A/N: Here's chapter 3. No cliffy this time :) I will be updating once or twice a week since Christmas break starts in about a week. Some major stuff happens in this chapter, but don't worry, the drama is just getting started. Enjoy!


Last Chapter Recap: When I got home, I was surprised to see Caroline's car in the garage. What's she doing home so early? When I walked into the house, everything was quiet. "Mom!" I called when I walked into the living room. No answer. "Mom!" I called again; nothing. I went upstairs and looked in her room; she wasn't there. I tossed my bag in my room and walked to her study. As I got closer, I could hear two voices; Caroline's and an unfamiliar male. I pushed open the door to the study and was horrified by what I saw.

Caroline was completely naked and straddling the very last person I needed in my life at the moment; my so called father Phil. What the hell is going on? When they finally noticed me standing there, completely shocked, they jumped away from each other and covered up with pillows. "What the hell? Why are you doing this?" I yelled at Caroline and she had the nerve to shoot me an apologetic look. "Why are you with him?"

"Look, we'll talk about this in a minute, go wait in your room." She said, slowly picking her clothes up off the floor.

"Fuck that! I'm out of here." I grabbed my bag from my room and ran out to my car. The second I got the key into the ignition, I was gone without a second thought. I drove as fast as I could in my current state of shock, without knowing where the hell I was going. Why is this happening? What did I do to deserve this? Does she not care about me at all? Why is he back? How did he even get out of prison? I'll never forgive her for this. Of all the things she could do to hurt me, she does this.

When I could finally think straight I drove to First Beach, in La Push, where I spent most of my time as a kid. The beach was deserted; not a single person around. I locked my car and pulled my shoes and socks off. The wet sand under my feet took me back to when I was a kid. I closed my eyes and continued walking till my feet hit the water. The rush of the waves and the salty smell of the ocean sent chills up my spine. I looked over and saw the cliff Caroline never let me near as a kid. I remember the local boys used it for cliff diving; one of the many dumb things they did for fun. Before I could come back to my senses, I pulled my clothes off and left them in a pile near the rocks. I dropped my phone, glasses and car keys in the pile of clothes and ran up the cliff. Being completely naked and alone somehow comforted me a bit.

The bitter wind felt like heaven on my bare skin, leaving traces of heat everywhere it touched me. I stood at the top of the cliff and yanked my hair free from the ponytail it was in. For just a few seconds, my entire body felt as if it was on fire, then the numbing cold set in. my body was covered in goose bumps and my nipples were nearly frozen. The wind picked up and whipped my hair back and forth. I decided to go through with my plan before sanity and reality set back in.

I took a deep breath then threw myself off the cliff; everything after that happened in slow motion. The bitter and unforgiving wind tossed me around like a rag doll as I heard a single voice call my name. The voice was far away but very familiar. Upon impact, the freezing water hit my body like a thousand needles and I slowly began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. I could have tried to swim back to the top if I wanted to, but I didn't. Instead, I closed my eyes and let myself be pulled into the darkness. That familiar voice called out to me one more time before I was completely gone.

My lungs were burning and I could hear the ocean waves crashing onto the shore. I could hear faint voices; one of a man and the other of a little girl. I couldn't make out what they were saying though. I tried to open my eyes but the burned like crazy. I took a deep breath and my lungs were on fire. I gaped and struggled to breathe again. Why am I suffocating? I tried to move but my body was too heavy. My lungs kept burning till I felt something warm on my mouth; another mouth blowing air into me, I think. I slowly began to slip into unconsciousness. I could feel myself being lifted by a pair of strong arms, but I still couldn't move. Soon, I could hear or feel nothing. I slowly slipped back into the darkness.

My eyes opened and adjusted to the darkness around me. I shifted and little and realized in was on a bed. The room was completely dark except for the very dim moonlight seeping in through the light drapes on the window. Strewn across me was the silkiest duvet I'd ever felt. I slowly pushed the duvet off but stopped once I realized I was completely naked. Where the hell am I and why am I not dressed. Oh god, what if I've been kidnapped and turned into a sex slave of some sort. I have to calm down; I can't put myself in bad scenarios yet. The bedroom door, which was directly in front of me, opened very slowly letting in very little light.

I shifted uncomfortably and braced myself for whatever would come next. The dark figure of a woman walked over to me and stopped at my side. My heart went into overdrive. Her hand reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. The light was dim, but it was enough for me to see her face. My vision was a little fuzzy but I could tell she was a very beautiful woman with long, thick brown hair. Her eyes were a beautiful sharp blue and she had high cheekbones. Her small hand slowly moved forward and rested on my forehead.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, her voice a near whisper.

