EPOV

I glanced around the darkened room, which was littered with votive candles and strategically placed white Christmas lights. Not much had changed since last summer when I had been in the Brandon house. Japser and I walked in together, looking around at how everyone had, developed, yet still looked the same. The house was packed with current Forks students and recent alumni; I remember how they always used to love coming back to the kick-off event of the school year, something about graduating and being in college gave them a sense of superiority, though some had only been out of high school for a few months. I could sense eyes on me, following me, but I was used to it - most females, regardless of age, looked at me and this room was no different.

"Come on Edward, move your ass, you've got to at least appear to be interested in getting to know people, again," Alice quipped as she grabbed my arm dragging me across the room. I signaled to Jazz for help, but he had found Emmett who was introducing him to some girls I hadn't seen before, and who were clearly drunk. They were most likely some random girls, either of them would never give a second glance to, but they were good enough for the night, or at least for now.

"Alice, let go! I will go wherever you want, just stop dragging me around, you're going to tear my jacket," as I snatched my arm away from her, but giving her a small side hug signaling that I wasn't mad. For all the crazy and moronic shit my cousin makes me do, I just go with it; for some reason I can never turn her down. She's one of the only bright spots in this stupid move back to Forks, I had been perfectly content with staying in New York, but no, we had to move back. Luckily, I was still close with Emmet too, so it wouldn't be that bad. In fact, most people treated me like I didn't leave, just came back from an extended vacation or something. I followed Alice around, saying hello now and then, but mostly was silent - no one here really held my attention, except the people I was already friends with, so what was the point. Alice kept making her rounds when Rosalie stopped at the kitchen counter to make herself a drink.

"So, how's the party going for you?" Rose asked me, not particularly interested, sipping her drink, and leaning up against the granite kitchen island. I knew the only reason she was talking with me, is because she too was thinking the same thing I was, that she really didn't want to socialize with any of these people, but she definitely showed it much more than I did. She thought she was above everyone: she was better looking than most and knew it, and she was slightly arrogant about it. Before we left she had been the reigning queen of Forks and in Beverly Hills and New York she had a similar persona.

I took another swig of my drink and sighed, "Bored. It's the same as before, nothing has really changed."

"Well, some things have changed," she said annoyed, glancing slightly to her right. I followed where she was looking, apparently Rosalie was no longer the "it" girl of Forks, which isn't surprising, we have been gone for three years.

"It was bound to happen Rosalie, you did leave, it's not like people were going to build a shrine commemorating you," I could see her smile at the vision of the imaginary shrine and then frowned when it wasn't actually true. "Besides, I'm sure in no time you will reclaim your title."

She cheered up a little to that comment. "I suppose that's true. After tonight everything will be back to the way they should be and really, I don't mind sharing some of my spotlight with Bella." she said with resolution.

"Wow Rose, that's a big step for you, thinking of others and suggesting you can share the spotlight," my comment dripping with sarcasm.

"Fuck off Edward, I can be a nice person when I want to be - it just so happens that the majority of the time I don't want to be. You tend to draw out the bitch in me" and walked away, heading towards Alice and...Bella, I suppose. I didn't know much about Bella, aside from that she was very close with Alice, Emmet, and Rosalie. And from the looks of it, I wasn't going to find out more tonight, something was going on with her and some guy I couldn't see, they were too far away.

"Well hello Edward, how are you liking being home so far?" Jessica Stanley asked deliberately positioning herself so that I could see directly down her shirt. We have known each other since we were young and on occasion had been known to hook up, in fact she gave me my first blow job. She wasn't bad to look at, just a bit stupid for my taste, but with each sip from my drink she looked better and better.

"It's been alright," I said flashing a small crooked smile and slightly closing the gap between, "the transition from New York to Forks has been a little tough".

"Well, if you ever need any help with," she paused and looked up at me," readjusting, let me know. I would gladly help out," she said giving me a lingering kiss which I willingly accepted. It had been a while since I had any sort of female contact and I was becoming more and more horny, especially since the move. The kiss began to intensify, I slid my arms around her waist pulling her closer to me, when I was slapped in the back by someone.

