An Altered Twilight

Here is another new multi-chapter story which I hope you people will enjoy :D

She already knew that her decision was the right one before she had even boarded the plane. She knew that it was the right choice to go back permanently despite her past qualms about the location. She had missed him too much and no one in Phoenix could compare to his brilliance. Even if they were only friends and she wanted more, she would settle for anything, as long as she got to spend at least second with him. She promised him that she would return but two visits to California had prevented that. If only it wasn't Forks, if only it wasn't the wettest place in the continental US then she would have offered to live there years ago when she met him, when she had met Edward. He was her only friend and the only one who perfectly understood her. She was also the only person who understood him. They used to only have the summer to spend with each other but now they would have every day. The thought made her feel oddly giddy and she wished that she had his number so that she could alert him of her new home. But then again she was anticipating seeing the expression of his face, the tenor of his tone as he saw and conversed with her for the first time in two years. She couldn't wait to see his emerald green eyes or tousled bronze hair, her eyes being absent from them for more than she could bear. She wondered if he missed her too and decided that he would have to judging on the look on his face as she left him last. They were virtually inseparable when she used to visit and even with her distaste for Forks, her leaving him had always pained her. She was stupid to not have asked for his mobile number once he received a phone the last summer she visited. Then again, her insecurities attacked her when she realised that he hadn't asked for hers. Her reverie was disrupted when the plane descended and a bored voice announced that the passengers should leave the plane. Bella Swan sighed and took a further step to her new home.

…

Her room looked exactly the same as it had been when she'd left it with only a few modifications such a new quilt and an out dated desktop computer. She liked old things because they seemed more familiar and comforting as a pose to new and unaccustomed items taking the place of something you once treasured. She was glad that Charlie, her dad had understood that. Renee, her mother was the opposite of her and new things and experiences were a gift in her view. Change was one thing that I didn't like to adapt to but in this case it was necessary if I expected to fit in here. At least if I couldn't then Edward would pull her through this time like he always had.

Her first night in her new home was spent tossing in her bed as she contemplated being the centre of attention tomorrow and anxiety as she envisioned her meeting with Edward. She hoped that he hadn't forgotten her and once again reprimanded herself for not requesting his number or email address. She hoped that he would still like her with all the time that they had spent apart. Her musings brought her no sleep and exhaustion overwhelmed her once she attempted to get up in the morning. Her irritated groan alerted Charlie, who had to be assured that she was fine a numerous amount of times when he suggested taking the day off to curb the jet lag. Once he had left for the police station, she ignored her fatigue and prepared for school, the most difficult job being brushing the tangles out of her long, dark brown hair and deciding what to wear. She needed to make a good impression and the sun widened her variety so she decided on a blue blouse of hers, remembering that Edward's preference on her had always been blue. Her heart quickened when she remembered his face when she bought the shirt two years ago and suddenly realised that it wasn't one which a friend should have for another friend. However that was two years ago and his preferences may have changed. He could like blonds now for all she knew. The thought wasn't very appeasing and her discomfort and anxiety increased.

As she pulled into the Forks High parking lot in her new Chevy which Charlie had purchased for her as a homecoming gift, she couldn't help but glance around for Edward, ignoring the curious looks of strangers stopping to look at her. When her search came up empty, she went to the front office and received her timetable. The lists of subjects which she had to take were not exactly pleasing to her and she was still sufficiently distracted. Up until lunch everything had sped by rapidly and she had not caught one glimpse of Edward. At this rate she was starting to believe that he had moved away. If he had then her whole plan to live here had been a waste despite her other reasons. The only thing that she had been looking forward to would have been gone. The thought caused her mood to plummet but her new friends noticed nothing. They just chatted animatedly as she stared moodily at the cracks in the table, contemplating spending the remainder of her teenage years here.

