A/n: so, i was gonna post this yesterday, because you know, thats just what i do after 7 freaking hours of homework...but my mom decided to drag me and my dad off to dinner. so anyways, we're on our way home and then the car just...dies. in the middle of the street. so i'm sitting there, in my broken down car, with both my parents and i seriously just want to die. all i wanted to do was relax and post a freaking chapter, but NO, i'm stuck a mile away from home at 8 at night in a broken down mini van. not fun. Kiwi already knows about this, i was rambling about it to her when i finally did get home.

okay, so I got some questions from summerperidotgrl and I totally want to answer them. So here we go. Emmett is in the same photography class as Bella, because it's a mixed grade class. Elective classes are usually like that (or at least they are at my school). And Emmett's taking photo because he's never taken it before and he wanted to try something new, so he thought "hey, what the hell".

And yes. Edward is definitely coming back. He makes his big debut in the next chapter.

Oh, and Jedi Bubbles, you're welcome.

And pictures of the characters are in my profile.

I just want to say, that I'm really excited about this story, because one: it's never really been done before, and two: I'm having fun writing it. I mean, I have fun writing every story but this one, I don't know. It has something that the others didn't. –shrug- oh well, oh with the show!


Meeting Emmett changed my life. At this moment, right here in this time, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing. I mean, I guess it is, when you look on the bright side. I get to spent eternity with the one family I ever felt truly a part of. But on the other hand, I'm constantly in danger (which doesn't surprise me, come to think of it, since I can't walk two feet without tripping on air). Plus, Jasper was getting better. He could actually touch me now without dying because I smelled so good. I don't mind much, it's a group effort. I love my adopted family (the adoption won't technically be legal until I turn eighteen, but they're still family) more than they could ever comprehend and the fact that they actually want to keep me around really says something.

Anyway, I'm rambling.

But this is where my story really begins. In the middle of junior year, the day Emmett decided to tell me that he was coming home.


January 2005 – junior year.

I could almost feel my emotional barriers crumbling to ground. This wasn't supposed to happen. Oh, no, it was definitely not supposed to happen.

"Emmett Cullen, you get your ass back here, right now!" Bree shouted and stomped her foot on the ground. The only reason she was doing the yelling was because I knew damn well how much it would hurt his ears and I wanted Emmett so suffer right now. He deserved it, that smug bastard.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," he called from the student parking lot.

"Emmett, you don't spring news like that on me and then expect me to be okay with it," I waved my hands frantically and started pacing in front of my best friends. "I can't believe you, Emmett! You know damn well I don't react to that asshole very well. Ugh!"

I saw Bree lean over to Emmett and whisper, "What's gotten into her?"

"Edward and Bella didn't start off on the right foot," he whispered back.

"He hates me! I think it was a little worse than getting off on the wrong foot." I kept pacing.

"Bella, it was three years ago," Bree pointed out.

I stopped walking and stood a couple feet away from them. "People hold grudges, Bree. And trust me; Edward Cullen will definitely be holding a grudge against me."

"Bella, you're over reacting," Emmett shook his head. "And since when do you care so much?"

I knew I wasn't acting like I usually did, but I wasn't exactly expecting Edward to come back while I was still here. Scratch that, I wasn't expecting him to come back at all. And I was sort of hoping he wouldn't. I could do without Edward Cullen, thank you very much.

What did I do in a past life to deserve this? Was fate trying to tell me that no matter how hard I worked, I couldn't be happy for more than a month before everything started crashing down around me again? Okay, I'm being melodramatic here. But I had to be. Because if I was melodramatic, then I was pessimistic, which meant that I wasn't optimistic, which was in the best interest of everyone, really. Optimism and I just don't work together; we'd made that deal a long time ago.

"Okay, maybe I am over reacting a smidge, but you didn't see the way he looked at me when you introduced us. It was like he was in pain or something, and I was causing it." I always knew the real reason why Edward Cullen left Forks. And that reason was me. No matter how much Emmett, Alice, Rosalie and Jasper denied it, they knew as well as I did that I was the cause of their brother's departure.

Whatever. Not. My. Problem….

Until now.

Emmett sighed. "Bella, its going to be okay, I promise."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "You better be right, Emmett, or I will personally kill you."

"Ha! You're like two feet shorter than me! Like you could even reach my face," he scoffed.

"Don't even go there," I warned, even though I knew it was true. I couldn't hurt Emmett even if my life depended on it. Of course, it didn't help that he couldn't die and his skin was as hard as stone. But it was nice to threat, it made me feel better, and I knew he never took it personally. Rosalie, on the other hand, hated it when I threatened her husband (which was practically every day).

"He's not coming back until tomorrow afternoon. I'm not letting you go back to Charlie's tonight. No way."

"He's gonna want his room back isn't he?" I pouted.

After Edward moved and I started getting closer to Emmett and Alice, I spent a lot of time over at the Cullens. Even after I found out what they were I spent most of my nights there. It was easier than being at home, and that last little bit of my sanity was spared.

My mom finally took my advice and left Charlie half-way into my sophomore year. She left me in Forks, though, which I was fine with, considering the Cullens were like my second family anyway. Carlisle and Esme didn't like the fact that I was home alone so much since my mom left and Charlie was always working. So, I commandeered Edward's room as my own. I figured if he wasn't using it, I might as well put those good acoustics to work. And so I did.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Emmett grumbled, but then his face lightened up. "Wait, we have other rooms, he can use those."

"Do you know how much I love you, Emmett?" I asked, a smile creeping its way onto my face.

"A lot?" he shrugged.

"If I didn't know any better, I would seriously think you two were secretly dating or something," Bree cut in.

"That's disgusting, Bree. Emmett's like my older brother." I shivered at the thought of Emmett and me being a couple. Ew.