I instinctively turned to see who had just fucking hit me. "Well, you don't waste any time do you? This is your cue to leave Stanley, I don't think he'll ever be that drunk."

"We'll see, he might be," she said, not really understanding that she just made fun of herself. She made some comment under her breath and left.

"God, she is stupid," Alice hissed. She never could put up with Stanley, even when we were younger.

"I thought you were supposed to be keeping up the appearance of being nice? Aren't you thought of as the angel around here?" I asked Alice a little annoyed.

"Whatever, she's trashy and possibly a little retarded. I don't want her to be the first person you fuck since you've been back; you have no idea where she's been," she said with a giggle. "Besides, it's my party and I can do whatever I want. And, this also wasn't my idea, so technically it's not my fault; you can thank my partner for this," pointing to her left.

"You fucking cock block! You really are a dick" I said as Jacob Black came out of the shadow laughing his ass off. "Just to be clear, I was not the one who hit you, that was all Jake," Alice said and then turned towards Rosalie, who had called her name and signaled for her to come over.

"What the fuck are you doing here, I thought you were too good for Forks?" he asked with a smug grin. Jake was a year older than me and for the most part got along. We were always on the same team for little league and then lacrosse when we got older, so we had always been around each other. We were friends, but really not out of choice, it was more since we were around each other so much, there was really no other choice but to get along.

"The same could be said about you, aren't you supposed to be at Princeton right now?"

"It's still summer break, dumbass. I'm here for a couple more days so I figured I'd come tonight and slum it with the rest of you who have school tomorrow, and I need to tie up a few loose ends." I wondered what he meant by that. He continued without hesitation and bothering to explain his last comment, "Remember, don't get too fucked up tonight, going to class with hangover isn't the best way to start your first day back," he said sarcastically and reached for the rum bottle to replenish his drink.

"I think I can handle myself without any advice from you," I said flatly. As soon as I finished saying that he reached out and grabbed some girl on the arm pulling her roughly into him, which wasn't surprising; he claimed he didn't know his own strength around girls, but after seeing him interact with girls in New York when we were both out, I doubted that was the truth.

She was pretty...very pretty actually, but that's not surprising, Jake always goes for the same type: pretty, skinny, small, brunette, and stupid - generally the complete opposite of the girl I usually go for. Really, if I wasn't related to Rose I probably would have already fucked her, she was exactly my type - tall, blonde, absolutely gorgeous, and intelligent, but now that was just disturbing and wrong. He reached out and put his arm around her waist, possessively and then kissed the side of her head. She didn't look too thrilled to be there. "This is my girl Bella. Bella, you know Cullen right?"

"Um, only in theory. So you're the one everyone's talking about? Welcome back," she said dryly and a little annoyed.

"You can be a little nicer you know Bells," he said starting to slur his words and trying to lean in to kiss her.

"Yeah, I can," she said through her teeth, moving her head to avoid his kiss and breaking away from him, "and you can also not be so fucking drunk, but doesn't look like that's going to happen. Just let go of me Jacob." She moved, so that both of us were now facing Jake.

"You know Bella, I don't need your fucking attitude tonight, just stop being such a bitch in front of someone you don't even know." I could see him getting more upset, not because he seemed to actually care about her feelings, but because she was making him look bad in front of other people, well, mostly me.

"Jacob, your drunk and you don't own me. I can do whatever the fuck I want," and she did. In that moment, she pushed him out of the way, walked over and pushed some girl out of Emmet's lap, sat down and kissed him, hard. He was livid, again not over the fact that his girlfriend went over and started making out with another guy, but because this tiny little girl just showed him up and he couldn't do anything about it. "Fuckin bitch!" he groaned, grabbing the bottle of rum and headed out the door.

Rose and Alice had apparently seen this display and came over to find out some more information, but I really couldn't say anything because I wasn't really sure I knew what just happened. It all happened so quick, I wasn't sure exactly what to tell them. Alice went over to Bella, Emmet, and Jasper to see what happened and Rose stayed besides me, "Well, that's Bella Swan in case you were wondering."