Author's Note: So! Here is the first chapter to Desire! I hope you all enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Chapter 1
Bella's Point of View
"But Dad, I don't want to move to New York," I whined. "I want to stay here in Forks."
Charlie, my father, looked up from the box he'd been taping shut. He looked amused. "Bella, you hate Forks."
"I do not," I said, frowning. "You're wrong. I love Forks."
"Bella, don't lie," he said, chuckling as he turned to another empty box. He began to put in all the books we had into it neatly. "You hate the cold weather."
"I may hate the cold weather," I defended myself. "But I love Forks. It's where I grew up. Dad, please. Let's not move to New York. Let's stay here."
"We have to move to New York, Bells," Charlie said. "They transferred me to New York so I could be the Chief of Police there. It's like a promotion. We're lucky that I was able to have connections with the mayor of New York City."
"Connections," I said in a low voice. "Those connections are tearing me away from my hometown."
"Bella," Charlie said wearily. "If we move to New York, we'll have a better life. I'll bring in more money, and you'll get a better education. Plus, those Ivy Leagues will be nearer. It's your dream to go to one, isn't it? Well, if you do go to one, I don't want to be so far from you. Those flights are pricey."
"I'd rather live in Florida," I pouted. "I'll leave you and go live with Mom."
Charlie looked at me again. "That's not funny, Bells. What would I do without you?"
"Dad," I began whining again. "Please? Can't we stay here? Or can't I stay here?"
"You're only afraid of going to a new school again, Bella," Charlie said wisely. "You don't want to have to make friends all over again. I'm right, aren't I?"
"Of course," I said, my eyes widening. "Of course that's the reason, Dad. You know how bad I am at making new friends. I'm shy and reserved that it's hard for me to open up to anyone easily. And besides, think of my clumsiness. I'll die in a huge place like New York."
"How did you survive in Phoenix?" Charlie asked dryly. "How'd you live through the summer in Jacksonville with your mother? I think you'll live, Bella."
"Dad!"
"That's enough, Bella," he said. "Are you done packing? We're leaving tomorrow, you know. Don't do it at the last minute, and make sure you're done tonight. Our flight is at ten in the morning, so go to sleep early tonight."
Genuinely upset, I bit my lip and walked away to my bedroom. It looked wrong, seeing its walls empty of all the pictures of my family and friends. Boxes were stacked everywhere, and my closet was empty. The only normal thing that hadn't changed was my bed, and even that looked abnormal tonight.
I plopped down on the bed, defeated. Forget it. I was never going to convince him. I was going to move to New York with my father, the new Chief of Police in New York City, and I was never coming back to my hometown. Where all my friends were.
I'd lived here ever since I was fourteen. I was seventeen now, and in the past three years, I'd grown used to its dreary weather and small capacity. I didn't want to leave.
My parents were divorced. My mother, Renee lived in Jacksonville, Florida with my stepfather, Phil. I'd lived with them ever since my mother had taken me away from Charlie at the age of two. But since Phil played ball for a living and moved around a lot, I decided to come live with my father so that Renee could travel with him.
I was going to miss all my friends. I would have to start all over again in New York. Make new friends, make good impressions on all my teachers, achieve good grades.
But as New York was a huge city, I knew that the high school Charlie had enrolled me in would be big too. I was already giving up trying to make new friends there. There was no way they would be welcoming to a pale, shy new girl like me.
I was going to concentrate on surviving high school in New York instead.
"You nervous?" Charlie asked as we ate breakfast in the dining room at our new house in New York. "It's the first day of school."
"Tired," I mumbled, playing around with my cereal.
It was true, after all. We'd been unpacking all our things ever since Saturday, when we'd arrived, and we'd just finished the chore yesterday at ten in the evening. Then there'd been the cleaning and mopping. I was exhausted, but mainly, I was worried about a new school year in a new, unfamiliar school.
Charlie chuckled. He was wearing his new uniform. His badge glistened and read: Chief of Police. And underneath: New York City.
"It'll be fine, Bella," he said reassuringly. "I have a really good feeling about New York. Really," he added when I raised my eyebrow at him. "I don't know why; I can't explain it. But I really do have a good feeling. So try to feel optimistic as well. You'll be fine."
Sighing, I rose and placed my half-empty bowl of cereal in the sink. "I'm going to be late."
"See you later," Charlie called as I left the house.
I started my new, used car that Charlie had gotten for me. It was a Toyota, and a bit old. It was about ten years old, and the paint was peeling off. But I didn't care. At least it was a car, and the engine ran great.
I drove to my new school without getting stuck in New York traffic. I found it easily, as it was the biggest school in the whole state of New York, a fact that didn't exactly encourage me. As I parked and headed toward the office, the name of the school seemed to stand out as the black letters on the side of the main building loomed over me: South View High School.
