Chapter three, up a lot sooner than the last, you're welcome ;)

A few people said they weren't fond of this Bella and I understand that because let's face it, I'm portraying her to be a bit of a bitch. The only reason I like her is because I know why she's behaving this way, I assure you all that Bella will become more likeable, she's just a very troubled person and all will be revealed in later chapters.

Chapter Three

"Where's Leah?" I asked between great mouthfuls of food, I knew I needed to eat because otherwise I'd be chucking it up tomorrow morning but I was in a bit of a rush as it was already half seven and I still had to shower and wash my hair. I was going to look amazing tonight, nobody was going to be able to say no, but I needed the time to get ready – without raising Charlie's suspicions.

"She's sleeping round Emily's house tonight." Sue told me, eyeing the way I was shovelling pasta into my mouth with distaste.

I knew Leah told her some bullshit story. The only reason I wasn't bitching on her was because I wanted to be at that party. Once we were both there she had no way of telling Charlie I had gone to the party unless she wanted me to drop her in it too.

"How is that fair?" My question was directed at Charlie.

"Sue trusts her, Bella, and it's her decision. I respect that, much the same way Sue respects my decisions when it comes to you."

I shrugged. Whatever. I got up and washed my empty plate before heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Charlie arched an eyebrow.

"I have a load of English homework to do."

"It's the first day back."

"Yeah, well, that didn't seem to matter to the new English teacher. He's a douche."

"Language," Sue murmured. Ha, should have heard what your daughter was saying earlier today.

"Bella's right," Seth piped in. My gaze flickered to his eager face, confused. Edward was being a dick to Seth? "I got loads of homework from him as well. Can you help me with it?" He looked at me with a hopeful smile. I sighed, I really needed to get ready but how the hell could I say no to him when he had to put up with a sister like his? I felt obligated to show him what it would be like to have a big sister that didn't treat him like dog shit on her shoe.

"Sure," I gave him a small smile. "Want help now?"

He nodded gratefully and jumped up to wash his plate. "I'll do that Seth, you and Bella go start on your homework." Sue told him. I saw her and Charlie share a look of pleasant surprise.

Yes, I thought, I can be nice when I want to be.

"Come on." Seth followed me upstairs and into my room. I sat on my bed but frowned when he shut the door loudly behind him. "Aren't you gonna get your homework?"

Seth grinned, "Don't have any."

I simply stared in question.

"Well, I thought you wanted to go to that party."

"How do you know about that?" It was the kids first day of high school.

"Leah was always whining on about how she was never invited, even though she was dating the football team's star player, yet you were always invited." He said.

"Okay…" I said slowly, "but what's that got to do with your homework?"

"I thought it would be a good cover for you. Doubt the rents would try to disturb us what with them being pretty happy about our 'bonding' over English. I could go down later before bed, tell them we finished our homework and you've gone to bed." He trailed off and looked increasingly worried, probably thinking I thought he was being childish or something along those lines. The eager look on his face downstairs and the slamming of my bedroom door was starting to make sense.

"Seth," I said, "you're a genius." I stood and kissed his cheek. He blushed and shrugged his shoulders.

"No biggie." But it was clear to see he was pretty pleased with himself.

I laughed at his would-be blasé attitude and pushed him gently towards the door.

"Wait, you should give me your number."

"Why?" I asked.

"So I can call you if they get suspicious or anything."

I grinned pulling out my phone and handing it to him as he gave me his.

"Seth, you are officially the best. But I gotta get ready."

He laughed, "Yeah, I know, gotta spend hours in the bathroom doing your make-up."

"Hey," I arched an eyebrow teasingly, "I don't take that long, I'm naturally beautiful."

"If you say so." He laughed and ran to the door as I threw a pillow at him.

"Yeah you better run."

He chuckled and whispered mischievously, "See you tomorrow morning, bright and early." and closed the door softly behind him. I shuddered.

