I pulled into the parking lot in front of Forks hardware store deciding to get some tools first

Hello again, I tried to update as soon as I could. I've been busy with school and my spring sports starting up. I hope this chapter satisfies you, I had fun writing it. Most of the beginning seems to be fluff, but I am slowly introducing characters. The real story starts when Bella meets the Cullen's of course. For now, you can get to know her modified personality. I response to some reviews, yes, Bella if different. She has grown up in a completely different environment from before. Of course, all of the characters will feel slightly different. That is just me and my style coming through. I can definitely see some of myself in Bella's character at the moment. That is natural of course because I am not Stephenie Meyer. I'm not a writer and these were originally her characters, not mine. No matter how hard I try, my style will come through and twist it a little bit, especially when the story is so drastically different in some aspects. Now, let the chapter begin!

I pulled into the parking lot in front of Forks hardware store deciding to get some tools first. As I walked in I noticed the changes that occurred in the last four years. Now, instead of old Mr. Harvey working the cash, there was a young man with curly brown hair. He was huge, way over six feet. I ignored this for the time being to head on over to the paint section.

As I looked at the wall of different shades of colours I began to get a headache. They can't just have a couple of choices can they. It has to be 50 shades of yellow. I mean, egg shell and pale yellow seem pretty similar to me. Exhausted, I chose a lemon yellow and lime green. My room was going to have a theme and I didn't care. As for the bathroom, I decided lavender would be safe enough. I stuck my swatches into my purse and continued onto blinds. I didn't want plain white ones, but none of the others would match my colour scheme. Wow, I'm really starting to sound like a home decorating channel. I was so engrossed with the blinds, sad I know, that I didn't notice someone coming up behind me until they tapped me on the shoulder. I screamed and dropped my purse. I know it was a silly reaction but I really was startled.

"Oh man, I'm sorry" I turned my head only to see a huge mass of muscle. I looked up and found a man with curly brown hair looking down at me. I immediately recognized him as the one at the register earlier.

"That's okay, it was my fault that I was spacing out" It really wasn't his fault and I didn't want him to feel bad. "Now that you're here, I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Sure can, what do you need?" willing to help, that's a good sign.

"I'm looking for some blinds, but I don't like any of the colours here" I pointed at the small, pitiful selection behind me. "Are there any that can be ordered in? I don't really feel like driving five hours to Seattle."

"Of course, people often complain about our lack of selection. It's hard in a small town; people don't often buy new blinds." I nodded understandingly. We were probably the first family in a while to move out here. Most people don't do it willingly.

"If I give you a paint swatch, can you match the colour?"

"Sure, just show me the colour you want and I can order it right now." I rummaged in my purse and found what I was looking for. I pulled out the paint swatch from earlier and handed it to him.

"Lime green?" he eyed me incredulously. "Are you sure you weren't looking for a blue or black?" He was about to give back the sample when I stopped him.

"I like it, and it will match my walls. It's my room and I can put whatever I want in it."

He help up his hands in surrender and walked over to a computer catalogue. After a few minutes of typing out complicated looking forms, he wanted the swatch back to me.

"Okay, that's it Miss Swan. Your order should be here in a few days, I'll give you a call. Have a nice day now."

"Wait" I called him back "Don't I have to pay for it or something?" Usually that's what you do when you buy something after all.

"Not right now. You pay when you pick up just incase it's not the colour you had I mind or something like that."

"Okay, sure. I guess I'll be back later. Bye and thanks for your help"

"Anytime" I walked out the front door and back to my car. This is one thing I missed about living in a small town, everyone was super friendly. By the time I pulled into Thriftway it was literally pouring. It was only a couple of blocks away from my house, but who wants to walk anywhere in this weather?

Once inside I headed towards the household section. I went with the cliché rubber ducky theme for the soap dish and shower curtains. Passing by the outfitter section, I saw a display of rain boots. I thought of the weather in Forks, constantly rainy, and decided to buy a couple of pairs. I couldn't decide to I went with one plain black, one striped green, and one with a cherry pattern. At the till I realized that this was one clerk I actually recognized. Mike Newton, ugh. To be fair to him, he's not all that bad. It's just that after a while he tends to get annoying with his clingy habits. I marched up and placed the boots in front of him, the less talking the better.

Looking bored, he scanned the items and told me the total. As I was handing the money to him, he looked up and recognition flashed across his eyes. "Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?"

"I don't think so, I just moved into a house here today." I didn't want to encourage him, knowing how he could be. I should have known he wouldn't give up.

"No, I'm positive I've seen you before. Alexis? Sandra? No, that's not right. Isabelle?" He was getting dangerously close. "I'm sure you're just mistaking me for someone else. Now if you'll excuse me, my mom's waiting in the car for me." I grabbed my bags and proceeded to make a mad dash towards the exit, but not before he spoke again.

"I know, your Bella Swan! I'm right aren't I?" The jig was up. I've been caught and now I would have to face the music. Or chatter in Mike's case. I slowly did a one-eighty to face him. "You're right, I must know you. Let me guess, Mike…Newton?"

