AUTHOR'S NOTE—NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. (I merely set the stage)

Okay, here it goes. Chapter one. Be gentle.

I could hear Alice padding around anxiously in the kitchen as I hid in my bedroom. Surely she had discovered that I had drunk the last of the coffee the night before and now she was itching to scream obscenities in my ear. That was just Alice. She was a little ray of sunshine if she had her fix of caffeine; otherwise, she was just down-right cruel.

"Bella! I know you're awake!"

I bit my lip to prevent the laughter that was bubbling up inside of me. Regardless of how angry she felt, her little rants were always so comical; especially when she had to stand on the very tips of her toes to yell in my face.

"ISABELLA MARIE! I SWEAR TO CHRIST!"

That was all it took for me to begin laughing manically. She'd be attempting to burst through my door any minute now; good thing I had thought to lock it before I went to bed last night.

Mere seconds later my theory was confirmed as the knob on my door began twisting and turning. Unfortunately for Alice it wasn't one of those door locks that had the tiny little hole where a bobby-pin could be used to unlatch it. Nope, this one had to have an actual key if you attempted to open it from the outside; thank God for hardware stores.

"Bella!" Alice whined obnoxiously, "Okay, if I agree to not pummel you, will you come out?"

"Yeah right! I've hear that before!" I yelled back digging deeper into the covers of my bed, "Last time you said that I opened the door and you kicked me in the shin! THE SHIN ALICE!"

She growled…yes, growled. There was no other way to describe her grunt of frustration. I knew I'd have to weather the storm sooner or later since I had class in an hour but I was hoping that she'd calm down before I came out.

After about ten minutes of not hearing anything I got up and grabbed my things to bring into the shower with me. When I opened the door the damn little sprite was standing there and a second later her foot hit my left shin once again. I yelped and dropped my things in order to rub the tender spot, "Damn ankle-biter" I mumbled as she hmm'd happily and skipped away.

After my shower and the completion of my other morning necessaries, I went into the kitchen to get some breakfast. When I found that I had also run out of bagels I decided a trip to the grocery store was going to be a necessity very soon. I couldn't live long without my bagels.

I poured myself bowl of cereal and read over the newspaper as I crunched away. The headlines in Seattle were always the same; same crime statistics, same petty theft, same local bands playing at bars, and the same socialites gracing the pages with their perfectly botoxed faces. If I had to read the name "Newton", "Denali", or "Masen" one more time I was certain I'd crack.

I finished up my breakfast and grabbed my things for my class. I only had one on Thursdays which made Friday seem to come that much quicker. Alice came out of her bedroom right when I was pulling my backpack over my shoulders. Without a word, we both left our apartment, side-by-side, and I locked the door before we continued downstairs and outside.

It was a typical gloomy day in Seattle, but I had grown to love them in the past years. The gloom calmed me in a strange way the sun never could. I glanced sideways toward Alice and cringed thinking about how hyper she was on a normal gloomy day and imagining her excitement increase tenfold on a sunny day. The survivors would be limited.

We made it to campus in less than ten minutes and promised to meet at the coffee shop at the student center after class. She headed towards her business organization class while I meandered towards my English 405 lecture.

I took a seat in the back of the room, typical of me since I hated being in the direct line of any teacher's sight, and I pulled out my notebook and pen. My other colleagues filtered in quickly after me and my good friend Angela took a seat in her normal spot next to me.

"Hey" she breathed; she sounded like she had run here. Come to think of it, her hair did look a little mussed and her t-shirt seemed a little too wrinkly to be newly clean…

But before I could comment on any of these things Angela blushed and mumbled her boyfriend's name under her breath as an answer to my silent questions. I smiled and turned towards the front of the class. Angela and her boyfriend, Ben, had been together for the last three years now; ever since their freshman year of college. They were the "it" couple where I was concerned; destined to be together till the end. I was happy for them if not just a tiny bit envious.

The professor of this class, Mrs. Howard, went through the slides of her presentation in lightening speed and dismissed class about twenty minutes early. This was a rarity for her.

Angela and I glanced at each other the moment after Howard's dismissal and shrugged; we weren't curious enough to even ask.

