CHAPTER 2

"My story begins 2 years ago when my mother passed away. I was sent to live with my father. Now, please don't judge but my father is not a very nice person when he is drunk. And he is often drunk. I did not choose to go live with my father but my grandmother was too sick to take care of me so I came here, to forks. Chief Swan is an alcoholic. He drinks very often and it does not make me happy but unfortunately he is not very happy either. I do not want to alarm you so I will skip the details. I have bruises all over my body. I have scars from when I first moved here. I am smart because I am afraid to go downstairs and face my father so I study in my room. I am called a geek and a loser and not all of my scars are marked on my skin" she stopped again, on the verge of tears. I couldn't let her stop now.

"Bella, I want to know everything about you but you can stop anytime you want." I told her sincerely.

"I will go on. It is just difficult." She told me. Difficult!? HER LIFE WAS HORRIBLE. I was not letting her go back to her house. She could move in with me for all I care I was not going to watch her be hurting. I couldn't stand it. I wanted to kill her father. I tried to control my anger as she began again.

"I have very strict rules at my house. I am to leave by 5:00 am an not to be back until 8:00 pm, but no later. I stay after school and help the teacher's grade. It is all I have. Edward, I do not have any friends. I am what you guys would call a 'loner' though I would call it something more like 'strangely independent'" she laughed. "I am not popular like you. I am who I am, and if someone does not like me for whom I am then they are not worth my time" she said sincerely. "I do not want to be faked. So please Edward, I do not want you to be fake with me. I would like to hear your story."

I was confused. What story? I know my story but how would she know.

"You mean..." I knew that if she actually knew what she was talking about she would understand my unfinished sentence.

"Yes Edward, I know that this is not you. I could see your face as they hurt me. You did not join. You are being manipulated and I would like to know why if it is not too much to ask of you?"

She knew. I felt happy for some reason. Happy that at least one person in the school knew that I was not the jerk everybody thought I was and I was glad that that person was Bella.

"I am not who everybody thinks I am. I am a 'geek'. I have a 4.0 grade point average and my dream is to go to Harvard and become a doctor. I play piano and I absolutely loathe football." She looked sad. For me?! I decided to go back to that later and continue 'my story'. "I am like this because I was made fun of in high school and I was not brave enough to stand up to it and not care what they think. You're right. I am manipulated because I did not want to be made fun of anymore. Nobody in this school knows anything about me. Except you of course. I cannot see because I got rid of my glasses so my grades have been dropping recently. Bella, please believe me when I say that I don't want to be like this."

Bella was looking at me thoughtful right now. She got a knowing look on her face as she took her glasses off and put them on me. It was amazing. I forgot what it felt like being able to see everything around me without squinting. Bella got ten times more beautiful now that I could see her clearly.

"Thank you, Bella. You don't know how much this means to me" I said truthfully. This was probably the nicest thing anyone's done for in years. I knew I had to change but I didn't know how.

"Bella when I saw you I had a change of heart. You are yourself and you don't care what people think of you. You are selfless and genuine and beautiful and good and kind and I would like to be your friend. Is that okay with you?" I asked her. She could decline if she wanted. I wouldn't trust me either right now, what with my fake Identity.

Bella's face lit up like I had never seen it do. She looked happy. I made her like that and I couldn't ignore the feeling that made me jumpy inside seeing her smile. I wanted to be more than friends but we would start with this.

Bella through her arms around me. As her skin touched mine I felt an electric shock go through my body. She was so warm. It felt wonderful to hug her. For the first time in my whole life I felt whole. Like I was complete.

"Thank you" she said looking at me on the verge of crying. She was being completely sincere when she said that. It was not sarcastic or rhetorical it was the truth.

This girl had to meet my family and she surely was not going back to her house to get beaten again.

"Bella would you like to meet my family after school?" I asked cautiously.

"I will, thank you" she said still smiling. She was so adorable.

"Good. Now we should probably go to 4th period or we'll get in trouble" I told her. She nodded and stood up.

"I have gym" she told me. Darn it! I had literature.

"Okay, meet me at my car" I pointed to my Volvo "after first period and I will drive you" I smiled.

"Okay" she agreed. As we walked our separate ways I remembered how her arms felt around me. I couldn't wait to see Bella again; I missed talking to her already.