"Where am I?" I croaked. My throat was sore and caught on fire as soon as the words were out of my mouth. She smiled a beautiful and gentle smile. Her smile was very familiar; it reminded me of someone else's smile, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Don't worry, you're safe. Do you remember anything?" She asked. Her voice was innocent and velvety; almost like an angel. Am I in heaven? Maybe I died. I shook my head no and she nodded. "It will all come back to you eventually sweetheart." She said and walked over to the dresser. "Let's get you dressed shall we." She said and was back at my side with clothes. She helped me sit up and get dressed. I was kind of nervous to be naked in front of a total stranger, but again, I felt like I could trust her. Once I was dressed, she handed me my glasses. Now that I could see more clearly, she looked even more beautiful.

She led me out of the room and down a spiral staircase. She held my hand so I wouldn't trip and fall. We walked into a beautiful living room, where she had a hot cup of tea waiting for me. I took a seat and she handed me the cup. "Drink up while I go make you something to eat." She said and disappeared into what I assume is a kitchen. I sat awkwardly by the blazing fireplace and drank my tea. I wanted to get up and look around but decided against it for fear of what I might find. I went over to the big window on the right and looked outside. Everything was covered in white and there was tons of snow falling from the sky. The sound of light footsteps coming down the stairs startled me. I jumped a little and quickly turned around.

Emmett. I didn't know what to do or say so I stood there, awkwardly holding the cup of tea. He looked angry; angry and tortured. In a sick and twisted way, he looked beautiful. Shadows from the fire danced on his face and set his eye ablaze. "What the hell were you thinking?" He asked, looking more tormented with each word that brushed past his lips. What is he talking about?

My eyes closed and the image of a girl on a cliff flashed through my mind. "Were you even thinking?" He looked more tortured than before. I blinked and another image flashed through my mind. A naked girl falling from a cliff and hitting the water. Shivers ran down my spine and all the sudden, I was there; standing at a distance, watching the girl throw herself off the cliff and drown. Oh god, it's me. My lungs began to burn again and I couldn't breathe; I felt as if I was drowning all over again. It all makes sense:

Phil and Caroline. I saw them and ran. Realization dawned upon me; I tried to kill myself—I tried to drown myself. I looked up at Emmett and he looked as if he was in pain. I dropped the now empty cup and fell to the floor as tears burned my eyes. I tried to kill myself. Oh god, I tried to kill myself. What is wrong with me? Emmett walked over and picked me up. He sat me on the couch and held me while I cried.

"Why would you do something so stupid huh?" He asked and held me tighter. After what seemed like hours of crying, I pulled away from Emmett and tried to calm myself. His thumbs slid beneath my glasses and wiped my tears away.

"You want to tell me what's going on? What was so bad that you felt the need to throw yourself off a cliff?" He asked and grabbed a blue blanket from the couch. He draped the blanket around my shivering form and moved us closer to the fire.

"I don't know. I guess I just lost it. One minute I'm yelling at my mom and the next minute I'm drowning." I whispered and he put his arm around me.

"You want to talk about it?"

"When I got home from school my mom's car was in the garage. She's usually never home before me, so of course I was suspicious. I went to her study and she was in there, doing god knows what with him." Tears were pouring down my face and I didn't bother to wipe them away.

"Who?"

I nearly chocked trying to say his name. "…. Phil."

"Who's Phil?" He asked, wanting to know the answer but not wanting to push me.

"It started when I was six; I had a nightmare and Phil came to my room. He lay in bed with me like he always did when I had nightmares, but that night was different. He molested me. Of course I was too young to know it was wrong so I said nothing. I finally told my mom just before I turned fourteen and she was pissed. She called tried calling the cops but he threatened her. They would argue every night and she would try to get us out of the house; he always hit her though. On my fourteenth birthday, he took off and we didn't hear from him for months. He showed up one day and my mom called the cops. He went to prison and we moved to Forks." Emmett was quiet. He held me tighter as I began to cry harder.

After a few minutes, Emmett pulled away a little and looked into my eyes. "Bella, who's Phil?"

"My dad." Just saying those two words made me feel dirty. My tongue burned with disgust and I burned with shame. I looked away from Emmett's eyes and began to sob. I couldn't look at him anymore, I was too ashamed.

"Bella, I am so sorry." He said and tightened his embrace on me.

"He was at my house. Caroline was having sex with him. How can she do that to me?" I sobbed. I cried for another half hour before I could pull myself together. "Can I stay here just for tonight?" I asked, praying to god he wouldn't say no.

"Bella, you can stay as long as you want to." He said, and tucked a few hairs behind my ear. "I put your car in the garage."

"Thanks." I said, looking down at my hands.

He seemed to sense my discomfort and need to be alone. "I'll be right back; I'm going to help my mom in the kitchen really quick." He said and I nodded. Once he left, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I sat and watched the fire for a long time, only turning when I got the feeling I was being watched. I turned around and saw Emmett's sister on the staircase, watching me. She slowly walked over to me and smiled.

"Are you staying for dinner?" She asked cutely. Her voice was so adorable. Looking at her shifted my thoughts back to Phil. I didn't really know what to say so I shrugged. "Silly, that's not an answer." She giggled. I smiled a little.

"I would like to stay, but only if it's okay with you and your mom." I said and she nodded.

