Disclaimer: I don't own anything pertaining to Twilight, but the story and plot is mine own.

Author's Note: This story essentially focuses on Jessica eight years after Bella's marriage, where she is and how she got there, and eventually, it'll lead to what happens if vampires got involved in her life. It will feature the Twilight vampires later on in the story. I just wanted to take a couple of moments to make a few points. Firstly, I know both Jessica and Lauren seem out of character in this chapter - it will be explained and you will see their bitchier sides in later chapters.

Acknowledgements: I added a slight Gossip Girl touch to them, just because Jessica's a brunette and Lauren's blonde and I thought it would be a bit of cheeky fun. Additionally, I have to give reference to Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tu, a bollywood film being released in Feb, for the idea of how Jessica met her love interest and got together. The name Ryan is a nod towards Up In The Air, the film that got Anna Kendrick so much critical acclaim. I also want to especially note Wondrous Strange by Madame Apathy, for inspiration, and Real Plastic Trees, by HotMessica, for illustrating how to keep the human characters in-character, but make them sympathetic and likeable as well.

Not So Far From Home

January 2nd, 2014

When Jessica Stanley was in high school, she had been known for her common sense. Angela had been the brains, quiet and intelligent and constantly helping the rest of their group with their homework. Lauren had been the beauty, the most effortlessly glamorous of them all and the most fashion conscious too. And Jessica, she'd been the sensible one, the one who erred on the side of safety and never talked to strangers, always stayed within her budget, always followed her common sense.

And this was why her fingers were tapping a nervous tattoo against the taxi window. Her common sense was telling her she was being stupid, that the best thing to do was run, run, run away and phone up with an excuse. It wasn't like she wanted to go there. She was certain of embarrassing herself – one of the only constants in her life. It would probably be one of her top five worst memories, or top ten, if she was lucky. She wouldn't enjoy it and she would be miserable and all of these things made sense. Yet here she was, sitting in a taxi after already spending beyond her budget, on her way to a lunch date from hell that would be perfect in one of those incredibly cringe-worthy comedies Hollywood seemed apt at producing. It appeared that she had left her common sense back in high school. Growing older clearly didn't mean getting wiser.

She'd tried working out why she had agreed to this – momentary lapse of sanity; Distraction; Masochistic tendencies? She thought maybe she just wanted closure, to finally be able to move on and not doubt herself any more but in the end, she was clueless about why she was really doing this. If she'd known that this was a new beginning with far-reaching consequences, she would have never gone but she didn't know that. And it was too late to back out now anyway.

As the taxi slowed to a halt, Jessica ran anxious fingers through her hair, which had inexplicably remained dark throughout her college years in California and was styled shorter than it had ever been in high school. The shoulder length, flicked-out bob cut admirably suited her but had cost far more than it was worth in Jessica's opinion. It hadn't stopped her from getting it, childhood insecurities playing through her mind. Her blue coat was a gem, well-suited to the light California winters and complimenting her figure, but it was an old coat and bought second hand. The outfit underneath it, on the other hand, was brand new and had cost more than Jessica had spent on all her other clothes the previous month. Ryan had asked her jokingly if he should be worried that she was spending so much money for a simple lunch date when she had never put that much effort into impressing him and Jessica hadn't been able to say anything in defence.

She paid the taxi driver with money she could ill afford to spend and headed into the restaurant. The location, decor, everything suggested it was overpriced and Jessica bit back a sigh. Nope, she was not going to look cheap. Not a chance! She was going to put her game face on, paste a winning smile and walk in without making a fool of herself...she hoped.

Her eyes roamed around the restaurant and when she found the familiar blonde hair, she headed towards it, already feeling better. Lauren seemed just as nervous as she felt herself, if her tapping foot was any indication, and it did give her a confidence boost. Maybe this would go okay? Maybe this wouldn't open up old wounds and make her feel like a Plain Jane?

"Hi," Jessica said, a little breathless from the painful, anxious thudding of her heart. Lauren looked different, which wasn't all that surprising, since they hadn't seen each other in ages, not since the winter after high school finished...holy cow, nearly a decade ago. Had it really been eight years since they'd seen each other?

"Hi." The smile Lauren directed at Jessica was almost dazzling by its brightness, so much the opposite of the cold, aloof smiles from way back when. "I'm so glad you're here. I was terrified that you'd stood me up."

Jessica could feel the knot of anxiety dissipating. "I did think about it," she admitted sheepishly. "I was a little scared about meeting you."

Lauren gave a crow of infectious laughter. Jessica's blush deepened. "Hey, it's not that funny." Her nerves were making a swift return.

"Sorry," Lauren finally managed to gasp out. "It's just so ironic because I was, like, so nervous about meeting you again too. But I am glad you didn't stand me up in the end. I don't know anyone here and it's nice to see a friendly face."