When we left the building Angela sighed and ran her fingers through her "sex" hair, "Well, I better get home and shower…I'm sure I look ridiculous…" she blushed again.

"Nah, you just look….ravished."

We laughed together and said our good-byes. I began my walk to the student center despite the fact that Alice wouldn't be getting out of class for at least another fifteen minutes. I was desperate for coffee though and knowing it was my fault I couldn't have any this morning made me annoyed with myself.

I ordered myself a coffee when I entered the little shop knowing I'd more than likely be having a second one by the time Alice got here. I leaned back in the wooden chair and glanced around the café playing my favorite game; people-watching. It's amazing the kinds of things you catch a person doing when they are certain no one is watching them.

Two girls were gossiping loudly about some "hook-up" the night prior, another girl was sitting to the left of them staring angrily at nothing, just simply hating the world, and a group of nerdy guys sat around a table with four or five laptops discussing their matters in hushed whispers as if they held the key to world peace in their hands; it was all so humorous.

Then, in the corner of the shop, was a lone man. He was sitting hunched over the table with a pen in his hand, jotting down something furiously. There was a cup of something next to him that was steaming, coffee I assumed, and to the other side of him was a blueberry muffin, completely untouched.

Those things were inconsequential to me, however, once I took in his face. I couldn't see it completely with him looking down at the paper but I could see his reddish-brown hair that was highlighted with gold in complete disarray on his head. I could see the line of a strong, square jaw that added masculinity to his beautiful features. I could see his plaid shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow, showing me the lean muscles that resided in his forearms. I could see the incredible length of his legs and I knew he'd be tall; much taller than my 5'4 stature. I giggled softly thinking of how Alice would look standing next to him…it'd be comical. I went back to my stalkerish gawking and I noticed his dark brows were furrowed in deep concentration; whatever he was working on was very important to him.

I couldn't, for the life of me, stop staring. As I had taken in all the features I could see that my body had begun being littered with goose-bumps and my stomach had started churning with the feeling of butterflies. I noticed that even my palms had started to sweat. It was as if his mere presence in this room set my body along with each individual nerve-ending on fire. My brain along with all rational thought was clouded as I took the beautiful man in. And then…he looked up at me. My breath caught in my throat and my heart began hammering double-time as I stared into the emerald jewels of his eyes. They were so…green. His jaw was a perfect square as I had assumed earlier; even his nose was perfectly straight. There was a five o'clock shadow covering his cheeks and chin and it only made him look more ruggedly handsome. I couldn't help but imagine how his whiskers would feel brushing against my face as I kissed him within an inch of his life.

As I let my dirty daydreams take over my mind, he continued to intently stare back at me. His brows were still furrowed in concentration as if I was a puzzle he needed to figure out. His eyes seemed to scrutinize every angle and shape of my face and I blushed under his stare. I attempted to look away from him but his gaze was so penetrating that my eyes wouldn't listen to my brain's screams; I bit my lip in anxiousness and I swear to God I saw the beautiful man gulp.

Unfortunately, Alice came in seconds later only to ruin the beautiful moment I had gotten to share with the gorgeous stranger. She had already bought her coffee and took a seat down in front of me, completely ruining my view of the man.

"What the hell was that?" asked Alice as she nodded her head inconspicuously over her shoulder towards the object of my current lust and desire.

I shrugged innocently, "I'm not sure what you're talking about"

Alice rolled her eyes, "Relax, I'm not going to give you crap; the guy is gorgeous. I probably would've been staring too."

I just smiled and nodded along but deep down I knew that my staring wasn't all about the man's gorgeous looks. I had felt a strange fire and passion build inside of me, especially when our eyes had met. I felt like I was staring into my whole world; a world I hadn't known existed until this point but a world I was meant to live in. I had felt like I was staring at the rest of my life….

Of course that was just crazy talk so I listened to Alice as she rambled on. I also attempted to push away the high-school-girl feelings for the stranger who was a mere ten feet away from me.

After two more cups of coffee and attempting to peek around Alice's head, the stranger finally left. I watched him quickly stride out of the little shop; but, before he was completely out from my line of view he turned his head towards me and gave me a sad smile. My heart practically plummeted to my butt.