"It's okay. You can stay. We can eat and play with my barbies and watch a princess movie and brush my hair." She said, counting all the different activities off her fingers.

"Marti, quit bugging her." Emmett said as he walked back into the living room. "Go watch tv or something."

"No mister, you go watch tv or something!" She yelled and put her tiny hands on her hips. She made the cutest angry face at him.

"Marti, stop it." He said, setting a full cup of hot tea on the coffee table.

"No, you stop it! I'm mad at you!" She said and sat next to me.

"Fine, I'm not your friend anymore." Emmett said and turned away from her.

"I don't care! Bella will be my friend, right princess Bella?" She asked with a cute pout and I nodded.

"I'll be your friend Marti."

"We can make a castle. And you can be a princess and I can be a princess and he can be the ugly frog that can't turn into a handsome prince because he's a meanie." She said, pointing at Emmett. I giggled and nodded in agreement.

"He's not handsome enough to be a prince anyway." She nodded her agreement.

"Rude! I'm too handsome to be a prince, now go wash up for dinner before I eat you!" He said, picking her up and tossing her in the air. She giggled and squealed, then ran to the kitchen when he put her down.

"She's adorable." I said, slowly sipping my tea. The warmth was soothing and my throat didn't hurt as much anymore.

"You okay?" He asked and I nodded.

"How'd you find me?" I don't know how he managed to find me; the beach was deserted.

"I was at the beach with Marti all day. I was drying her off and changing her clothes when I saw your car pull up. I didn't know it was you at first. We got in the car and drove off, but Marti said she forgot her bucket. We went back to look for it and I saw your crazy ass getting naked." He said with a smirk. I blushed a little; he saw me naked. "I didn't know what you were doing till I saw you run up the cliff and get ready to jump. I called out to you just as you threw yourself off. I called out again but you had already hit the water and you were sinking. I yelled for Marti to call my mom and tell her there was an emergency at the beach, then I jumped in after you. Your body was completely limp when I pulled you out of the water. I did CPR till my mom got there and took over. As soon as we got home, I filled the tub with warm water and put you inside. I then dried you and took you to bed." He said, his cheeks growing pink.

"Thank you, you saved my life. I honestly owe you my life. I don't know what I was thinking." I said, still wondering how the hell I thought throwing myself off a cliff would fix anything.

"Don't worry about it." He said. His mom walked into the living room, carrying Marti. She smiled at me and I looked away in embarrassment. I didn't want her to think I was some psychopath that frequently turned to suicide to fix my problems.

"Bella, this is my mom, Evelyn. Mom, this is my good friend Bells." Emmett introduced us and I stood up to shake her hand.

"Are you feeling better honey?"

"Yes I am. Thank you for everything." I said and she smiled.

"It's no problem at all. You can stay here for as long as you want." Her smile was so much like Emmett's, that's why I thought it was so familiar before. "You two wash up for dinner." She said and went back to the kitchen. After washing our hands, we went to the dining room for dinner. They talked about a lot and tried to include me in the conversations. I didn't talk unless I was answering a question. I remembered that Emmett didn't go to school and made a mental note to ask him about it later.

After we ate, Emmett suggested I go lay down, but I insisted on helping clear the table and loading the dishwasher. Once everything was cleaned up, Evelyn pulled Emmett aside to talk to him before taking Marti upstairs to give her a bath. "You probably shouldn't go to school tomorrow." Emmett said, leading me back to the living room. He turned on the tv and flipped through the channels. He finally settled on a channel playing a Christmas movie. "Why the hell are they showing Christmas films when Christmas isn't for another three and a half months? " He complained.

"Why weren't you at school?" I asked. I wanted to be more subtle but I couldn't think of another way to ask.

"Marti asked me to take her to the beach." He said simply.

"Alice said you would be out for the rest of the week."

"Yeah. Mom has a meeting in California and I'd rather stay home with Marti than leave her at daycare all day." He smiled. "She's said she hates it there and asked me to stay home with her, so I figured, why the hell not."

I wanted to ask why he never texted me back, but I decided it wasn't important. "Awww, but I want princess Bella to do it." Marti yelled from upstairs.

"Go to bed Marti!" Emmett yelled and shook his head. Marti ran down the stairs and jumped into the couch.

"Will you brush my hair princess Bella?" She asked and waved the brush in her hand.

"Go to bed Marti. Just ignore her Bella." Emmett said and changed the channel.

"I don't think we asked for his opinion." I whispered to Marti and she giggled.

"Yeah, so mind your own business mister!" She yelled and handed me the brush. After brushing her hair for five minutes, she fell asleep. I usually don't like kids, but there's something so cute about Marti.

