Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is Twilight. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.
Chapter 1: Room Ninety Six Has a Pillow in it
September 15, 2006 (75 years before prologue)
Bella took a long drag from her cigarette. She exhaled slowly enjoying the sensation of the smoke caressing her pale skin. It always felt like butterfly wings to her.
Charlie had just dropped her off at college after various threats of kicking her out of the house and letting her rot in some ditch on the side of the road if she didn't go.
She would rather rot in some ditch than interact with people who would try to talk and ask her about her problems.
It was worse then her support group back in Seattle.
Good thing that she had learned to act over the past year.
It had been a whole year since Edward had left. She could say his name again without dropping to the ground clutching her torso in pain.
Since then only three things had really changed. She had started smoking, she had given up all her friend when she went to college, and she had accepted her life as it is. She would roll with the punches.
Bella was starting fresh in a new state with new people. She knew she would use these people to fill the void in her heart and soul. But she didn't feel sympathy for the people she was going to use. It's not like she was hurting them. They would never know that their friendship was unrequited.
Maybe they would do more then just fill the space. Maybe they would make her forget her past memories with their new ones. She hoped at least, but knew deep inside that, that would never happen.
She dropped the cigarette into a puddle and listened to it sizzle before being snuffed out by the murky water.
Her two bags weren't too heavy as she trudged up the stairs to her new dorm room.
Room ninety six's door was already open when Bella finally conquered the stairs. They would be a bitch to scale everyday.
She put on a fake smile as she entered the room.
Her new roommate was already inside unpacking. Bella dropped her bags loudly, making her presence known.
A blond girl fell backwards, onto her butt.
"Oh, hey." She waved. "My name is Erika Darling. You must my new rommie Isabella Swan." Bella's smile faltered for a mere second. Erika was as beautiful as a vampire. It brought Bella unwanted memories. The smile was quickly replaced before she responded.
"Yup, please call me Bella though, Isabella is too formal." She helped Erika up. "What is your major?"
"Mythology and I'm subbing in anthropology. What about you?"
"I don't have one. I'm probable just going to choose my easiest class to major in." Erika gave her a strange look before they both started unpacking.
"What are you planning on doing after college?" Erika asked out of the blue.
"I don't know, I have no plans for the future. Maybe I'll marry into a rich family or just work in a McDonalds." Bella gave her an aloof grin. "What ever comes first. Hell, maybe even both. You never know how things are going to turn out." Bella said the last line too quietly for Erika to hear.
"Wow, you really don't have any life aspirations do you?" The room was silent for at least two minutes before Bella answered.
"No, not really, I'm only here because Charlie, my dad, threatened me into this. If it were up to me I would have just taken whatever job I was offered first and worked until I died. But now I have to go through another version of high school. How boring is that?" Before she could answer there was a knock on the door.
"Oh that's probable Will." She jumped over their combined bags and opened the door. A man in his early twenties with black hair and playful brown eyes walked in. He gave Erika a deep kiss while grabbing her by the ass. She pulled away only after she remembered Bella was in the room. "Will, my new roommate is here." Erika had a slight blush on her face. Bella once blushed like that long ago.
Will spotted Erika's new roommate. He liked the look of her. She looked strong yet elegant with a hint of a wild hard core sex machine beneath her exterior. He put on his sexiest smirk.
Bella watched as he strutted over. She'd seen better.
"Hello, I'm Wilfred Vine." He leaned down and kissed Bella's hand. "And what name could possible be good enough for such a gorgeous woman as yourself?" He kept hold of Bella's hand.
She could smell his cologne from the distance she was at. It was too much cologne and it made her gag. Bella pulled her hand out of his.
"First off, don't ever touch me again or I'll damage that pretty little face of yours, second my name is Bella, and third what kind of idiotic guy flirts with his girlfriend's roommate especially when said girlfriend is in the room?" He was stunned by her little out burst.
"You think I'm pretty?" He asked and Bella pushed him with her foot so that he tripped over all the luggage on the floor and landed on his rear. Erika started laughing like crazy.
"He's not my boyfriend, Bella; Just a close friend." She was still chuckling until Will spoke.
"Yeah we are so close we sometimes sleep in the same bed." Bella threw a pillow at him which landed squarely on his face.
"Why aren't you just a little gentleman, and what type of name is Wilfred? Wasn't that Batman's butler or something?" Will stood from the floor when she said this. He picked up the pillow and tossed it full force at Bella. She caught it easily with one hand.
"No, that wasn't Batman's butler's name. You're thinking of Alfred." He mumbled. "Now can we get back our original discussion?" Bella smiled. Will was struck. This was the first time since he walked into the room that she had smiled. If he thought she was beautiful when she was frowning then she was an angle when she smiled.
"And what was our original discussion?" Bella asked as she threw the pillow at him again. It hit it's mark, again.
Will came out of his daze when the soft light blue pillow hit him. He went back to his usual self.
"You said I was pretty." Erika started laughing again and Bella's smile slid off her face, replaced with its standard scowl.
Will took an unconscious step backwards, almost tripping again.
"I lied." Bella laughed to herself at the look on his face.
"Fine! I've been beaten, bruised, and had my balls nearly cut off! I am retreating to fight another day, but I will be back for you oh lovely maiden Bella." He bent down and kissed Bella's hand again before she could stop him.
"Bastard." She said under her breath as he made a dramatic exit.
"Yeah, he is an idiot, but pretty entertaining." Erika picked up the pillow off the floor. When she stood up Bella spotted a ring on her left middle finger.
"Nice ring. Can I see it?" Erika hesitated and looked a bit nervous but still handed the ring to Bella.
"It's nothing special just my sixteenth birthday present from my parents." Bella didn't notice the angst in her voice. She was looking at the crystal that was securely embedded in the silver ring.
Her thumb brushed the inside of the ring. It was slightly rough. She flipped the ring and saw a small engraving on the inside of the band.
Two Sins Twisted into One. It read.
Bella glanced over it again before she handed it back to Erika without a word.
Check out my other story A Missed Year. Review please.
Edited (11-30-09)
