*Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer*

Academy

"Nora, your mom will be here at the end of the day to pick you up, don't worry we'll have so much fun before he gets here," soothed Bella.

For the past two months Nora Cullen, a four year old at Academy had been acting up. Her major complaints were that she always wanted to see her mother. Bella knew that Nora's parents, her father, Edward Cullen, an attorney, and her mother, Tanya Denali, a real estate brokerage firm owner, were in the process of getting a divorce. Nora was the only child and Bella could sense that the divorce was upsetting Nora, and now it was translating into her behavior while she was at school.

Isabella Swan had worked at Academy for five years and she has been loving every minute of it. Her plan was to work for a few years and then be able to go back to school to receive the necessary certification to become a full lead teacher. Without special certification she wasn't allowed to run a full classroom or make her own lesson plans. She was always "Miss Bella the Teacher's Helper". She wanted to be able to run her classroom and have her own space and be respected more by all her students parents.

Bella Swan had attended her local community college right out of high school in her hometown of Forks, Washington. Forks was a small town and there wasn't much room for opportunity. She completed two semesters and had to postpone the rest of her degree because she could no longer afford it on her meager paychecks from the local sporting goods store that she worked at. Charlie, her father, was the police chief of Forks. He got paid a reasonable salary, but he had only saved a small fraction of what Bella's tuition was going to cost. After Bella had to drop out of school she immediately started looking for a job in child care. Her dream was to be an early childhood teacher. She finally found a job as an assistant teacher to a kindergarten class at Academy. Mrs. Karen Young was the class's head teacher. She was married with two kids and was in her mid-thirties. Bella envied Karen, at every turn she had everything the bachelors degree from the University of Seattle in elementary teaching, she had the perfect husband and two perfect kids that had impeccable manners. She was never in a foul mood and she handled all of her students with gentleness, but knew when disciplinary actions needed to be implemented. Bella wanted to be Karen so badly.

The last boyfriend that Bella had was Jacob Black, he was an auto mechanic from the La Push Indian Reservation. He was a year younger than Bella, they had met through their fathers. Billy, Jacob's dad and Charlie had been friends before either of the men had gotten married. Once Jacob and Bella came along it was only natural that they let their children play with each other. They had mad mud pies and played in the sandbox since they were old enough to walk. When Bella's mother, Renee, left for Phoenix all communication between Jacob and Bella had ended. During Bella's senior year in high school she moved back to Forks just for a change and get away from Phoenix, it was all too much for her there. She started at Forks High and she knew no one. The other students were mean to her and didn't really accept her into the groups of friends. Bella was extremely lonely and she didn't know where to turn to. Charlie suggested that she give her old friend, Jake, a call since it had been so long since the days of the their youth. At first she thought what am I going to even say to Jake I haven't talked to him since God knows when, he probably won't even remember who the hell I am in the first place. But, as time wore on Bella grew lonelier and lonelier and she finally gave in and called Jake.

"Hey Jake, this Bella, Police Chief Charlie's daughter..."Bella babbled.

"Hey Bella long time no see or talk, did you think I wasn't going to remember you?"

"Yeah, you know its been so long...I was just wondering what you're up to and if you want to hang out or go to a movie, or even go to Port Angele-," Bella was cut off by Jacob interrupting.

"Bella, its ok if we just chill there's no pressure, it isn't a date or anything and last time I remember hanging out with you it was a lot of fun, don't stress. I'll see you Friday after school, ok?"

"Ok, sounds good,"

The rest is history, about after 3 months of hanging out and literally spending every waking moment with each other they started dating and became a couple. Their relationship lasted for two years and those two years were the longest two years of Bella's life. Right after graduation Bella moved in with Jacob in a tiny one bedroom apartment on the reservation, but in order for Bella to be able to live with Jacob there they either had to be married or engaged to be married. Jacob proposed and Bella moved right on in. The summer whizzed by she was working at Newtons Sporting Goods and Jacob had a job at the mechanics and they spent long walks on the La Push beach together hand in hand. That fall Bella started classes at Fork's community college and Jacob had to back to the high school that was on the reservation to finish up his senior year. Bella was working extra shifts at Newton's to be able to cover extra bills because Jacob was no longer working full time. Her grades started slipping and she was always just burnt out from all the stress. Jacob didn't help matters at all. He would waiting up for her after she had finished her shift at Newton's and ask her all kinds of questions like where had she been and who had she been with. Once on a late Saturday night Jacob had stumbled into the house drunk and found Bella paying bills on the kitchen table.

"Bitch! What the fuck do you think you're doing using all my money to help pay for your sorry ass!" screamed Jacob in his intoxicated haze.

"Jake, shut up! Why the fuck are you drunk! You told you were going to stop partying with Sam and Paul, and the whole gang!" retaliated Bella.

