All recognisable characters and plot belong to S.M.

Enjoy.

CHAPTER ONE

"Doesn't it feel much better,


when you've had a better day than yesterday?


Doesn't it feel much better,


when you've had a better day than yesterday?"

So Human – Lady Sovereign

I stood alone on the curb of a quaint house in Forks. Well not completely alone, the cab driver placing the last of my luggage beside me was still here.

"Have a good day miss!" he spoke in his American/Indian accent. I nodded in reply before he lithely jumped back into the taxi and sped off down the familiar neighbourhood, leaving me alone.

Completely alone.

I sighed as I rested my gaze upon the seemingly serene setting in front of me. The typical white house with a matching picket fence. I had always yearned for that. Not the actual house and fence, but the things that it stood for; the image it conjured in my mind of the perfect family.

I came here every year on holidays for a month. At least I used to. However over the past couple of years my parents thought it would be beneficial for me to meet my dear old grandma down in Texas.

Those two summers were the worst of my life.

It turned out that my father had conveniently forgotten to mention that my grandmother owned a citrus orchard and the only thing that she did in her spare time was pick fruit.

At first I didn't think it would be too bad. Pick some fruit with my dear old grandmother while she told me about the wild teenage days of my father. Not that bad right?

Wrong.

To grandma fruit picking was seen as a duty. A duty that began at 5:30 in the morning, an hour break during the hottest part of the day, then resume picking until dinner time- no exception.

Though that wasn't even the worst part. No. the worst part was the rules that she enforced. Her rules made a prison seem lenient. The rule that I despised the most was her "No speaking while picking!" rule. That's right. Apparently picking involved so much concentration that you must be focused at all times to achieve best possible results.

Not that I really wanted to speak to her, but it made asking questions such as "How far is the closest toilet from here?" and "I'm having an allergic reaction to these mosquitoes" a little difficult.

At dinner time I was free to say what was on my mind, however her steely blue gaze made me jumpy and cautious making dinner a somewhat awkward affair.

To say I was relived to find that I would not be going back this year would be an understatement.

Though it did leave me in another predicament, I was now in front of the Hale house. I wasn't that the Hales wouldn't welcome me with open arms. No, exactly the opposite, they were my family. Aunt Milly and uncle Rodger acted as my real parents, they had realised that my own parents were inadequate when it came to family life when I was young so they had insisted I spend my holidays with them every year since. But I hadn't seen them since I was 15.

But I wasn't worried about my Aunt and Uncle, I was worried about Rosalie.

Rosalie was the closest thing I had to a sister and a best friend, we were the same age and had been best friends as soon as I had been born, a month after her. But when Rose had found I wouldn't be spending quality time with her on the holidays two years ago she refused to talk to me for weeks and the following year her response was even worse and the only way she would correspond to me was through letters, though over the year school had become stressful and finding the time for letter writing was difficult and we hadn't talked for over a year.

So that was the reason I was standing on her front porch trying to muster up the courage to just ring the fucking doorbell.

After hesitating multiple times, I decided to take the bull by the horns and suffer the consequences. I lifted my hand purposefully and—

"How long does it take to ring a fucking doorbell?"

I turned around to face the familiar voice coming from behind me; she stood at least 5 inches taller than me now, making me crane my neck to see her face. Her appearance shocked me. She was no longer the sweet looking girl from my childhood but a blonde statuesque goddess that belonged on the front of a magazine.

I was jealous.

"Holy SHIT Rosalie! Look at you!" I never could control what came out of my mouth. She grinned down at me, obviously pleased with my reaction to her new -- or at least new to me – look. "It's good to finally see you!" she said jovially. I was relived that she was over my absence for the past two years. "You have no idea how much I've missed you!" I said getting slightly teary. Reunions were never my strong point. "I've missed you too babe" she said before throwing her arms around me and pulling me in for a firm embrace, she always was affectionate. "Well come inside, we have a lot to catch up on"

It turns out Rosalie was now the queen of her high school and had managed to catch the heart of the schools star quarter back. I couldn't be more proud. After laughing about the stupid things her boyfriend – Emmett, his name was – had done on previous dates of theirs, she suddenly turned serious.

"So how have things been since… you know?"

