be spending the holidays there," I teased.

"Absolutely not," she replied coyly. "You'd better get on the train now. Goodbye," she said, hugging me so tight that I almost couldn't breathe. When I pulled away, we were both crying.

"I'll see you in three weeks," I said. With that I boarded the train for London.

The trip was long and boring. I spent the time reading, as I spent most of my free time. It was one of the only things I could do well. I was clumsy and not very coordinated, so I always tried to expand my mind, rather than my dancing and painting skills, as Headmistress Hale would have preferred.

When I got off the train in London I was greeted by my father. I practically ran over to our carriage, put my bags down, and was immediately caught in his tight embrace. I hadn't realized how much I had missed him until then.

"Bella, how I've missed you," he said without braking our hug.

"I've missed you, too, Father." He squeezed me tighter, and I did the same. When he let go I said, "But I'm not a child anymore. I prefer to be called by my proper name, Isabella, if you don't mind."

"Oh, Isabella, you've matured so much!" he laughed.

We spent most of the ride to our home discussing the school and what I was learning. I told him that school was going well. I was excelling in most of my classes, especially History—but I had a feeling Jasper favored me over the other students because I was Alice's closest friend. Father didn't seem to remember Alice, though.

"You've met Alice, Father." From his expression I could tell he couldn't remember her. "She's the very small girl with dark hair that I share a room with."

"Oh, yes. I met her when I visited two months ago. I think you've mentioned her in a letter or two. Is she still engaged to that Hale boy?"

"Yes, she and Jasper are so in love, Father." The carriage stopped in front of our home and my father led me to the dining room. It was a little late to be eating dinner, but we were both starving.

It was nice to back home again. Everything about this house was so familiar.

"I suppose Jasper will be her escort to the ball, then?" he asked.

"The ball? What ball are you talking about?" I had no idea Alice was invited to any balls. She hadn't told me of any.

"The Cullen family is having a ball on Christmas Eve. Didn't she tell you about it?"

"No." I was astonished that Alice would keep that from me.

"Oh… Well, we received an invitation about a week ago. I wonder why she would keep that from you."

"Alice loves to surprise people. I guess I'll just have to surprise her with my knowledge of the ball when she arrives." Father, having noticed the excitement in my voice, looked very confused. "It's so hard to surprise Alice," I explained. "She seems to know everything. It's almost as if she can see the future." We shared a laugh at the thought of anyone actually seeing the future. Neither of us was superstitious.

"Where is Grandmother?" I asked.

"She's in her room. She went to bed early today. She hasn't been feeling well since her trip to France."

Grandmother Marie was half French, and she spent every summer reconnecting with her roots. "Family is the most important thing we have," she would tell me. Even though she is my father's mother, she was so close to my mother. When Mother died, Grandmother Marie took it very hard, and spent an extended trip in France. She only returned a few weeks ago.

The next few days went by very slowly. I spent most of my time reading. I finished the book I had started on the train, and then resorted to rereading a book from my Jane Austen collection. Romances were my favorite to read.

The rest of the week was filled with awkward conversations with my family, awkward tea parties with friends of the family, and awkward trips to town with my grandmother. I sensed a pattern in the way my week was going.

I was outside, in the garden, reading one of my mother's diaries one evening during a reprieve from my social obligations. I was reading about her first meeting with my father when I heard a carriage stop in front of our home. I walked around the side of the house. Before I could even see who it was, I heard a squeal. I began to pick up my pace until I was running.

Alice and I crashed into one another; apparently she had been running too.

"Alice! I've been so lonely without you!" I exclaimed, hugging her for dear life. I had never been so lonely before. I got along with most of the girls at Hale Academy, but I knew almost no one in London.

"I have missed you as well!" We let go and I led her into the house. "I have had no one to talk to, except for my… family." She shuddered at the thought.

