Disclaimer- Stephenie still owns the usual suspects.
I own my original characters and original story.
*F.Y.I. the misspellings are on purpose; emulating the mind and speech patterns of Bella at age five.
Again, thanks to aurellacullen and pixiekat7 for their help with this chapter. You ladies are the best!
*Enjoy
****P*S****
Chapter 1
- Present Day -
I slipped silently from the bedroom, keeping my tread as light as possible as I made my way to the kitchen. Mercifully, I'd remembered to set the coffee maker the night before.
With a hot just-brewed mug in my hand, I slid open the patio door, and took a seat on one of the old wooden deck chairs. I sipped at my coffee, relishing the taste of my first and only cup of the day, while gazing across the inlet to where the sun was just beginning to rise above the distant horizon.
After a time, I wasn't surprised to hear movement inside the house. The sound of two small feet as they padded down the hall in search of me caused me to smile. I heard them make their way into the kitchen and dining area, before their owner obviously spied the open glass door in the great room, and tromped through it, and over to where I sat.
"Mama, was you hidin' from me?"
I set my coffee down and laughed lightly as I pulled my child into my lap, "Now why would I hide from you?" I said as I ran my fingers through a head of messy hair, and kissed a little sleep-creased cheek. "I was watching the sun come up." I said as I gestured to the bright glow beyond the trees. "But you were a sleepyhead and missed it."
There was a frown on the face of my angel. "Can you wake me up amorrow so I can see the sun?"
I smiled. "Okay, if Mama is awake, I'll wake you too."
That seemed to satisfy my little darling. "Mama, when can I see my Daddy again?"
And there it was; the question posed to me at least twice a day, every day.
I sighed. "Sweetheart, we talked about this. You will see Daddy this weekend. That's three days from now." I said as I held up three fingers.
"Fwee?" My cherub's face lit up with understanding. "That's how old I am!"
I laughed. "Yes, but you're three years, you will see Daddy in three days."
We once again grew silent as I looked out at the inlet and thought about the summer I'd first gazed upon that water.
It seemed so long ago now….
At the time, I wasn't much older than the toddler who was now nodding off on my lap.
-Summer—Bella, Age 5 years…
I didn't like the lady with the red fingernails. She smiled too much, and she laughed a lot. Mama and Daddy didn't laugh at her jokes. They just smiled. Daddy smiled the same way he did when our neighbor Mr. Morris asked to borrow his tools.
After Mr. Morris left, Daddy always called him a moocher. I didn't know what that was, but I didn't think it was good.
When the lady with the red fingernails got here, she tried to touch my face. I hid behind my Daddy. That was the first time she laughed.
She was scary
She pulled some papers out of her bag and put 'em on the table, and then the grown-ups sat down to talk about borin' stuff.
Before the lady came, Daddy told me I couldn't watch television until she left, and he promised we'd go to the beach later.
I really wanted later to be now.
I looked at the creepy lady one more time before sneakin' down the hall to my room. I went to the closet and pulled my colorin' book and crayons from my backpack.
I had just finished colorin' the evil queen's fingernails with the reddest crayon in my box, when I heard some noise outside. I climbed off my bed and lifted the curtain to see.
I thought it was the witch lady leavin', but it was somethin' else.
Somethin' better.
The big house next door was empty when we got here and none of the other houses around ours had kids. Mama said maybe some kids would move into the big house.
She was right.
There was a white van in the driveway and I was smilin' 'cause there was a whole family takin' stuff out of it and carryin' it into that big house. There was a Mama and a Daddy and three kids. I wondered if they were nice, or mean like Monica and her brother on my school bus.
The Mama, Daddy and a girl were smilin' and laughin' while they watched a big boy run after a little one.
They seemed nice, and I really wanted friends.
I was bitin' my lip. Mama always told me not to, but I always did it when I was scared, like when the stores put up the Halloween decorations. I didn't tell Mama I was scared, I just held her hand, bit my lip, and sometimes closed my eyes.
I picked up my favorite bear, and walked onto the back porch, so I could watch the family.
