By the Lake

Chapter One: Camping

Today's a Thursday. I kept reminding myself that weekend's going to come too soon and I would have another two days of my life free from school. I didn't really hate school, just the fact that the whole student body hates me. I'm a klutz, I'm not pretty enough and I don't throw myself at the boys the same way Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley does. I don't throw myself at the boys. Period. And I have to be all this and that to be able to get in the 'cool' group. And I wasn't going to change for them. Besides, I'm quite used to this routine. A year ago, before I transferred to Forks High, I was studying in Phoenix, Arizona, where I used to live. And there, you had to be tan, blonde and pretty to be in the 'cool' group. I wasn't any of those too.

Why'd I move here? Well, my mom recently re-married a minor league baseball player, Phil. Phil's great, alright, but his job entitled him to move around the country. My mom wanted to go. I wanted to stay. So I told her I'd go here to Forks to live with my dad.

The bell rang and I hurried into my classroom. Spanish. Great. I sat on the far end seat. Nobody really cared about me. Everybody here ignored me. Well, except for Alice Cullen. She's a pixie, but her brother's a 'cool' guy, and that made her 'cool' to an extent. She always tried making conversation with me but Lauren and Jessica always took her away before we could actually engage in one.

By the way, the Cullens are best looking people around here. Alice has black spiky short hair and she's small to the extremes. And her brother, Edward Cullen…I think I might have just the smallest hint of crush on him. I mean, who wouldn't? He's damn gorgeous. He has copper-colored hair that pointed everywhere, he was muscular but not too much and his eyes, oh my god, his eyes are the best. They were green and, man, you'd drown in them if you look too long.

Morning passed by too quickly. Lunch came. I took my table at the corner of the cafeteria. I was eating my bland lunch peacefully until Lauren came over to my table.

"Do you want to do Mike?" She asked.

I ignored her and her stupid, disgusting question.

"Thought so. Coward. Ugly duckling." She laughed.

I glaringly watched her go back to their table. She tried cuddling with Edward. I lifted my eyes a little to see his expression. He was obviously disgusted as he moved just a little closer to Alice who was busy chatting with Jasper Hale, her boyfriend, I think. He lifted his eyes to look at me with apologizing eyes. I looked backed down on my food and blushed.

Don't feel sorry for me, Cullen. I wanted to tell him. If he really cared, he should've stopped Lauren do whatever bitchiness she was going to do.

The bell rang and I hurriedly got into class. I wanted to escape everything. I may look this tough, but it still hurt a lot when they do that to me. I still want to cry but I'm strong enough to remind myself to be tougher than that.

I continued running to the room before my mind and body give up on me. I had wanted so bad to scream and cry everything out.

I sat on my chair placed way back behind the whole class. The seat next to me was free, so I placed my backpack there on the seat beside me.

Then it came crashing down on me. Edward would be sitting there, in front of me. Biology. This was the only class I had with him.

Mr. Molina came in the room and so did the rest of the class.

"Everybody, please settle down!" He said for about a couple of times.

"I have something important to tell you." And everybody settled down with these words. "This weekend, yes, this weekend we are going to go camping down at Lake Loao."

A few groaned, including me. Edward punched the air. Liam O'Neil, his friend, groaned too.

"I can't believe you're excited about this thing." He scoffed at Edward.

The teacher continued on to explaining how the camp will go. It will be over the weekend, thus giving us Monday as a free day to rest. He gave out waivers for our parent/s to fill up.

I thought hard on whether I wanted to attend this thing. I also really wanted my weekend of nothing. But something's telling me that I should go.

Saturday morning came too fast. I rummaged through my bedside table for that stupid alarm clock. Why won't it stop?! Then I heard something crash on the other side of my room, continuing with its beeping.

Ugh.

I stood up, much to my dislike and got ready for the trip. I packed very light. I didn't need that much stuff to bring.

Breakfast was a more or less a quiet event.

"'Morning, Dad." I said in the middle of breakfast.

"Morning, Bells." He responded.

"I need you to sign this waiver for the camp later 'til tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah, sure." He signed it. "You take care, Bells. I don't want to lose you just yet."

"Don't worry, Dad, I'm not going to fall off the lake." I tried convincing him.

He chuckled, "That you don't know. Just promise me, you'll take care. I love you."

"Okay." I said silently. I finished up my breakfast, said one last goodbye and headed for school.

I parked my car in its usual spot and I saw the two big yellow buses that will hold the whole batch for the trip.

