Prologue

I never thought it would come to this. The sharp pains shooting up and down my arm meant nothing as I slowly faced the realization that what mattered most to me was gone. In the blink of an eye, my whole world had turned upside down. I had always had the feeling that it was against the "rules" to be as happy as I had been, so now it had to come to an end. I guess everything comes to an end sooner or later. I just wish it had been later, rather than sooner.

Chapter 1

Bella POV

I placed my duffle bag on the ground and sat down on my bed, taking in the sight of my room. It was small but had a cozy feeling. My side of the room seemed kind of desolate. A small dresser occupied the corner area and a twin bed was placed about two feet away from it. Two suitcases and a box filled with stuff I had decided to bring with me to college covered the rest of the available space. But overall, my side looked really empty compared to my roommate's side of the room.

On her side, everything was pink. A pink dresser, a pink canopy bed, pink bed sheets, pink photo frames, a giant pink stuffed dog and pink glittery suitcases occupied her space. It was as if someone had vomited Pepto Bismol on her stuff, or done something equally horrendous. It actually hurt to look at. But that didn't matter.

What mattered was that I had actually done it. I had finally gotten the courage to move 2,000+ miles away from my old home and start fresh. After everything that had happened in Forks, Washington, I yearned for a new beginning. I was tired of people looking at me strangely, still wondering about something that had happened nearly two years ago.

Lost in my own thoughts, I didn't notice the door open and I suddenly heard a grunt.

"Ugh, you're here. I was hoping you had dropped out or something, so I would get the room to myself, but I guess that didn't happen. I can't believe I got stuck with a loser for a roommate! I mean, look at you! You're a hobo in disguise!!" she groaned, and flopped down on her bed.

I did look at myself. I didn't look that bad. My skin was pale white, I had long brown hair, and brown eyes. I admit that I'm plain, but I'm not exactly ugly. I was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, faded jeans, and converse sneakers but it's not like I was going to be in a mini dress with heels if I was going to be driving for hours to get here. And who did this bitch think she was, to insult me?! She herself looked like a slut, with a mid-drift shirt, and skirt that barely covered anything at all.

"Look I don't know who you think you are, but you have no right to insult me like that!" I snapped at her.

"You mean you have no idea who I am?!" her nasally voice rose up five pitches, and she stared at me with an expression of combined amazement and annoyance. I immediately regretted not asking Alice to be my roommate and instead letting the fates decided. This was going to be a hellish year.

Edward POV

"Dad, I don't want to go to Harvard," I argued back, pointlessly. Whenever my father, Edward Sr. Mason, had his sights set on something, he got it, and I had a feeling I was no exception.

"Now, son, you know that to take over, you're going to need the best education, which is what Harvard offers. Why don't you make this easier for the both of us, and just comply with our wishes?" he answered sternly and walked out of the room. My dad had married the sister of Carlisle Cullen, Elizabeth. Carlisle Cullen was the richest man alive. He had first made millions when he bought some stock at age eighteen. After he opened his first hotel in New York, he just seemed to be everywhere. (Shampoo, cars, publishing companies, you name it. He owned a part of everything) His wife Esme, couldn't have any children, so it expected that I take when he retired, or was too ill to be working. Because of that, from early age I had been preparing for when I was going to take on those huge responsibilities. I was tired of it. I was tired of other people always telling me what to do, tired of always being in the spotlight and tired of not being able to trust anyone because of who I was. I just wanted to experience at least a year of freedom. I wanted to actually live a little before I took over everything. Carlisle was set to retire in about two and half years so in two and a half years I was going to take over everything, which somewhat terrified me.

I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a pamphlet. I knew what I had to do. For the next year, I wasn't going to live my life in the public eye any longer, with people putting words in my mouth. It was going to be all me. (Except the new identity, of course)

Xxx +|+|+|+ xxx

I leaned back against my chair and crossed my arms."C'mon, Emmett, you got to do this for me. Please?" I begged.

Emmet's brows were furrowed and he seemed to be in deep concentration. Finally he sighed and looked up at me from the steps he was sitting on."Alright, I can get you the fake ID and the documentation papers but if anyone finds out and you tattletale on me, you're dead, you got that?" He playfully punched my shoulder, stretched, and walked out the door. Emmett was the son of Andrew, a millionaire, and had gotten into some deep shit quite a few times. He had also been quite the ladies' man, which had earned him even more troubles. Now that he had a steady girlfriend, his soul-mate, as he liked to call her, he had gotten his life back on track. A threat from his father had also helped; one slip and Emmett could kiss his inheritance goodbye.

I didn't want to put Emmett in this position but I really needed an escape, and I just wasn't getting it.

I had a bodyguard at all times, and the paparazzi stalked me whenever I was in public.

I just needed a little freedom.