It only took a minute for the girl to see me. She ran over to my porch smilin'.
"Hi, I'm Alice. What's your name?" She sounded like she was singin' when she talked. It was pretty.
"I'm Bella." My voice wasn't pretty.
"How old are you Bella?"
"I'll be six years old next month." I smiled. I was proud 'cause I knew my birthday now.
"Well, I'm going to be six next week," Alice answered before comin' up to me and grabbin' my hand. "That means I'm the leader because I'm older. Come on, you can be my new best friend."
I nodded and followed her. I wanted Alice to be my friend.
Alice pulled me into the house. "Mommy and Daddy, this is Bella, she's almost six and she's my new best friend."
Alice's Mama and Daddy were puttin' away the groceries. They looked at me and Alice and started to laugh. "Well hello Bella, I'm Alice's mommy, Mrs. Cullen, and this is her daddy Dr. Cullen."
I bit my lip again. I didn't like doctors. Every time Mama took me to the doctor, I got shot. "Hi," I whispered.
Alice pulled me into the livin' room where the two boys from earlier were sittin' on the sofa watchin' cartoons. "Boys, this is my new friend Bella."
The oldest boy looked at me with big green eyes and stood up. "Hi Bella. I'm Edward. I'm seven." He held out his hand.
I frowned and stared at it. Did he want me to shake it?
I guessed so; so I did.
His hand was warm. It felt nice.
I looked at his face and he smiled. Some of his baby teeth were gone, and his grown-up teeth were comin' in.
He had a nice smile.
I liked his hair too. It was brown and the color of a penny mixed together. Alice's mama and little brother had the same kind of hair. Alice just had brown hair like me and her dad.
"Bella, this is my little brother Daniel," Alice pointed to the little boy still sittin' on the sofa grinnin'. "Daniel, say hi to Bella."
"Hi Bewwa," he smiled again. I giggled.
I played with Alice until it was time to go to the beach. She asked her mama and daddy if they could go too so that we could play together, and they said yes. Alice's family followed us in their van.
"Bella baby, we have to tell you something exciting." Mama said as we rode to the beach.
She smiled a big smile.
My favorite Mama smile.
"Daddy and I just bought the cottage. The lady you met this morning made all the arrangements. It's our house now."
Mama and Daddy looked happy, but I was not. "But.." I tried not to cry. "But why do we have to move? I like the other house. And all my toys are there…"
'Cause even though I liked Alice, I knew she was goin' home after summer, and I would be here all alone.
"Sweetie no, don't cry!" Mama was wavin' her hands at me from the front seat. "We're not moving Bella. This is a vacation cottage. We'll come here during the summer, and rent it to other families the rest of the time."
"Oh."
I thought about our pretty cottage, and I was happy we could keep it. But then I thought about the other stuff Mama said. I decided I better not bring my favorite toys here anymore 'cause those kids from other families might get 'em.
"Does Alice's family own that big house?" I asked when I thought about the giant house she was stayin' in.
"I would assume so honey. I think they had it specially built and don't plan to rent it out. That's what the realtor said anyway."
"What's a reel a terd?" I asked.
Daddy laughed. "It's realtor. That's what they call someone who sells houses Bells, like the lady who visited this morning."
"Oh."
****P*S****
"How many days have you been here Bella?" Alice asked as we worked on our sandcastle.
"Three."
"Have you seen any ponies out here?"
"Me and Daddy seened some yesterday standin' in the trees way far from the road, but we never seened any on the beach. It's too hot I think."
She thought about that. "You're probably right."
"There are ponies next to McDonald's. There's a fence around 'em, but you can buy feed and give it to 'em. They come right up to you."
Alice's eyes were sparklin'. "Mommy, can we eat at McDonald's tonight?"
I found out that Alice got her way a lot. But she wasn't a brat.
She was nice.
She was my best friend.
****P*S****
Edward was nice too. He wasn't like some boys. He liked to play with us, but when Alice pulled out the Barbie dolls, he always made a face and left to play video games.