Jessica wondered what made her face seem friendly. She was pretty sure her face had been first pinched with anxiety and then bright red with embarrassment but she didn't say anything about that. "You don't know anyone in Orange?" she chose to question instead.

"I don't really know anybody in California," Lauren shrugged, staggering Jessica with that knowledge.

"You don't live in California?" To Jessica, Lauren looked the perfect portrait of a California girl, with her sunny hair in casual curled clusters around her shoulders, her tanned skin and the casual-looking, yet mortifyingly expensive designer clothes she wore.

"Nope. I'm a Manhattan girl." Lauren chuckled at Jessica's open amazement. "I just...wanted to get away from New York for a while, you know?"

Jessica's lips curled upwards as she noted Lauren's attempt at a nonchalant shrug. It fooled nobody, not least of all Jessica. "Boy troubles?" The words were out of her mouth before she had time to wonder whether they were close enough to discuss such topics. She'd hit the nail on the head as well, judging by Lauren's sudden blush. It made her smile just a little bit wider.

"Yeah, something like that." Lauren eyed Jessica with speculation. "What about you? Is there any particular boy you're interested in?"

Jessica's smile dimmed as her eyes widened in surprise. "Er...yeah, something like that," she replied with little originality.

Lauren gave another crow of infectious laughter – god, she was so different to the pseudo-ice queen from high school. Leaning forward, with a Cheshire cat smile, she said, oh so persuasively, "Come on, you have to tell me more. We can share notes on boyfriend problems."

'Boyfriend' was a misnomer; Jessica had no idea how Lauren would respond to hearing that Jessica had been married for three and a half years and dated the boy for only three of those three and a half years. And so, Jessica took a gamble. "You go first." After ordering drinks for themselves, she leaned forward, ready to hear all about the boy that made Lauren come to the other side of the country. "So tell me about this special boy," Jessica couldn't stop herself from teasing Lauren just a little bit, nerves long forgotten.

"It's more like boys," Lauren said in tragic tones that would have made Shakespeare proud. She ignored Jessica's snicker and continued on. "There was this guy, we've been friends for ever, like since start of college, but he was dating my friend. And then I kind of got drunk, I was in a really bad place and we slept together and he cheated on my friend, with me. And I left for a bit and then came back and he's still in love with me. They've broken up now – my friend's found this guy that's perfect for her – which is great. And I sort of liked this guy but then there was this other guy – like nobody I'd ever known before. He was amazing, just so down to earth, not all about money or the high life or anything like that-" Jessica's mouth gaped open, at this point. Since when did Lauren have all this money and high life and stuff? She tried to focus as Lauren continued her monologue of personal misery. "And we dated for a while and then broke up, because of misunderstandings and things, and then things were complicated but he liked me and I liked him as well."

"So there were two amazing guys, who liked you and whom you liked?" Jessica wondered what the problem was as Lauren nodded.

"Yeah but that's the problem. Liked, as in past tense. They likedme and now they don't and I'm sort of worried that I've lost their friendship as well, let alone any chance of a relationship with them." She ended with a heartfelt sigh that made Jessica smile.

"So you thought you would run away and come to Aunt Jessica for her advice?" Part of Jessica found Lauren's story hilarious, whilst part of her thought that maybe it would make Lauren understanding of Jessica's own interesting love life and its problems.

"Well...it was more to escape open hostility. And I thought it might be a good chance to actually see you in person and catch up with you." Lauren's smile was a little guilty. "It's your turn now. Tell me all about this boyfriend of yours. Or is it just a crush?"

"More of a husband," Jessica took the plunge. She giggled nervously as Lauren shrieked a 'what' before staring at her with an open mouth.

"How come I wasn't invited?" It was Jessica's turn to stare at Lauren. She had expected a snide remark or something judgmental or even a mixture of shock and horror. Not a hurt question! And Lauren did look hurt, mouth in a pretty little rich girl pout. She wondered why she had been so nervous to meet Lauren in the first place. She had clearly changed just as much as Jessica herself had.

"Trust me, I can't even remember the ceremony, and I have no idea who was invited!" Jessica rolled her eyes, feeling a lot more confident about sharing this little story. She took a sip of her martini – when in Rome with rich girls, right?

"Ooh, this sounds promising. Do tell," Lauren smiled invitingly.

And so Jessica began the story of how she married Ryan and then fell in love with him... Less than two years later, when Jessica would be surrounded by death and blood and despair, caught in the middle of her worst nightmare as her life fell to pieces around her, Lauren would be there, holding her up and keeping her going. And when she moved on to anger, Lauren would be there, sharing her thirst for vengeance and cold-blooded justice and Jessica wouldn't be able to remember a time when they weren't more family than friends. And this friendship really started with this little awkward lunch date.