I know that you guys are probably thinking "what? i've read this chapter!" but got back and read the prologue as i have changed that completely and the old prologue is the first chapter and wheras this used to be the first chapter it is now the second chapter. So, you'll probably have to read everything again as i have rearranged everything to make the story better. Trust me, having the new prlogue will work much better for this story. I am still waiting here for even half the response I get for 'For Your Sake'. But seeing as this is only the second chapter, I'm willing to overlook the lack of hits and reviews. Oh yes, this chapter is in Bella's pov as will be for the duration of this story.
Chapter Two: New start Old Memories
Sunlight streamed through the window, forcing my eyelids open. Don't I normally close the curtains before going to bed? I turned my head to see blinds allowing sunlight to slice through into my eyes. I turned away lest should I be blinded. It was as I first saw the blinds that I recalled that I wasn't in my bedroom back home in Forks. I had arrived late last night here at Dartmouth, so late that it took all of my remaining energy to take the stairs to my dorm room. Had my new roommate arrived yet? I roved the room with my eyes to see some bags dumped on top of mine in the corner. It looks like my roommate had arrived even later than me and had taken my lead and just thrown their belongings in the corner just like I had.
I lay in bed for a little longer, just staring up at the ceiling. My eyes wandered away when I heard a toilet flush from the bathroom. My eyes unintentionally fell on the picture frame I had placed on my bedside table. A lump swelled in my throat as it always did whenever I looked at the picture. It was my favourite photograph but the most painful too. The photograph featured five young teenagers playing around in a garden at a barbeque. The five of us were standing in a tight huddle together, grinning at the camera. Edward had his arm slung casually around my shoulders whilst Alice leaned against him on his other side, her arm reaching out to ruffle Edward's hair. Summer was standing next to me whilst Emmet stood on the porch so that he was on a higher level than us. His head hovered above all of us with his tongue sticking out at the camera.
I remembered that day. It had been the day just before Summer's accident. Alice, Emmet and Edward had had a barbeque at their house and had invited Summer and I there. Summer had been my cousin and adopted sister. Her parents had died in a car crash when she had only been five years old; therefore my parents had adopted her since I was their only child and would benefit from having a sibling. It seems quite odd that a car should have killed Summer when her parents had died in a car crash. I swallowed as I reminded myself that I was to blame for Summer's early death.
It was of no use to defend myself that I had never meant to get Summer killed; that I had loved her like a sister and a friend. The pain of her death stung all the more because I had been angry with her when she had died. It had all happened so quickly that I had never even gotten a chance to apologise to her for being so moody. I hadn't even been able to gather the courage to attend her funeral and bade her goodbye when she had died without an apology from me for my behaviour.
I shook my head vigorously, so much so that the room was now spinning. Well, at least that helped my clear my head of those depressing thoughts. I had moved on from this a while ago. After Summer's death, my parents had decided to move to Forks when they sensed that the trauma of Summer's death was distancing me from happiness and my friends. They believed that starting afresh in a new town, a small town would be the ideal thing to help me get over losing my confidante, sister, and best friend.
Well, though it took a while, it had helped. When I had first arrived in Forks I had been withdrawn and distant from my peers. But eventually over time I managed to pull myself out of the black hole I had been residing in. I made new friends, new hobbies. Even a new boyfriend. Damien Zenfer had also been a newcomer like me, though he had been living in Forks longer than me, he understood what it felt like to arrive in a new place without any friends or any notion of where to go or how to survive in a new environment.
Though he had been just one amongst many others to offer me assistance, his negligence of showing any puppy dog enthusiasm like Mike Newton or anyone else had been what captured me. His serene detachment from the interest or activities of all his other peers had intrigued me just like how his sharp sense of humour and sardonic perceptiveness compelled me to attempt to get to know him.
Damien had ice-blue eyes but they were not necessarily cold in feeling, his eyes reminded me of gazing through a frozen lake, crystal clear and concealing nothing, he had thick, wavy brown hair that was smooth and soft. He had also been accepted into Dartmouth and had arrived at around the same time as me last night, so we hadn't done much talking or anything as we had both been too exhausted.
I heard the bathroom door open signalling that it was time for me to introduce myself to my new roommate. I clambered out of bed and stood up to let my jaw drop when I recognised the girl in front of me.
"Bella?!" Alice exclaimed when she saw me sounding unsure that I was really me.