Daniel was only two years old. He was sweet. He never bothered us when we were playin' except when Edward was there. He liked to follow Edward around which never made him mad. Edward was a good brother.
"What is your Daddy doing?" Alice asked one day when she seened my Daddy pullin' on the rope that was hangin' over the side of our little dock.
"He's pullin' up the crab pot to see if he caught anythin'." I told her with a frown. "I don't want him to catch anythin'."
"Why not? Maybe if he catches a crab you can get a cage for it and take it home as a pet."
"They're not hermit crabs Alice. Those crabs are kinda big. Daddy caught one the other day and when he said he was gonna cook it, I started cryin'."
Alice's mouth fell open. She was freakin' out a little.
"It's okay Alice. He put it back in the water 'cause I told him it looked like a mama crab and her babies were probally lookin for her."
"Why's he still catching them?" she watched my Daddy and frowned.
I shrugged. "He likes to catch 'em, but he always puts 'em back now." I smiled. "He's probally the best daddy in the world." I whispered.
"If your daddy's the best daddy in the world, then my daddy's the best daddy in the universe." She folded her arms and looked mad.
"Alice, I'm not gonna fight with you," I told her. "Mine's just the best that's all."
Alice gave me a mean look. "You better take that back Bella, or you won't be my best friend."
"But," I looked at her but it was hard to see 'cause my eyes were gettin' watery. "I can't take it back Alice. I love my Daddy more than I love bein' best friends." I whispered.
"Well Bella Swan, I can't be your best friend today." She stood up. "Maybe tomorrow." I watched her walk to her house, and I stayed on my porch and cried.
I was wipin' my eyes on my shirt when I heard Edward. "Don't cry Bella," he said and sat down next to me on the porch swing. I looked at his face. He looked sad.
"Sometimes when I have a bad day, my Mom gives me a popsicle to cheer me up." He told me. "Here, try this. It'll make you smile," he said as he handed me a popsicle.
I loved popsicles.
I started to unwrap it.
"I think Alice is already sorry for what she said," he whispered.
I took a big breath so I would stop cryin'. "I never seened a popsicle with only one stick." It looked like half a popsicle. They weren't the kind my Mama always buyed at the store.
Edward smiled at me. "These are special popsicles, but you won't find out why until you eat the whole thing."
I sniffled and smiled at him. "Edward, you are probally the nicest boy I ever met."
His smile was bigger. "Bella, you are the nicest girl I've ever met."
I didn't want to think about my fight with Alice anymore, so I ate my popsicle. I only got a few drips on my shirt.
"Is my tongue orange?" Edward asked before stickin' it out at me.
I giggled. "Yes. Is mine purple?" I asked before stickin' mine out at him.
He nodded and smiled.
When our popsicles were gone, Edward pointed at my stick. "See, that's what makes it special."
There were letters on the stick, but I couldn't read all the words. "I can't read it," I told Edward.
"That's okay Bella. I can. Every stick has a joke on it. I'll read yours first,
Why did the turkey have to leave the supper table?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"He was gobbling his food."
We laughed.
"Okay, now I'll read mine.
Why was the dog sweating?"
"I don't know."
Edward smiled again, "It was a hot dog," he said with a big laugh.
I laughed and laughed.
Edward knew just how to make me feel better.
I giggled again and showed Edward my happiest smile.
"Hi Bella," I turned around and Alice was standin' in my yard. She didn't look mad any more.
"Hi Alice."
"I'm sorry Bella," she said with a sad face. "I promise I won't be mean any more. Will you still be my best friend?"
I stood up and ran off the porch til I was huggin' her. "You will always be my best friend."
'You and Edward', I whispered so no one could hear.
****A/N****
A/N Each chapter will cover a summer/year in Bella's life. Some chapters will be shorter than others.
The houses the Cullens and Swans own face the inlet between Chincoteague Island and Assateague Island. As I said before, the beach in on the east side of Assateague which is just a few minutes drive from Chincoteague. Almost every house on the inlet has a small pier out back.
I love reviews….just sayin…AND I love your theories.
Until next time, MWAH! - Anne