She was referring to the incident in freshmen year that left me friendless and an outcast, myself and my two best friends were always popular and well liked among the student body. One day were talking and joking as we had always done we met in middle school and then they were avoiding me like the plague. They were my only friends. I was left with no one. And after the rumours started to spread even potential friends wouldn't look twice at me.

But what made it so harsh was that I had everything; the two best friends that everyone envied me for, good grades and people generally liked me.

And that's exactly why she targeted me.

Tanya Denali. She was the one that started it all. She was one of the "in crowd". It's not that I and my friends weren't popular but we had never succumbed to the peer pressure that was the "in crowd". Until then. Tanya had managed to team up with my friend Alice for a school project, Tanya befriended Alice quickly and soon became friends with my only other friend, Edward, through Alice.

I don't blame Alice or Edward; they were people that only saw the goodness in other people so they never knew what Tanya was capable of.

Soon Tanya started to say things such as I was seen hanging out with the "in crowd" that I was becoming one of them. They were lies. Though Alice and Edward didn't know this. She would say that she heard me planning hangouts for the weekend with them and that I was ditching Alice and Edward when in fact I was visiting my gramps who was living in Port Angeles 'home for the elderly' that weekend. Soon enough they were claiming that I was lying, believing Tanya over me. Things got worse as the lies got more elaborate and before I knew it my grades were dropping and I was friendless.

Alice and Edward refused to talk to me; however, Tanya went further, choosing to say snide remarks whenever we would cross paths. But what made it so unbearable was that Alice and Edward wouldn't say anything, they would just stand there with down cast expressions, choosing not to defend or even look at me.

Our school was big but everyone knew my story. Or at least Tanya's story about how I had ditched my friends to try and befriend the in crowd only to be declined and my friends to be accepted, leaving me on the outside.

I stopped trying, stopped worrying what I looked like, stopped trying to gain their friendship again, just stopped. Instead I threw myself into my studies and was now back on top of my classes but my friendship status was the same as it had been the last three years, nonexistent.

"Same old, same old" I replied to Rosalie's question. She saw right through me though, just like she always had.

"Hey, remember who your talking to, you can't bullshit with me Swan."

I laughed at her light humour.

"No really Bella, I'm sick of your suffering! Were going to get dressed up and meet up with Emmett, we're going to dinner and then a movie."

"I can't intrude on your date Rose, that's just selfish… and awkward" I added as an after thought.

"No it isn't, it will just be like friends hanging out, come on it will be fun!"

"I don't know…."

"Ohh it's not like you have a say anyway. this can be how you will repay me from neglecting me the last two years."

"Fair enough then." That was a deal I wasn't going to pass up.

Rose had instructed Emmett to pick us up at 7:00 for our "friendship date" as it had come to be known. I was actually excited about the prospect of going out again. Rosalie had given my usually lank straight hair a slight wavy with the curling iron and I had done my make up for the first time in three years. I forgot how make up could give you that much more confidence. When Rose stood beside me looking into the mirror as we checked ourselves one final time, I realised that now we actually looked like we were in the same league, which made me smile.

"Now, I don't want to see shy Bella tonight, no, I want to see the Bella before the incident make a reappearance, I've missed sarcastic Bella with the bad attitude." She said with a pout.

"hey, I never had a bad attitude!"

"Only when people messed with your friends" well no wonder why I don't have it anymore .it went away along with my friends! As if reading my mind, she quickly added; "but you have me and Emmett, and we are your friends" her assuring smile made me smile in return.

"Okay, I'll let loose tonight. Only for you though" her face lit up and before I even finished talking she pulled me into another hug though this one was warm and personal. "that's all I ask for" she said softly.

Ding! Dong!

"That will be Emmett" no shit, I thought "I'll grab our bags while you get the door" "okay" she replied before quickly walking down the stairs, eager to see her 'Teddy bear' as she had so affectionately called him this afternoon.

Before going down stairs I looked into the mirror again. Your going to act like you tonight, there's no reason not to, its time to put the past behind you and enjoy the here and now! With my new determination I walked down the stairs with the bags in hand. "your going to love her, if she acts anything like her old self you guys will be best friends before the nights over!" I heard a booming laugh and a reply coming from the kitchen "she must me one awesome chick for you to like her"

"Pretty much" I said casually as I strolled into the room. Rose looked up at me with approving eyes. "Woah! Rose wasn't joking when see said you were a stunner baby girl!" I laughed freely as his giant arms pulled me into a bone crushing hug.

