Disclaimer: Any and all Twilight characters belong to SM.

I wish I could remember the very first time we met. He says tomato, I say tomato – perhaps it does not even matter. My mind swims back to the meeting that changed it all, that changed me, my life.

It was typical hot summer Thursday night in the desert. It was June, and the summer had overtaken what pitiful excuse we called spring months before. Hailing from a small, southern town in the Mideast, I found myself preferring the intense heat of the desert to the dry, muggy heat weighed down by the thick layer of humidity. Personally, I prefer to drink my water – not breathe it in.

My freshman year of college was coming to a close, a miserable one at that. But, if I really thought about it – wasn't everyone's freshman year miserable? Freshman 10 or 25 or whatever and all that? My brows furrowed as I sipped on my very legal, but illegal for me, drink.

A snicker escaped my lips. Who was I kidding? I had practically drunk my entire freshman year under the table – between the sorority parties, the nightmare ex-boyfriend, and – no, I would not think about it. Groaning, I pressed my fingers to my temples and attempted to massage the stress and building pressure away. Less than a year had passed since my high school graduation. In fact, I still had my graduation cords still proudly and carefully stored in a bright red tub I had purchased on clearance at Walmart after Christmas one year. What had been previously bright red and cheery, was now dulled and fading black marks identified the tub as mine.

A snort. I had been so proud of my high school accomplishments – performances, academic milestones including a full ride to college, and even extracurricular activities like Student Council and writing clubs. My senior year I had created a prevention program, even been featured in the newspaper which shockingly had not made my parents happy. Even though high school had been a very different affair for me than the typical teenager, I loved my school, the few friends I had, and most of my teachers. Now, less than a year later – my few friends had scattered to various universities such as Boston or Reno and I had ventured to our local state university by myself. Well, correction – not entirely by myself.

My high school sweetheart – another snort – had also attended college in town. Should have known he was no good when he elected to attend community college instead of the mild step up to state university. Mid-snort, my alcohol burned my throat as I swallowed wrongly and I coughed and sputtered and looked around to make sure no one had seen my lack of composure. Not, of course, that anyone here would care.

The bar was one of two college friendly bars, and by college friendly I really mean – turned a blind eye to underage drinking. Across the street was the only competition for this place, Moose something or other – but it was a slightly further walk from campus and the dorms and therefor a slightly further distance to stumble and walk in the wee hours of the morning following a fun night of drinking. Or, perhaps not so fun – depending on how you viewed the situation.

University Club, as the bar was so aptly named, was just like any other club in the area. Smallish in square footage, the place easily crowded and filled to capacity over the weekends. The small club was always dark with windows painted black for privacy during both the day and night. To one side of the club was the "Under 21" area – not that it ever really mattered if one was 21 or not, only if they had cash in their hands to pay for drinks and tips. This area was lined with booths along the wall; patrons who sat in their faded, stiff seats could peer out onto Maryland Parkway and watch fellow students, meander down the street while sipping their drinks. In the center of the area was a makeshift stage, a karaoke machine, and a few mismatched pub style chairs and tables. While almost none of the chairs matched one another, even the booths for that matter, they all held the same frayed and worn down look about them.

The bar section – or "21 and Older" area, was a little more well kept. The bar itself remained fairly clean, the blonde wood always looked shiny with the pale gold trim that had rubbed off around the corners. The chairs were less frayed here, but still well used, and the small tables that lined the remaining windows always at least appeared neat with the chairs pushed in and surfaces wiped clean.

Way back, last August, when I began classes, I had no idea that this bar even existed. Back then, I would have been too afraid to even dare attempt to drink in a bar. Of course, I was barely 18 years old then. Even though my parents were a quick drive across town, I somehow felt liberated and freed, able to make my own choices and mistakes. Some choices. Fours years since I had moved or more like fled, from my sleepy small town in the Bible Belt to this bustling oasis in the desert; three years I had slaved in school – my only sleep was the two hour bus ride each morning or during my lunch hour, I never had a real high-school experience and for what?

To drink it all away my first year in college.

Pathetic.

I was truly pathetic.

The girl behind the bar stole a peek at me as I nodded and signaled for my third drink of the night. As she poured my next shot of who knows what as long it got me drunk, I pulled my hands through my disheveled hair. It was already 10 PM and I had no clue if there were classes the next day. I was fairly certain that classes were still in session as the campus continued to bustle about each day. Perhaps it was finals week? I shrugged my shoulders; I could easily hang out in the quad the next morning and casually chat up one of my sorority sisters. Thoughtfully I turned the shot glass round between my two hands.