I sighed wistfully as he disappeared out of the center and Alice noticed. She smirked slyly at me, "Missin' pretty boy already?"

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from lashing out at her. He wasn't pretty! He was beautiful…; but that was beside the point.

Alice and I separated once again; she went off toward another lecture and I went to work. I was employed by a classy little Italian restaurant downtown called "Il Terrazzo Carmine". It wasn't the highlight of my day but the tips were usually amazing since the majority of the customers were the "richies" of Seattle. You wouldn't think Seattle would have so many…

I entered in through the back because it was against the rules to show your face here unless you were wearing the most stylish of fashion or you were in your work uniform. I was still in jeans and a t-shirt so I was sure to be flogged if I went through the front.

I made my way into the little bathroom in the kitchen quarters and swiped out my jeans and t-shirt for my black skirt and white blouse. I slipped on some black ballet flats and threw my hair up into a high pony-tail. I didn't bother adding any make-up since it would melt off from the heat of the kitchen anyway.

When I returned back to the kitchen quarters a few of the other waitresses were getting ready for the lunch crowd. Lunch wasn't usually half as busy as dinner so this would be more like a practice round before the real thing.

One waitress, Jessica, had become attached to my side the moment we were introduced months earlier at orientation. I wasn't sure why she wanted to be my friend; we were on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. Jessica was a trust-fund baby who was only working to make her parents believe she was a responsible adult. She had come from a wealthy family who dabbled in insurance and she was as flighty as the day was long. Her only goal in life was to marry up with some wealthy man and live the life of luxury. Besides all that, deep down, she had a good heart and only knew what she had been taught. She was merely a product of her environment and I had no room to fault her.

Lunch came and went pretty quickly and soon we were cleaning up for the dinner rush. A half-hour till six I took my break and settled down for a bowl of salad and some iced tea. It was gourmet alright.

Jessica sat down beside me with some sort of sushi dish and she began talking animatedly about some gala she had been to with her family the night before.

"There were so many bachelors! I could hardly pick one!" she exclaimed as she dripped some sort of sauce all over her fish, "And I danced with a Newton all night!"

I glanced up and eyed her warily, "You mean Newton? As in Newton, Inc.?" Newton, Inc. had started out as a small sporting goods store way back when; in the last forty years it had turned into a franchise of sorts.

Jessica bobbed her head up and down excitedly, "Yes! It was so fantastic!" she drawled dreamily, "Oh and I almost got to dance with a Masen!"

First of all, it was strange how she referred to them as "a …" whatever their last name was. It was as if these peoples' first names meant nothing and their last names meant everything. Second of all, all these names Jessica was currently discussing I had been cursing just hours earlier; they ruined my breakfast if I remembered correctly. They were Seattle's finest; bred from the wealthiest of people and designed for power. It kind of made me sick how they all stuck together like little cults.

"So, why didn't you?" I asked curiously. Jessica Stanley was a pretty girl, and just like the Stanley women before her, she seemed to have been made for this sort of lifestyle. Her blue eyes sparkled and her brown hair was littered with blonde highlights. She had that bikini model body and a high, feminine voice. This is why it confused me that she hadn't gotten to dance with a member of one of the other leading, prominent families in the area.

"Yeah right! He's practically betrothed!"

My eyes narrowed, "You mean engaged?"

Jessica shrugged, "Technically. I mean, it's a widely known fact that Masen and Denali will marry." Funny…I hadn't known anything of the sort.

I allowed Jessica to drag on and on about her night and I pretended to listen as closely as I could. To be honest, the whole thing kind of disgusted me. Betrothed? Who the hell got 'betrothed' anymore? It sounded like some modern type of arranged marriage to me. Wasn't that like…illegal or something?

The dinner rush finally started and I wrapped my small black apron around my waist, patting the pocket to make sure my little pad and pens were still inside. I went to my area of the restaurant and began taking orders. For a Thursday, it was unusually busy.

The last table I waited on had four well pressed adults; two on one side and two on the other. The two women were talking happily, more than likely gossiping, while the two men sipped at their glasses of Brandy and talked more quietly.

