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This chapter song: What I Wouldn't Give by Holly Brock.
*X*O*X*O*
The sound of a lawnmower revving up to do its task startled Bella from her restless slumber. She rolled onto her back picking up her hand to run it over the small red indentations from her white cotton pillowcase.
In a small shift on her twin bed her bare feet hit the floor. The cool hardwood felt good on her overheated skin as she stretched and yawned.
Her eyes swiveled around her new bedroom. The freshly painted bare white walls. The over used closet door that creaks on its ancient hinges. The battered hardwood floor that has dents, scrapes and bruises. The double hung window that is pushed open allowing the morning summer breeze in. The breeze was bringing in fresh cut grass, sunshine, and the sounds of a waking neighborhood.
Cardboard boxes some half empty others completely full litter her corners and floor.
Her face crumpled slightly as she remembered with a wrecked heart her reason for being here. In a new town, starting her last half semester of high school as a senior in what felt like a foreign land.
She knows she grew up here in Forks, Washington until she was five. Her parents moved her to Phoenix as her father a heroic firefighter felt a heavy crashing weight of guilt due to a family's tragedy in their hometown. She never heard the story, she never pushed.
Realizing that she needed to get ready for school she stood with a cracking back and peeked out the dirty window that overlooked a street with few neighbors.
She checked her pajamas making sure nothing was askew and reached for her bedpost that held a few hair ties. Wrapping the elastic ribbon around her fingers then her shoulder length brown hair she decided it was time to face the music.
Charlie has an estranged sister by the name of Esme. She recently just moved from Las Vegas, Nevada. She has bleached blonde hair, low cut tops and very short skirts. She says she was a showgirl, but Bella knows better she was a stripper. Esme moved into her parent's house in Forks for unknown reasons to Bella.
Bella is eighteen but needed help with finishing school. Staying in Phoenix was unfortunately not an option. She didn't want to live alone and her friends couldn't move in with her. So she moved in with her only remaining family.
Padding over to her bedroom door she cracked it open and peered out. She couldn't hear any other body so she quietly tip toed down the stairs. Esme was pleasant at times, but Bella felt like a burden so she avoided her the best she could.
When Bella reached the bottom of the stairs she looked around the cozy home. The walls were colored in soft powdery blue. A long couch that had a cream cover and a leather recliner that still held the smell of her grandfather's pipe tobacco filled the small living room. Walking to the kitchen that had aged white cabinets the fridge hummed in the corner. The only noise in the tiny two storied home.
She opened the fridge door and pulled out a carton of orange juice. Setting that on the counter she looked through the cabinets for a glass. She was startled when she found a cabinet full of alcohol. It was of every kind, clear vodka, brown whisky, and gold tequila.
Slamming that cabinet with a heavy heart she shook her head. Never will she touch alcohol, it selfishly drowned a lonely mans misery who in turn selfishly totaled her parents car.
Closing her eyes and letting the memories of that night wash over her, she let a tear fall. Wiping it away hastily she grabbed a glass and poured. Taking a tentative sip of the tangy orange juice she walked to the back door and opened it. she stood in the open doorway and drank her juice.
Wet morning dew clung against her lungs as the welcomed sun warmed last nights cooled grass. The backyard opened to the dense waiting forest. A forgotten flower garden sat browned and dry in the far right corner of the large backyard.
Grandma Swan spent every summer in that garden. Bella remembered with closed eyes and a deep breath the smell of her full bloomed garden. Sweet floral honey is what Bella would call it. She remembered summers full of ice and lemonade, cool green grass and a chasing sprinkler, and her dress up nights as Bella acted out her favorite Disney character of the moment.
A sharp clang sounded behind Bella startling her out of the daydream.
She shifted her head and looked directly at her Aunt Esme and she grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels and a slice of toast. Her over processed hair trailed down her red silk wrap.
Esme's matching brown eyes met hers. "Hey Bella," she greeted with a small grimace then scurried from the kitchen. A few seconds later the master bedroom's door slammed with a finality that stung the air.
Taking a deep breath and looking once again the at early morning suns golden warmth Bella turned and dropped her empty orange juice glass into the sink.
She went into her bedroom and picked out a clean pair of underwear, a matching bra, and a pair of navy shorts with a white t-shirt. She quickly showered and brushed her teeth. Throwing a wide white hair band over her shoulder length hair she grabbed her blue backpack and walked outside.
Her cruising bike waited for her. Her backpack strapped securely to her shoulders and a positive outlook on meeting some new people and possibly gaining a friend Bella pedaled to school.
Arriving she spotted a bike rack and pedaled to it. She pulled her backpack off and reached into the front pocket for the lock to secure it in place. It was early still so very few students were at school.
Bella let her eyes roam the small campus. It was built from brick and had three separate buildings. She could see the left building had a gym attached to it and the football/baseball/soccer field was on the very far right.
A sign hung made of polished pine that had OFFICE in large loud yellow letters swayed slightly. Bella knew exactly where she needed to go.
When she opened the heavy door she was met by the smell of musty carpet and wood polish. A low conversation could be heard through a set of doubled glassed doors to her left. Looking up along the cluttered walls she saw class pictures, awards and achievements that the school possessed in glass frames hung for all to see.
A little further down the hallway a large clean glass case housed various trophies all polished and shined to their prime.
Her hand reached out and pulled the glass door open. She saw a man and woman behind the waist height counter looking over what looked like the schools morning announcements.