Emmett held his arms out. "I'll take her to bed." He picked Marti up and took her upstairs. I lied on the couch and fell asleep before Emmett got back. My eyes opened when I felt myself being lifted. I was met with Emmett's blue eyes. "Let's go to bed sleepyhead." He said and went up the stairs. Part of me wanted to tell him to put me down, but a bigger part like being carried by him so I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

Something is weighing me down. Is someone sitting on me? I felt a slight tickle on my nose. What is that? I brushed my finger across my nose to get rid of the tickle. It was gone for just a moment but returned within seconds. I brushed it away again, but this time it didn't go away. When I opened my eyes, I was met with Marti's big blue orbs. She giggled and tickled my face with the pink feather she was holding. "Princess Bella, you're awake!" She laughed and bounced on my stomach. Emmett picked her up and sat her on the floor.

"Okay monster, go eat breakfast." He said and she frowned.

"I am not a monster!" She was offended.

"Please forgive me your highness; I am but a slimy and lowly frog wanting to become a handsome prince." He said and held out his arms. She quickly jumped into his arms and he kissed her.

"Ewww, you have cooties!" She wiped off her cheek and jumped out of his arms. "Mommy, Emmett put cooties on my face!" She giggled as she ran out of the room.

"You should come eat breakfast." He turned to leave but stopped in the doorway. He pulled my phone out of his pocket and set it on the dresser. "Your mom called, she wants you to go home." He said and scratched his head uncomfortably. Home is the last place I want to be. He left after that. I put on my glasses and brushed my teeth. Emmett and Marti were at the table eating breakfast when I came into the kitchen.

"How are you feeling Bella?" Evelyn asked, handing me a cup of coffee.

"Good. Thanks for letting me stay here last night." I said, desperately trying to sound normal.

"It's no problem dear, you're welcome here anytime." She said and I nodded my thanks.

Emmett mumbled something with a mouth full of cereal but I couldn't understand him.

"Ewww, close your mouth." Marti laughed and threw a few crumbs of toast at him.

He glared at her and rubbed the toast out of his hair. "You don't have to leave if you don't want to." He said after swallowing his cereal.

"I have to go home at some point." I replied, staring into my coffee.

"Actually you don't; you're a legal adult." He said, pointing his spoon at me.

"She'll eventually call the cops and report me missing."

"So what, they can't do anything either. Like I said, you're a legal adult, and technically, you're not missing because you told her you were leaving." He did have a point. "You can stay here . . . but only if you want to."

I smiled but didn't answer. It's nice of Emmett and his mom to let me stay, but I'm not going to overstay my welcome. After breakfast, I grabbed my car keys and headed to the garage. "Are you leaving?" Am I leaving? I don't want to, but I feel like I should.

"Yeah, I probably should." I couldn't look at him so I looked down.

"No, you shouldn't, not while that creep is still there." He said, his anger flaring. When I looked up, his eyes had darkened and his gorgeous pink lips were pursed into a thin line.

"I'll be fine." I think, I added in my head.

"I don't think you'll be fine. Why are you leaving? You don't have to go back there, not now." He said and moved closer.

"You expect me to stay here because you think I can't face Phil?" I was a little annoyed by this.

"No, I expect you to stay here so you don't get hurt again." He gently caressed my cheek.

"Even if I decide to stay, I gotta go home and get a few things."

"I can go get whatever you need."

"I'm perfectly capable of picking up my own belongings."

"Fine, I'll go with you." It was a reasonable request so I nodded and got in my car. The closer we got to my house, the more nervous I got. By the time I pulled into the driveway, my heart was practically jumping out of my chest. My hands shook as I unlocked the front door and walked in. Emmett put his hand on my shoulder to calm me down. I closed the door quietly and we went up to my room as silently as possible.

Once in my room, I grabbed a duffel bag and stuffed it with clothes. I also took my laptop and the charger for my phone and stuffed them both in the bag. Emmett took the bag and my schoolbooks out to my car while I looked around for anything else I might need. I went into my closet and grabbed the box where I kept all the pictures of me over the years. I stacked the rest of my school supplies on the box. Upon walking back into my room, I was hit with a realization; I'll never sleep in this room again. Hell, this might be the last time I ever walk into this room. That's fine though, I can live without ever coming back to this house. With that thought, I went downstairs. Just as I walked into the living room I heard Caroline. "Oh god Bella, I've been so worried about you." I turned to see her standing in the hall, holding Phil's hand. The bastard had the nerve to smile at me. Caroline ran up to me and began to pull me into a hug. I pushed her away and stumbled backwards. I dropped everything I was holding. Leave it to my clumsy ass to get my feet caught in the rug and fall back. Luckily though, Emmett caught me. How many times is he going to sweep in like Superman and save me?

Chills ran up my spine and my body was visibly shaking. Being in the same room as Phil was nauseating. I could feel myself swaying a little. Emmett steadied me and kept his hand at the small of my back.

"You ready to go?" He asked, his strained eyes never leaving Phil. His jaw was set and his face flushed with anger; angry Emmett is sexy in a twisted way. I nodded slightly and turned towards the door. "Bella, where are you going?"

"Don't worry about where I'm going Caroline. Don't expect me back anytime soon either." I snapped, knowing for sure that I wouldn't be coming back. My voice shook and broke a little with every word I said.

"She'll be back." Phil grunted.

