Bridge Over Troubled Water

Disclaimer: Twilight is the brainchild of Stephanie Meyer and not me. This story, however, is mine and Stephanie Meyer may not use or profit from my ideas in any way.

Chapter 1

My name is Bella Swan. My life started out simple enough. I was raised by my mother Renee, but had recently moved to Forks to live with Charlie…my dad. It had taken a little while to get adjusted to my new life and at first things were still shaky for me. Little did I know, everything was about to become very different. My eyes were going to be opened to a world that I didn't know existed and things were never going to be the same.

I'll never forget that Saturday afternoon. I was very unhappy and had no idea how to make anything good again. I was lonely with superficial friends. I had a father that tried to be a good dad, but had no didn't what to do with me and I had a mother with a new husband, and for everything she had done for me she deserved to be a newlywed for a while. I was so lonely. I never really cried much and I tried not to sulk and dwell on how I felt, but lately the loneliness and unhappiness had gotten to be too much to bear. This particular day I had gone for a hike in the nearby woods, just to break up the monotony of my day. I actually enjoyed being outside and it hadn't rained, so that meant that the ground wouldn't be too muddy. I walked for about an hour looking around at the wildlife and enjoying the raw smells that are only found outdoors. For the first time since I had been in Forks I felt better. I felt free and hopeful, like things could possibly get better. This was a delicate happiness and I resolved to keep hiking to prolong this feeling for as long as possible before I had to head back home. I wandered around with no specific destination in mind and finally I decided that I should probably head home before I got lost. I walked for another thirty minutes before I would allow myself to admit that I was already completely and utterly lost. My good mood quickly dissipated and just like I felt my sad mood lift earlier, I began to feel the unhappiness and fear return and settle squarely on my shoulders weighing me down again as if it was a physical burden.

That's how things work for me it seems; good for a little while and then it is back to lonely Bella, sad and clumsy Bella, and now…just plain old Bella.

I have heard that the worst thing that you can do when you are lost is to continue walking, so I went to the nearest log I could find and decided to sit for a while so that I could get my bearings. As I sat I rested my head in my hands to try to calm myself and find some of the peace that I felt earlier, before I noticed that a light rain had begun to fall. It began gently enough but steadily grew stronger soaking my t-shirt and causing a chill to sweep over my body.

The rain was the catalyst; it was the final drop that broke the dam in my heart and pushed me over the edge and before I knew what was happening I found myself sobbing uncontrollably. I was broken and alone while salty tears mingled with the rain water that was already cascading down my face. Once again, I was crying all alone, and that knowledge only made the pain more intense.

While sitting there the rain had gotten stronger and so had my crying so I almost didn't hear it. During my most unhappy time I heard the most beautiful voice speaking from behind me.

"Hey, there. Stop that, okay? You don't have to cry."

I quickly tried to compose myself as I looked around to find the owner of the voice that I had just heard. When I finally spotted Alice Cullen standing in the clearing I was struck silent. I had seen her at school many times before, but I had never heard her voice or have been this close to her and I had to admit that I'd never seen a lovelier creature in my life. For a short moment I had gotten lost again. Although this time I was not lost in the woods, but lost in an amazing pair of golden eyes. She was small and pale and her hair was black and slicked down by the rain, but normally she wore it cut stylishly and she always seemed to have each strand individually placed in exactly the right spot. Her clothing was a simple pair of jeans, a tank top, with a light jacket over it. She was definitely perfection and I…well, I was just Bella Swan; soaking wet, and I'm sure that by now my eyes and nose were both red and I knew that I lived on the opposite side of anything that resembled perfect. To be out in the pouring rain Alice looked great, but she still held a look of surprise at finding me out in the woods in such a state. I briefly wondered what she was doing out here as well, but I quickly lost my train of though as I shifted under her gaze. Slowly and cautiously Alice walked over to me with a small smile and a look of concern on her face. "Bella, right? What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

"It's nothing! D-don't worry I'm fine..." I nervously responded as I hastily wiped at my face in an unsuccessful attempt to remove any evidence of my crying.

The look that she gave me instantly told me that she didn't believe me, but she let it go and for that I was grateful.

"Do you mind if I sit for a while?" Alice asked as she gracefully walked over to the log where I sat. I gave a small nod and she sat down beside me and looked over at me under her eyelashes and smiled. She had to know how incredibly adorable that looks. We sat together quietly for a few moments before she spoke again.

"You know… it's a shame that we have never spoken before; I see you around school a lot. We share study hall and we have lunch the same period!"

"Yeah. I see you around too, but I guess I don't really talk to anyone." I replied, looking away from her face to avoid meeting her eyes.

"And why not, Bella Swan?" she said, smiling. "You seem to be able to talk just fine. Here I am, almost a perfect stranger, and you can talk to me." She softly laughed at herself and the sound of her laughter was almost enough to make me forget about what had been bothering me.

I chuckled softly and shook my head slightly as I spoke again. "Yeah, I am talking to you, huh?" Again we lapsed into a comfortable silence. There was no need to scramble for a topic to talk about. We just sat there, occasionally glancing at each other and smiling. I don't know what it was about her, but she seemed to have a calming effect on me and for that short time everything in the world was calm and perfect.

It was just me and Alice. Two people that hardly knew each other sitting quietly and enjoying each other's company. I'm not sure how long we had sat there, but I do know that I didn't want it to end. Alice was very comfortable to be around and her presence was soothing which surprised me because I was normally nervous around new people. I was interrupted from my thoughts when overhead a flock of birds took off from the surrounding trees, and I looked up and noticed how dark the sky had gotten. "Wow, had we really been out here that long?" I thought to myself. It was so easy to be around her that it didn't even feel like we had been sitting there for as long as we had been.

