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3 years later

"You're going to be late for school, Bella!" Lauren screamed from the stairs.

Lauren, bless her heart, needs to shut up.

Is it too much to ask for someone to get a few hours of sleep? It's not my fault that the party last night lasted a little longer than planned.

Okay, so it ended 3 hours late, at 4 in the morning. But, if your going to party, party hard, right?

Besides, I was having way too much fun, and I was definitely not going to be the first one to leave.

Sitting up in my bed, my head swayed. Ugh, too much alcohol. Searching for some Tylenol, I found my cell.

4 missed calls.

From none other than my best friend in the entire world, Angela. Deciding that whatever she had to say came second best to my headache, I called Lauren.

"Do you really need to call me when I'm only 3 rooms away, Bella?" Lauren scolded.

"I can't get up and my head is pounding. Can I get some Tylenol or something?"

"I didn't quite hear the magic word." I could almost hear the tsk-tsk in her brain.

"Now." Its too early in the morning to be playing silly games with the house keeper.

"Fine." I know that Lauren hates being bossed around, but its her job. She should learn how to deal with it. While waiting for Lauren, I texted Angela.

"What's your deal? This better be good!"

Less than a minute later, her response:

"What the hell took you so long? I've been waiting forever!"

Well, if she was going to get snippy:

"Whatever. Bye".

See what she thought about that.

"Ugh, I'm sorry. You will never believe who I ran into last night after the party"

I hate when people say things like that through texts. Why not just tell me and get it over with?

"I'm sure you will tell me."

Just as I was about to call for Lauren with my Tylenol, she walked in the door.

"Took you long enough! I'm dying here!" I sigh.

"I'm sure you are" she said as she dropped 3 magnificent pills in my hand

"If you don't get ready for school soon, your going to be late." She scolds.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll get ready as soon as I'm done talking to Ang." I gestured to my phone.

"You are just going to see her at school in less than 2 hours anyways!" She rolls her eyes

Shaking her head, she walked out of my room and went back to doing whatever my new family wanted her to do. In all actuality, they aren't new at all.

I've been living with the Swan's for 2 years now, but I love them more than anything and I changed my last name to match theirs.

My phone buzzed impatiently in my hand. 2 messages:

"That skank, Jessica came up to me and told me that she slept with Ben!"

"WHAT IS TAKING YOU SO LONG?"

Ben is Angela's boyfriend. Well, I guess now its ex-boyfriend.

He was really just my ball that I tossed into Angela's court, but they were cute together.

Jessica, well, if Jessica could be described in one word, it would be…jealous.

Of me, in fact.

She always wants what I have.

Poor girl.

"He's a dog. You knew this before you even started dating him. But you are right, she's definitely a skank." I replied

Sighing, I tossed the phone on the pillow next to me and got up. If I delayed getting ready any longer, I would miss the chance to make a scene with Jessica before first period.

53 minutes later, my long blonde hair was straightened and looking like it always does…amazing.

I threw on a pair of low-rise jeans and a cute dark blue long sleeved sweater.

If I had more time, I would have worn a short sleeved shirt, but the scars on my arms needed at least 10 minutes time to cover with make-up.

I absent-mindedly traced my fingers through the shirt across them.

I remember in perfect detail how I got each. As I traced the long purplish-blue one around my wrists, a movie played in my head. The star of the movie; James. The victim; me.

If I didn't stop myself now, I wouldn't be able to go to school today.

I shoved the memories in an imaginary drawer and locked it up nice and tight for the day.

Grabbing my book bag, I went down the stairs to find everything quiet.

It normally is in the morning. Phil is at work; Renee is most likely at Pilates or at breakfast with her girlfriends.

I could hear Lauren upstairs somewhere, but I was going to be late if I ran back up there to say goodbye.

I opened the massive front door and smiled as the sun kissed my face.

I love the sun. I spent most of my time in the sun.

The sun, to me, resembles being free.

I'm free now.