Once Upon A Twilight

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these charters sadly.

A/N: This story takes place in Forks Washington.

Chapter 1: No More Best Friend

I'm Isabella Marie Swan, but I like to be called Bella--Isabella's just so 1900s.

I'm seventeen years old and have chocolate brown eyes and brown hair that goes down to my waist. But enough about me.

My parents are Charlie and Renee Swan. They were two of the nicest people in Forks, Washington, that you could ever meet, but, sadly, my perfect family didn't last long. My mom died of a rare disease on the morning of my fourth birthday. It was very hard for my dad to take care of me after that. He was the police chief after all.

So, he hired a nanny for me, but that didn't last long--maybe two week's tops. It wasn't really my fault. I was only just growing out of toddler- hood, and how was I supposed to know that glue wasn't edible? The nanny gave up on me soon after. I guess, I was too much for her.

My dad didn't give up though. He just wanted to have someone to help raise me. He was a great Dad, probably the best dad I could have ever asked for. In some ways, my dad and I were best friends. It was just that he needed some help.

It was just three years after my mom's death, when my father met a woman by the name of Victoria. She was very pretty and tall, 5'11(with high heels on), with long curly red hair that went half way down her back. She had dark eyes that were almost black and a nice light complexion. She was so beautiful; she looked like she had popped out of a magazine. Needless to say, she became my new mother or "stepmother" as she prefers me to call her.

With her, she brought my new stepsisters: Rosalie and Alice.

Rosalie is very beautiful (even more so than her mother). She is tall, about 5'8, and has long golden blond hair with a gentle curl to it. Her complexion was the same as her mom's, but she sported dark blue eyes that were almost navy. Rosalie loved to admire her reflection at every angle possible as well as to make people's lives a living black hole. And did I mention that she and her sister where the same age as me?

Now, her twin Alice was the complete opposite of her spiteful sister. She was nice and sweet and on occasion the best of friends, but most of the times, she could be just like her sister. Alice looked nothing like her sister. She was very petite, about 4'10, had short spiky dark hair, and pale skin, complimented by dark chocolate eyes like mine. One huge difference was that she spent a lot less time in front of the mirror.

Within six months, Charlie and Victoria were married. Soon after, my new family moved in, and I had this awful feeling that something bad was going to happen, but I didn't worry about it. As long as my father was happy, I was too. I finally had a whole family--I felt like I was dreaming.

Just like before, my prefect family didn't last long. I was playing with my best friend Jacob Black, when that awful day happened.

Ten years ago

"Jake! It's your turn to be it!" I yelled through the many trees in the big forest. Sure enough, as soon as I yelled this, I saw Jake barreling towards me like a wild animal. I turned and fled towards his big house.

"Man, Bella! When did you get so fast?" he panted as he got closer to me.

Before he could get any closer, I reached his house, sprinting as fast as my little legs could carry me.

"Beat you...again," I taunted, as I turned and faced him with red cheeks. My skin felt like it was burning, and my lungs threatened to stop working altogether. I leaned over, trying to regain my breath.

"Sure you did. I gave you a head start," Jake laughed, as he put a hand through his midnight colored hair. "You want something to drink?"

"Um, sure," I answered, shrugging my shoulders. I really didn't feel like I was about to die of thirst, but I didn't want to reject anything from Jake.

A few moments later, we made our way into the big two- story ranch style house. When we got inside, Billy Black (Jake's dad) came rolling towards us in his wheelchair. He became wheelchair-bound a few years ago from a bad accident.

"Hi Mr. Black. Has my dad called saying when he was picking me up?" I asked casually. I slipped my hands in the pockets of my worn-out jeans.

"Um...Bella, he's...he's not coming for you--" Billy started, but I didn't let him finish his thought.

"What do you mean? Oh! I get it! He's going to be late, because he had some where to go!" I said with a laugh. My dad was always, always late no matter where we were going.

