Chapter 2

Bella's POV

Ring, ring, ring. Ring, ring, ring. Ring, ring, ring.

My heart kept pounding as I waited for the damn phone to be answered.

"Hello?" A gruff, lazy voice answered. I looked at the clock. Whoops. It was night time there.

"Hello dad? It's me, Bella," I said, getting excited.

"Bella? What's wrong?" He asked, sounding more awake now.

"Nothing's wrong..." I lied. Crap, I was always a bad liar.

"Then why are you calling... at 11 in the evening here?!" He asked me suspiciously. Shit.

"Well Dad, I'm coming home!" I exclaimed as I made a sharp turn into the highway.

To say that he was excited was an understatement. He practically screamed in my ear, probably waking up everyone in Forks in the process.

"When?!" He demanded.

"Right now Dad; I'm on my way to the airport in Italy," I informed him as I overtook an incredibly slow BMW, glaring at the driver. I laughed out loud when he shot me a what-the-hell? look.

"Bells! This is great! You won't believe how happy I am!" He said, still yelling. I'm surprised I haven't heard Emmett complain yet... Which reminds me....

"Oh Dad, don't tell Emmett! It will be a surprise, so you better stop shouting or you'll wake him up, along with everyone else!" I told him, snickering. I was already imagining what his reaction would be like.

I chuckled at the thought and listened to Charlie's answer.

"Sure thing, Bells. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"That'll be great! But I'm still going to buy a ticket when I get to the airport. I'll call you again right after I get the ticket so you know what time I'll arrive..." My voice trailed off as I took an exit road and sped up.

"Okay, I'll wait for your call," he said, yawning.

"Sorry from waking you dad. I'll get my ticket as soon as possible," I told him, shutting the phone, not waiting for his answer.

I breathe loudly out of relief. Thank God! He didn't even ask why I was coming home. I must be luckier than I thought.

I mean, thinking about it, really, how would I explain to my dad, the Chief of Police in that God forsaken town named after a utensil that I had to leave the country and go into hiding?!

Oh dad, you know I'm really here in the first place because the police in Rome are looking for us. Chasing us down for questioning as usual, but don't worry it's not a murder or anything; but the thing is, we sort of did do whatever it was they wanted us for. Anyway my 3 idiot best friends and I accidentally burned down half their school because we were roasting marshmallows in a bonfire we made inside their dorm room while we were drunk. But come on Dad, I really missed you and Em too, so it's a win- win situation! Right. Not going to happen. No wait, I mean, never going to happen.

After 10 minutes, I finally arrived in the airport. I didn't even have to look around for people to help me with my luggage because as soon as I opened my trunk, two err... airport people came and took it out right away, all the while looking at me.

I smiled at myself. Oh, the people back in Forks would never believe it's me.

I chuckled evilly in my mind as I took off the car cover, chucked it in the trunk and entered the airport.

I bought my ticket to Port Angeles, my flight leaves in an hour, perfect, and had my car arranged to be brought to Forks.

I checked my luggage in and started walking towards the terminal.

I called Charlie on the way and told him that I would be arriving in Port Angeles at 2:30 in the afternoon. He told me that he would be there to pick me up and reassured me that Emmett still doesn't know that I would be coming. We said our goodbyes and hung up.

While walking, I started to think of what my brother would do if he sees me.

Knowing Emmett, and hoping that Emmett was still Emmett, he would probably have three reactions. Either he:

1. He shouts at my face telling me I'm me like, "Bella!! You're Bella!", while he attacks me with one of his bone-crushing hugs and spins me around in circles until he sets me then down, stumbling in dizziness.

OR

2. He stares at me with a blank expression on his face as he asks me who I am. I'll probably drop him overly obvious hints like, "You haven't seen me in four years..." or "We have the same hair and eyes, ring any bells?" and on my third hint, he'll most likely yell at me to shut up and just tell him who the hell I am. Hehehe, Emmett was never the patient one.