"Don't hold your breath." That was the last thing I said. Emmett picked up my stuff and led me out to the passenger side of my car. He put the box and supplies in the back seat and I handed him the keys without question. I was in no state to drive. The further we got from my house, the better I felt. I was now less nauseous and the knots in my stomach were beginning to loosen.

"Take me to the bank." I said and Emmett nodded. I had to clear my account before Phil convinced Caroline to do anything stupid like freezing my account. He's conniving and manipulative and I have to take precautions to stay a few steps ahead of him. Emmett waited in the car while I transferred my savings and college funds into another account. I decided to take some money out of Caroline's account while I was at it; better safe than sorry.

"Can I speak to John?" I asked the lady who had helped me with the transfers. John is Caroline's personal accountant and I'm sure he can help me.

"He's out sick today." Just my luck. "Did you need him now or can it wait till tomorrow?" She asked, popping her gum.

"Yeah it's kind of urgent, he's my mom's accountant and she needs me to transfer some money for her." I lied.

"I can help you with that right now if you want. I just need some identification to match to your mom's file." She said and typed something into her computer. "Are you listed on your mom's account?" I nodded and handed her my driver's license. She asked for Caroline's name and account number then typed more things into her computer.

"How much do you want to transfer?" she asked.

"Half of everything." I said and she nearly chocked.

"Are you sure?" she tried to shake off her shock.

"Positive." She didn't look too sure but completed the transaction anyway.

"Ok, we're all done here."

"Thanks for your help." She looked unsure but nodded.

I ran back to the car and breathed a sigh of relief. My hands were shaking from fear of getting caught and I was glad to be back in the car. "You okay?" Emmett asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yeah; just a little shaken up but I think I'll be fine." I took deep breaths to calm myself. When he pulled into his garage, neither of us moved an inch. "I should get an apartment." I said, kinda shocking myself with the sudden announcement.

"You can stay here." He said, motioning to his house.

"I can't stay here forever Emmett."

"Sure you can." He smiled but the smile didn't reach his eyes like it usually does.

"I can't lie down and take defeat; I gotta get back on my feet and keep moving." I said, looking at my hands. I couldn't go back to Caroline and I couldn't hide out at Emmett's forever, so an apartment is the next best thing.

"I'll help you look this weekend." He was trying to sound supportive, despite his disapproval.

"Thanks."

"Once you get a place, Alice can help you make it all girly and whatnot." He said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh god, I bet it will end up looking like a unicorn threw up everywhere." I said, laughing as we got out of the car. The rest of the day was nice. We watched movies with Marti and I tried to forget my problems for the time being. Evelyn cancelled her trip to California so that Emmett and I wouldn't miss more school. I felt bad and tried to talk her out of it but she was determined to get us back to school.

"Ready for school tomorrow?" Emmett was leaning against wall.

"I guess. I keep feeling like it might be different, even though I know it won't be. I mean, none of this crap will affect my school life at all." I sighed and he smiled.

"You'll be fine. You're too much of a badass to let this bring you down." He joked.

"I sure hope you're right." I wanted to believe him, but I know there's more shit heading my way. Phil and Caroline aren't going to just magically disappear. I took my stuff up to the room where I was staying and texted Alice.

'Busy this weekend?'
-Bella

She texted back almost immediately.

'Why what's up? We were going to do laundry and study weren't we?'

I rolled my eyes. She probably thinks I'm cancelling.

'You wanna help me look for an apartment instead?'

Again, her response was quick.

'Are you moving?'

'Moving out."

'Why?'

"Parental issues.' I left it at that.

'Okay, I'm free Saturday.'

'Thanks.'

'Coming to school tomorrow?'

'Yeah. Why?'

'We'll talk in first hour.' Was all she said.

'K.' I hooked my phone to the charger and lied down.

I was wondering whether or not to go back to Caroline's for the rest of my shoes and clothes when Emmett popped his head into the room. "How are you holding up?" He asked, not coming into the room.

"For the last time, I'm fine. I was just about to go to bed." I said and he nodded.

"Don't be annoyed. I'm used to looking out for people, I'm not trying to suffocate you or anything." He grinned.

"It's fine, I'm just stressed."

"Get some sleep." He said as I pulled the blankets over my head. "Good night." He said and flipped off the lights.

"Night." I was out like a light after that.

I woke up to Emmett nudging me. "Get ready for school." He said and left. I took a quick shower and pulled on jeans and a tank. My stomach was in knots when I went downstairs. The thought of going to school still had me nervous. I need to calm down, it's not like anyone other than Emmett will know what happened. Evelyn had to take Marti to daycare then head to work so she left before we did.

"Nervous?" Emmett chuckled.

"A little."

"I know what'll make you feel better."

"What?" he tossed me his bike helmet and smiled. He wants me to ride on his bike? I don't think so. I may be nervous but I haven't lost my mind. I shook my head and his smile grew wider.

""Do you trust me?"