"You don't even know what the fuck you are talking about! I do whatever the fuck I want and I don't have to listen to you! You should know your place better!"Jacob was yelling at her as he was cornering her into the wall and finally once Bella was pushed up against the wall and he was done yelling at her he slapped her across the face.

Bella just sank down and buried her face in her hands that was between her knees. Jacob had never been violent towards her or anyone else that she knew of, she also knew that he was intoxicated and just wasn't thinking clearly. He mustn't have meant to do it he was just not able to make good judgements. By this time Bella was sobbing in the corner on the floor. Jacob just looked down at her and said.

"Shut the fuck up, you whore and get up off your knees! I'm going to bed and don't think of coming in there tonight, if you do you just might get an instant replay," winked Jacob with an evil sinister grin.

All Bella could do was get up off the floor and she went to the bathroom to wash her face and to check the damage that the slap had left. There was a bright red mark in the shape of a hand and she knew it was going to leave a bruise, being a clumsy as she is she knew that she had always bruised really easily. She didn't know what to do she couldn't obviously go to to work, classes or go see Charlie or anyone for that matter everyone would see the mark and wonder what had happened. Bella decided that the only thing that she could for the time being was go to bed and see if her makeup would be able to cover it up enough in the morning. She laid some blankets out on the couch in the living room and silently cried herself to sleep.

The next morning Bella woke up and peered into the bedroom to see Jacob still sound asleep and slightly drooling. She couldn't suppress a small smile from emerging from her lips because while he was her Jake that she knew was so sweet and calm. It was another story when he was awake and creating all sorts of problems. Bella walked over to the bathroom; as she was washing her hands and looked up and saw the black and blue bruise forming on her cheek. Bella just stared at herself in the mirror for the longest time and she now could think clearly. She knew that if she stayed with Jacob any longer that her life would always remain the same. She would keep working her dead end job at Newton's and Jacob would become an auto mechanic, soon they would be married and probably have kids right away. It was like Bella could see her whole future in front of her and didn't like the way it looked. She wanted more out of life than just being insignificant. That was when she made the decision to get out before the opportunity passed.

The next few days were a blur to Bella she pretended that everything was fine to Jacob, she didn't mention the fight that had happened, occasionally she would catch Jacob out of the corner of her eye looking at her bruised cheek in bewilderment. Bella knew that he didn't remember hitting her. Bella packed all her belongings little by little so as to not let Jacob get the hint that she was canceling the engagement and moving out. It was a Wednesday night, after Jacob had come home from working a 4pm to 9pm shift at the body shop. Bella had already packed all her suitcases and boxes into the truck, so if she needed a quick getaway all she had to do was hop into the truck and drive. Bella was reading the daily La Push Herald when Jacob walked through the door.

"I thought you would've been in bed by now,"

"I waited up for you, and I wasn't tired," replied Bella as she folded up the newspaper and placed into the recycle bin.

"Oh, I'm pretty beat, did you fix my lunch for tomorrow like I asked?" questioned Jacob with a sneer to his voice.

"No, I didn't, and I'm actually on my way out, don't call me or Charlie, don't come look for me, don't send me any emails, I done!" said Bella her voice rising as she spoke. She had her keys in her hand and was already halfway out the door.

"Why the fuck are you leaving!" screamed Jacob.

Bella whipped her head around and was furious.

"Why do you think I'm leaving! Take a fucking look at my face! You did this to me!" bawled Bella. The tears were streaming down her face.

"I can't do this anymore with you, you are bad for me. We aren't the same people that we used to be. You've changed and I've changed, I want more out of life than be stuck in La Push, just let me go, I know it will be for the better for us both," Bella said in hushed voice while looking down at the floor of the front porch. Bella didn't look back at Jacob until she was inside of her truck with the engine started. What she saw broke her heart, Jacob was sitting on the porch swing with his head in his hands. At that moment Bella almost turned around and ran right back into his arms, but Bella had already made her choice that would benefit herself in the long run. She put the car in gear and drove all the way to Seattle in the lonely darkness.

By the time Bella reached Seattle it was extremely late at night. She was hungry and tired, she parked her truck into a diner's parking lot, the only diner that was open this late. She was settled into a booth and ordered her favorite meal which was food was a cheeseburger drenched in ketchup with three pickles. She had this meal every time her and Charlie would eat at the local diner in Forks. Just thinking about Charlie made her sad, she still hadn't called him to let her know that she had moved out and now was in Seattle. Bella peered into her purse and look through wallet, she had gone to the bank early that day and withdrew all her money from the joint bank account that Jacob had set up. Bella only had what amounted to around $600, surely not enough to be able to sign a lease at an apartment. Bella got up and walked towards to door of the diner where that morning's newspaper rack was located, she paged through the housing classifieds to see if there was anything in her price range, she highly doubted that there would be. She had already resigned to the fact that she would probably have to stay in a hotel for a week. Luckily for Bella she found an interesting ad for a room for rental. It read:

