Author's note: I own nothing from the twilight universe-obviously. This story surrounds an OC, Winter, who is Bella's cousin on her mother's side. If you have suggestions for an OC/pairing please feel free to make suggestions. RxR.
One
"Ma!" The Screen door slammed loudly behind Winter and she flung her knap sack carelessly to the floor as she called out. The kitchen was empty as she snatched up a lone apple. She munched on it looking at the small scrap of paper that accompanied it. It was a note, from her mother. A small frown tugged at her lips.
"Winnie- went out. There's left-overs in the fridge. Don't wait up.
-Mom,"
"Typical," Winter muttered, crumpling the note and chucking it at the bin. She missed. Of course. Stupid coordination- this was the reason she had a C- in PE.
Sighing forlornly she hauled herself to her feet and picked up the note, dumping it into the can with the still full apple. She'd lost her appetite.
Stella Higginbotham had always been a bit…flighty, to put it nicely. She'd left her hometown at sixteen with dreams of owning a-get this-pie shop. In Boston of all places. She only got as far as twin falls before her bus money was out.
It was around then she found out she was pregnant- at least that was her story. Some people thought the pie shop was just a cover up for her running away after getting knocked up.
Gossip presented entertainment for a whole moth as the town played "Who done it?" Bets circulated from Charlie swan, her sister's boyfriend, to Bill Uley, resident playboy down at the res.
Winter wouldn't have minded if it was Charlie-for the short time he was her uncle he'd been really nice. Much nicer than any of her mom's frequent "friends."
She smiled remembering the summers where her mom let her visit Forks with her cousin Bella. She'd offered, on many occasions, to trade identities with Bella.
"Honestly Bells, my life is much better than yours! It's a real steal for you. You'll get to travel all over and eat whatever sweets you want! Ma never checks the cookie jar. And, because I'm feeling generous, I'll even let you keep Sir Vicious. (Her pet rabbit, a fat, floppy eared thing she'd got for Christmas.)All you gotta give me is Charlie. Whatta ya say?"
Bella would give her a blank, unimpressed face and state in that smart little voice of hers,
"I can't sell you my dad Winnie. That's slavery-and illegal." Then she'd walk away, off to find some corner to sulk in no doubt. She was such a downer.
Sighing again just to fill the silence Winter wandered over to the telly and flipped it on. She plopped down on the couch and stared at the screen, not paying much attention to what was on it.
She was busy making lists. It was a weird quirk of hers-listing things. She did it all the time, for everything imaginable. What she was going to do with the rest of her night
(relax (bum around) until five, eat dinner, flip on some Sci-Fi flick for background noise as she procrastinated through her homework, etc.)
The best and worst songs she'd heard that day, different mid evil torture devices, her mother's choice in men-you name it.
Back when her mom had dated a shrink, and thus forced winter to have sessions with him to "bond" she'd explained it to him. He's diagnosis had been that she was overly anxious and suffered from a mild case obsessive compulsiveness. Then he proscribed her some "happy pills."
Her mom had dumped him soon after.
The truth was that it comforted her. Her and her mom moved around a lot; their lives were constantly changing. Finding little routines helped her to feel…stable. Like knowing what was going to happen next-even if it was just for the next seven hours.
She was pulled out of her zombie stupor ten minutes later by the loud, generic ring of their land line. Winter rolled her eyes. Her mother was so ridiculous. They'd probably only be in the house two months tops and yet Stella still insisted on a home phone. Another reason why Winter "Didn't need a cell phone." Pftt
Groaning as she peeled herself off the couch (they seriously needed to invest in an air conditioner-this California heat was killing her.)winter made her way boardly over to the phone.
"Higginbotham residence, Winter speaking."
"Winnie?" Winter smiled, dropping her operator voice as she recognized the cheerfully light voice on the other end.
"Aunty Renee! Long time no talk! What's up?" She heard her aunt chuckle on the other end.
"Still as bubbly as ever I hear," Then she sighed and her voice became more tired.
"Is Stella there?"
Winter bit her lip, unsure if she should tell her aunt about her mom's latest disappearance act.
"She's…out."
"Out?" Renee's usually soft voice sharpened and winter knew she'd caught on.
"How long this time you suppose?" Winter shrugged, even though her aunt couldn't see it.
"Your guess is as good as mine. I'm all right though, no need to worry," Renee didn't buy it-she never did. But she chose not to press Winnie, knowing it would upset her.
"What did you need to talk to her about?" Winter changed the subject quickly, forcing a smile into her voice.
Renee sighed again.
"It's Bella,"
Winter's interest was immediately snagged. Her goody-two-shoes cousin never did anything wrong; Heck, she never did anything- certainly nothing that would upset Renee enough to ring up her flakey sister. Her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Bella? Is she okay?"
It took Renee a moment to answer and winter felt worry begin gnawing at her stomach.
"Physically."
"Spill."
For the next half hour Winter listened intently as Renee filled her in on Bella's little romance in forks, how she'd run off with the guy then managed to fall out of a three story window (Winter laughed despite herself-It was just such a Bella thing to do-the falling out the window not the eloping; that one was quite shocking.)How Renee had never seen Bella as happy as she was with Edward.
Then how the dirt bag had gone and dumped her, leaving her alone and broken in the middle of the woods.
Winter herself had nearly broken the phone in her anger. What kind of a jerk did that?!
"She… hasn't been the same since. It's been nearly four months and Charlie's getting desperate. Oh god, Winnie what are we going to do with her?"
Renee sounded close to tears. Winter felt her heart wrench at the sound.
"It's going to be okay Renee. Bella's strong-she'll pull through this. I know she will."
Despite her words of encouragement winter had her doubts. It was true growing up Bella had always taken everything in stride-she was good in a pinch, always calm and collected. But Winter knew her. She'd bottle all her feelings up and wait until she was alone to break. Despite how strong Bella acted, things hit her hard. And if she was letting everyone see her fall, this must have broken her big.
For hours after she'd hung up with Renee winter's thoughts were in turmoil over what she'd heard. She felt restless, poking her spaghetti disinterestedly and pacing aimlessly throughout the house. Finally, after tripping for the third time in three hours she stopped. Closing her eyes, she breathed out, exasperated.
"Dammit Bella!"
Stalking angrily to her room she stuffed the first things she touched into a roll along suit case under the bed. A few quick types on her laptop and one hurried phone call later she was out the door, scribbling a quick note as she went. It fluttered on the counter as the door slammed.
'Mom,
Went to stay with uncle Charlie for a while. There's left-overs in the fridge. Don't wait up.
-Winnie'
Story inspired by the song Bella's Birthday Cake by Five For fighting-don't know why but I was listening and the idea just popped into my head. Especially at the line 'Bella makes her bed every second loneliest night of the year.' It made me think of her in her depressed stage and how worried her family must be- bring in Winter. RxR.