OR

3. A combination or both or something in the middle.

I chuckled loudly at myself, shaking my head in anticipation and earning a few looks from the other people.

I arrived at the terminal and boarded my plane. I was in first class since it wouldn't take much from my money.

This is what happens when you have best friends that treat you as a little sister. You don't have to even spend a single Euro sometimes.

They've paid for my food almost everyday despite my protests every single day as well. They took turns treating me to lunch and dinner and they've insisted on paying whatever I needed since 'that was what big brothers do'.

Now all the money I've earned from my jobs in the bookstore near my school and as a barista in the cafe near their school just piled up in my account for two years.

I settled myself in my seat and waited for the plane to take off.

Once we were in the air, I took my iPod out and listened to some calming classical music. I closed my eyes and let myself drift to sleep, thinking of how I came to be here in the first place.

I wasn't asleep yet and I was remembering the first day Edward came to school—we were in the 5th grade.

I was in English class and this new boy takes a seat next to me.

"Hi! I'm Bella Swan." I remembered thinking that I should be nice to him since it was his first day at a new school.

"Hi, I'm Edward Cullen," he replied shyly. Pft, if only I knew then how not shy he was. Jerk.

I remembered him looking away, then looking back at me.

"Hey, you're my first friend here. Do you want to sit together at lunch?" he said, looking hopefully at me through those emerald eyes of his, brushing a lock of his bronze hair away from his face.

I remembered sweet, innocent me, smiling back at him at telling him, "sure". I think that was the worst mistake I've done.

I clearly recall it, walking through the cafeteria. When I entered, I looked at him, and saw his bronze hair. He was sat at a table with a bunch of other guys that I didn't really like.

I remembered taking those steps of doom towards him and tapping his shoulder when I finally reached him.

Tap, tap.

My memory worked overdrive as I saw Edward in my head turn around to face me.

"What?" he asked rudely. Oh, if only I could pop his face then.

"You said you wanted to sit together?" I asked him confused. I actually wanted to go back and scold myself for being so stupid.

His stupid eyebrows shot up as he glanced at the guys and look back at me.

"Why would I want to sit with a geek like you?" he spat at me.

With that, the people at his table, along with anyone else who heard him, laughed at me.

I remembered turning around, with tears leaking from my eyes, away to the girls' room.

I sighed, settling in further into my comfy plane seat, adjusting myself for deeper sleep.

It didn't take long and before I was aware of it, I was already dreaming.

I was back in Forks Middle School, four years ago. I stood in the hallway watching everybody pass by without even looking at me. It was like I was a ghost, or a spectator of a movie, watching it happen in real life.

The doors opened and I turned to look and gasped. It was me. I mean, it was 7th grade me, walking through the hallways, shoulders slouched, hugging her books close to her for dear life. I knew I didn't look pretty before, but I never thought I was actually like this. I was chubby and had brown, frizzy hair that brushed just along my shoulders. I had not-so-healthy pale skin and even though tiny me wasn't smiling, I knew I had braces then.

I blame Edward for how I turned out like that. What he did to me at the cafeteria during his first day really did a number on my self-esteem and everything went downhill from there.

The bell rung and everybody went to class. I watched as smaller me passed by me, rushing to her class as well when she stopped.

A boy was blocking her way. I knew from the bronze messy hair and green eyes that he had that he was none other than Edward Cullen. The very jerk that ruined my late elementary school years from the time he moved to Forks to that very day I was watching now. Three other boys, Mike Newton, Tyler Crowley and Eric Yorkie, appeared behind him, all with disgusted looks directed at tiny me.

"Well, if it isn't Ugly Swan," Edward sneered, "you know you put your brother to shame," he said smirking.

Oh how I would love to walk up to him and slap that smirk right off his tiny fucking head. So, I did just that. I walked up to him, raised my hand and slapped him. Too bad my hand went right through him like air. Damn it!

"Emmett isn't ashamed of me!" She retorted.

I remembered Emmett then. He was one of the populars, and he was friends with these assholes. He loved me, really he did. He would beat anyone up who was mean to me.