Room for Rent

$350 per Month

1702 East Columbia Street, Seattle

Please Contact Nellie Johnson

(206)555-5555

Bella thought that this offer was too good to be true, the price was ridiculously low and it was located in a good neighborhood. Bella pulled out her cell phone and gave this Nellie a call in the morning. Bella finished eating and then paid her bill, she slowly walked back to the truck and peered up at the sky. It extremely different then what the night sky looked like back in Forks and La Push, you were able to see practically all the stars in the Milky Way. But, here you could barely see any stars here they faintly shined through opaque clouds. Bella climbed back into the trunk and didn't really know where to go next. Bella had a map of the area and found a local Best Western to stay the night at. It sure beat having to sleep in the truck.

The next morning Bella woke up and packed back up so she could reload the truck. Bella remembered that she had to call Nellie Johnson about the room for rent. Bella drove to a little local cafe where she had coffee and toast for breakfast. She pulled out yesterday's newspaper that contained the ad and grabbed her cell phone. She gave Nellie Johnson call to inquire about the room. By the end of the phone call Bella had a place to live and figured out that Nellie was sweet elderly woman. Her meal came and she gobbled it right up.

Bella drove to the address provided in the ad and was surprised to see a lovely home. She rang the door bell and Nellie answered right away.

"Oh, you must be Bella come on in," ushered Nellie.

"Mrs. Johnson you have such a lovely home, thank you for taking me in on such short notice,"

"Don't worry dear, everything is all right, just head up stairs the room is the second on the right, come down when you're ready. I'm going to brew some tea,"

Bella headed up the stairs and opened the door to find a regular room, she thought it could've possibly belonged to a daughter of Nellie's. After putting her boxes and suitcases in the closet Bella went to go join Nellie for tea.

"There you are, do you like cream and sugar?"

"Yes, please."

"So Isabella what brings you to Seattle, job, possibly a boy?" asked Nellie with a little wink.

"No, nothing in particular, I just needed some space,"

"Oh, I see, what do you do for a career?"

"I wanted to be a teacher, but I never finished my degree, recently I was just working at a sporting goods retailer in Forks,"

"There are some magnificent schools in this neighborhood, you could look around at which one is hiring,"

"Thanks, ,"

"Oh, Isabella my dear call me, Nellie, I haven't been call a Misses in fifteen years, Joe died of a heart attack,"

"Sorry to hear about that," said Bella looking down at into her teacup.

Bella started to notice that Nellie was intently looking at Bella's bruised cheek. Bella immediately thought that after the long day her makeup might be worn off.

"Thank you for the tea, Nellie. I'm extremely tired, I'm going to head to bed if that's all right?"

"Of course dear that's fine, breakfast is at 7:30," replied Nellie with a bright smile.

"You don't have to make breakfast for me-" she was interrupted by Nellie.

"Dear, when I have residents I always cook, I have to cook for myself, so why not make a little more and share. Also, it makes breakfast much more enjoyable when you're able to have conversation,"

"Ok, I'll be downstairs at 7:30 tomorrow, thank you for everything Nellie,"

Bella bid Nellie good night and got into her pajamas and grabbed the newspaper and looked through the job listings. She found a few that sparked her interest, but they all required a bachelors degree, that was one thing that she didn't have. After almost an hour of searching through all the ads Bella came across a teaching position that she could apply for it was for a teaching aid at Academy for kindergarten. Bella packed up the newspaper feeling a little disappointed for not being qualified for the job of her dreams, but yet hopeful that found something that would still give her teaching experience in a school setting.

Bella applied for the job at Academy. She was called in for an interview right away and immediately received the job. Bella was shocked and surprised when they offered her the position right away after the interview had concluded. In the coming weeks she met all the staff, and became close to the head teacher of class that she would aiding in. Her name was, Karen Young, she was blonde, petit, and was the stereotypical teacher type. You really couldn't say the same about Bella, she was more interesting. When the time came for parent teacher conferences Bella was scare shitless. She had never had be at one of these conferences before and she had no idea what to say to the parents of her students. Bella came to her senses and calmed down by the time the first conference was supposed to start. The meetings seemed to go smooth and there wasn't that much to talk about when the student was only four years old, and was enrolled in early kindergarten. There was one thing that would always happen when the meetings began, the parents would shake hands with Karen, and then Bella, but after that the parents never even looked at Bella, or for that matter even talked to her about their child. They would only talk to Karen. Bella assumed this was because she was considered the head teacher and she wasn't. Bella knew that she had a burning desire to go back to school to get her teaching certificate to finally be able to have her own class.