"How in the hell did I wind up in this mess?"

I asked my best friend Alice as I ran franticly around my room, looking for my one and only guitar pick. You could say it was my lucky pick, but it really had no value whatsoever; except the sentimental kind. My other best friend, and Alice's twin, Edward gave it to me along with my guitar. He knew that I needed a new one after my old instrument started to fall apart bit by bit. It was old to say the least, but it had character. Edward took one look at it and dragged me to Port Angeles to get a new one. I was sad to see it go but Lucy certainly filled the void.

"Because you're tired of getting looked over?" she offered. "And tired of always being second? And just all around tired? See, my case in point. Bella, your pick is in your mouth. Babe you need to rest. Just give me Lucy and we can nap for a bit okay?"she kind of sounded like a doctor, trying to talk down a mental person. Which she probably looked like seeing as my hair was starting to knot and curl on my head, and my expression was manic. I really did look crazy.

"Yeah sure Al. And pigs will fly within the next thirty seconds. The show is tomorrow and I only have one song…and I'm not singing it. I need a new one, so I'm not sleeping until I write it."I picked up Lucy and a pad of paper, strumming a few errant chords, trying to piece something together.

"Why won't you let me hear the one you've already written? I would totally tell you if it was rubbish."

"Hey! I thought you love my songs!"

"Not that anything else you've wrote is rubbish. Gods Bella you really need more self esteem." She rolled her eyes at me and bounced her little pixie self on my bed, breaking my train of thought. She looked like a black haired Tinker bell in the flesh, very short, with thin features and the most stunning blue eyes and a skinny little body. She's always hyper and a bit overbearing at times but I love her anyways. At times I was jealous of her good looks. I'm mediocre in every way. I have long straight brown hair, brown eyes, fat lips and just a regular body. I'm not tall or short, just in the middle. I never really go out of my way to attract attention or look too pretty. I was going to get looked over anyways, so why bother? Alice thought differently. She thinks that I needed to be dressed up constantly and played "Bella Barbie" frequently.

It's weird how different she and Edward look. He was tall, muscular, was very angular. Edward had these crazy green eyes that hypnotize and a mop of bronze hair on his head. He's kind and generous, not to mention he has a great sense of humor. Gods, he even smells amazing. he's The Perfect Man and I am in love with him. Which is terribly unfortunate because he hadn't ever looked at me that way, no matter how many times I have hoped that he would. Instead he chooses to give HER all his looks.

Tanya. The leggy blonde that has Edward trapped under her manicured talons. She is gorgeous I'll give her that, but underneath the soft hazel eyes and strawberry hair, she's a beast. She is always hanging on him and whining about her cheer squad and how horrible her life is living with her big shot doctor daddy in that big mansion on top of the hill. Oh how I loathe the day she was hatched. She even had the nerve to tell Edward that he couldn't talk to me anymore. Even though we've been friends since birth. But being the little follower he is, Edward cut all ties and hasn't talked to me since she ordered it, which was 6 months. I tried to be a trooper and wait it out but not sing my best friend has torn me up inside, even Alice noticed.

"You really want to hear it?" she nodded furiously and bounced even more as I played it for her. Before I could begin she made me promise if it was good I would have to sing it in the show, if it was bad she would write me a song herself.

Once finished singing she stopped bouncing, a look of utter astonishment on her face.

"Bells. You need to sing that. No matter how crazy it is. I love it!!!Oh my gosh, I need to go find some clothes that go with it and figure out a makeup scheme..." she trailed off into unwanted territory like shoes and accessories. I guess I would follow through even though I never ever want to perform that in front of people, ever. I just took a deep breath and made peace with it. I probably would never ever talk to Edward again afterwards; I probably would make enemies of the cheerleading squad, and make a fool of myself in front of the whole town. But I was leaving for new your anyways this summer so who cares right?

"Al. I'm going to bed now." She nodded and resumed her list making as I put Lucy in her case and climbed in bed. I dreamt of a bright spotlight and me in my underwear, everyone laughing and pointing at me while I played my song.

In the morning I was woken up by a bright and enthusiastic Alice.

"Wake up loser; we're going to the mall." She danced to her own imaginary music. I got dressed dreading the day ahead.


I couldn't believe that I needed twelve different pairs of pants for one night. But she bought them for me against my wishes so I was stuck with them anyways. After 4 hours of shopping for nonsense I pleaded with her to take me to the food court for sustenance. She ungracefully gave in and let me eat for twenty minutes, which I took full advantage of. I was in the middle of ordering my food when I heard HER, behind me in line.

"Eddy baby, why is she here. Did you plan this? I can't believe you invited this skank on our date. I told you I don't like her at all." My order was ready by then and I turned around to face them, gave my best trooper smile, and paid for my food quickly. I didn't even see the expressions at all. I was mad. I couldn't believe he didn't stand up for me at all. He plainly heard her insult me and said absolutely nothing. My tear ducts filled up angrily. I was happy he didn't outright agree with her though. That would have killed me.

I walked over to where Alice was sitting. She saw the state I was in and immediately jumped up and tried to make her way over to Tanya. I caught her just in time and told her it wasn't worth it; she wasn't just going to get banned from her mall just because of a stupid comment made to me. After a bit of consoling she agreed to let it go.

We ran into Edward and Tanya twice in her favorite stores before Alice gave up. She made sure she was within earshot of both up them to announce we were leaving.