I waited for people to start filling in. I saw that loadful of hair and smiled. They were coming to the trip…Maybe this wouldn't be that bad…Fine. I do have a crush on him. I mean a huge crush on him. I can't even believe that I'm admitting this thing.

I climbed into the bus first and took the seat at the back. And much to my surprise, one of the Cullens sat beside me.

"Hey, is there room for me?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, sure. There's plenty." I smiled weakly at her and then I went back to looking out the window.

"So, is this your first time to go camping?" Alice asked me again.

"Unfortunately, yes." I answered her question and blushed.

"Aw. Don't say it like that. You'll like it." She said.

I sighed and whispered, "Hopefully."

"I'm Alice, by the way." Alice introduced.

"I'm Bella. Nice to meet you?" I said it more as question because it didn't sound right. I mean, we are classmates and we were just meeting each other.

I returned to looking out the window once again and fell into unconsciousness.

I had dreamed about the water rushing nearby and lots of green and occasionally, brown, too.

I felt a pair of hands shaking me.

"Bella? Wake up, we're here, sweetie." I had thought she was my mom.

"Mom?" I asked. I had missed her so much.

"No, silly, it's me, Alice." She cleared up.

"Oh my gosh. I am so sorry." And I blushed deep red. I had just called her 'mom'! I am such a…say it, Bella, and you'll break, everything will break.

"That's fine." She said, giggling. "Come on." She pulled me out of the bus and into the beauty of nature.

I've never been here and, boy, was I happy I am now here. I closed my eyes to let my other senses take over. The soft touch of the wind, the damp earth, the sweet aroma of the flowers, the quiet chirping of the birds…Everything was perfect. I suddenly had the urge to want to live here forever. I wanted to get lost in this world forever.

"I hope we become camping buddies." Alice said enthusiastically.

I opened my eyes again. Then I noticed I had a smile on my face. "I'd really like that, I told her."

"Finally, a decent smile on your face. I thought you were starting to hate me too." She laughed. Her laughter blended in very well with the sounds of nature.

We started walking down the trail to the…lake, I guess.

"No, no. You don't deserve my hatred. Seriously? I think you're the only one decent within that group. Why are in that group, anyway?" I asked. I knew it was kind of rude but I had to know why. Why they were so nice while the whole group hates me.

"Well, they want my brother. They'll die for my brother. I wouldn't want to separate from my brother. I love him too much. It would be like I was throwing him to a school of piranha, if I let him stay there alone." She explained.

"Then why don't you disband?" I asked her again.

"We've been thinking about that. I never knew they could be so mean. Especially to you. You didn't even do anything wrong." She felt sorry.

"I'm not too pretty enough. That's why they hate me. I look too plain for them." I told her.

"Oh no. Is that what they say? They're nothing compared to you, believe me." She smiled.

I blushed. "Thanks."

She smiled again, pleased with herself. "Oh hey. We're here." Alice pointed to the lake and the cabins.

"Girls, get a partner. No. It can't be a guy. It must be another girl. She will be your camping buddy. Each pair is entitled to a cabin. Same goes to the guys. Oh and meet me out here for a lecture about lakes."

Alice hooked my arm and held it tightly. I looked at her with amazement. How could a small girl like her grip me this tight? Which made me wonder…Why was she suddenly so kind to me? Was this a dare? Her friends are still mean to me…why was she like this and to me, of all people? She was officially my first friend around here. I could suddenly feel her comfort. I wanted to cry in her arms and know that it will be alright, that she'll be there for me, for once in my life, and I had wanted her as a friend.

I was settling down when I noticed that she didn't have a single bag with her.

"Where are your bags?" I curiously asked her.

"They're with my brother. You know him, right? I mean who doesn't." She scoffed. "He's about to bring it in around now…"

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Psychic." I told her then we both laughed. I opened the door and I all I can see were greeeeeeeeeeeeen. I felt hypnotized.

"Um. Is Alice there?" He asked.

I gulped before speaking, well, at least tried speaking. Nothing was coming of my lips…WHY, BELLA, WHY?! So I nodded instead and opened the door for him. I blushed too.

"Hey, Edward. Thank you." Alice hugged him.

"Uh, yeah. Next time, please don't bring too much." And with that he revealed the huge luggage he was pulling and left quickly.

I widened my eyes in amazement, what does she need that whole lot of clothes for?! A luggage for a two day camp?! Man, was she crazy or something?

Alice laughed at my expression. "Who knows? We might need it later."

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