"Well, sort of, but-"

"Then what are you waiting for, let's go." He dropped his cereal bowl in the sink and pulled me out to the garage. There was a door on the left side of the garage and I was pretty sure it didn't lead back into the house. He pushed the door open and waited for me to walk in. He flipped on the light and my mouth flew open. Holy shit.

"Take your pick." He said, motioning to a long row or Ducatis. There must have been at least a hundred bikes. I looked at him in shock; I couldn't even speak. "These are my toys." He said with a smug grin. The bright pink bike on the end caught my eye and I smiled a little.

"Pink?" I asked after getting past the initial shock.

"Hey, I'm sensitive at heart." He chuckled. "We can take the pink one if you want." He said and swapped the helmet he gave me with a pink one. I put on the helmet and waited eagerly for him to pull it out of the garage and shut the door. He got on the bike and I got on behind him. "I promise to go slow so you don't get sick." He said and waved his crossed fingers in front of me. I held on tight as he turned the key and took off. He began at a reasonable pace then accelerated. I don't know which was better, the rush I got as everything blurred past us or the chills I got from clinging onto Emmett. Part of me was a little scared because the road was covered in ice and it was snowing just a little bit but I was ok for the most part.

He slowed down just a bit as we neared the school zone. I was a bit disappointed when he pulled into the parking lot and parked in his usual spot. I grudgingly let go of him and got off the bike. People were looking in our direction and that surprisingly pushed my nerves away. I suppose they knew it was Emmett, but they were wondering who was on the bike with him. I pulled off the helmet and pulled my glasses out of my bag. Emmett took the helmet and we walked toward the main building. He picked up a handful of snow and sprinkled it over me. "The ice queen has arrived." He snickered and I hit him in the arm.

"Shut up." I mumbled and tried to ignore the stares we were getting. I could care less about the whispers and shocked looks I was getting, it just annoyed me to know that they were probably saying stuff about Emmett too.

"Don't worry about them." He said when my face fell a little.

"Bella!" I looked around, trying to see the person calling me. "Over here!" Alice giggled and ran over, her boyfriend trailing behind her. The girls she was talking to shot glares in my direction then walked off.

"Look what I got." She handed me a newspaper and I gave her a puzzled look.

"Umm, thanks?" I said, unsure of what exactly I was thanking her for.

"Flip to page three." She rolled her eyes. I flipped to the page and saw ads for several apartments. Some were actually decent. "No need to thank me, I already know how wonderful I am." She said and took a few bows.

"I'm gonna go catch up with Edward. I'll meet up with you in second hour." Her boyfriend said and kissed her. "I'll see you at lunch Emmett . . . Bella." He said with a nod and took off.

"Alice, this is great." I said as I read over the information to see which apartment suited me best.

"I also happen to know a great furniture store that's doing a sale on Saturday, we can check it out and see if we can find anything you like." She said and smiled her creepy smile.

"Sounds great." Her smile got wider. She must want something. "Why are you smiling?"

"No reason; helping friends out of the goodness of my heart makes me smile." I didn't buy that for one second.

"Bull." She giggled.

"I was thinking that it would be kinda cool if you lived near me. The complex I live in has great apartments. I could even help you decorate." She said and batted her lashed extra hard. I didn't think she lived in an apartment.

"You live in an apartment?" I was a bit taken aback.

"Yup, kinda have to when you're dirt poor." She giggled.

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.

"Do I not look poor enough for an apartment?" Emmett laughed and I remembered he was standing right next to us.

"No, you look pretty poor." He laughed and Alice laughed along.

How the heck is being poor funny? "Oh my god, you though I was some rich brat didn't you?" Alice accused, rightfully so, and I gasped.

"No. I just . . . I thought-" I was speechless.

"It's fine. People always assume since Jasper is loaded, his girlfriend must also be loaded. I mean, I'm not ass poor, but I'm poor. The apartments I live at are kinda big, I think you'll like it once you see for yourself."

"I'd feel a lot better knowing that you live near someone you know as opposed to total strangers." Emmett said and I nodded. He had a point. It sucks enough that I have to live alone, so it would help knowing that there's someone near I can talk to or call over when I get too hung up on thoughts of Phil. I wish everything that had to do with the bastard would just erase from my memory.

"There's also a grocery store and gas station just a few blocks away, which brings me back to the point that I can be your personal decorator." Alice threw in.

"I'll check it out after school. If I get a good place, you can go nuts; decorate till your little heart gives out." I said and she smiled.

"You won't regret it." The bell rang just as we walked into Novak's class. I smiled at Novak when he looked up at me but his eyes hardened and he turned back to his computer. What the hell is up with that? I'm going to talk to him about this later. He passed out a worksheet and gave the instructions.

"If you finish, turn it in and work on something else, if not, finish it for homework and turn it in tomorrow when you walk in." Novak said and went back to his seat. I went up to his desk and waited for him to look up; he didn't. I cleared my throat and waited; still nothing.

"Hey." I said and his head snapped up.

"What?" He asked harshly. What the heck is up with the third degree?

"What the hell's up your ass?" I grumbled and his gaze got colder.