They both looked up at her in unison.
"Hi I'm Bella Swan, I was wondering if I could get my schedule?" she asked with a kind smile. She wasn't necessarily shy, but she did have a fear of crowds.
"Welcome Miss Bella," the lady chirped. Her bright red coiffed hair held the shape of a helmet, and her bright red dress clashed with it terribly.
The man looked bored as Mrs. Cope the schools secretary gave Bella a stack of papers. She kindly went through them all. Their was a campus map, her schedule, school clubs and extra curricular, and finally a list of campus officials.
Bella thanked Mrs. Cope and flung the glass door open and strolled towards her first period a math class.
Bella was horrible in math. She never understood the whole division process, fractions made her vision blurry, and algebra gave her a headache. Ugh.
After class and a few 'Hello's' and 'You're Bella Swan right's?' she walked through the cluttered hallway to her second period. English.
Her teacher Mr. Holloway greeted them with yellow nicotine stained teeth and a brown plaid bow tie. He had Bella start reading for an essay on 'Ethan Frome' by Edith Wharton. While she was reading in silence a soft 'ssssppttt' came from her left.
She turned with a small smile and was greeted by a blonde girl. She was pretty in a classic way. She was wearing a simple yellow blouse and ripped jeans.
"Hey you're Bella right?" The blonde girl asked with a shy smile. Her hands twisted around themselves in a sign of nervousness.
Bella gave her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, and you?" Bella asked quietly as she bookmarked her page.
The blonde blushed and tucked her long blonde locks behind her ears. "Rosalie Hale, I w-w-was wondering if you have a-anyone to eat… lunch with?"
With a wide smile Bella stuck out her hand. Rosalie slowly reached for it and they shook hands.
"You have a lunch buddy Rosalie," Bella said trying to catch Rosalie's eyes.
Rosalie internally beamed and gave Bella a shy smile. "Great want to…walk with me?" Rosalie asked bashfully while looking down.
"Sure," Bella said as they gathered up their materials and shoved them into their backpacks.
They stood and walked side by side to the cafeteria. Small chatter about Bella's first day was the topic along their journey.
They both picked out some pizza and a bottle of Dr. Pepper.
"My table is over here," Rosalie directed as Bella followed.
Rosalie pulled out a plastic chair and sat down with a nervous smile.
Bella placed her pizza down and did the same.
"So Rosalie… tell me something fun about Forks," Bella asked before she took a bite of her pepperoni pizza.
"I, uh, just moved here last month so I don't know much…sorry," Rosalie said sincerely.
Bella reassured her with a shake of her head and a silly pointed look. "Don't apologize, just trying to figure out what's fun to do around here."
Rosalie looked worried for a moment then glanced around the cafeteria, leaning in so she could whisper to Bella.
"This weekend the popular's are planning on throwing a party at Forks cemetery," she said with a shake of her head in distaste.
Bella's brow furrowed and she grimaced. "Why?" she whispered back.
Suddenly raucous laughter echoed around the cafeteria and both girls glanced over at the cause. Bella found a few jocks going at it with banter.
"He's a fucking freak dude…who cares?" An over processed boy band blonde type asked loudly. He had an air of arrogance that was supremely unattractive.
Another jock tall and with buzzed dark hair answered. "I heard he killed his whole family then tried burning down the house while he was in it. He's obviously a psycho, you've seen him," he took a piece of cheese off a pizza and held it to his face. This caused the table to start laughing wildly.
"Yeah dude you remember last month when we snuck in? He found us and threatened us with his shovel. He is so nasty looking. The 'Beast of Forks' rises again, ahhh ugh," the blonde hackled and hooted recalling their ridiculous stories.
Bella bristled and glared at the table full of immature boys. How could they talk about someone like this?
She stood to defend the unknown mans honor when she felt a small hand grab her arm.
"Don't bother, they'll pick on you for the rest of the year, and make it worse for him," a small girl with choppy chin length raven hair warned.
She was dressed in comfortable jean Capri's and a loose black t-shirt. Her grey flip flops showed off green metallic nail polish.
"Thanks…?" Bella offered after a few silent minutes just glancing at the new girl.
"Bella Swan huh?" the new girl questioned tilting her head.
"Yeah nice to meet you…"
"Just call me Ace," she said with a small smirk.
"Oh okay, Ace it is," Bella said as Rosalie threw a wary glance at Ace.
"Hey Rose," Ace waved sweetly.
"Hi Ace," Rose greeted quietly.
Ace sat down straddling a chair and placed a plate full of vegetables and fruit down.
Taking a few bites of her carrots Ace glanced up with her dark blue eyes. "So what do you guys have planned after school?"
Rose blew out a long breath. "Nothing," she said quietly.
"Same here," Bella answered, unpacking can wait.
Raising her dark thick eyebrows Ace smirked. "Wanna go do something?"
Bella threw Rose a glance of encouragement who nodded that she was in, and then turned to Alice. "Sure what do you have in mind? I don't have a vehicle."
Ace just shook her head. "Don't need one, I've got one."
"What's the plan?" Bella asked after she took a sip of her soda.
Ace smirked and stood. She was intimidating, but friendly to them. Bella wondered briefly why she was befriending them.
"We're gonna show those boys a good time this weekend," Ace answered cryptically with a dark sinister look.
*X*O*X*O*
So what do you think? Good? Bad?