Too bad I could never tell him what they were doing to me because I was too scared and Edward has threatened me many times that if I ever told my brother, I would 'get something far more worse that what I was getting now'. So I didn't tell him.

"That's what you think pizza face," Mike spat at tiny me.

She tried to walk around them but Edward pulled her hair roughly, pulling her back where she stood before.

"Heeey, stop it!" She whined in pain.

"We're not finished with you yet Chubbikins," he laughed at her. I was boiling up. I can't believe this fucking prick laughed at my face!!

"Stop it, we have classes to attend," tiny Bella reasoned out as I watched uselessly. They laughed at her response. God, I swear if they don't stop, I'm going to make sure their family names end with them.

"Like we care," Tyler said, still chuckling.

She tried to walk around them again and they let me, or so tiny me thought.

Edward stuck out his leg and swept my feet of the ground, literally, as my books sprawled around the hallway around me. I fell flat on my face, my chin, hitting the floor on impact.

"Whoops, watch my leg, Ugly Swan," he spat at tiny Bella mockingly, walking around me and kicking my books farther away from my reach.

His three sheep of friends walked around me as well, getting to their classes while laughing at me.

"Oh come on, Edward, that's how gravity works, you're just moving it along," Tyler joked as he high-fived Edward.

I saw that tiny Bella winced as she tried to lift herself off the ground. Blood started dripping from her chin. The impact her chin got from the floor split it open like a knife was slashed through it.

"Oh, you're bleeding. Here, wash it up," Eric mocked as he poured his bottle of water on top of her head, drenching her hair and soaking her shirt. He then threw the empty bottle at her head.

Oh I swear if I ever saw them with those same smirks on their faces again, I'm going to beat them into a bloody pulp! A BLOODY PULP I SAY!!

I wanted to help tiny me up, to take care of that chin wound and to comfort her, but I couldn't. My hand would pass right through her like I was a ghost.

I had nothing to do but watch myself pick myself up with tears running down her face as she picked up her books and sprinted towards the ladies' room.

I woke up and jerked myself up from my sleep. I headed towards the lavatory and splashed water on my face.

I remembered that day. That was the day when they went too far. That was the day when I left Forks and moved in with my mum in Phoenix.

They would always verbally assault me with insults on how fat I was or how ugly I was that I'd end up alone because no one would love a pizza face like me.

I rolled my eyes upon remembering. How original, I know.

They would always push me around, shove me against lockers and trip me but it never went as far as actually splitting my chin in half.

No one dared help me out or even try to tell Emmett, all in fear of being victimized by those four losers. It went on for 3 years. I had to suffer three bloody years of torture every single day ever since that demon spawn moved to Forks in the 5th grade. I mean, no one was ever mean to me before, until he came along.

I blame him the most.

I sighed and splashed water on my face again.

I looked at myself in the mirror and smirked at myself.

Oh, how I would love to see their faces when they see me again.

I went back to my seat and thought of the events that followed after that encounter.

After I cried a lot in the ladies' room, I went to the nurse's office to have my wound cleaned and looked at. I skipped my last class and walked home since none of us drives yet.

When I got home, I was alone, Emmett was still in school and Charlie was still at work. I started packing my stuff and called my mum, telling her that I was coming to Phoenix. She was ecstatic of course.

When Emmett came home, he rushed to find me, demanding to know why I left early. He was very over protective and I hated lying to him.

We had a huge fight, he wouldn't buy my excuse that I simply tripped on my own feet and fell, splitting my chin. He demanded to know who did it, but I didn't budge. We had an even huge tug-of-war fight over my suitcases. He was shouting at me that he wouldn't let me go.

When Charlie got home, he heard our shouting and panicked. He found us, yelling at each other, the both of us crying.

"I can't stay here anymore! I hate it here! I hate school and I hate the people there!" I remember shouting at Emmett and dad, tears streaking down my face.