Literature passed way too slowly. I wanted to see Bella again. I felt so attached to her now though I barely knew her. I practically jumped out of my seat when the bell rang. As I was walking down the hall Tyler came up to me.

"Hey Eddie! What's up, dude I didn't see you after 3rd" he said. Time to face him. I knew exactly what I wanted to say.

"Tyler you won't be seeing much of me anymore. I am quitting the football team and I refuse to hang out with you jerks anymore." It felt like a weight had just been lifted off my shoulders. I turned around leaving a very stunned Tyler behind me. When I got to the parking lot I look around my car for Bella. She wasn't anywhere I could see. I searched around the school grounds till I spotted her. Anger filed me when I saw where she was. Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley were on either side of her pushing her around.

I ran as fast as I could over to her.

"Bella! I called. She looked up from the glaring eyes of Lauren. Jessica's eyes snapped up to the sound of my voice.

"Hey Edward, come to help us." She said trying to sound flirtatious. It was nauseating.

I ignored her and kneeled down to see Bella who was now on the ground.

"Hey are you okay?" I asked her carefully. I could tell she was in real pain. Probably from her bruises. The girls just stood there wide eyed at the fact that I was helping her. She wouldn't look at me.

"Bella, look at me" I tilted her chin up with my finger so I could see her face. One of her cuts had opened and she was bleeding. What's wrong with the people in this school!??

"Oh Bella. You're bleeding. Come on lets go" I stood up and held my hand to help her. She took it and steadied herself on the ground. I led her to the car leaving half the school shocked by my hospitality.

"Everybody is staring rather rudely at us, Edward" she whispered. We were still holding hands but I didn't mind. It felt natural.

"I know" I told her. "Are you going to be okay?" I asked her urgently. I was worried that she had hurt herself badly.

"Yes I will be fine. Remember, I have had worse" of course she had. That just brought up more anger.

"Bella I don't want you going back to your house tonight. I don't want you to get hurt. Will you stay at my house for a few days?" I asked. I shuddered at the thought of having to see her with more bruises tomorrow.

"I do not think I can. Charlie does not like when I am not home by eight. He will hurt me." She looked so scared.

"I will have my father talk to Charlie and make sure it is okay. I care about you Bella and I don't want you to get hurt." I told her looking into her eyes.

"Thank you again Edward. You are a very kind man" her sincerity made me feel giddy again. I was soaring!!!

As we got into the car she gave me her glasses again with a teasing look on her face.

"I would prefer to be alive when I am to meet your family, you might need these." She giggled.

I chuckled. When we got to the house. I went out open her door for her.

"Alice?" I knew that she would want to meet Bella first. Alice appeared then at the edge of the stairs.

"Oh my gosh!! You must be Bella, the new girl. I am so happy to meet you. "She squealed. Bella's eyes lit up again. She liked being accepted so easily. I knew Alice would love her.

"Ooooooo can I give you a makeover!?" she asked jumping up and down. Bella giggled ad turned to me.

"Is she always like this?" she asked me. I nodded smiling.

"Okay, Alice. You may give me a makeover if you wish" Bella said rolling her eyes. Alice squealed again and dragged her upstairs.

I sat on the couch in the living room to wait for them. It would probably be hours until they came back down since it was Alice. I decided to play my piano. I played for about 20 minutes until Alice came down. She was crying. She came over to me and gave me a hug.

"Bella just told me her story. You can't let her go back there Edward. She has to move in with us. She has to she's my best friend." She was almost screaming she was so sad.

"I know Ali I'm doing everything I can" I assured her

"Okay" she seemed to calm down a bit. I turned back to my piano.

"Oh and one more thing" she said. I looked back at her questioningly. "Why are you wearing Bella's glasses?" she laughed and walked up the stairs. I forgot I had her glasses on. I walked up the stairs to give them back to her. I opened the door to Alice's room and saw them there. Bella looked miserable I laughed. She turned to glare at me.

"Edward Cullen are you laughing at me?" she said playfully. I grinned at her. She got up from her seat and ran over to me but I was already gone out the door. She jumped on my back and made me fall to the ground. She was still on top of me.

"That is what you get when you laugh at Bella Swan" she hissed though trying to hide a smirk. Then she got off me and went back to Alice's room.

I was falling, falling hard, for Bella Swan.