"Wow, you remembered! How have you been Bella? You look great, even prettier than before. I m-mean, uhh, what brings you back to Forks?" I listened patiently while he prattled on, waiting for him to finish. "I mean, you left four years ago. Everyone thought you were never coming back, I mean, we all know how your mom hated living here"

That was it; I had to stop him now. I never did like the gossip small towns brought. "Mike, I know how my mom feels about Forks, but that is our own family business. We came back because my dad was offered the position of chief of police, not to be tomorrow's gossip."

"Gosh, I'm sorry Bella. I didn't mean to…I mean I never would have…I'm sorry." It was pitiful to see Mike stammer on, so I decided to end it for both of us. "Mike, it was nice seeing you, but I really do have to go. My mom can be pretty impatient if kept waiting. I'll see you at school tomorrow." And with that I swiftly walked out the sliding doors hearing a faint good-bye from Mike's direction.

I pulled into my driveway and was unloading my bags from the trunk when I heard an annoying, high-pitched giggle coming from my right. I ignored it and started walking towards the front door. I did stop, however, when I heard my name being sneered.

"Well, if it isn't Bella. Look Lauren, she finally came back after all these years" She paused, throwing me a look of disgust before continuing "I thought Fork's was too good for your family" she spat, literally.

"What are you talking about Jessica? My dad was transferred, you know that. I thought we're friends" I knew confusion was etched across my face and couldn't stop the hurt from seeping into my voice.

"We were friends Bella, past tense. That all changed after you didn't contact. And now you return, four years later, and expect things to be the same? Welcome to reality."

"It's not like I didn't want to, I was being moved every week. Sometimes we didn't even have a phone." I defended myself, truly hurt by her words. This time Lauren spoke up.

"It's called a pay phone, and it takes like two minutes to say 'Hi, how are you?' Anyway, it's been nice seeing you again Bella, but we have to run, double date with Mike and Tyler" She emphasized the word date. As if I cared, they were too clingy anyway. They stalked down the street, hips swinging ferociously from side to side, hair flying. Before they turned the corner, Jessica looked back at me over her shoulder.

"See you in school tomorrow. Oh, and Bella? I'd watch my back if I were you, girls can be so cruel." I couldn't help but catch the sarcasm dripping from her voice. Great, not even the first day and I'm already being threatened. I sighed dejectedly and turned towards the door once again. "What is reality anyway? Is it what we see? Can we really trust our senses to arrive at a truth? Do you ever wonder we are living a lie, based on what we believe to be true?" I jumped, almost screaming, and dropped my bags. I turned to see a girl about my age leaning against my car.

"Holy hot dog you scared me!" I bent down to retrieve my fallen merchandise.

"I'm really sorry, I overheard you being bashed by the school witched and decided to be a friendly neighbor. I didn't mean to scare you" She looked so sincere, I found it difficult not to smile.

"It's alright, I scare easily. My name's Bella Swan, we just moved in here today." I extended my hand in front of me.

"Angela Weber, we moved here three years ago. I live across the street, the one with the big tree." Angela smiled while she took my hand and I couldn't help smile back at my new friend.

"What was all that stuff you were talking about earlier? You know, before I had a heart attack."

She chuckled in a good natured way, obviously having a sense of humor. I had a feeling we were going to get along famously. "You mean about reality?" she smile while holding up a book titled 'Theory of knowledge'. "I borrowed this book from school so I could read ahead. It's interesting in some areas, the examples are funny."

I groaned audibly "Don't tell me, we have to take philosophy." I never really like the subject. Sure, it was interesting enough, but my mom also loved to voice her opinions it to anyone who would listen. I didn't feel like attending a class to hear the same lectures by a teacher I'd heard enough times already.

"Yep" She nodded excitedly "although it's not exactly a philosophy class. It's more based around knowledge and how we, as knowers, came about that knowledge."

"I guess it sounds interesting, but not enough for me to actually choose it."

She immediately began laughing as I frowned, not really seeing the humor "It's not a matter of choice Bella. The teachers have determined our fate and taken away our free will by making it a mandatory course for grade twelve. If you don't pass, you don't graduate."

"Bummer"

"My friend took it last year and told me all about it. It's not really all that bad. To my knowledge, it's not a difficult course. If you contribute, you get a higher grade." I guess that sounded fair, I remember most teachers having that motto.

"On to a lighter subject, seeing on how you just moved in, do you need any help?" She was nice, really nice. Who needed Jessica when you had willing to help neighbors?

"That's all right; I don't own many things so my unpacking is already done. I should probably go in now before my mom has a panic attack. It was nice meeting you Angela."

"Same to you, and I'll see you in school tomorrow. I promise to give you the grand tour"

I chuckled at the irony of a grand school in Forks. "Sounds great, see you tomorrow Angela." I waved as I turned around to open the door. Walking passed the kitchen, straight up the stairs to my bedroom, I collapsed on my bed. I was so exhausted by the day's events that I drifted off into a deep sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

SO, pretty long. That TOK stuff was for you Caitlyn. Just to let you guys know I am currently in a theory of knowledge class, so I didn't make that up. And we recently watched the matrix so that's where all the reality stuff came from. I wasn't going to include it originally. It was going to be a reference to the reality vs. appearance theme from Macbeth that we just studied, but as soon as I began typing it, the Matrix immediately popped into my head. Chapter four will of course be the first day of school, haven't given it much thought at the moment. I must go to bed now before I fall asleep at the computer.

MLB