Just over an hour later I opened my bedroom window and dropped my black, peep-toe heels to the ground and swung my legs out so I was sat on the ledge. I lowered myself with my arms until my toes were touching the branch below and I hopped off the ledge, my hands gripping onto the knots and branches of the tree. Charlie would probably chop the thing down if he knew how many times this had occurred since the age of fourteen.

By now I was a pro and very rarely ruined my hair or outfit, unless it was on the way up and I was a little tipsier than I ought to have been. But luckily, tonight I was as skilled as ever and my black leather jacket, sequined boob tube that flared at my waist, black wet-look skinny jeans and bangles were all perfectly intact without a hair out of place.

I grabbed my heels as I reached the bottom and sprinted quietly in the darkness to the end of my road and round the corner where Rose was waiting in her red convertible. I jumped into the passenger seat – Emmett was apparently already at Newton's – and pulled on my shoes as Rosalie sped off into the night.

"Here, can you put this in the glove box?" Rose threw a hip flask into my lap.

"What's this?" I asked, "Newton not supplying this year?"

"Of course he is, the idiot gets sucked into providing alcohol every year."

"As he should, he's the bloody host. That's like going to a wedding without an open bar. Pointless."

Rose laughed, "Not all weddings have open bars."

"Exactly, they're the ones no one bothers going to."

She rolled her eyes at me. "It's Emmett's, he started even before the pre-lash and he was absolutely wasted the last time I saw him."

"Which was when?"

"About an hour ago at Mike's – he was helping set up. I told him if he hadn't sobered up by the time I got back to the party with you, he wasn't getting any for a week. I love the man, but fuck me if he isn't a douchebag when he's smashed."

I laughed imagining the look on a drunken Emmett's face when his girlfriend denied him getting down and dirty. "What's in it?"

"Just vodka I think."

I unscrewed the cap and took a swallow.

"Ugh, how do you do that? That stuff is vile." Rose asked in disgust.

"Yeah, well by the time you've had a couple of swigs you just don't give a shit."

Rose shuddered muttering something along the lines of, "may as well drink hand sanitizer", while I laughed at her as we pulled up outside Mike's house. We could hear the blaring music down the street, his neighbours must have been ready to shoot themselves just so they could get some peace, mind you, after three years of this they were all probably well aware of what this party would entail and had all gone out for the night.

Wolf-whistles from those gathered in the front garden, drinking from red plastic cups, followed Rose and I as we stepped out of her car and made our way to the front door. Rosalie scowled at them and they looked away quickly, realising who she was and just how large her boyfriend was. I grinned and sent them a wink, taking another swig from the hipflask.

The place was as crowded as it always was with people packed into the lounge, kitchen and garden. Some were stood on the stairs and I could see people heading out back. Some were on their way downstairs to the game room in the basement – but you had to "play to stay", the majority were drinking games whereas others were just plain stupid like Truth or Dare, although a more adult version. And I can't say that I didn't enjoy Strip Poker last year as I sat in my bra, pants and heels surrounded by Mike, Tyler and Alec, all glaring at me as they covered their dicks with their hands. Shame they were all hidden away so easily.

"Have you seen Emmett?" Rose asked a guy on the football team as we passed through the lounge.

The idiot, the same build as Emmett – big and burly, looked at her through squinted eyes and slurred, "Hey, I know you, you're Emmett's girlfriend."

"No shit Sherlock," I rolled my eyes, "Where is he?"

His attention turned to me and he stared at me as though only just realising I was stood right in front of him. His confused expression turned into a stupid grin, "Heyyy, Beeeella Swannn. Jake told me you were amazing."

"Really? Shame I can't say the same for him."

"Wanna go check out Mike's room?"

I sighed getting a little pissed off. "Hey, if you like your balls as they are I suggest you tell us where Emmett is."

"They're feelin' a little blue baaaby, you gonna fix that for me?"

"Get lost, asshole."

I pulled Rose away from the dickwad and we went in search of Emmett. "I'm gonna check outside." She told me.

"I'll see if he's in the game room."

We parted and I headed in the direction of the basement, taking a mouthful of vodka and putting the hip flask back into my pocket. I was feeling buzzed now and I was ready to play.

