I do not own Twilight.
Chapter One:
I Miss You Desert
Running, that's my new obsession. The heat in the summer in Arizona is unbearable but I take in with full stride because I know where my debt lays; back in hell, also known as Forks.
"Come on Belly. If you want that belly to be flat keep up your pace!" my aunt Irina yelled next to me.
In the beginning it used to make me want to cry when she made comments like that but now I knew why, she wanted me to achieve my goal.
I looked over at her and winked "Auntie I hate to say this to you but my 'belly' is looking flatter than yours!" I giggled and ran ahead of her.
We came up around the trail on Camelback Mountain. In the clearing I saw her beautiful home. I was really going to miss being here.
"Okay Belly, let's go take your measurements and weight. I can't believe your leaving me in a couple days." Irina said while pouting out her lower lip.
"Don't worry I'll be back. I think I'm destined for the heat. It's a hell of a lot better than the cold and wet." I exclaimed.
I was so excited to see the final results of my hard work. I hadn't been weighed or measured since May, and it was now nearly two days away from September.
"Now take your shoes off and step up on the scale and close your eyes!" I stood there on the scale holding my breath I was so scared that I hadn't lost much, which I knew couldn't have been the case because none of my clothes were even close to fitting me anymore.
"Okay, open your eyes Bella." I couldn't believe it, I had lost fifty pounds!
"This can't be right Irina, the scale says one twenty-five." I shook my head staring at the numbers on the scale head.
"Oh honey it's very true! You haven't been able to wear your pants for two months now and you've been wearing my work out clothes every day. Come on! We're going shopping!"
I was so excited, how could this be? I spent so many years not looking in the mirror because I hated my reflection and everyday was the same thing: people throwing in my face how fat I was.
I went to clean up so we could go shopping for my new school wardrobe. I took off my clothes in the bathroom and started the shower. I looked at my reflection in the floor length mirror in front of me, completely naked.
I didn't look like "Belly" anymore I looked like, like… like-- my sister, except I had a hot tan that she could never get in Forks.
"HA!" I said out loud, while I smiled wide.
I took my shower and put on the only pieces of clothing that fit me, track shorts and a tank top Irina let me borrow, and we left for the mall.
I got to shop in all the junior sections, my eyes bugged out when I realized I was wearing a size 5, which had never happened to me ever in my entire life. I was so happy.
We were about to leave when Irina said "Nun-uh we have one more stop Belly—Bella I mean." she laughed winking at me.
Irina stopped us in front of a salon, "Okay girlie you're getting your hair done. That will be the finishing touches to the new Isabella Marie Swan." she said in a pristine voice.
"You don't have to do this Irina. Seriously, you've done enough for me." I said feeling guilty that she was going to spend more money on me.
"Oh shush your mouth. I've had this appointment booked for two months now. Now go in there and you get yourself even prettier!" she said as she turned on her heel towards the food court.
My dull brown hair was getting long enough to reach past my ass. So I decided to have it cut. The hair dresser told me that I really needed to keep the length because I had 'beautiful thick rich hair' but she would layer it and add blonde highlights to compliment my tan.
When she turned me around to reveal her work I was shocked for the second time today. Not only did I look like my sister I looked ten times better!
I stood up so happy. I then kissed the hair dresser on the cheek "Thank you so much!" and with that I ran out the door.
"Hey, Jasper can you do my favor? Can you pick me up from the airport?" I called Jasper because my idiotic parents couldn't even make enough time to pick me up from the airport. As per usual they were too busy to even notice my existence.
"Hey Belly! Of course, when does your flight get in?"
"I'm already here, stuck in Port Angeles." I said feeling my eyes tear up. This was supposed to be my big reveal to my family and they couldn't even make the time to come and pick me up.
"What the fuck, I'm so sorry Belly I will be there soon." Jasper said while I heard him starting up his car.
"I love you Jasper! Thanks!" he laughed "I love you to Bella."
Jasper had been my best friend, well my only friend since kindergarten. He was my rock. I really don't know why he ever stood by my side. Jasper was well beyond popular and smart. No one ever crossed me bad when he was around.
Every day was a struggle for me. I hated going out of the house, I hated looking at my own reflection, and I pretty much hated myself.