"Sorry Alice, it's getting dark. I think I have to get going now." I said as I looked over to her. The truth was that I could have spent the whole night just sitting there with her. Not saying a word, just stealing glances whenever I noticed she wasn't looking. She was incredibly different from anyone I had ever met. She was beautiful and there was something about her that drew me to her like a magnet. We had spoken less than ten sentences to each other and already I knew that I wanted to know her more. "Thank you, Alice."

Alice looked up at me and scrunched her nose, as she stood up and dusted off her jeans. "You're welcome. Oh and…um…do you know your way home from here?"

"Actually, I have no idea how to get home." I said, my embarrassment at my situation showing itself with a blush and a small nervous laugh.

"Good thing I know my way around here," Alice smirked. "Follow me" she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards what I hoped to be the right direction. As we walked, Alice and I had gotten to know each other a little better. I already knew that she and her other four siblings were the adopted kids of Dr. Cullen. I had also known that two of her "siblings" were involved. Half of the students at Forks High School held a weird fascination with the Cullen kids, but even with that fascination they made sure to keep plenty distance between themselves and the newcomers. The other half of the student body thought of the Cullens as weird and kept distance also, but with them it was more like they were outcasts instead of the object of the students' curiosity. I told her about my life in Phoenix and how living here, in Forks, wasn't quite how I imagined it would be.

Alice slowed down and gently grabbed my arm to stop me from walking. "Is that why you were so upset earlier? Because you don't like it here?" she softly asked.

As I thought about my answer I looked down at her hand that was holding my arm. Her hand was so cold on my skin, yet I couldn't help but notice how nice the contrast between our body temperatures felt. I raised my eyes to hers and simply nodded. If I opened my mouth to speak, I was certain I would begin to cry again, and I didn't want to cry around Alice. It wasn't that I was ashamed of crying around her. I just wanted the rest of the day to go by smoothly before we went our separate ways.

We looked at each other for another moment before Alice spoke again. "Well, I'm sorry you are so sad, but for what it's worth I'm glad that you are here. I think you're special, and I can't wait to get to know you more, Bella Swan. It will get better…I promise." She smiled reassuringly.

I tilted my head to the side while looking at her. "You promise? How can you promise something like that?" I asked her.

"I just can. You'll see!" She said as she began walking backwards while still smiling at me.

I continued to walk after her until I caught up with her and we began walking again slowly again; each of us lost in our own thoughts. All I could think about was how beautiful she was and how she managed to turn my whole day around just by being there. Such a simple gesture but it tugged at my heart how selfless an action it was. Now that I think of it, I still don't really know that much about her. This whole day had taken a surprising turn for the best. If nothing else, I had made a new friend and found someone that I was completely comfortable around. The thing is that I have no idea why I am so comfortable around her. Normally, I tend to take a while to warm up to someone before I let my guard down, but Alice had managed to completely side step all of my walls and walked right into my comfort zone. I wasn't shy or afraid, I was simply comfortable. I had never met anyone that could make me feel so at ease and at this point I wasn't going to question it. We walked along for a little while longer when I noticed that we were nearing my house.

"Well, I think this is your stop. Are you feeling better?" she asked, with concern clouding her golden eyes.

I blushed and looked away as I answered, "Yeah I'll be okay. I guess I just had to get that out of my system. You know…" I trailed off.

"Yeah, I know. So I guess I'll see you at school on Monday?" Alice asked, slightly hopeful.

"Yes, I'll be there…oh, and Alice? Thank you again." I nervously added before she could turn away to head home.

"Anytime, Bella." She softly replied, but before I could walk away, Alice pulled me into a soft hug. The hug lasted no more than five seconds, but during that time it seemed as though everything stopped. Time was irrelevant and all of the emotions that had troubled me ceased to exist. I didn't feel the wind blowing and I didn't hear the birds singing anymore. The only thing that I became aware of was me and Alice standing here locked in a shy but intimate embrace. Time simply froze and I found myself caught in the moment that I was sharing with Alice. She smelled incredible and every point that her body touched mine I felt a subtle, but unmistakable tingle. Her hands innocently caressed my back and I gently squeezed hers in return. As we embraced I let out a quiet sigh and I heard her inhale into my neck. We slowly parted and stared into each other's eyes, both surprised at what we experienced and sad that it had been such a quick and fleeting moment.

"Goodnight, Bella Swan. See you soon." Alice whispered as she slowly began to walk towards the road on her way home.

Alice had been gone for a few moments before I whispered my own "Goodnight, Alice" after her into the darkness then reluctantly made my way into the house so that I could get cleaned up and then get dinner ready for Charlie. I had been gone for a while so he was probably worried and more than a little hungry by now.

I didn't know what had just happened with Alice, but I knew that she was going to be someone special to me. I'd known her for a few hours and she was already important to me. By the time I went into the bathroom to get ready for my shower, my thoughts were still centered on Alice and before I stepped into the shower, I stopped for a moment and took a good look at myself in the mirror. I thought: She is right. Things will get better. Then I did something that I haven't done much of since I've been here at Forks: I smiled.

So, I hope you all liked my story. It's my first and honestly I need all the feedback I can get so please review! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to ShatteredPerfection, uninhibited spirit, and Emryk Cullen. You guys are GREAT! I'm off to writing so that you guys don't have to wait too long for Chapter 2.