Things I own: Trepidation over writing my FIRST fanfic (!), way too many pairs of shoes, a car dubbed my mobile office.

Things I don't own: Stephenie Meyer's characters, anything Twilight related.

BPOV:

I surveyed the damage spread throughout my new room. The worst part about moving is unpacking, I thought. Well, second only to leaving behind the ones you love.

Moving to New York City was a decision I struggled with for a long time; I knew that professionally, New York was the best place for me to be. The field of music journalism was pretty non-existent in my post-college home of Forks, Washington. But, for two years after graduation, I had stuck it out and tried to make Forks work for me. After working part time jobs at both Newton's and the local grocery store, I knew that I couldn't wait any longer.

My only obstacles for moving- my father, Charlie and my best friend, Jacob- had very different reactions to my news. Charlie encouraged the move, reminding me that he'd survived twenty-two years without my domestic supervision. Jacob, on the other hand, pleaded me to stay in Forks- eventually Forks turned into California, then along the West Coast, then anywhere but New York. "There has to be a job for you that isn't across the country," he said with tears silently leaking from his eyes.

I felt tears spring to my own eyes at the memory of the moment. First Beach held many pleasant memories for us, but after breaking Jacob's heart on the piece of driftwood we were so fond of sitting on, I doubted that he'd ever feel the same there again. I imagined him sitting in his garage and working on the car he was restoring, hoping that he had found distraction from the ache that our separation had caused him. I was on the bridge of dwelling on it, myself, as the bracelet he had given me as we parted in the airport gleamed in the moonlight.

But I couldn't look back. For so long I had lived my life doing what was best for those around me, with little to no regard about what was best for me. Although I had yet to find a job, was in possession of a very limited income, and didn't know a soul in New York, I was confident that this was going to work. It has to, I thought.

I smoothed my hair as I carefully teetered around the boxes to open the small window of my eighth-story apartment. I had found a small one bedroom apartment in Brooklyn that was cheap by New York standards, but still enough to dissipate the small amount of savings I had amassed during the past two years within a few months. Tomorrow would bring a long day of job hunting, so I tried to relax as much as possible during my first night in my new home. I called Jacob and Charlie, only to have both calls forwarded to voicemail. I tried reading a book I picked up in the airport while sitting on my window ledge, but I was too restless to remain in one place.

"I am going to be fine," I said aloud as I stuck my head out the window and looked down at the street below. If I said it enough times, I was sure that I'd actually start to believe it.

Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading the first chapter of Crickets!
This is my first foray into fanfic, and I'd really appreciate any feedback.
The subsequent chapters will be much longer, and you'll find that Bella will soon run into some familiar (to us, anyways!) faces.

The story is titled after a song by one of my favorite bands, Wild Sweet Orange. Check my profile for a link to their Myspace, as well as the song which the title comes from.
Each chapter will additionally be titled after a song, album, or artist. Links to these will also be listed on my profile, as well as in the author's notes.

Title from: "About a Girl" by Nirvana