"What do you want Miss Swan?" he asked through nearly gritted teeth.

"I was going to ask why you're being such a prick but I can see that my presence bothers you, so I'll go away now." Snapped and went back to my seat. I completed the stupid worksheet and slammed it onto his desk. A few people looked up, clearly wondering what the hell had gotten into me.

"If you're done turn in your worksheet before you leave. Miss Swan, I'd like to see you right after class." Novak said a few minutes before class ended.

"Yeah, well don't hold your breath." I said and grabbed my bag. Alice shot me a puzzled look and I shrugged. The bell rang and I got ready to leave.

"What's going on with you two?" She asked and looked over at Novak.

"Nothing."

"If we're going to be friends, you gotta stop shutting me out. I only want to help you." She said and I sighed. I felt bad because I knew she was only looking out for me.

"I'll fill you in at lunch." I said and she nodded. With that, she left. I was just about to leave when Novak cleared his throat. Emmett Laughed and waved.

"Don't get in too much trouble." He snickered.

"What?" I wasn't even going to play nice with Novak.

"What you said at the beginning of class was inappropriate." He crossed his arms.

"So, give me detention or write a referral or something. Anything that gets me out of standing here and acting like I give a rat's ass bout this conversation." I said and crossed my arms as well.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't mean to snap at you earlier, I had a bad morning."

"Yeah, and I had a shitty week, but you don't see me taking my shit out on others." I grumbled.

"Don't be a brat, I'm trying to apologize."

"Well then quit trying to apologize and actually do it." His eyes widened and he smirked.

"You know what; I don't owe you an apology. As far as I'm concerned, you're the cause of my pissy morning." Some nerve he has.

"I'm glad we've established that much, but as far as I'm concerned, you can go to hell." I turned and walked away at that point. "Asshole." I muttered and pushed past the students that were pouring into his class. What the hell have I done to piss him off? His ass was already pissed when I walked in this morning. Screw him, he can go to hell. Every class after that just pretty much worsened my mood. By the time lunch rolled around, I was so full of anger, I could cry; I wanted nothing more than to drop everything and run till I couldn't feel anything.

Alice cornered me in the hallway, just a few feet away from the cafeteria. "Ready to talk?"

"Sure, why not." At this point, I really felt like I had nothing to lose. I was too stressed and as much as I hate to admit it, I needed to talk to someone, preferably someone I can trust. I needed to say something, anything, to ease the pressure and blow some steam.

We went out to the baseball field and sat on the bleachers. I ended up telling her a lot more than I wanted to. I told her about the crappy childhood that led up to the crappy life I'm currently living. I told her about Phil and everything he did. I also told her about how much I hate not being able to fit in. I even told her about the countless nights I cried myself to sleep because I just didn't know what to do with myself; because I couldn't love myself like I should. She didn't say a word throughout the entire time I spoke. She just held my hand and urged me to let it out. I told her how much I hated being the weird girl. How much I hated the fact that I wasn't pretty like the other girls, I was so plain; the endless amount of time I spent in front of the mirror, picking myself apart. I finally told her about Phil coming back and my irrational decision to jump off the cliff.

"And the worst part is, I don't think anyone would have noticed I was gone if I had actually died that afternoon. Life would go on as if I never existed." I sobbed. All the hurt and self loathing I repressed was now spilling out.

"That's not true you know; if you were gone, I would notice. Emmett and Jasper and your mom, they would notice too. And all the people in this school who envy you would notice." She said, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. Anyone envy me? Now that's rich. Fat chance of that ever happening. I felt a hand bigger than Alice's on my shoulder and I jumped. I turned to see Emmett and Jasper not too far from him.

I stiffened when I realized they might have heard what I said. Jasper's face wasn't as hard as usual; his face had softened a little and he was giving me a sympathetic look. I didn't want sympathy but somehow I think he knew that. Alice pulled me into a hug and I held onto her for dear life. I felt as if I'd be swallowed up by my problems if I let go of her, so I didn't. She ran her hands through my hair and comforted me. Emmett and jasper sat near us but said nothing. I was hit with a strange wave of relief when I stopped crying. It wasn't the kind of relief people feel in the movies; you know, the one where they feel as if everything is going to be okay and they will be able to move on from whatever they are experiencing. I felt the kind of relief that people feel in the real world; the one where you don't know what's going to happen, but you know that you'll be fine as long as you allow yourself time to heal and adjust.

"Let's go get cleaned up." Alice said and we went to the bathroom. Emmett and Jasper waited outside while Alice and I washed our faces and fixed our hair. "After we find you a place this weekend, you can come back to my place and I'll paint your nails. I have a color that will look fabulous on you." She said, pushing the recent mess behind us.

"Uh, sure." I wasn't quite sure what else to say; I've never had a friend, especially not one that wanted to paint my nails. When the bell rang, Alice promised to meet up in the parking lot after school then she and Emmett went to their class. I walked silently beside Jasper and looked straight forward. I wasn't that uncomfortable around him anymore; I mean, he's seen the part of me most people will never see and didn't judge me. "You're not plain at all. You're one of the most beautiful girls at this school; you rank somewhere near Alice." He said. I was shocked for a second.