The Cullen family got along well, but Alice had told me it was hard to carry a conversation with them. Her father and mother were always busy working or making plans, her brother Emmett was not very… bright, and, according to Alice, her other brother Edward was always sulking or composing music—both involved "keeping to himself and not bothering to let other people use the piano every once in a while" as Alice would put it.

We entered the parlor and sat down. Alice told me all about her family's home in Ireland. It sounded like a castle, the way she described it. I suddenly felt that my own home was inferior.

"I can't stay much longer…" Alice said, looking at the clock. "Oh! Before I forget, I would like to invite you and your father and grandmother to dinner at my home tomorrow. Jasper and his family will be there." A smile spread across her face. "Do you know that this will be the first time he has met my family?"

"I didn't know that, and yes, I would love to go… Um…" I hesitated. "Will all of Jasper's family be there?" I had a certain blond woman in mind.

"Yes, but you don't have to worry about Rosalie. Jasper said he would speak to her about her… behavior towards you," Alice assured me. "And he promised his mother wouldn't make a scene. Just remember to be on your best behavior, because she won't forget if we slack off."

"I certainly wouldn't want Headmistress Hale to critique my posture in front of father again." We both laughed, remembering the last time Father had visited me at the Academy.

"Alright. There's one more thing I'd like to ask you… How long have you known about the Christmas Ball?" I asked

"You found out? I was hoping to surprise you. Oh, well, I suppose it is best that you know. It's only December fourteenth, we have ten days until the ball. Maybe you'll be able to find an escort." She looked at me, a wicked smile plastered on her face. "I know of someone who is also planning to attend the ball alone… Maybe I could convince him to—"

"Alice, no, I do not want you to even attempt to set me up with a man during our time in London." Her face turned sad. It pained me to see her unhappy. "Alice, think of it this way, if I fall in love now, I won't be able to enjoy my season. You may be content with Jasper—"

"More than content, Isabella," she interrupted, sternly.

"Alright, more than content with Jasper, but I want to be courted."

"Fine," she huffed. "Now you'll never be a part of the family," she muttered under her breath.

"What do you mean 'a part of the family'?" I asked, very curious.

"Well, the man I was thinking of is… Edward."

I almost choked on my tea.

"Your brother?!" Now I was astonished. "Alice, you can't stand his sulking. Why would you wish that upon me?"

She sighed.

"It was a bad idea… but … you two seem somewhat alike, and it seems like your differences would even each other out." She was silent for a moment. "You both are very important to me… I guess I just want him to finally be happy, and any man would be lucky to have you. He's really not as horrible as I make him seem."

I didn't know how to respond, so I just smiled and shook my head. She understood.

"Well, I really must go. I'll see you tomorrow at six o'clock."

"Goodbye," I called as she stepped into her carriage.

After all the things Alice had said about Edward, she actually thought I would be interested in him? From the stories I'd heard, how could I ever want to even go to a ball with him, much less marry him?

That night at dinner, I told Father and Grandmother Marie of tomorrow's dinner plans.

"That sounds splendid!" Grandmother said. "I've always heard how extravagant Carlisle Cullen's home is and now I finally have the chance to see it!"

I suppose Grandmother Marie had always been interested in the finer things in life.

But the next morning, Grandmother felt ill. She was coughing and too tired to go. Father seemed so worried about her. I didn't understand why, though. Grandmother had been sick before.

When we left, Father was still worried.

"She'll be alright," I said.

"Yes," he said distractedly. "You're right, I shouldn't worry so much."

"No, you shouldn't," I agreed.

I looked at the London streets as we passed them. The buildings started thinning, until we were on a country road. When the next building, Alice's home, came into sight, I gasped, my jaw dropping.

AN:
I wrote the original chapter over a year ago and never finished the story! Since then I have changed accounts in order to start fresh, and I have changed the plot too. I have something much better than I originally planned up my sleeve. (At least, I think it's better) The name has changed, too.

If you're reading this because you had subscribed to my old account, thanks for checking out the rewrite!

I'll have the next chapter up in a few minutes.