"I can't believe it," one of the girls groaned at her while she was only barely listening. "One of the hottest guys in the school is staring at you. He never stares at anybody!" Bella's head snapped up at her words and she nearly crashed to the floor in her shock. Edward was there, across the other side of the room, staring at her with the same shock she contained. Without a thought and her face flushed with her mortification, she sat back up into her chair and observed Edward from a distance, too afraid to approach him now when the time had come. He looked exactly the same but impossibly different as he eyed her with curiousness. It took her a few seconds of speculation to perceive that the change was his clothes. He came from a fairly average family whose funds were stable but couldn't afford luxuries so it came as a surprise to her that he was now wearing designer brands. Perhaps he had won the lottery or his mother had received a promotion. Either way the change was a shock to her regardless of no physical changes. His eyes appraised her warily and then he turned away causing her observation to be broken. That was the last contact she had with him until biology.

He was already waiting patiently in his seat when she arrived and Bella was thrilled to discover that the only seat left was next to him. The appropriate words which she wished would flow from her mouth would not go and all she could manage to even utter was the word 'hi'. He nodded stiffly and then continued with his work. She stared at him, dumfounded at his lack of reaction. His hand was clenched into a tight fist the entire time and she couldn't find the right words to bring them both out of the tension which had kept them prisoner. Since the words would not come, she tore a piece of paper out of her workbook and wrote a message in her messy scrawl stating that she would like to talk with him after school. She pushed it in his direction and held her breath for his response. He read it quickly and his expression was one of surprise. He then sighed and nodded, turning back to his work and ending their silent exchange. Luckily for Bella, biology was the last subject of her day and she could lead Edward to the spot in which she wanted to speak. She chose a private secluded area around ten minutes away from the school in the forest where she and Edward used to hang out when all else bored them. It seemed strangely different now. The first words out of her mouth were the ones which had been haunting her all day and it was a relief to get them out.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" She demanded.

"Why don't you tell me something first" He replied angrily. "You said you'd come back. You promised and I waited. You don't know how long I waited and then when I knew you weren't coming, you don't know what that felt like. You didn't even call me, even think to explain." He closed his eyes as if he were suddenly tired.

"I didn't have your phone number." She said in a small voice.

"That's bullshit and you know it. You could have sent me a letter, sent me an email. I tried but your phone was disconnected and your email was false. Your address was even wrong. Can you understand why I'm mad now? Why I haven't gone up and start embracing you yet." He demanded, his tone layered with sarcasm at the end.

"I see your point." she admitted. "But at least I'm here now. The past is the past."

His eyes grew a shade darker as he spoke. "You don't understand. For one you can't just leave, come back and expect me to forgive you straight away without any explanations and if you were here last year then you would understand why the past is so important."

"Tell me, I'm listening." she crossed her arms impatiently over her chest as she waited.

"You weren't here for me in my darkest time. You weren't here when I needed you the most. You don't know how many times I cried out for you last year and you never responded. I had nothing left in my life and I felt as if dying would make no noticeable difference but luckily I only considered it once. Only at the beginning of this year did things get better." He explained dolefully.

"What happened?" she gasped, the guilt consuming her as she realised the pain she could have prevented if she stayed.

"My parents were killed in a freak accident and I was adopted." He told her bluntly. She gasped again in shock, scenes of the thoughtful and generous Masens' replaying in her head like a flashback. "My adoptive parents, Carlisle and Esme are nice and I do love them as if they were my own parents but they aren't and you weren't there to console me at that time…"

"I had no idea and if I did…" She swallowed painfully.

"I know but that still doesn't change what happened."

"But can't we start over, regain the friendship we lost." She pleaded.

"You don't know how much I want to but I'm worried that if I do and you leave again for another two years that I'll feel the pain that I felt last time."

"I understand that but I live here now and I'm not going to leave. At least not until graduation," She explained.

"Could you please give me some time and keep your distance? I just need to think about our conversation before I decide anything."

"Okay," If he needed time then that was one thing that she could give him.

"Good." He nodded and then walked briskly in the opposite direction. Bella sighed and then made her way back to her residence, fighting tears the whole way.

This story needs a better title so if you can think of one please inform me. Tell me; is this story awesome or stupid? If it's stupid then I won't continue so please review and share your opinion. I also want to know if the chapter was too short so please review :D