I took a deep breath as I went inside the office. At least I wouldn't be the only one who was new. As it was a new school year, there would probably be new students, transferring from other schools as well.
"Hello," I said, approaching the receptionist.
She looked up, smiling. "May I help you?" The name plate on her desk told me that her name was Mrs. Cole.
"I'm new here," I informed her, and her eyes lit up in comprehension.
She began rifling through a file on her desk. "Name?"
"Isabella Swan."
"Here you are," Mrs. Cole said, looking pleased as she pulled out a file on me. "Isabella Marie Swan…let's see now…"
Within ten minutes, I came back out of the office with a map of the huge school and a copy of my schedule. The first bell rang, and I headed toward my first class.
My morning classes went by uneventfully. Then, after a short break, I went through my afternoon classes. During lunch, I avoided the large groups of jocks and cheerleaders at a lunch table, and sat alone in the corner of the cafeteria. And after the last two periods, my first day at South View High was over. There was one thing that was nice about going to a huge school in a huge city. Nobody noticed if you were new, unlike Forks.
Relieved, I rushed out to my car after stopping by to collect the things I needed from my locker. As I slid inside, I couldn't help but notice a small crowd of girls – mostly in cheerleading outfits – gathering near a shiny, silver Volvo.
Curious, I watched as I turned the key in the ignition. They began freaking out soon enough when they someone coming.
It was a tall young man with messy, bronze hair. He was extremely handsome; he could've been a movie star. I watched as he walked with his eyes trained on the ground, looking frustrated about something. He barely glanced at his fan club as he slid inside the Volvo and started the car. I guess he was used to them.
The girls looked disappointed as the Volvo passed them. I wondered who that boy was. He'd definitely looked older than I was.
"So how was your first day?" one of my friends from Forks, Claire, asked.
I was stirring soup as I was talking to her on the phone. "It was uneventful, I guess. Nothing much happened. You?"
"You know Forks," Claire said, and I could almost see her rolling her eyes. "It's so boring here. I really envy you. I can't believe you're going to school in New York. And you're actually living there! I've always wanted to go to New York."
"Trust me, the buildings are pretty to see at night and everything's tall and busy, but it's really nothing. You get used to it after two days, believe it or not." I sighed. "I miss Forks already."
"You're crazy," Claire said, laughing. "How can you miss a place like Forks when you live in New York? Any hot guys in your school?"
"Ugh, you're always thinking about boys," I complained. "You and Emily and Kim… Just get yourselves a boyfriend like you want."
"That's easier said than done," Claire mumbled. "It's hard to find someone in a small town like this. Do you still not want a boyfriend of your own, Bella? I mean we're juniors now."
"No, I told you. I only want a shoulder to lean on. Like an older brother that I never had."
"I'm sure you'll find someone," Claire said. "New York has tons of people."
"Bella?" The front door closed, and Charlie's voice rang throughout the house.
"Oh, you're dad's there," Claire said. "We'll talk again soon, okay? Bye."
"Bye, Claire."
"Oh, hey, honey," Charlie said, having found me in the kitchen. "How was school?"
"Okay. How was your first day at work?"
"Pretty nice, I think," he said, grinning. "Everyone's respectful to me and it's really weird having a lot of people report to me."
I smiled as I set the table. "Get used to it."
"So anything fun happen? What about friends? Did you make any of those?"
"Not really."
"Why not?" Charlie asked as he sat down to eat. "No one's nice?"
"I'm sure they're all nice, Dad," I said, sitting as well. "It's just…well, I was mainly focusing on trying to get through my first day."
Charlie raised his eyebrow. "I see. But you can't live like that forever, Bells. Why don't you talk to some kids tomorrow? Get to know each other."
"I'll try," I promised.
Edward's Point of View
The first day of school always dragged. It was boring, and there was nothing to do. Nothing to distract me from the bitterness of my life.
Every day, it was the same. People wanted to be my friend just because of who I was. Girls wanted me because I was rich and handsome. And it was exhausting.
My family was famous. We've been famous generations before, and we were famous now. My father, Carlisle, ran the family company now, like his father had done before him. He was a part-time doctor, but he was always obedient in the rules of the Cullen family. The Cullen Corporation and its founder's family were a priority.
My mother, Esme, had also been from a rich family. She was the only child of the Platt Enterprises, and therefore, the company had merged with Cullen Corporations when my parents had gotten married.
My life was perfect. Anyone would've killed to be me. To have a family like me, to have a background like me. But that was to the public. To know that I was actually miserable, you had to really know what was going on with my family.