"Swan!" Riley Biers called as I made my way round the pool table – on the edge of which Lauren was sitting, pushing her tits out for Tyler while eyeing Irina's ass as said girl bent over the arm of the "Truth or Dare" couch watching the game.

"Biers!" I called back making my way over to him. "You seen Emmett? Rose is looking for him." Riley was Emmett's best friend and man was he sexy. Not as sexy as Edward, but then again I didn't know what that was. I could forget him. I would forget him. All I needed was a little bit of help.

Riley laughed, "Uh oh, someone in trouble?"

"That depends," I said, taking in Riley's slightly drunken state – though he wasn't half as bad as some people. "He still as drunk as shit or has he sobered up?"

"What the fuck do you think?" He raised an eyebrow, "The man's pussy whipped."

"That and he wouldn't survive without sex for a week."

"True dat." Riley chuckled. "Anyway, you up for a game of beer pong? I need you, Swan, my other team mate was shit."

"Who was it?"

"Tyler."

"Well of course he was shit the guy's wasted."

He laughed, "So, what do you say?"

"Who are we up against?"

Riley smirked then nodded his head. I turned to see Leah and the douche from earlier waiting at the table. Oh this was going to be beautiful.

"You're on." I grinned at Riley; he smirked back and pulled me over to the Ping-Pong table by my hand. I stumbled a little in my heels due to the vodka, it was definitely getting to me, I was totally psyched now.

"I got Swan!" Riley hollered and the game room cheered. My beer pong games were legendary.

Leah scowled at me from across the table while the douche grinned and licked his lips.

We had gathered a small crowd and Tyler took it upon himself to commentate. "On the left we have the Dream Team, Bella and Riley. On the right we have the…not so dream team, Leah and Felix." He shouted into an empty beer can. "Bella and Leah are up as the stand back against the table ready to shoot their Ping Pong balls into the cups to determine who plays first."

Riley passed me the ball and I took it with a grin.

"The tension is rising, they'll throw their balls in three…two…two and a half…"

"Crowley!" Half the crowd shouted.

"Fine, fucking throw, see if I care."

We did. I won. We were up first.

Leah glared at me as Riley took his shot and fucking-Felix-douchebag gulped down the first of ten half cups of beer. He roared as he finished, crushing the cup in his hand and those around us cheered.

"That's one point to the Dream Team."

"Shut up, Tyler." Someone said.

"Felix is preparing to take his shot, he shoots and he…aww nice save from Bella as she opted for the bitches blow, dicks flick technique. Nicely done."

Riley gave me a high-five before I took the Ping Pong ball and aimed for the cup closest to me.

"That's another point to the Dream Team as Leah pathetically sips at her drink. Down it, Leah."

Tyler evidently started a chorus of "down it" before Leah finished the drink and grabbed the ball. It landed in the cup at the front of our pyramid.

"Awww, and the Dream Team lose their first cup. The game…is on."

Riley went to reach for the cup but I got there first, "Want me to show you how to swallow, sis?"

The beer was gone in seconds and my classmates were cheering as Tyler Crowley crowed, "Oooh, there seems to be some sisterly tension between the contestants, will Leah retaliate with a witty comeback?"

"Shut the fuck up, Tyler." She snapped.

"Apparently not."

Leah stormed off a while later, stumbling and swaying as she went.

"Damn that girl's a sore loser."

"Tell me about it." I giggled. Though we had won I'd had my fair share of beers and I felt a little…giggly. "I need to piss," I stated.

Riley howled with laughter, "Oh you are ever so eloquent in your drunken state, Miss Swan."

I frowned. Miss Swan. I wasn't fucking Miss Swan. How dare he call me that? How dare he treat me this way? Well, Mr Edward fucking Cullen, my name is Bella fucking Swan and you're gonna regret the day I forgotted about you…HIC! I giggled.

Riley laughed, "What the fuck are you talking about, Bella?"