Being labeled the 'fat girl' or 'Belly' since I could talk, taught me that all I had was Jasper and well… me. I could have blamed it on my father Charlie for being so self absorbed or I could blame it on my mother Rene for being the town whore.
Speaking of my mother being a whore, my sister Zoe was the golden child, and absolutely beautiful. Zoe was a 'prodigy' child as my dad would say. She got moved up a grade higher when she was twelve and ever since then Charlie wouldn't shut up.
Zoe and I were nine months a part in age. The same month my mother gave birth to me she 'accidently' got pregnant with Zoe. Zoe had always been skinny and perfect, and she made it a point everyday to call me a cow or lazy and to tell me I would never have a boyfriend and to stop 'drooling' over hers.
Which I guess to a point I couldn't blame her because I did drool over him, and dream about him, and fantasized of sticking my tongue down his throat.
Zoe and I looked a lot alike if you looked closely except our weight and her light blue eyes, and of course she had confidence that no one else could beat, sadly I could never. I've always known that she wasn't my full blood sister. Charlie was too dense or in denial to admit it. Instead he showered her with praise. No one on my mothers or fathers side had blue eyes. That should have been a dead ringer to Charlie that she wasn't his.
I had absolutely no emotional support from my family. But at least I did really well in school. I loved photography too. I spent most of my days hanging out with Jasper when he wasn't busy with football. Jasper was my favorite subject to photograph. He had at least one hundred different expressions and he had no problem with me practicing on him.
I got knocked out of my memory induced daze when I felt my cell phone vibrating in my pocket.
"Hey Bella where are you?" Jasper said at the end of the line, I looked up and saw him sitting in his 1967 red Shelby Mustang.
"I'm looking right at you, dope! You know the girl waving profusely at you!"
"What the hell" he hung up his phone and parked his car and came running to me.
"Oh, my god! Bella you, you… look amazing!" he picked me up and swung me around in a circle while giving me one of his usual deathly tight bear hugs.
"Thanks! I've been working out everyday this summer, and well I happened to get a tan. Didn't think that was possible huh?" I said smacking him on the arm trying to get him to put me down.
For once in Jasper's life he was speechless. "Wow, Bella, just wow." I felt my face turning the embarrassing crimson color it always does when I'm made to be center of attention, even if it was just Jasper and I.
On the drive home, it was a little awkward for some reason. I can't remember once when Jasper was actually silent.
"Hey fruit cake, what's wrong with you?" I said nudging him.
"Oh shit, sorry. I've just got a lot on my mind. Gosh Bella I've missed you this summer." Jasper said while looking straight ahead.
"I missed you too. I haven't missed this place though... You ready for the first day of school tomorrow?" I asked him trying to get him to engage me in conversation.
"Ah you know, I guess it will be good to get back in to routine" he tapped his fingers nervously on the steering wheel.
"Hey listen, I don't know how much you've been keeping in touch with your family while you were gone, but there was a lot of drama over the summer." I felt my heart beat.
"What do you mean drama?"
"Well your dad had to break up a fight at Riley Tavern, and what started the fight was your mother."
"Wait, what do you mean? I asked him getting nervous.
"She was there on a date with someone, and I guess her other 'someone' caught her, so the police were called and your dad had to take that call. So then there were three "someone's" fighting. Right now your dad is on suspension from the police force."
I felt myself getting dizzy. How is it that my family always makes stuff about them, why can't they be normal for just once?
"Well what happened?" I asked him while chewing the inside of my mouth.
"Your dad forgave your mom and they lived happily ever after."
"Great, that sounds about right." I said while rolling my eyes. "What about Miss Princess Zoe?"
"The usual, the life of the party, her and Edward making out him groping her in public, shit I'm surprised they aren't engaged yet." Jasper said while chuckling to himself.
I felt my heart thump slowly, I felt sad. What did I think? Did I think they would magically break up and when I came back he would want me?
"Bella…"
"Oh yeah, sorry. What did you say?"
"You are a riot. I was just telling you about my summer, did you hear anything at all?" he said playfully slapping my leg.
"Sorry." Jasper squeezed my arm "We're here! Home sweet home" he drawled.
Fuck my life.
A/N:
Hang in there with me it will get better... starting off slow! Let me know whatcha' think.