Ugh. My skin felt hot.

This was the downside to drinking and in the desert no less.

Drinking seemed to make my skin feel as if it were pulled too tight across my body. My hands had a tendency to swell, and the intense dry heat did not help the situation. After this one I'm headed out.

I did not know where I was headed to – probably another night spent sleeping in my car, but I'd figure something out. Quickly, I tossed the scalding liquid back and with a grimace swallowed it down. Although I despised the taste of alcohol, I craved the numbness that came with it. Deftly, I threw down some bills and grabbed my purse from the space next to me. On unsteady feet I headed towards the karaoke section to see if I knew anyone to say goodbye to before heading out.

That's when I saw him. My mind whispered that we had met before and I chewed my lip as I searched my memories for him.

Seated in a faded red leather booth was a boy – no too old to be described as a boy, I was sure I had met on campus before. His hair was a brownish red color and looked wild, as if he had spent the evening studying and running his hands through the nest atop his head. A blue and green plaid button up short sleeve top hung from his obviously well toned torso; the muscles of his upper arm flexed as he leaned forward on his elbows. One dark jean clad leg bobbed up and down most likely in restlessness, as he scrolled through his phone. His skin had a faint tint to it, not the kind a person with olive skin has after time spent in the sun, but with the pale pink undertones I surmised he easily burned and this was as close as he came to a tan.

Even still, he looked good enough to eat.

Oddly, I felt drawn to him.

Currently, I hated all men. I had reached the conclusion they were all pigs.

"Excuse me," came a friendly voice behind me. The voice belonged to an older male student with russet colored skin and thick black hair. He was carrying two Coronas, one with a sliced lime pushed down the throat of the bottle. A light gray t-shirt that read Epsilon Sigma on it identified him as a member of one of the twelve campus fraternities, his khaki cargo shorts complemented his dark skin, and nondescript tennis shoes seemed to fade into the dark floor below us. A memory sparked and I remembered the hottie I had been eyeing and this guy next to me were fraternity brothers. Yet, try as I might, I could not remember either of their names.

"Oh sorry," I only slightly slurred. Quickly, before he could escape I added, "Do you know him?" and inclined my head towards sex hair in the booth.

The guy grinned, "Sure."

Okay, I see you're not much for explaining.

Was I going to have to drag it out of him?

"What's his name?" I asked, slightly irritated despite my buzzed state.

The guy looked quizzically between the booth and me, and after some consideration decided to answer me, "Edward. What's your name?"

Edward.

A memory flashed then. Only a few short months prior, when the short winter had lifted and the sun shone warmly – but not hotly down in the valley. I had walked with a group of my sorority sisters and a bunch of guys they were going to lunch with, a group of Epsilon Sigmas, to Hawaiian Kitchen for lunch. Ugh. I also remember not enjoying the food.

Focus.

Edward had been there, in fact we had hung back from the crowd and taken a few shy moments to talk. A giggled bubbled up from my lips as I remembered the first thing I said to him, "You remind me of a certain asshole I know."

He had laughed then, a rich velvet sound, and had tightened all the muscles in my belly. My then boyfriend – bastard – had noticed my absence from the group and came looking for me then.

I grinned – a genuine and sincere gesture, as happiness for the first time in a long time, seeped through my limbs, "Bella."

A/N: So if you're following Ginnungagap, let me take this moment to assure you I have not taken a break from that story. In fact, I was working on Chapter 14 just a few hours ago. ;-) However, I was laying in bed tonight trying desperately to fall asleep and this story just kept running through my mind.

In so many Twifics, Bella and Edward are these incredible people - millionaires, CEOs, movie stars, writers, singers, etc. But what if they were both college students who met one another one summer night? What starts as a summer fling quickly evolves into something else and before she realizes it, Bella is developing feelings for Edward she is sure will damage her beyond repair. If you're interested in reading more, let me know. Hopefully, now that I've written a chapter I've conquered at least some of those many miles and can now get some sleep. ;-)

Can anyone guess the college they are attending? Or where they live? Did anything stand out to you from the chapter? I apologize for the short chapter, but they'll get longer.