As we all know, Stephanie Meyer owns all these characters!

Chapter 2: Starting Over

My night had been restless. I kept waking up between nightmares. Each time I woke up without the coolness of Edward's body next to mine, I immediately remembered what happened and tried to fall asleep to get away from reality. But as soon as I fell asleep the nightmares returned. There was not relief. Now wonder I felt horrible when it was finally time to get out of bed and start my life in Forks all over again.

I knew today was critical. I had to put on a good show so that no one knew how miserable I really felt. One look in the mirror showed me how difficult my task would be. The evidence of my misery was irrefutably imprinted on my face, with my eyes puffy from a night of crying. Fortunately, splashing cold water on my face helped a little. I swallowed a couple of Advils, both for the anti-inflammatory properties and to help with the head ache that was quickly developing as I thought of what awaited me at the high school. How I wished I could just stay home. But I knew I couldn't hide forever, and it was best to confront my fear head on.

I dressed, ate breakfast and got into my truck. Immediately I gasped. Was it possible? Did the infallible Edward actually forget to remove such an obvious reminder of him and his family? I couldn't believe it, yet could not deny what I was seeing with my own eyes. The stereo that had been a birthday gift from Emmet was still in the truck. I hit the steering wheel in anger and frustration! How in the world was I supposed to get rid of that?

The anger actually helped me pull myself together, so that by the time I reached the high school I was steadfast in my resolve to put on a great show of nonchalance. One last check in the rearview mirror told me the obvious signs of crying were gone. I was relieved.

Walking through the parking lot I heard fast footsteps behind me and then felt an arm around my shoulder. I turned to see Mike Newton.

"Hey, Bella," he said easily. "What's this I hear about Cullen leaving town and you wanting to see other people?'

I had to admire Mike's persistence and self-confidence. He certainly believed in striking while the iron was hot.

"Um, yeah," I said noncommittally, "Neither one of us thought the long distance thing would work so great,"

"Heck, no," he agreed. "A beautiful girl like you wasted on a phone and e-mail relationship? And in your senior year? No way! There are way too many cool things to do this year. Just wait and see, a couple of weeks and you won't even remember his name."

This was wishful thinking on Mike's part. He couldn't possible think any boy could ever make me forget Edward. Nevertheless, I found myself caught up in his optimism. Maybe this would be easier than I thought. Maybe there would be just enough distractions to keep me from sinking into complete despair.

"Bella!"

I looked up to see Angela waiving and walking over. I stopped walking to let her catch up. Mike removed his arm from my shoulder. As if sensing this was girl talk time, he kept walking, turning around briefly to wink at me and shout a quick "See you later."

"He's in a good mood," Angela commented, and she didn't need to say she knew exactly why. Then she looked at me, scrutinizing my face. "How are you?"

I felt uncomfortable. Angela was always more sensitive to my moods. If anyone could see through my charade, it would be her.

"I'm fine." I decided I could be more honest with her than the others, trusting in her discretion. "It's hard. It was so unexpected – I wasn't prepared. I'll miss him, but the show must go on, right?"

Angela looked like she wasn't convinced.

"Jessica said you didn't want a long distance relationship, but are you sure, Bella? It might not be so bad. It's not as though Edward couldn't afford to visit . . ."

I interrupted her before she could go on.

"It was a mutual decision, Angela," I said pointedly. OK, that was a lie. I was giving myself far more responsibility for that decision that I actually had. But telling Angela the whole truth would have been too painful. Even this concession to my official façade was difficult. "Edward wasn't interested in a long-distance relationship any more than I was."

"Oh," I could see she suddenly understood, and was not going to push this line of thought. "Well, then, let me know if you need anything. You know I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Angela," I smiled. "I appreciate that more than you know."

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I repeated my carefully orchestrated story so often I was almost starting to believe it myself. Fortunately, everyone else seemed to believe it too. I took the most satisfaction in convincing Lauren. I knew she had wanted to torture me with the consequences of Edward's departure, and raged at my ability to disarm her before she even had the chance.

When I wasn't spinning my web of lies, the misery took over. I tried really hard to keep a smile plastered on my face, but inside I was weeping. The empty chair next to me in every class was a constant reminder of Edward. I had never felt more alone.

After school I went to work. Thankfully the store was busy, with lots of people stocking up on hunting and fishing gear before the start of the season. To Mike's visible dismay, this left little time for random chit-chat. I was glad. I put up a good front at school, but I wasn't quite ready for the puppy dog adoration Mike wanted to bestow.

As soon as my shift was over I skipped out and headed home, grabbing a quick plate of leftovers for dinner and throwing myself into the pile of homework I neglected the night before. I managed to get through it all, but as the night wore on I grew more and more despondent.

Pretending to be strong all day left me absolutely exhausted. Even if I could fool everyone else, I couldn't lie to myself. I couldn't pretend that the gaping wound he left behind didn't exist and I couldn't stop my eyes from overflowing. My second day without Edward ended much like my first, crying myself to sleep.

I know this was not the most exciting chapter, but I thought it was necessary to show how Bella coped with her first day back at school. Jasper is going to make an appearance in the next chapter! Reviews are much appreciated!