"Hey! My looks are nothing to joke about!"

"Damn straight they're not and if I catch anyone joking about them…." He trailed off with a deadly look in his eyes. "Wow" I said, "I haven't even know you for 5 minutes and your already acting like the big brother I always wanted" I finished gazing at him with admiration as a younger sister should. "Well anyone important to Rosie is important to me and that includes you Baby Girl" it seems that I had already acquired a new nick name too. "Thanks Emmett, that means a lot" I said sincerely, touched by his words.

"Now lets get this show on the road!"

After riding in Emmett's outrageously big red jeep – that he claimed to need for 'scoring chicks' which rose had quickly gotten aggressive over, I thought we would be in for a full fledged fight but he settled her worries quickly with "but that was before you came along, Rosie" calming her like I had never seen before — we arrived at the diner.

The diner seemed to be the local hangout for the kids of Fork High and all eyes were on us as we made our entrance. Rose and Em said "hi" and waved to a few people but most of the attention was directed at me. Emmett quickly put his free arm that wasn't around Rosalie's waist around my shoulders and slowly the staring became less obvious. "Jesus fucking Christ Baby Girl! I thought that I was gonna have to fight off those boys for a second!" he boomed "The girl can't help that she has great assets" Rose replied. I looked down at my tight low rise skinny jeans and my white tank top covered by my black leather jacket. The jeans did make my legs look longer along with the black patent leather heels I was wearing and the top did show off my curves.

"Rose is right. Its just one of the many burdens I have to bear" I said with fake sombre, Rose and Em cracked up at my sarcasm.

Our time at the diner was great, I had never laughed so hard in all my life, it felt so good to be me again and with Em and Rose I could do just that, be me.

We headed over to the movies, which was nothing like the ones I was used to. It was a small building that seemed to be run by a local family. Once we entered Emmett put his bulky arm back around my shoulders when the staring started up once again, I mean this town is small but it's like they've never seen someone that wasn't born and raised here!

"Hi can we have three tickets please?" I said as we reached the booth. I didn't get an answer from the acne riddled teen standing before me, he was just staring.

I cleared my throat.

"Sorry what was that?"

"Three tickets please" I said more slowly, a hint of my impatience showing. Emmett sniggered beside me and Rose muffled her quiet giggles.

"Here you go." The boy said getting a bit flushed from his embarrassment

"Thanks Mikey!" Emmett said cheerily as he snatched the tickets from his hand and replaced them with the right amount of money. This Mikey guy seemed to be surprised by Emmett's actions, I wasn't sure whether it was because he knew his name and that someone so strong and intimidating could be so polite.

"Geez Bells I thought the kid was going to have a seizure the way he was looking at you" Emmett said as we were taking our seats, Rose laughed at his comment then shouted "BELLA'S A BABE!" at the top of her lungs in the quite movie theatre. I thought she would get lots of hostile comments from the large group of seniors at the front who turned around towards her, probably trying to see who 'Bella' was but they remained quite, the only negative outcome were the two elderly patrons who were glaring at her. They caught her eye and she turned to face them "or come on, the movie hasn't even started yet Mr C" did she know that man? "That's our principal and his wife" Emmett whispered into my ear. The Principals face broke out into a grin as he recognised it was Rosalie. "Ahh Rosalie, you always did have a spark about you!" he said warmly, wow, she has him wrapped around her finger! "She's had him wrapped around her finger since freshman year" Emmett said with admiration in his voice, I too was in awe of the power her charismatic personality held over the Principal. The Principal's wife however didn't seem all that impressed with the turn the situation had made, we heard him murmur quietly to her "So sorry Mildred, but Rosalie is such a pleasant girl" we sniggered at his naivety….. And his wife's name.

After watching 15 minutes of the movie we realised that it was in fact a piece of shit and decided to just make fun of the crappy acting, shitty plot and endured more glares from the principals wife.