Oh shit. My hand covered my mouth. Riley mistook it for chunder and backed away quickly causing me to burst with laughter. Once he realised the coast was clear he came back towards me, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"New English teacher giving you a hard time?"

I nodded. You have no idea. "I'm going to piss now."

He chortled, "You do that."

Something was digging into my ribs as I climbed the stairs on my way to the bathroom and I pulled it out of my pocket. Hip flask. My old friend. It took me a little while to unscrew the cap and walk to the bathroom at the same time, but I nearly made it, I was right there before Rosalie popped up in front of me.

"Rose!" I cried, "You're like fucking magic!"

"Bella," she said, "I think you've had enough, don't you?"

I frowned, "Enough? I haven't even started yet, I haven't even got my panties down."

"What?"

"To piss."

She looked at me weirdly like she had no idea what I was talking about before comprehension dawned in her blue eyes. "Oh. Look, why don't I hold onto the flask for you while you go to the bathroom."

I frowned, "You can't have any, it's mine."

"I don't want any, I'll hold it for you while you go to the bathroom so it doesn't get spiked."

This made perfect sense.

I took a swig, while wondering why Rosalie was saying "no", I swallowed once then the flow stopped. I frowned, tipped it upside down and looked inside before throwing it at Rose.

"Can have some if you want, it's fucking empty now." And I slammed the bathroom door shut on her gaping face.

As I peed I heard her and Emmett talking outside the door.

"Emmett, she's wasted, I need to get her out of here. She's already way too drunk to climb back up that tree, I don't know how she's going to get back in the house without Charlie finding out where she was tonight."

"She's a big girl, Rosie, she can take care of herself."

"In her intoxicated state she can drive herself home, climb up a tree and through her second story window?"

Emmett grumbled something.

"Em, I'm scared if I leave her here she's going to end up doing what she always does."

"Fuck every guy she can, you mean?"

"Emmett-"

"No Rosalie, you're not her keeper. You shouldn't be lumbered with taking care of her every time she gets drunk. She fucks by choice when she's sober, I really don't see the difference when she does it drunk."

"She could get hurt, Emmett."

"This is what she does, Rose. This is Bella. I sure as hell don't understand why she's the way she is, I don't have a clue why she feels the need to get with every guy she possibly can, but there's nothing you can do to change her. She doesn't want to be changed, and if she doesn't want to change then she needs to learn that you're not always going to be there for her when she is pissed off her face and does something she really regrets, or can't deal with the consequences."

"She's my best friend, Em."

"Exactly, so why does she treat you like this?"

"It's not like she's asking me to be here for her, or even wants me to intervene-"

"So why do you?"

"Because I would want her to do the same for me no matter how much I thought I didn't want her there at the time, in my delusional and inebriated state of mind."

"Yeah, but the thing is Rose, you don't have a fucked up way of thinking when you're sober. She may as well be constantly drunk for all the shit she does."

This conversation meant nothing to me. I didn't understand half of it but I was sure as hell ready to get out of this bathroom and find Felix.

Felix was big and burly and muscly and he had brown hair and brown eyes and he looked nothing like Edward. He was nothing like Edward at all, and he would make me forget about Edward. Because I couldn't seem to forget about him as quickly as I had forgotten about the conversation Rose and…someone else had just had.

I swung the door open.

The conversation Rose and Emmett had just had.

"Excuse me, please, thank you, kindly." I moved passed them just as Felix reached the top of the stairs.

Aw, the man of the hour…or quarter of an hour… if that. Meh, we were both drunk.

"Bella-" Rose tried to say the same time as I cried, "Felix!" And threw my arms around his neck.

"Wanna help me find Mike's porn stash?"

He looked down at me through blurry eyes before they popped wide open. "Fuck yeah!"

"Bella, wait." Rosalie grabbed my hand to stop me as Felix grabbed my other and started leading me to Mike's bedroom. "Don't have sex with him, Bella. Please. This needs to stop, you can't go on like this."

"Rosie," I cooed, patting her cheek, "I know Emmett may not be living up to your standards in the bedroom department but there's no need for you to sleep with Felix."