It was tradition for the Cullens to have an heir before the age of thirty. The heir married early, normally with another rich company's heir so that business relationships could be tied. And later, when the heir was old enough, he or she would take over their father.
And I was going through the same crisis this very moment. I was eighteen and a senior in high school, and I was already being pressured to marry someone I didn't love. From my family's own company.
The board of directors at Cullen Corps. were very strict about the tradition. It had been our rules, part of our family, for generations now. Nobody dared to break it.
But I really wanted to. I didn't think an arranged marriage was right. This was the twenty-first century. Who married because their parents forced you nowadays? No, I wanted to marry for love. I wanted to find someone that I really, truly loved. Someone I actually cared about.
It had been easy for my parents. Though they'd both been from rich families, they had actually fallen in love. They'd been lucky. I wasn't.
My parents were afraid of what I wanted. They were afraid that I would refuse to be named the heir of the Cullen family. And I would've too, if my parents hadn't suggested to bargain with me, desperate to keep me in line.
Instead of finding a nice, rich girl from another huge company, they agreed to give me one year to find a girl that I liked. And even that was breaking the rules. The heir was supposed to have a fiancée by the age of eighteen.
I was already eighteen. And six months had already passed.
I was running out of time. If I didn't find someone soon, everyone would pressure me to marry a rich girl who would adore to marry me. Of course, my parents and Cullen Corps. had never expected me to find someone. A year to find someone that you loved insanely? It just wasn't possible. They just wanted to shut me up.
I didn't want to be miserable my entire life, imprisoned to a girl who only wanted me for my body. So though I knew it was impossible, I knew I had to try.
For the millionth time in my life, I wished I wasn't so rich and famous.
"Hi, Edward!" a couple cheerleaders chorused, giggling as they waved in their way too short cheerleading outfits.
I ignored them. They should know better than to acknowledge me already. For the past three years, I've been ignoring them. I was cold and distant. I'd dated some girls before, but they'd never lasted long.
I wasn't that cold to my friends. Those who actually knew the real me knew that I was playful and warm. I was caring and loyal, but the bargain I'd made with my parents had been driving me nuts these past six months. Luckily, all my friends understood and encouraged me to keep trying.
The cheerleaders all pouted as I passed them without even looking once at them.
With my hands in my pockets, I strolled through the hallway, thinking of nothing. I was always blank and expressionless these days, miserable with my own life.
"Hey, Edward!" Austin Marks, one of my friends, came running up to me. He threw an arm around my shoulder and began walking with me briskly. "How come you didn't come to the football tryouts yesterday? You know they always take place before the first day of school."
I shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't feel like it."
"Dude, you've been quarterback for two years," Austin said, frowning. "Coach wasn't happy that you weren't there. He told me to find you after morning training today. He demands that I find you." He rolled his eyes. "He was quite dramatic, as usual."
"You can tell Coach to stop looking for me," I said. "I'm not trying out for football this year."
"Why not?" Austin asked, surprised. "You've been on the team for the past three years, Edward. If you do it senior year as well, that'll look good on your college apps."
I glanced at him, amused. As if I would need good grades and extracurriculars to get into a good college. "I know."
"Then how come?" he asked. "Oh, wait, I know. Don't tell me you're still sulking about that deal you made your parents."
"What else is knew?" I asked bitterly. "It's pointless, man. They knew it was impossible when they made me the deal."
"I'm sorry, man," Austin said sympathetically. "But don't give up yet. You still have six months."
"Look, Austin," I said. "Let's face it. I've got as much chance of finding someone good as Alice becoming a famous fashion designer."
"A very good chance, then."
"You really think she can become an internationally famous designer?" I asked, snorting. "Right."
"You have to admit it, bro," Austin said, smiling. "Alice has got talent. She'll become one. And you'll find someone too. Don't worry so much. Lighten up. Come to the last-minute tryouts after school today. I'm sure Coach will put you back in the quarterback position without even seeing you run."
"I told you. I'm not doing football anymore. I've given up."
"Man, what's wrong with you?" Austin asked, exasperated. "You've given up football, you don't care about keeping your family's tradition in order, and you've practically given up on finding someone to marry! Why don't you just go kill yourself, eh?"
"Austin," I said, giving him a look. "Go to sixth period. You'll be late."
He sighed. "Fine. I'll tell Coach. Though I'm sure he'll come looking for you personally afterward. See ya."
I sighed as I kept walking to my career prep classroom. "Bye."
He was right. I'd practically given up after six months. Why didn't I just go kill myself?
Oh, that's right. Because the entire world wouldn't let me. Why did I even bother asking?
AN: Of course, the first few chapters will be boring. But bear with me for a while. It'll get better. Thank you so much, and reviews, please!