"Oh, gross, I just got the nastiest mental image," Emmett made a face. "Thanks, Bree."

"Oh, no problem," she smiled sweetly. "Anyway, I gotta jet. I'll see you two on Monday."

"Bye, Bree," Emmett and I said in unison. She waved a hand over her shoulder to acknowledge us and then disappeared around a corner.

"Rosalie's waiting, isn't she?"

"Yeah, and she's starting to get impatient."

We walked to the parking lot and straight to Rosalie's BMW, which happened to be one of the last cars in the lot. Not that we could miss it otherwise. Her car stood out like a sore thumb.

Rosalie was sitting in the driver's seat, both hands gripped on the steering wheel, and she seemed to be grumbling something to Alice and Jasper. She sort of looked constipated from this angle. It was quite amusing, actually.

"Rosalie needs to lighten up," I whispered, fighting back a snicker.

"In what lifetime do you actually think that would happen?" Emmett laughed.

"Not this one, that's for sure," I rolled my eyes and slipped into the back seat.

"Mom! I'm home!" I called when I opened the front door of the Cullen's house.

Esme emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Oh, good, just in time for food."

I made a face. "I'm not hungry, I actually ate lunch today."

"Yeah, after we shoved it down your throat," Alice commented. I threw her a death glare.

"You wouldn't touch the cafeteria food, either, if you knew what it tasted like."

"Which is why I'm glad I can't eat," Alice said.

"I'll put some food in the fridge for you, then," Esme said, interrupting us for the sole purpose of making Alice and I shut up. I didn't blame her; we tended to bicker like actual siblings. "You can eat when you get hungry."

"Okay, sounds good," I replied. I gave her a quick hug and then dashed up to my room and shut the door behind me.

It was Friday, I realized. Oh thank god. I didn't think I could survive another day of school. I threw myself on my bed and pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. I dialed Charlie and waited for him to answer, but he didn't so I left a message…again.

I was really getting sick of this. From the amount of time I spent at the Cullens I might as well just move in. I was seriously considering it until this afternoon when Emmett so kindly told me that his brother was coming home. Emmett was going to have to pay for that little slice of news, and I knew exactly what to do.


"You got any kings?" Alice asked later that night. It was our Friday night tradition; we always played cheesy kid games. Last week was Candyland and the week before that was Life. Next week was supposed to be Twister but I didn't see how that would work out since Edward was coming back.

"Go fish," Rosalie replied.

"Damn it! This sucks," Alice pouted, turning to me with that gleam in her eyes that she always got when she had a vision. "Bella, can I please use my power?"

I rolled my eyes. "That would defeat the whole purpose of the game, Alice."

Alice threw down her cards and stomped out of the room.

And so the plan begins. I loved it when Alice had visions and helped me out to make them come true. She always made things funnier, too.

"Wow," I winced when I heard her bedroom door slam shut. "And I thought I was PMSing. Speaking of which…"

"Oh no, here she goes…" Rosalie groaned. I ignored her.

"….Emmett, I need tampons."

"Can't you get Alice to go to the store or something?" he asked, hopefully.

"Nope," I shook my head. "You know which ones I like."

"Do I have to?" Emmett whined.

"Please, Emmett? I would go myself but my uterus has decided to go and hate me again and I –"

"Okay! Okay," he was up in an instant. "I'm going."

"Thank you, Emmett!" and with that he was out the door.

"I am so glad I don't get my period anymore," Rosalie shook her head.

"Lucky, bitch," I grumbled. Only a year and six months to go, I reminded myself.

"Did it work? Is he gone?" Alice poked her head inside my room.

"Yeah," I laughed, "he's gone."

"Do you really need tampons? 'Cause last time I checked you had plenty," Alice said.

"Well, I'll need some for next month. Today's my last day," I shrugged. "But I wasn't lying about my uterus hating me."

"It always hates you, Bella," Jasper complained. "Trust me, I can feel it."

"Poor Jasper," I managed through bursts of laughter. "It must be hard for you."

"You have no idea," he muttered almost incoherently.

"Okay, well, everyone out," I started shooing them with my hands. "I'm tired and I don't want to sleep past noon because I actually have to go home tomorrow."

"Bella, you don't have to leave just because he's coming back," Alice said.

"You're more welcome here than he is," Rosalie agreed. "You don't have to leave."

"No," I sighed. "I have to get more clothes anyway. I'm running out."

"You know what, Bella?" Jasper asked.

"Hm?" I looked at him curiously.

"You should just move in."

"I was seriously considering that," I nodded. "But then Emmett had to break the news of Edward coming back."

"Just because Edward's coming back doesn't mean you have leave."

"Yes it does. You don't know how much he hates me. I might as well make it easier on him."

"Bella," Esme called up the stairs, "you are not going anywhere." Sometimes I really hated vampire hearing. Nothing was secret in this house.

"Oh, well that settles it," Rosalie concluded. "Esme's word is law around here."

"Fine, I'm staying," I sighed. "But someone better drive me home tomorrow so I can at least get my car and some clothes. Wait, permanently?"

"Yes, permanently. Charlie is no condition to be raising a teenager on his own," Esme answered.

"It's about time that stupid vision came true!" Alice exclaimed.

"You saw this in a vision?" Of course she did. Alice saw everything, right down to the exact days I would start my period (which was good for me, I was never surprised).

"Yeah," she smiled, "about a few months ago. But I definitely didn't see Edward coming back until he actually decided to."

"Oh, great," I mumbled. "Look, guys, I really am tired. Can I sleep? Please?"

"Night, Bella," everyone said and filed out of my bedroom. I changed into my usual plaid pajama pants and tank top and headed to bed.

And as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.