After the movie Rose informed us that it was getting late and we decided to call it a night and meet up tomorrow and head down to the nearby beach La Push.

The Holidays with Rose and Em were drawing to end with only three days before I had to head home. My time here had been awesome and I was dreading having to return to my old life as an outcast in Seattle, Rosalie was always reassuring me though "I have my licence now and my new car that mum and dad got me for my birthday is arriving tomorrow so I will be able to drive up and visit you whenever I can." It did help knowing that Rose and her M3 BMW would be coming to see me in the near future though I was still lost without her and now Emmett. Rose had been right; me and Emmett were now 'best friends' and he had even made friendship bracelets out of string to confirm it. It wasn't the prettiest bracelet I owned but it did have the most sentimental value.

"ROSE YOUR CAR IS HERE, YOUR CAR IS HERE!" Milly yelled from down stairs, it seamed that she was more excited about Rose's car then Rose was. Rose quickly jumped off and bed and sprinted down the stairs and out the front door with me and Milly close behind.

Outside was Rose's gorgeous new convertible and sitting idly next to it was a blue Mazda RX7. "Did you get a new car too Milly?" I asked, staring appreciably at the stunning blue car. "No honey, that ones for you" she said softly into my ear. "no Aunt Mill I cant possibly accept that, I don't even know how you guy's afforded Rosalie's I can't have you buy me one as well!" I responded. "Silly Bella, we've been saving for this since you guys were little, we always planned on getting you two cars when you got your license and now is the perfect time. Just enjoys it!" I stared at the car that was now mine, my parents had never given me extravagant gifts even when they could afford them and now that I was getting one I didn't even know how to react, so I just went with my instincts and pulled Milly into the tightest embrace I could possibly give yelling "THANKYOU SO MUCH!" She was pleased with my reaction "so you like it? I wasn't sure what you like so I just had to take a guess, I knew Rosalie likes red and showing off so I thought the convertible was a good choice but with you I was coming up blank but decided on this one." "I LOVE IT. You couldn't have picked anything better! Thankyou" I said genuinely, the car meant so much more to me than it would coming from my parents because Milly and Rodger actually had to work hard to get these cars for us and my parents wouldn't have had to.

After having a thorough inspection of our new vehicles we decided to get Emmett out here to explain the manual to us. He was happy to oblige.

That night we decided to go out to celebrate what a great summer this year was. We decided to go to Fork's only restaurant, that being the diner, not that we minded, that diner now held some of my best memories.

"Okay, so I have some news" Emmett announced as we were waiting on our meals.

"Oh really?"

"Do you now?"

Me and Rose replied "Yes I do." He took a big breath and then let it out. Oh my god, was he nervous? I had never seen a nervous Emmett. Rose must have been thinking the same thing as her expression was one of anxiousness.

"I'm moving to Seattle." He said quickly, not meeting Rose's gaze. "I applied for a football scholarship there last year, Seattle has the best football program in the state, I never thought I would get it but it seems they thought differently, it's such a great opportunity." He finished remorsefully. I turned to face Rose, expecting to see her heartbreaking expression except when I saw her face she was grinning from ear to ear. "Really?" She asked excitedly. "Geez Rose, I thought you would be sad about this not happy." Emmett said confused. "I'm coming with you!" she said determinedly. "but where will you live, Babe?" thinking she wouldn't be able to live with him because he was sharing an apartment with other scholarship winners and missing the obvious. "At Bella's of course!" Rose told him, his crest fallen expression changed to one of hope. "Will your parents let you?" he asked warming up to the idea. "They might need a bit of persuading but it's nothing I can't handle" she said confidently. Emmett leaped up from the other side of the booth to come and engulf us both in a forceful hug. I would never get tired of those hugs. "What do you say Baby Girl?" Emmett asked as they both turned towards my shocked face "I'm going to have friends again" I cried softly as they both hugged me again, understanding what this meant for me. I could finally be myself again and not worry about returning to Seattle and withdrawing back into an outcast.

We spent they rest of the night talking about the events the following year held for us and how great it would be for all of us to be together for senior year and celebrating Emmett getting into the Seattle football program, now that Rose was coming with him he was so much more excited about the football program saying how "this couldn't have turned out any better!"

Things were finally looking up now I had my friends.

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