Ch. 1 Let's start at the beginning.

"So Bella, are you ready for your first day?" Karen asked as she passed Bella a glass of juice and a plate of toast.

"Well it's not like it's really my first day..." I replied sitting at the counter. "I have gone to school before you know." She didn't mean to sound rude but smiled slightly towards her foster mother in a slight apology.

"I know that, Bella but it's not like it was here. All your running off and being bounced around it will be good for you. It's your senior year so please just try to make the best of it and get through it. Then you can go anywhere you please. Alright?"

I nodded, "I know. I'm sorry I know you mean well. It's weird, being back in this town..." I ran a nervous hand through my hair, "I'm grateful to you for taking me in. I know you didn't have to."

"I wanted to. I knew your great grandfather, Charlie. He was a good man and my father respected him greatly. I see a lot of you in him. I'm glad to have the last of his line here in my home. He did me a great deed once when I was a child." Karen smiled and touched my face softly.

"I remember." Sitting down my glass I looked up in time to notice her confused expression. "Well, the story...one of the few things I do remember. I'm glad he found you. He said that was a scary night for him...his best friend's daughter lost in the woods." I cleared my throat, "He always said you were a lucky girl."

"Nah, he was a lucky man." She smiled. "Okay better get going you don't want to be late. Are you sure you want to walk, I could always drive you?"

"I'm good. I think the walk would be nice anyway. I know I spent my early days here but it'll be interesting to see how it's changed." I got up and grabbed my jacket and school bag turning hearing Karen laugh.

"Oh Bella, you're 17 going on 70." Off my look she elaborated, "You said your 'early days' instead of childhood and honestly you were only two so it'll be as if you've never seen the place. I'm surprised you remember the town at all!"

"Yeah well, pictures and old news clippings help. Sometimes." I looked down and headed for the door.

"Bella? I know it hurts...losing your family but maybe being here where the family begun will help you pick up the pieces. You're a good girl, Isabella. Your entire family was. You have a lot of life to live...I just want to see you make the most of it. I'm here...for whatever you need."

"Thanks Karen. That means a lot. I'll be okay." I smiled and turned making my way to school.

I took a deep breath and sighed as I walked along the street towards Forks High. This town hadn't changed much, Karen was right. "I can't believe I'm back here." I mumbled to myself. All I wanted was to try and figure out some of the minor and finer details of my life and heritage. I snorted. Who knew after 85 years of drifting in and out of cities, suburbs and small towns similar to this it had to be this town's police force to take notice and pick up a minor here alone.

All in all I was lucky. Really lucky. Anywhere else I would have gone into the system at least for a year and have my life poked around in...figure out who I was where I was from. Not here. Here, bless my stars I met Karen. A long time friend of the family who was able to convince the local police that she was the closest thing I had to my family. She was. She knew my father. Well, she knows him as my great grandfather. She hasn't been too nosey...at least not yet. When I finally got the nerve to confront her, she told me she knew I was coming. Her father had told her I would need her help, her guidance and that's why she came to my rescue. As far as the local police (and my file as I learned they made on me) were concerned my parents were the only living relatives I had and they were killed in an auto accident three years ago and I was a drifter ever since.

My parents weren't killed in a car accident.

My father was dead. He was killed barely after my 17th birthday. My mother...disappeared. I felt she was still alive however. I've been searching for her ever since.

I looked up noticing I had made it. As I began to walk up the stairs to the administration office a guy on a skateboard came rushing towards me nearly knocking me backwards. Luckily I twisted just enough to fall sideways and land on my knees and palms. "Ouch."

"Watch where you're going you jerk!" A soft female voice called out to the quickly disappearing skater. I felt a hand touch my shoulder as I was picking myself up. "Hey, you're Bella right? I'm Angela. Are you okay?"

I looked down, quite startled as I took in my scrapped and slightly bleeding palms. "Yeah...fine. Just a scratch."

Angela smiled and picked up my bag and handed it to me. "Aunt Karen told me to meet you out front here...sorry I didn't find you in time to stop your near collision."

"It's fine, really. It does sting though." I said absentmindedly as I looked at my hands again. I looked up as I felt Angela taking my right hand into hers.

"Well, you did scrape them up pretty good, the skin is pulled back a bit. You seem surprised at the pain." She paused looking at me carefully, "You're not gonna pass out at the sight of blood are you?"

She was worried yet I could see she was also a bit amused. "No, just haven't scraped myself up in a while."

"Well come on, we'll go get you cleaned up and check in with admin to get your schedule all worked out and I can show you around. I'm pretty sure you will have all the same classes as me. " She smiled leading us into the building.

"How do you figure that?" I asked as we reached the admin desk.

"Aunt Karen has quite a bit of pull in this little town. She pulled a couple strings and made sure we had the same schedule. She wanted you to hit it off and have a friend." Angela smiled and sat down in a chair as I filled out a form and got my class list from the receptionist who eyed me oddly.

"And what if you didn't want to accept her job to play friend and tour guide to the new girl?" I asked smiling.

"I didn't actually. I volunteered." She stood up and took off down the hallway.

I quickly followed behind her knowing Angela would be a good friend to have. I was a loner. A drifter. Drifter...that was my name for years...at least with the last bunch I was with. I never felt comfortable with my real name with them. Too many questions. But something was telling me I could trust Angela. I smiled, "Hey wait up!" I didn't want her thinking I was too crazy on my first day. That would come soon enough. Taking one last look at my palms I shook my head and put my hands into my jacket pocket. It wasn't the first time it had happened. I'd hopefully figure that out more later.