"Bella, I think you should sit down, before I tell you anymore," Billy said, gesturing with his arm for me to sit in the living room. I sat down in a nearby chair waiting for him to say more.

"I don't know how to tell you this, but your dad... your dad was shot in the chest twice, as he was coming out of the station to pick you up," Billy managed to say, as he took his hat off. Charlie and Billy were great friends; this must be hard for him to talk about. "He...he died before they could get him to the hospital."

What? It can't be! I don't believe any of this! I thought to myself. Then I said in a whisper, "No I don't... I can't believe it. He can't be gone. He can't be gone just like that." My voice was just low enough for them to hear me.

"I'm so sorry Bells. We will help you with anything we can," offered Jake. He took my hand gently in his large one, waiting for me to answer.

I felt an overwhelming amount of emotions. Anger because my father had promised to never leave me. Hatred for whoever shot him, mostly anger at the people who could not save him in time. Grief for my father's death: the death of the last person of my true family.

Before I could say anything, I was out of my chair and running to the police station, hoping and praying that Billy was wrong, that my father was alive.

"Bella! You can't go to the crime scene!" yelled Billy as Jake rolled his father down the ramp.

I just ignored Mr. Black and ran with all my might to the station, hoping my dad was still there; hoping that he would come out with his big, friendly grin on his face. Come out with a "Hey Bells!" and a hug for me.

But when I got there, I saw my dad's cold and lifeless body lying on the frigid, hard ground. I ran over to him and knelt next to his limp form despite the dampness on the ground and began to cry.

"Daddy, no, this can't be happening. You can't be gone," I sobbed, putting my hands to my small face. The tears rolled effortlessly down my cheeks, tiny droplets clinging to my lashes as I wept. I couldn't believe this was happening. I was only seven! Things like this weren't supposed to happen at this age, not when you were so young. At my age, he was supposed to be the one who was always there, picking me up when I fell, telling me how much he loved me. And now, he was gone forever, and I would never see him again.

Didn't I suffer enough already when my mother died? Didn't God punish me enough to his satisfaction? Why did he have to take away the person dearest to me? What did I do wrong?

"Bella, sweetheart, you're not allowed to be here at the crime scene," came a familiar, gentle voice from behind me.

I looked up and saw an officer that my dad worked with standing there, holding a tissue in his outstretched hand. "I just can't believe my dad is..." I couldn't bring myself to say it, instead I just cried all over again.

"Bella, everything going to be okay," officer said, as he gave my shoulders a kind squeeze. I took the tissue from him and buried my face in it.

"He's right Bella. Everything is going to be just fine," agreed Jake, as he came up and gave me a hug.

My temper flared. My father was dead and everything was going to be fine? I pushed him away roughly. "How can you say that, Jake?" I screamed. "Can't you see? My mom is dead, my dad is dead, and I'm alone! All alone..." My voice trailed off, and I started crying yet again. Jake gathered me into his arms and let me soak his shirt with my tears.

I cried into his shoulder for a long time, oblivious to anything other than the intense pain I was feeling. I didn't pay any attention to anything except the horrible nightmare, that I was trying to comprehend. As I continued to cry, I saw the FBI put a sheet over my dad's body. That did it. I just broke down and bawled. I sobbed so hard that I coughed for a few moments. Then I asked what I feared the most: "Who...who will I live with?" A sob got stuck in my throat. I pulled out of Jake's arms looking at the officer with a mixture of worry and confusion.

"Your stepmother will take care of you until you are eighteen. She will be like the mother you haven't had for a very long time," said Neely, as he looked at me with sorrow, but there was a hint of something in his voice, almost as if he was glad my stepmother was taking me in.

The woman who just moved in with us just six months ago was going to be my new guardian. This couldn't be happening! I must be having a dream… no, a nightmare. But to my utter depression, this was really happening.