"Alice!" I squealed, there was no question in my voice as Alice looked almost exactly the same as she did five years ago when I last saw her. She had the same twinkling grey eyes, the same jet black, spiky hair, and she was still a hyperactive pixie. I knew her personality was the same when she shrieked so loudly that I had to check if the ceiling hadn't caved in yet.
I laughed as Alice rushed towards me engulfing me in a tight hug. I hugged her back.
"Well, at least I know not to worry about getting on with my roommate now" I laughed joyously.
Alice was jumping up and down on the balls of her feet.
"Oh Bella, when you moved we all kept hoping stupidly that you might come back, you never did though. But I had a feeling that I was going to love my roommate and I'm so glad that I get to meet you again at Dartmouth. I'm so happy" Alice enthused with another squeal.
I laughed but it was a nervous laugh. Alice's statement brought back memories, not just the painful memory of why I moved but even more agonising memories that transpired in the years following my arrival in Forks. Alice's return in my life brought back another dozen questions. Was it possible that Emmet and Edward are here too?
"So Alice, how have you and everyone else been?" I asked, hoping Alice would pick up my unspoken question that was hinted at as I spoke.
Alice did seem to understand what I was after specifically. After Summer, Alice had always been the one to know me best.
"Oh, everyone is great Bella. Emmet has got a girlfriend. Her name is Rosalie and she is really pretty and nice. I'm going out with her gorgeous brother, Jasper. They're all here at Dartmouth too by the way" Alice filled me in but she left out any news on her other brother Edward.
"What about Edward?" I blurted out.
Alice smiled slyly as she said "I was worried that you might not still be interested in him"
Of course I was interested in any news of Edward. I had been as fond of him as I had been of Emmet and Alice. I had even had a huge crush on him back then. Wait a minute, Alice couldn't be referring to that crush I had had on him, could she? But I could tell by her smile that that was exactly what she was thinking of at this moment. She was wrong though. I had done a lot of growing up since then. I had a boyfriend now, a perfectly sweet and caring one. Damien was the perfect boyfriend for me and I had no plan on changing his boyfriend status anytime soon. I had just been asking about Edward in the way an old friend would enquire after another.
"Alice, that was years ago. I was over that little crush a while back now." I assured her, though little was the last thing to describe my teenage crush on Edward as but Alice didn't need to know that.
"Are you sure about that, Bella?" Alice asked, scrutinising my face carefully for any sign of lying. I wasn't lying. I liked Damien a lot and no one else. I was a terrible liar and you could often tell when I was lying just by looking at my face. But it had been years since Alice had last seen me so for all she knew I could have improved my lying skills.
"Yes, I am Alice. I have a boyfriend who I am very happy with" I informed her.
Alice stared at me shocked.
"You have a boyfriend and you never told me" Alice screeched.
"Alice, we lost touch. How could I have told you?" I laughed as I realized that Alice was still as absurd as ever.
"Well, exactly whose fault is it that we lost touch?" Alice demanded waspishly.
"Erm…" was my only response.
"You moved so suddenly Bella without giving me a phone number or anything and you yourself never even bothered to try to call me so it's all your fault. Were you bored of me that you had decided to abandon me?" Alice pouted.
"I'm so sorry, Alice. But it was just that I needed some time to move on and adjust to everything and then I got so busy that I rarely had time to go out. I had missed you terribly Ali." I consoled her sincerely.
Alice's face softened at my use of her old endearment.
"Alright then, you're forgiven. But only if you tell me all about your boyfriend" Alice chirped happily.
I obliged willingly and told her all about Damien. She listened attentively. We spent the whole morning just catching up. She told me all about their lives since I had left but was rather disappointed when I wasn't as informative about my life as she had been about her life. There were too many painful things to discuss when it came to my life so I evaded her any direct questions about my life.
Alice had told me a lot about Emmet, Rosalie, and Jasper but nothing about Edward. She never even mentioned if he was here at Dartmouth even when I asked her. When I had asked if Edward was at Dartmouth, she skilfully avoided he question and moved onto another subject. I found that very odd. Had she and Edward had some fight? Were they now not as close as they once had been?
I did not dwell too much on those questions as I was just happy to have Alice back in my life. We sat at the end of my bed, just nattering away happily. However, I was soon to learn a storm was heading my way.
It's a short chapter I know but you're just going to have to bear with me for now. Review please. They make me happy.
