Chapter Two

Ang was driving, as she was the first to her license, Bella was in the front passenger seat, and Lauren and Jess were in the back.

"So, Bells," Lauren said from her seat behind Bella, "what have you heard about the new family in town?"

"You mean the Cullens?" Bella asked sounding uninterested.

"Yeah," she replied.

"I heard that four of the five kids are like together, together," Jessica commented. "Isn't that like illegal or something?"

"It's not like their actually related," Ang replied. "Dr. Cullen couldn't have children of her own so they adopted." Ang, or just A had volunteered at the hospital all summer so she had actually met the man.

"But still, A, they live together, it's gross," Jess replied.

"Well, all I know is they're rich" B began, "and Dr. and Mrs. Cullen and their blond daughter, Rosalie I think, all made it onto the cast of the town's nest year summer musical, Repo the Genetic Opera. The daughter got the role I wanted, Blind Mag. I got stuck with Shiloh."

"So let's not give them a warm welcome Monday at school. It'll give them a bad rep. if you don't like them, B. You are the Queen Bee after all," L suggested.

"Come on, guys," A said. "We don't even know them. They could be really nice."

"B is the best singer in town, and you know it, A," J said, "and one of them took her role. We have to fight back."

"It's fine, cuz," B said. "You don't have to be mean to them. Just only talk to one of them if they speak to you first. Then at lunch, I'll do all the talkin'."

"You mean bitchin'," L said.

"Hey now. Becca didn't choose me to run this school for nothing."

"Everyone knows you could have taken the reins from Becca with barely any fight. She let way too many kids into the group."

"Now, J, we can't talk about her like that. She had enough brains not to choose someone over B, after all."

"Back to subject," B ordered. "We won't crush on any of the guys, especially not the single one. That shouldn't be much of a problem since you three already have boyfriends. Once we have made our feeling toward them clear, when speaking of the blond daughter we'll call her by her character's name, only instead of Blind Mag, we'll call her Blind Hag. Remember; don't be too rude to their face. Speak to them when they speak to you but don't make it a long conversation. Got it?"

A, L, and J all nodded as A turned into Seattle Mall's parking lot. Bella was relieved to be off the subject of the Cullens. She didn't want to be mean but she had a reputation to keep. Since she came to Forks, everyone knew that she wouldn't let anyone get in the way of what she wanted, as the whole town – including her own father – kept her away from the man she wanted. No one wanted to be on her bad side and that was something the Cullens needed to learn.


"Now, guys, remember, we only have an hour to shop before Monica open's her doors to the general public. The clothes must be run by me and the theme this year classy, seductive not trashy. So absolutely no short skirts this year. We want to be Femme Fatals," B did this every year, picked a theme for the Forks fashion trend. This year was to get the boys to do whatever they wanted. "As always, I came here last weekend and put the clothes I wanted on hold. Now go; you need at least fourteen new outfits each. Silk or cotton blouses only, and don't get too low of a neck line."

As the others went to find their clothes, A and B went to the counter.

"Monica," Bella said to the woman behind the counter.

"Isabella, darling," Monica said smiling. Is it already that time? My, my, how are the girls doing?"

"Don't know yet," B replied. "I just sent them off. Can you go get the clothes the clothes I put on hold for Ang and myself?"

"Yes, of course, it'll just take a minute." And with that, Monica went into the back to retrieve the clothes.

"Thanks again for this B," A said. "You pick out and pay for my clothes every year. I don't know how to repay you."

"There's no need, A," Bella replied. "We're cousins and you're part of this group. You need the clothes to prove it."

"Here you are," Monica said as she came out with the clothes. "A. Webber and I. Swan."

Thanks, Monica," B told the shop owner then turned back to A. "Now go try these on while I pay for mine. But hurry, we don't want J and L to know I pay for you every year."


By the time J and L returned, arms full of clothes, B and A had their clothes purchased.

"These are perfect, J," Bella said. "Go pay. L, that blouse is to low cut, go find another. You have ten minutes."

They both nodded and went their ways. When L returned, B looked at the new blouse in question, approved, and sent her to the register.

Once all the items were purchased the girls left the mall and began the trip home.

L and J were talking about how Tyler and Mike were going to be putty in their hands this year; A was concentrating on driving so as to excuse herself from any conversation that may end up on her and Ben, which left B alone with her thoughts, which she didn't like.

All day Bella had kept her mind busy; trying not to think of her dream. But just like her angel, it never left her mind completely; staying back until she allowed it to come forward but she wanted to be alone for that.

Only Ang knew she was "kidnapped" when she was seven, and she wanted to keep it that way. The less she people told the less people she'd have to lie about it.

The truth was that she wanted to go with her angel. He was the one who watched over her when her mother would her, a child, alone so she could go out on a date. He was the one who cared for her. She had been safer with him. But she had to leave him, for his own safety.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. The only one to notice was A. She often saw simple tears rolling down her cousin's cheeks when B thought no one was looking. A wondered what brought these tears out of her otherwise fierce cousin, but she never had the nerve to ask, so she just kept driving towards Forks.