Beginning

I am Edward Cullen, a mere boy of seventeen years. I live in Forks, I am not alone. I've never thought I can do any better because I have never had to, my life is comfortable and I love my family. I have hobbies, I have friends and yes I am a normal teenage boy; normal aspirations, normal dreams, nothing extraordinary. Just because I am normal it does not mean that I am not flawed; I am stubborn, bad tempered, sometimes rude, outrageously confident and arrogant. I guess that makes me normal too. And this is a normal story but with an extraordinary girl and the way we fell in love, because of music and because of masks.

I had been awake for a while; I decided to enjoy the morning view from my bed. It's the little things in life. I put some clothes on quickly, brushed my teeth then leisurely strolled down the stairs to be greeted by an unpleasantly cold glare from Alice. I smiled widely at her and walked past, I must be late, I thought to myself, I turned at the front door as she stood there silently and still, and tapped at my watch with my eyebrows raised – I thought that it was funny but she came running at me furiously. I quickly duck my head out of the door and skipped hastily to the car. She frowned at me as she walked around the front of the car and slide into the driver's seat.

"Right, so you know this party I'm planning?" Alice piped up after several seconds of silence; she could never stay mad at me too long. Especially if she was planning a party… "Yep, I'm aware Alice. What about it?" I asked, rolling my eyes I settled to staring out of the window.

"Well I've had some ideas about the music-" She started but I grunted and interrupt her. I got a short cold look but then she continued merrily, "I was thinking that we get that Masquerade singer to perform, so you know, it's not like every other party we throw"

"Excuse me, 'we' do not through any parties. You do, I don't" I corrected. My mind rattled about the Masquerade singer, I hadn't heard anything about it. But I wasn't surprised Alice always tried terribly hard to be ahead of the trend, and she always was. Her eyes darted to mine then back to the road.

"Yes, yes, the Masquerade singer – what even is it?" I asked curiously, she just shook her head as we pulled up to the school parking lot. She sighed;

"Have you been in a coma or something?" She asked, "Oh yeah that'd be it… Why, what have I missed?" I replied, slightly curiously. It was sad when you realise that you haven't been excited in a while, happiness should blossom every day only to fall away and bloom again the next.

"Come on, her posters have been all around town. She is like this live act, performing at little gatherings for old people and stuff" Oh, of course, I thought to myself. "Right, old people. That should be fitting for that party you are throwing for teenagers" I could see her anger bubbling up so I shuffled out of the car and walked away, I turned around before I went into the main building and waved at Alice, getting out of the car, and she smiled back, surprisingly.

I walked into the main building and remembered was the day that the new girl was meant to be coming, it was the first new arrival in years and the school was buzzing with excitement. She was meant to start at the beginning of the year, or so the gossip down the grocery store goes (according to m y mother) but there was trouble at her old home, so her move was postponed. All this fuss for one girl, one more person, what difference could she make? Not just her effect on us, but our effect on her irritated me, the nerves about a new school, new life, new everything and piled on top of that, the whole town knowing you and your life history just isn't fair, a complete overload for one person alone.

Bella

Loneliness is underrated, I thought to myself as I walked head down, into the main building. I'd made my decision before coming to Forks that this is the life I would chose. Charlie disagrees, as a father he only wants the best for me, for me to be happy but he doesn't understand what it means to me. I could make friends, I can have fun, like a normal teenager but there would always be a barrier that they wouldn't be able to break down.

I can see people pointing and talking, but I keep my headphones in, turned up loudly. I walk quickly to my first lesson. I sigh when I enter and smile at the teacher. Once my papers was signed I sat down in a spare seat near the back, not by choice, the teacher had told me to. I don't cast myself as some sort of rebellious teen, can't be controlled, wild child. No, that was not me, or who I thought I was.

My interesting day went as follows; I sat down, patiently learnt many things about Shakespeare, walked to my next lesson and learnt things about geometry. I thought in my spare time rapidly of my plans for the coming weeks and how there weren't enough of them. I was racing my mind over the lyrics and set list for next time as I walked into the canteen without thinking about where I was going. I felt the eyes on my back; I sighed heavily and breathed in for strength. I turned around slowly, my eyes scanning the room, panicked and left. I didn't have any idea where to go now. I walked outside hoping that it would be too cold for other people to be outside. Unfortunately I was not invisible.

Invisibility is something that I often found myself craving; walking around with my hair bashfully covering my face just isn't enough when praying eyes follow you. To melt away into the background and walk around silently, slipping through time and space unknown. If only, I think to myself before I remind myself how horribly lost you would be, without a friend in world. Not one who could recognise who you are, nobody who knew who you were. I think I am half invisible.

The day starts to fade away and I drive home. It was the house I have always thought of as home, no matter how long I stayed in one place or another; this was always home. I prayed to come here at times, missing the loving warmth the house seemed to breathe for me. It wasn't the same for Charlie; this house used to haunt him, hopefully not he can start to breathe again now.

"Bells, do you have a second?" Charlie calls from the kitchen as I close the door quietly behind me, I like tiptoeing around the house in my socks; I feel taller and childish. I sat down with a big smile when I saw Charlie. "I want to talk about your decision again. I don't think its-"

"Dad, don't please... I know what it'll do but it's one or the other. This is my future now Dad, sorry" I said calmly, but my eyes were strained. I was making the wrong decision, I had made the wrong decision and deep down I knew what I had done but I was determined not to be undermined by my own insecurities. Charlie sat there in silence, nodded and smiled weakly. He felt like he was letting me down by giving into me. He wasn't. It wasn't his choice, it was mine. My weight to carry alone.

"Well, I bet you've got work to do then." He said flatly but tried another smile. I got up and walked away, we had endured that conversation too many times to be surprised or upset about the outcome anymore, just irritable that it hadn't changed. I walked slowly and silently upstairs, I didn't have any work but I understood.

I started to sing.