She stared at me.

"I know he's hot, though he's a dick, but there's just no need to stop me sleeping with him so you can. I mean, I know Emmett can be a bit of an asswipe sometimes but you should go for someone much better than Felix if you're really going to cheat on Emmett."

"No, Bella-"

"Shhh," I placed a kiss on her cheek, "I love ya, Rose, but I gotta go take care of something." And I let Felix drag me away.

His kisses were wet and sloppy against my neck as he covered my body with his, my back against Mike's bedroom door, much like the way Edward had held me against the hotel room door.

Haha, idiot couldn't fit the key card in he wanted me that badly.

Felix yanked my jacket off me harshly, almost like I had when I ripped Edward's buttons on his shirt and they went skidding and bouncing across the floor. But Felix wasn't sexy, and he wasn't smooth and sensual like Edward was when he undressed me.

Felix tried to fix his lips to mine but they just wouldn't mould right. Edward's lips pressed to mine and fit with them perfectly.

I frowned as I tried to tug at Felix's too short hair and was shockingly disappointed when I opened my eyes to meet his dark ones, ones that I didn't want to see. I wanted to see green, blazing eyes that set my body on fire.

He wasn't Edward Cullen and this wasn't fucking working.

I pushed against his chest to disconnect his lips from mine. "Fuck sake." I growled.

"What?" He slurred, trying to push his body back to mine, to grind his hips against my own.

"This isn't working." I told him.

He laughed, "Swan, I hate to break it to you Swan but this is pretty much how it goes."

His breath fanned across my face, beer, chips and Felix. It wasn't spearmint, cigarettes and Edward.

"No, it's not working, you ain't doing nothing for me." Jeez, did I have to spell it out for the guy? "You're useless at making me forget."

"Oh, baby, I can do things to you that would make you forget your own name."

"Ugh, I said no." I pushed him away.

He tried again.

"Fucking hell, take a hint, asshole."

He pushed himself against me. I could feel everything. I felt sick and it wasn't because of the alcohol. I felt more sober than I had been all fucking night. I clenched my eyes shut pushing away the images that I knew would come to mind and tried to shove him backwards. I was using all my strength; it had no effect on him.

I was going to throw up. I was going to cry. I had to forget.

"You're a little cock-tease, Swan. I've wanted you since Jake told me all about how he fucked you and now it's my turn. You're going to give it to me." He tried to stick his hand down my pants when my knee reflexively jolted towards his crotch.

He howled in pain, doubled over, clutching his balls. He dropped to his knees as his eyes squinted shut.

"You fucking bitch." He wheezed, between groans of pain.

I was out the door and gone.

I sucked in gulps of air as I sat on a bench in the back garden. I don't know how long I had been sitting there but people were dancing and laughing and drinking and shouting and it was all just a noisy, colourful blur. I squinted my eyes shut and pulled my jacket tighter around me trying to shake the bad thoughts from my mind.

I jumped when my phone started to ring in my pocket.

You're the best,
Around!
Nothing's gonna ever keep you down.
You're the best,
Around!

"S-seth?" I stuttered through my chattering teeth.

"Hey, Bella, uh…I think you better come home now." He whispered, sounding nervous. It was about two in the morning so he was probably in bed.

"Why what's wrong?"

"I think you better come home. Charlie's already been in your room once, I stuffed pillows and stuff under your covers, but he still hasn't gone to bed and he's probably going to check on you again."

"Okay…uh…yeah that's fine, I mean…I'll be right there." My words felt slow and quiet, they were stuck in my throat and I felt like they just wouldn't come out right.

"Are you okay?" The concern is Seth's voice was evident.

"Yeah, of course," I swallowed, "I'll see you in a bit."

I hung up.

I needed to find Rosalie.

I stood on shaky legs and made my way back inside the house. The kitchen was over crowded and I spotted Leah sitting on the counter, biting her lip and fluttering her eyelashes at Felix. Fuck.