"Thanks." I didn't know what to make of his comment. For the first time, Japer didn't sit in the back of the room, he sat near me. He stayed quiet for the most part, but it was still very kind of him. "I hate this class." I mumbled and he looked at me quizzically.

"Think of all the different ways you can kill Tanya Denali, it'll help pass the time." He said, shooting her daggers.

"I'll take a wild guess and say you don't like her." He nodded.

"The girl practically lives at my house. She and Rosalie are inseparable. I want to shoot myself every time she comes over." He said and shot daggers at Rosalie, his twin sister. I smiled a little and looked at Rosalie.

"Your sister is very pretty." She's probably just as shallow as Tanya though, I thought to myself. Of course I'm not better than all the other jerks, because I'm sitting here stereotyping her.

"Eh." He chuckled. "She's the least shallow of all her friends. I think you'll like her if you get to know her." I thought that over for the rest of the class period. Me and Rosalie Hale becoming friends? That's just as likely as me and Tanya becoming friends and that's never going to happen so there. When class was over, Jasper quietly walked me to my next class. "See you after school." He said and walked away when I nodded,

Once school was out, I slowly walked out to the parking lot to meet Emmett, Alice and Jasper. I got more stares than usual as I crossed the parking lot; I didn't let it bother me though. Emmett was leaning against his bike, waiting for me. "You okay?" He asked when I was directly in front of him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I didn't really know if that was true or not, but I went with it. His eyes darkened at my answer and his hand came up to my face. His index finger slowly inched forward and swiftly slid across my cheek. His touch was feather light yet it left a blazing trail of warmth upon every inch of my skin that it made contact with. His now dark blue eyes gazed into my brown ones. He removed my glasses and again gazed into my eyes.

"I wish you could see how beautiful you are. I wasn't lying the day I met you when I said that you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met." He whispered with a sad smile and stroked my cheek once more. His touch sent shivers through my body.

"I'm not beautiful." I said so quietly that it was almost as if I hadn't said it. I didn't think he'd hear me.

His hands dropped back to his sides. "I'll prove you wrong." He said, putting my glassed in his bag and securing the helmet on my head. I sighed and tried to look anywhere but in his direction.

"Are we not waiting for Alice?" He started his bike and got on.

"We're meeting her at her place." I got on and he sped off. He pulled up to some very nice looking apartments. After parking, he led me up some stairs then knocked on a door. The door opened almost immediately, revealing a very vibrant Alice. She stepped aside and let us in. Her apartment wasn't at all what I imagined it would be; quite the opposite actually. The living room was big and nicely furnished. The color of the walls and furniture complimented each other nicely; her living room looked like the kinds of living room you only saw in magazines or on tv.

Jasper was lazily sprawled out on the couch, watching tv. Alice yanked me up as soon as I sat down. "You boys hang out in here while Bella and I go have a talk." She said and led me away. She pushed open a door and shoved me into a room which I assumed was hers. The walls were a light purple and her bedding was all light blue. The room wasn't enormous but it wasn't small either, it was the perfect size. She closed the door and pushed me over to the bed. I sat up in time to watch her reach under her bed and pull out tons of magazines.

She spread out the magazines and looked up at me. "I was thinking we should look through a few magazines to get ideas on how to decorate your new place."

"Alice, I don't even have a place yet. Don't you think I need an apartment before we start talking décor?" I asked and she shook her head.

"You'll have a place soon enough. The apartment just across the parking lot is vacant; let's go take a look, I know you'll love it."

"I thought we'd look over the weekend."

"Why wait, it's just right there." She said ad pointed out her window. I looked out the window and nodded.

"Okay, let's go have a look." She quickly grabbed my arm and nearly dragged me out of the apartment and down the stairs. She ran into the lobby to get someone to let us into the apartment. The apartment wasn't bad at all. I actually liked it, the kitchen was big enough to accommodate me and a few people, the living room was the same size as Alice's and there were two bedrooms. I could turn one into a work room. The bathroom was also a decent size. Living there would cost about $750 a month, water and electricity included. Not too bad I suppose.

"We could lifeguard at the local pool for some extra cash or work at the coffee shop across the grocery store." Alice said as we walked back to the lobby to get a lease form. I filled out the form and put down $400 as a down payment.

"You can move in whenever you'd like." The woman at the desk said and handed me a set of keys.

"I guess I'll move on Saturday." It's hardly a move, seeing as I barely have anything to move.

"Saturday morning we can go look for furniture and supplies. We'll get you stocked on food too so that when you do move in, you'll have everything.


A/N: Aww, poor Bella is going to have to furnish her place and live alone. I hoped you liked the chap, I loved writing the scene where she's at the beach about to jump off the cliff; I almost felt as if I were the one jumping lol. Anywho, leave your thoughts in a review.