Bella

Lipstick, check

Eyeliner and mascara, check

Foundation, check

Hair, check

Cute…ish outfit, check

Getting ready in the mornings for school was always a long and tedious job, and rarely ever worth it. The makeup looked like a two- year old slapped it on, poorly covering the zits it made, my clothes looked frumpy, and my hair was thick with grease from the bad perm it was trying to keep down. But it didn't matter to me. If this was the kind of girl Edward Cullen liked, then so be it! I'd change almost any part of myself if it made him happy. If it made him like me.

I ran down stairs, noticing I was late for school. I quickly, yet surprisingly thoroughly ransacked the kitchen for a breakfast bar then rushed out the door to my truck and seeing that Charlie was already gone to the police station.

Quite frankly, I was glad Charlie had made the habit of leaving for work early. His begrudging stares toward my new style were really starting to get on my nerves.

As I pulled up to school and got out of the truck, the same meager crowed of boys surrounded me and asked me same derogative questions.

"S'up Bella. Ya know, if ya have some free time tonight we can go have some 'fun' over at my place."

"Hey! Maybe after you're done with him, you can come with me to the local hotel and we could do it there."

Several other boys started to ask me similar questions. I started to back away from them, feeling the same fear that I always felt when they approached me.

Not seeing where I was going, I accidentally backed into someone. I turned around to see my savior staring down, tall and menacingly, at the boys in front of me. Good old Jacob came to save me.

"Why don't you arses go and piss off somewhere? Can't you see she obviously doesn't like you lot asking if she'll hop into your beds?"

They looked reproachfully at him, but you could see a small gleam of fear in their eyes.

Jacob stepped closer, now completely towering over them.

"Leave. Now." He growled.

They finally turned and retreated to the school.

"Thanks Jacob!" I sang as I gave him a big hug around what little of his waist I could get in my arms.

"Geez Bella! We wouldn't have to go through this everyday if you didn't keep on dressing like a slut!" I scowled at him, knowing it was true but defended myself anyways.

"I do not dress like a slut Jacob Black!"

"Slut, bimbo, tramp. Take your pick." He said with a mock evil grin. I sighed in defeat.

"You know that I'm horrible at applying makeup Jake. But if Edward likes it, then it's fine with me."

"Edward, Edward, Edward!" He said throwing his hands up wildly. "He's all you ever talk about! No wonder I'm your only friend!"

I looked down in shame, knowing he was right. He noticed and gasped.

"Oh Bella I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way at all!" He exclaimed, "It was just me being a jerk unconsciously!"

I looked up and smiled, trying hard not to portray the pain I felt.

"It's ok." I said as lightly as I could, "If you didn't act like a jerk, I'd worry you weren't the real Jacob." I said with a toothy grin.

His russet skin seemed to deepen in color over his cheeks. Then he mumbled something about needing to get a book from his car and walked off.

I began to walk inside, the humid air was threatening to make my itchy makeup run. The moment I set my foot through the door, I saw him. Leaning against the lockers like a Greek God was Edward Cullen.

I made a bee-line over to him through the students who where trying to fit in the tight hallway. When I finally got within a six inch radius of him, I found myself deterred by a group of girls, all talking to him at once.

I slowly pushed my way through them, trying to get closer to Edward.

"Eww!" One girl, Lauren Mallory, said as she made a disgusted face, "It's slut Bella again!"

"Don't let her touch you!" Another girl, Jessica I think, said, "She might give you a STD!"

They all laughed at me, loud and unrelentless. But I didn't care, because I was finally in front of Edward. The man I had loved since sophomore year.

"Hello Edward," I said as cheerfully as I could, trying to put on an alluring face, "What goes on?"

Edward looked down at me and arched an eyebrow, his vivid green eyes piercing, but otherwise ignored me and pushed his way through the crowd of girls. Oops. Was my choice of words wrong? I was sure I had heard one of his friends ask him that before.

"Dammit Bella!" One of the girls yelled at me, making people stare, "You've ran him away!"

"Yeah you tramp!" said Lauren, "Go find someone else to screw!"

I heard snickers from the students walking by.

I knew I had to defend myself. I also knew that I didn't want to. Being the introverted person that I was, I knew it would be hard to find the courage. But Edward was still in ear shot, and maybe, just maybe, if he heard me stand up for myself, he might come to like me a bit more; or at least come to like me.

"Why don't you arses just piss off!" I said, trying to mirror Jacob's words from earlier; thinking it was the type of cool and strong reply that Edward would approve of.

Bad move.

"You little bitch!" Jessica screeched, "Don't think you can come in here with your off the street makeup, looking like you just got picked up!"

'Oohs' from students who had stopped to watch resounded in the hall. Jessica took that as an initiative to keep going.

"You could never even be worthy to lick the dirt off of Edward's shoes. Let alone put your filthy lips on his! Just crawl under a rock and die! No one would notice!"

She ended her speech with a satisfied smirk, as her friends congratulated her on her choice of words.

I turned on my heels and walked off. Pretending not to be phased. As soon as I rounded the corner, I sprinted to the nearest bathroom, bumping into someone on my way. I ran into a stall and began to cry. Hard.

It was so frustrating! Trying not to come off as a slut! Even my own father has made the habit of saying "be 'safe'" when he sees me walk out the door. And the teasing and looks that I got from my classmates was getting increasingly hard to overlook. My life was almost in complete and utter ruins; all because I wanted one boy, one man. Edward. He was like my light in the storm. I had fallen for him so hard that day he transferred with his family to Forks High School. The moment I laid eyes on him, I swore that I would be whatever type of girl he liked. And upon seeing the hundreds of girls with their beautifully done makeup, designer clothes, and fashionable hair styles, and how they seemed to claim his attention, I decided to turn into that to. But my sudden change made my friends think I was a 'poser' and soon they all got sick of the new Bella. Only Jacob, my last standing stone in all the rubble, continued to stay by my side, and I thanked God every day for that.

My crying started to slow when I heard a knock on the bathroom door.

"Bella? Bella are you in there?" Jacob asked in a worried voice.

I slowly made my way out of the bathroom, trying to wipe off the tear stains on my cheeks. Jacob's expression turned form worry to shock the second he saw me, then anger and suspicion entered his eyes.

"Alright, which one of those whores did this to you?" he growled.

"Don't worry about it Jake, it's nothing important…"

I looked down and saw that his hands were shaking, almost vibrating.

"You're important Bella!"

I looked into his eyes, truly wanting to believe that.

"Jake," I said as airily as I could, "I'm fine." I got up on my tippy toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then smiled sweetly at him.

"Common," I said, "let's get to class."

He complied and walked me to Spanish which was the class I dreaded the most. Because not only was Lauren and her friends waiting for me there, but so was the queen bee of the school. Tanya Denali.

My archenemy.

And Edward Cullen's girlfriend.