"Come on Bella. I'm not shopping if that's the kind of trash that shops here. I have standards. Unlike my dear brother." I just sighed in relief that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. When I turned to leave I granted myself a small glance to Edward and Tanya. I could practically see the mushroom clouds in Tanya's eyes, and the rain clouds in Edward's. It broke my heart to see him this sad. I mouthed a small sorry to him and trotted off to Alice. "Let's just hope that tonight would be better that this morning" was my thought as we climbed into Alice's Porsche to go home.


"I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die." I kept repeating the phrase like a mantra, that is, until Al slapped me.

"Isabella Marie! Snap out of it. You will be perfectly fine. Now go put your shoes on." She pointed to the yellow converse that were precariously perched on the corner of my dresser. My dress flowed a bit behind me when I got up to grab them. Leave it to Alice to put me in a small little purple sundress. I was so nervous my heart was pounding out of my chest. We were backstage at the high school auditorium with the other acts. i kept thinking that i was going to fail so bad. There was no way I could do this.

"I don't think I can do this" I whispered.

"Yes you can. And you will. Just take deep breaths and focus on your lyrics. I have a feeling you will to fine, and then some. Stop being so nervous." Alice flitted around me in her usual pixie way. Making me relaxed. We spent the next couple minutes tuning my guitar making sure my makeup was up to par, when the stage manager called me up. This was it.

I slowly walked onto the stage and sat on the little bench that was set up. Pulled the strap around my shoulders. The curtains opened and the announcer said my name. I was visibly scared. I was sure of it. I saw Alice sitting next to my whole family, Charlie, Carlisle (Alice and Edward's dad), Esme (Alice and Edward's mom), Emmett and Rosalie, and Edward, without Tanya. My spirits lifted when i saw their smiles. I took a deep breath just like Alice said and started playing.

You're on the phone with your girlfriend,
she's upset,
she's going off about something that you said,
she doesn't get your humor like I do.
I'm in the room it's a typical Tuesday night,
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like,
and she'll never know your story like I do.

But she wears short skirts,
I wear t-shirts,
she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers,
dreaming 'bout the day
when you wake up and find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time


I started to get into it, put more feeling into the song, it that were possible.

[Chorus]

If you could see that I'm the one who understands you,
been here all along so why can't you see,
you belong with me
you belong with me.

Walking' the streets with you and your worn out jeans,
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be,

I smiled at the memory, it was just after him and the beast got together, we were just walking around, having fun, being ourselves. It was a perfect day.

Laughing on a park bench thinking to myself,
'hey isn't this easy',
and you've got a smile that can light up this whole town,
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down,
you say you're fine,
I know you better than that,
hey what you doing with a girl like that?

She wear's high heels,
I wear sneakers,
she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers,
dreaming 'bout the day when you wake up and find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time

[Chorus]
If you could see that I'm the one who understands you,
been here all along so why can't you see,
You belong with me

Standing by,
waiting at your back door,
all this time how could you not know baby,
you belong with me.
You belong with me.

Oh, remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night,
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry,
I know you're favorite songs
and you tell me 'bout you're dreams
think I know where you belong,
think I know it's with me.

[Chorus]
Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you,
been here all along so why can't you see,
You belong with me

Standing by,
waiting at your back door,
all this time how could you not know baby,
you belong with me.
You belong with me.
You belong with me.

Have you ever thought just maybe,
you belong with me?
You belong with me

My eyes were anywhere but Edward. I didn't want him to know that this was about him. But once I finished I had to look at him, just once. But he wasn't there.

I smiled my best trooper smile as the crowd cheered and clapped loudly. There was only one cheer I wanted to hear, but he had left me. I curtsied a small curtsey and walked off the stage.

I put Lucy in her case feeling clausterphobic. i clumsily ran outside into the pouring rain. I just needed to go, somewhere, anywhere but here. Then I heard what sounded like shouting, coming from the parking lot.

"No way Eddie! You can't do this to me. I love you. Don't you love me?" three guesses as to who it was. I rounded the corner of the building and sure enough, Tanya was standing with no umbrella shouting at Edward. She sounded so incredibly fake. It took all I had not to just go up to her and slap that fake tan right off her body. Her back was turned to me, arms placed akimbo, trying to block Edward from moving away from her.

"No, Tanya I never did. Tonight was the last straw, you are rude, arrogant, we are over and if you don't mind I would appreciate it if you would please stay out of my life. Now let me pass." His face showed no emotion as he broke up with her. As if the last 7 months or so meant nothing to him. I was slightly confused. Tanya voiced my confusion as hers.

"What about all the time we spent together? Did I not mean anything to you?" she was pleading to him for any type of answers.

"Seriously Tanya. I wanted us to end on better terms but there obviously is no way around it…" he was talking to himself rather than her at the moment. "I never really wanted a relationship with you. The only person I would ever want didn't want me so I just settled. I'm sorry I led you on, but I thought if I made her realize that I moved on then she would come to me. But that didn't happen. I didn't know how to end it without hurting your feelings too much so it dragged on and on. I was miserable, you made me miserable. But I waited. I waited for her to come but she never did. You continued to be rude to her and call her all kinds of foul names. I can't take it anymore. Bella won't come to me so I'm going to her, to hell with all the niceties. Now Tanya, I would appreciate it if you would let me pass."

I think she was too stunned, as was I, to move when Edward pushed passed her. He came running in my direction with his head down, unaware that I was standing just around the corner. He turned sharply and ran right into me. But instead of both of us toppling over, he caught me. I was safely cocooned in his arms, not wanting to be anywhere else at the moment.

"Hi" I squeaked nervously as his penetrating eyes burned holes into my own.

He smiled his crooked smile, the first one I've seen in almost a year. "Hi."