"Just tell me who is being mean to you Bells! Tell me and it'll be settled!!" Emmett yelled back at me. He knew someone was doing this to me; he just didn't know who.

We just yelled at each other and my dad started crying as well. Eventually I broke down on the floor in hysterics, hyperventilating and all that.

I remember Emmett coming down on the floor, hugging me.

"Just tell me Bells, please," he begged me.

I looked at him and his face was smeared with moisture from all the crying he's doing. It was literally breaking my heart to see a tough guy, Emmett, my brother crumble down beside me.

"I can't..." I whispered, crying and bowing my head. It took me a while to realize that I've whispered it out loud too, crying as well, like I remembered it.

I looked around the plane to see if anybody has been watching me. Thank goodness everybody minded their own business.

I went back to reminiscing.

After a while, they finally let me go. Emmett stayed at the house, his face showing nothing but depression as he stood by the open front door, watching as Charlie drove me to the airport. We both cried a little more and soon, I was landing in Phoenix with mum, rushing up to meet me.

Renee, being a mum, took care of me. Not in the responsible way a mum should, haha that would never happen. What I meant was she took care of me, the way a girl should be taken care of.

She bought me really nice hair products and in no time, my hair went to frizzy, to gorgeous. She took me to a dermatologist and as I spent my 8th grade there in Phoenix, my skin cleared up and I was flawless.

My mum applied me in several boarding schools abroad, including St. Dominique, which was still co-ed back then.

I got accepted in a Montessori co-ed boarding school in Milan for my first year in high school. Before I left, my mum had my braces removed.

I learned Italian during my first year then and I had some really good friends there too, but we weren't really close to each other.

I made it a point to walk around Milan, to familiarize myself with the streets and shops and to practice my Italian better with people rather than just taking the public transportation.

Without me noticing it, I lost weight due to my walking and became really fit. I remember I had to buy a whole new wardrobe because the clothes I had then were too lose.

The next year, I found out I got accepted to St. Dominique d'Italia. My mum was thrilled since it was one of the best in all of Italy. She enrolled me in, both of us not knowing that they've made it into an all-boys academy starting that year. It turned out that there was a computer glitch in the system; that being the reason of my acceptance.

I laughed as I remembered more. I met Dan, Dean and Damon and they introduced me to racing. They actually competed in street racing, but I only do it for fun. According to them, I was good. Well, I got lots of practice racing from running from the police, so I guess it has its advantages.

They also successfully corrupted my mind by exposing me to their type of dares and pranks and their just plain actions. Now, I'm as bad as them.

We got banned from a department store back in Milan when they accompanied me to go shopping once. But that wasn't all. We've also got banned from 7 pizza places over Italy, mainly Sicily from either starting a food fight, a plain fight and/or for Dan and Damon throwing paintballs at the windows because their spaghetti lacked a meatball. I rolled my eyes, remembering.

We also got banned from a bar in Rome itself when a guy tried to grope me. Poor guy, he ended up in a coma for three days.

I chuckled at myself, shaking my head in disbelief.

It was living with the three of them that made me lose more weight. It was like living in an army training camp. You've got to prepare yourself for surprise attacks and impromptu wrestling matches every step you take. Also, living in Italy and spending most of my time with the guys out in the open under the sun, I became tanned.

I can't say I didn't like it. Thanks to them, I've got a really toned body, from my arms to my tummy to my thighs to just every part of my body. Not to mention, the bonus of being able to take down any guy that pisses me off.

All of that leading to the fire which then leads me to where I am now, sitting in first class, on my way back to my home town.

I guess I could thank Edward Cullen a little bit. If it weren't for that jackass, I'd probably still be the little weakling I was before.

I smiled to myself. I meant what I said before. If my 3 best friends aren't with me, it wouldn't be fun. But since I'm going back and meeting old acquaintances again, I might as well try to have fun and show them how much I really changed.

I chuckled, but it came out more like a cackle.

This would be an awesome solo mission for La regina Isabella.

Edward Cullen, be prepared to regret everything that you've done to me.


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