Two days later, the funereal for my beloved dad was held in the Forks Cemetery, which was tiny, I might add. I had lost my true, best friend. All my close and far relatives were there, along with my step- family, of course, and many of my dad's employees and buddies. With him being the Chief of Police in Forks, there were a lot of people at his funeral. There were well over two hundred people--maybe more. I lost count after the first hundred. He was a wonderful man, and nearly the whole town was grieving for his death.

After I met half of the people there, a woman came up to me with open arms. "Oh, you poor dear. You must miss your dad terribly," said a lady I didn't know, but she was giving me a big hug. I hugged her back, feeling the waterworks start up again.

"Yeah, I do. I don't know what I will do without him. He was my best friend, and now, that he's gone. I just don't know what I will do," I said, as the endless tears came running down my cheeks for what seemed the billionth time this week.

"I know, sweetie. I know," she said, as she handed me a tissue. I wiped my eyes with it, and before I walked away, I thanked her for her concerns and for trying to comfort me. Then, I went into the lounge to cry some more.

The lady did not know what it felt like. Who would? I lost both of your parents by the age of seven. I was alone and forced to live with my step- mom, a woman I barely knew. No one knew. No one but me.

A couple hours later, the speeches started, and I stood calmly next to Victoria, Rosalie, and Alice. Many people told stories of my father: about how kind and brave he was, how he cared for others, and how he helped eliminate crime. I just sat there--tears clinging to my lashes but not falling. It seemed as if I had run out of them. After all the speeches, they buried the casket. It finally hit me that he was really gone, but I knew he was in heaven with my mom, watching over me. That thought comforted me a little.

That night, I saw the real Victoria. She wasn't the nice lady she led me to believe she was, no, not at all. She was an awful stepmother just like you read about in fairy tales. The same went for her daughters--they where the evil stepsisters you always read about in fairy tales as well. I was living in Cinderella's hell.

"Bella get in here!" she yelled. A moment later, I walked into the room (more like ran into the room) like an obedient pet.

"Yes Victoria--I mean, stepmother," I said with a little fear in my voice. I wondered what she would do, since I called her Victoria instead of stepmother at first.

"Bella, now that your beloved dad is gone, I can stop pretending about giving a damn about you," Victoria said angrily, as I looked at her with horror. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see her daughters standing there glaring at me with their dark eyes and twin smug smiles plastered to their faces. It made me sick.

"To make up for all the expenses of your father's funereal, you will become the household slave. That means no more living like a princess for you, like you have for the past seven years. Oh, and that also means no food as well. After you pay off his expenses, you will remain a slave. Do you understand me?" she asked She threateningly pointed her slender index finger with long nails painted a bloody red at me. I could hear Rosalie and Alice laughing evilly behind their mother. They were delighted.

All I could do was shake my head with sadness. I knew that happy, carefree life, that I once had, was gone forever. I would never see that happy life again.

"Hey, we should call her Bellarella," said Rosalie with a wicked cackle. She studied my plain looks with pure fiery and evil in her irises. I shuddered, almost seeing red fire blazing in their depths.

"No! No! We should call her...Cinderbella," argued Alice, as she put her hand to her chin thinking for a moment.

Their mother turned and gave them a stunned look and turned around again while Rosalie and Alice where still deciding on what to call me, now. I tried my best to ignore their horrible, cruel ideas.

"Good. Glad we're on the same page. You can go to bed or do whatever now," Victoria snapped, her voice cold.

I ran to my room as fast as I could. When I got there, I saw a picture of my dad and I last summer, sitting on my night stand next to the pig alarm clock he and mom gave me for my fourth birthday. I couldn't bear to throw that clock away, seeing as how it was the last gift my mother bought for me. I picked up the photo and looked at it, remembering all the great times dad and I had together.

Then, I lay down on my bed and sobbed into my pillow, crying myself to sleep.

That was the last night I was free to be a happy girl. Starting the next morning, I would no longer be free. My life had changed for the worse.

End of flashback

A/N: Oh poor little Bella:( What do you think? I'm getting ready to write chapter two. Please Review thanks:)