A/N- this is the beginning of my Jasper/Bella story. I've been working on a timeline for this for the past few weeks and have pretty much put dear Bella on hold, sorry, but I fell in love with J/B fics and needed to have my own shot at one.
Lemmee know what ya'll think. And yes, if you must know the first scene was inspired by Up in the Air.
"Miss Swan is it?" Asked the suited man across the table from me with a small smile,
"Yes that's correct." I didn't attempt to return the smile, I was the twenty-third person to be called into this office in the past three weeks, and there was never a different outcome.
"Now as I'm sure you have heard, due to the current economic crisis, this company has had to let go of an unfortunate number of valued employees" He looked up at me again with a grim expression.
I let out a sigh, I just wanted to get this over with, "And I'm one of those valued employees that you have decided to let go of, correct?"
"Ma'am, I encourage you to look at this as a new opportunity, a new lease on life. From here there are endless possibilities."
Is this guy for real? I thought to myself in disbelief. His speech dragged on for the next ten minutes, I wasn't really paying attention until he reached over the desk to hand me an envelope. "What's this for?" I asked.
"It's your redundancy package, miss Swan, six months pay." Redundancy huh? That was a new one- maybe I had been a valued employee.
I shoved the envelope in my pocket and listened as the man explained in more detail about all the new 'possibilities' I had now. Finally he stopped talking.
"Ok, can I go now?" I asked impatiently, he nodded and I went to pack up my cubicle.
It hadn't been the most exciting or rewarding job- general back office admin work; I had made no real friends here so although I had worked here for three years, it wasn't heartbreaking to leave- just irritating.
Later that evening, I found myself sitting in one of Charlie's old chairs, drinking my third glass of wine and feeling completely defeated. I let out a sigh and picked up the phone, I was about halfway through dialling Renee's number when I threw the phone across the room, like she would want to talk to me.
Redundant. An interesting term. Every person I had ever loved had made me completely redundant. Of course it began seven years ago with Edward leaving me in the forest. That little stunt had caused me two years of grief, it wasn't just him that day it was his entire family, the family I had grown to love. And Alice, my 'best friend' never even bothered to say good-bye. That was just the beginning of my redundancies. The second had been Jacob, although this was one that we both had anticipated as being a possibility- it still cut deep when he imprinted, on a boy of all things. So much for Sam's 'we imprint on the person most likely to keep the gene the strongest' theory.
Jake admittedly did try to ignore the pull of his imprint, but it was never going to happen. I was heartbroken but it wasn't as bad. It was a pain I could live with.
What happened next almost killed me.
Jake and I had just had our 'I'm really sorry but I'm gay' talk, and I was heading home when my cell buzzed. I was told that Charlie was in a critical condition and at hospital. He had been shot in the line of duty. He was dead before I even got to see him.
I ended up selling Charlie's house and moving to Jacksonville with Renee and Phil, I had already graduated but wasn't planning on collage, at least not straight away, I got a job serving coffee at a small café and after awhile life seemed almost liveable again.
Then the baby came. I don't know what it was about the situation that upset me the most; I never pictured myself as the jealous stepsister type. There was something about the situation that I couldn't handle. I had always been the mother figure in my relationship with Renee, she had been so childlike and frivolous that I never had the chance to be the kid I should have been. When I watched my mother with Andrea, I saw motherly love and a connection that she had never had with me. I'll be honest: it really hurt. I know that when she fallen pregnant with Charlie she wasn't planning on it at all, she never truly loved Charlie. Phil and Renee planned this child and when she was born she had their one hundred percent love and devotion. I adored Andrea as well, don't get me wrong, I'm not entirely a cold-hearted bitch. However, I couldn't fully cope with being a forth wheel to their perfect little family.
So after living with them for two years, I finally decided I couldn't handle it anymore. I had quite a lot of money saved from work plus the money I had made selling the house, it was time to set off on my own.
Renee had said she was sorry to see me go but I could tell that in some way she just wanted me out so she could end that chapter of her life and begin fresh with her new family, we hardly spoke since.
I bought a small apartment out of the way in Portland, Oregon. It was close enough to Washington that I could go back if I ever felt the need- and far enough away from Renee to let her move on.
So here I was, Bella Swan- living the life of a drunken spinster, all I needed was a few cats- I was on my own and found a small amount of peace in my solitude. The world of supernatural beings was no longer a part of who I was, although it definitely added to who I had become. I had no close friends but I did have a few acquaintances that seemed to enjoy being around me and laughed at my dark sarcasm. It wasn't much of a life- but it was mine.
The next morning, I woke with the worst hangover imaginable, I groaned as I lifted myself up to check the time. CRAP crap crap! I thought to myself- it was 11:30 I was incredibly late to work. I was in too much pain to wonder what had caused me to drink two bottles of red wine on a work night.
I quickly pulled my hair into a bun and put my work clothes on- no time to shower this morning, I headed into the lounge and I saw the envelope sitting on my coffee table. Oh right, I was fired… with a sigh I sat myself down on the couch and opened up the envelope. Six months pay was a pretty impressive lump sum, 35 grand.
I was sitting on the couch for about half an hour before I made a decision that surprised even me; I was getting out of this town. Right now. Holiday.
When I was younger, Renee would often make snap decisions like this- maybe some of her did rub off on me after all, or maybe I was still a little drunk.
I quickly zoomed through my apartment grabbing everything I could fit into my small overnight bag- hell I was rich now may as well buy clothes as I go.
After throwing my things into the back of my truck- another old Chevy, they kinda grew on me, I headed back to the apartment building and pressed number three on the intercom, I knew this neighbour would be home.
"Hello?" she asked sounding just as hung over as I was,
"Hey bitch, look I got fired so I'm going on a spontaneous road trip, collect mail for me kay?"
"Kay skank, you know I'm reliable." I rolled my eyes, Sandra was a pretty good neighbour when she wasn't stoned- but that wasn't often. I knew I would more than likely return home to an overflowing mailbox.
"Thanks, see you when I run outta cash I guess." Sandra mumbled some kind of incoherent response before hanging up.
I hopped into my truck and began to drive, I had no idea where I was going and I didn't care. I would stop for food, gas, sleep and the occasional pretty view, I, Isabella Marie Swan, was completely free.