"Leah," I called as I headed to her. "I need to talk to you." I saw her scowl at me before turning her attention back to Felix who had yet to notice me. I grabbed Leah's hand and yanked her off the counter, dragging her into the hallway.

"What the fuck do you want, Swan?" She snatched her hand away.

"Stay away from Felix." I slurred.

"Ha! Fucking typical. You can't stand it can you? You can't stand it when guys like me better than you-" she was going on a rant that was making my head hurt. I didn't feel good but I needed her to understand.

"No, Leah, this has nothing to do with whatever the fuck is going on with us," I felt like I had to physically drag the words out of my mouth. "The guys an asshole, okay? He tried to-"

"Oh just shut up, Bella, I don't want to hear it." She snapped. "You know, it is possible that some guys like me more than they like you. Why they hell would anyone want a cheap whore, anyway? You're so fucked up in the head, Bella, no wonder your mother didn't want you to live with her and your-"

I turned and stumbled away. I didn't have to deal with this. If Leah wanted Felix that was fine, she could have the fucker, she couldn't say I didn't try to warn her. I felt sick, I wanted to just collapse into a ball on the floor, the walls were fucking spinning and I didn't have to listen to that shit.

I tripped out the front door and arms grabbed me, I looked up with a dazed smile expecting to see him but frowned when I saw it was Riley. I shook my head, remembering exactly when and where I was.

"Hey, you alright Bella?" He asked with a frown.

My own brows furrowed as I mumbled a "fine" and tried to push his arms away from me, tumbling down the drive.

"Wait, Bella!" I could hear his feet pounding on the concrete as he ran to catch up with me, just like the images were pounding through my mind. My head hurt. "Where's Rosalie? I thought she was taking you home."

I threw my hands up indicating I didn't have a fucking clue where she was while continuing to trot down the road.

"Bella, you can't walk home like this."

"I have to!" I shouted, "my…Seth called me. He said Charlie's going to kill me." What was Seth? My brother? My friend?

"Who's Seth?" Riley asked.

"I don't know!" I cried.

"Look, Bella, why don't you let me give you a ride home?"

I looked up at him with bleary, tear-filled eyes. "But we played beer pong."

He somehow understood what I meant and chuckled, "Bella, you hardly let me drink any of the beers, you grabbed them all before I even got the chance, besides, any intoxication has completely worn off by now, trust me."

"Touch your nose." I slurred, trying to touch my own and ended up tapping my chin.

He smiled as he touched his nose. "Walk in a straight line."

He walked backwards.

"Ha!" I shouted, pointing at him, "That wasn't straight."

He laughed, "Yes it was, Bella, you're drunk."

I thought about that, "Well, the ground is moving a lot, so I guess it would be hard for you to walk straight."

"Come on," he took my hand and led me to his car. I scowled at the way his hand felt it mine. It wasn't right. It was too small and too rough and it wasn't his.

Riley made sure I was buckled in before driving off in the direction of my house. I think I fell asleep, I don't remember. But I was home. I waved goodbye to Riley. Yeah, I was home, and there was no fucking way I was climbing that tree.

I rang Seth.

He helped me through the back door and up the stairs. I kept a hand over my mouth to remind myself not to make a noise, I could hear the television on in the living room.

"Thanks," I whispered to Seth as he held my bedroom door open for me.

"No problem. G'night."

"Night," I breathed.

He shut my door quietly. I shuddered.

I toed off my heels and threw them in my closet along with my pants, jacket and boob tube. I pulled off my bra and threw on a shirt as I slid under the covers, kicking all the pillows onto the floor. Why were there so many?

Oh right. Seth. God love that kid.

As I pulled the duvet over my head, I sniffed. What was that smell? I recognised it, but I didn't know where from. It made me feel safe, and warm and calm. My eyes began to droop and as I drifted to sleep it came to me.

Edward.

Fuck.

And there we have chapter three :)

I hope this chapter gave you more of an indication that Bella is the way she is for a reason, she's not just a slut and a bitch for the sake of it. Let me know what you think.

Review!