I smiled as I approached with my notepad and pen in hand, "Good evening. What can I get you for tonight?" my smile was so fake it actually hurt to keep on.

One of the women, who had caramel-colored hair, smiled back at me and placed her order along with her husband's; her husband looked like an actor from the thirties…he was that handsome. The other couple, who were equally as gorgeous with a ruggedly handsome man and a breathtaking red-headed woman, regarded the menus a few moments longer and when they were ready the husband smiled…but it just seemed more polite than anything else, "We'd like two plates of Rigatoni please…sauce on the side. Oh and can we please get a refill on our drinks? It has been a while." My smile faltered as I wrote the order down quickly and politely dismissed myself. The man who had reprimanded me was handsome in such an oddly familiar way...I shook my head as I walked quickly from his harsh gaze.

I rushed into the kitchen to find Jessica. She was in charge of the bartending deal tonight so she should have been on top of getting drinks. I found her flirting away with one of the cooks and I about flipped, "Jess!" my sharp tone caught her off guard as she whipped around to face me, "Why aren't you out there getting drinks! I just got a complaint!" Now, it may not seem like a big deal to some but at this restaurant any complaint, no matter how small, was a very big deal.

"Are you talking about the table in the back corner?" she asked warily to which I nodded, "Bella! They can't see me here! That's the Masens!"

My mouth dropped incredulously, "I don't care who they are! They are thirsty! Now get out there and get them something to drink so I don't lose my tips tonight!"

Jessica crossed her arms over her chest and glared, "No! It's embarrassing! They'll think I'm some…working class person!" she shuddered as if the mere idea of the working class gave her the creeps and I threw my hands in the air in frustration and stormed out.

I guess I was on liquor duty as well tonight. Hell, who cares, more tips for me.

I grabbed more drinks for that table and then went back to my waitressing duties. When it was time to settle the bills I went to each table and handed them a little black book to place their shiny credit cards in. When I got to the back table filled with the famous Masens I tried out my smile once more, "I hope your meals were satisfactory." I said setting the black booklet on the table, "If there is anything else I can get for you…?" I trailed off looking at their glasses to find them all empty once again.

"No, I wouldn't want to overwhelm you." Said the harsh but handsome man. I took a step back as he continued, "You'd do well to remember that your livelihood apparently comes from bringing my family and I meals and drinks…it's a pity you couldn't keep up with that." He placed his black credit card into a slot and pushed it towards me, "For the exact amount please"

Ouch…

His wife, the gorgeous red-head, turned towards him but I couldn't tell what she was whispering though she looked furious.

I had never not been tipped before and it was kind of a blow to my self-esteem. Waitressing was more of a mental job than anything and I hadn't thought I had failed at it. Apparently, this guy, this Masen, thought I had…and that wasn't good.

I nodded politely and took the booklet back to settle the bill. When the cashier, Brenda, noticed that no tip was being given, she looked at me solemnly and handed back the receipt and credit card. I didn't bother explaining.

When I arrived back at the table the patrons looked tense; I felt like I had walked back into a heated argument and they weren't about to continue it in front of a stranger. That was more than fine with me.

I handed back the credit card and receipt and thanked them for coming anyway despite the man's rudeness from before.

When the restaurant was almost completely deserted, save for the few waitresses and bus-boys, I began cleaning tables. As I was working on the corner table from earlier I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find the caramel-haired woman smiling a bit sadly, "I wanted to come back and apologize for my brother's behavior…he isn't usually so…rude."

I nodded, though I didn't believe her.

"Here, please take this." She handed me a white envelope and darted back out the restaurant with one last smile over her shoulder.

I glanced at the envelope confused before I opened it and gasped. Inside was a hundred dollar bill. I had had good tips before but never a solid hundred. I noticed there was also a small piece of paper folded up inside and I slipped it out. When I opened it I couldn't help the smile that formed on my lips or the few tears that filled my eyes.

Three things you should remember…

Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause

You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.

Don't let the man get you down!

I mean it.

-Esme Cullen

AUTHOR'S NOTE—

So….? Shall I continue? I sure hope so because chapter two is almost done.

Please review, it makes me smile!