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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

Special thanks to Gredelina1, Snarkymuch, Augustmoon99, Arrr and Verseseven my wonderful pre-reader/cheerleader team. And to Grrlnorth for beta'ing this mess for me.

Chapter Four — Overreaction

Bella POV

"Please read chapter one of your assigned texts before the next lesson; you will be discussing the content in groups so make sure the material is fresh in your minds."

Fat chance of that, I thought bitterly, jotting down the instructions onto a Post-it note. I gathered my books and waited for the initial rush of bodies to make it out the door before I stood and joined them.

My phone beeped in my pocket and I saw a memo flashing up. Lunch. Alice Cullen. Quad.

I had scheduled it in the last class. I did not always need these reminders now, but it was better to be cautious. I'd had enough embarrassing moments in the last eighteen months to last me a lifetime.

When I first returned to Forks after the accident, I was lucky that most of my high school class had already gone off to college so I didn't have to deal with the sympathetic looks. Winter break was another matter entirely. I had been back at school for a few months, and was finally comfortable with the special measures I needed to take in order to maintain a relatively normal routine.

All that was destroyed when I bumped into Jessica Stanley and her mother in the grocery store. I was choosing between two jars of spaghetti sauce, and Jessica greeted me with a series of squeals and an awkward hug. She 'kindly' reminded me of her name and the fact that we had been to school together. I stared incredulously at her, trying to curb the urge to knock her on her ass when her mother approached. Seeing me with the two jars of sauce in my hands apparently led her to think I was a complete numbskull.

"These are sauces," she said slowly, as if talking to someone for whom English was a second language and a very vague one at that. "You add them to cooked pasta."

The urge to bludgeon them to death with the jar surged in me and it was all I could do to drop the jars into her cart and walk calmly from the store. When I reached the sanctuary of my truck, I bent my head over the steering wheel and cried. It was not the first time I had been made to feel like that since my accident, and it wouldn't be the last.

Jacob had been passing by at the time, and had been able to make me laugh at the stupidity of Jessica and her crone of a mother instead of staying upset.

"You should have asked her what pasta was," he chortled. I was embarrassed to have to ask him if I had indeed been friends with Jessica. "No, you didn't make a lot of friends when you were here," he said firmly.

It didn't seem that much of a stretch, I had always been a bit of a loner in Phoenix, but something about the way he said it made me suspicious. Perhaps whoever I had been friends with were not a good crowd and he was worried about me falling back into bad habits. An impression reinforced by Charlie's impassioned agreement and fervent explanation that Jacob was "the best friend you ever had." He really was a good friend; when I returned from Florida last summer he had eased the transition greatly. Introducing me to his pack of friends on the reservation, who, with the exception of Leah, instantly welcomed me into the fold. Jacob was always able to make me smile, and I would be forever grateful for his presence in my life.

Leah was… difficult. I had thought at first that she liked Jacob and was jealous of the closeness, but he assured me that was not it. In fact, he had laughed hysterically for a good five minutes, then explained that Leah was still enamored with Sam.

I knew Jacob wanted more than friendship from me; he had been patient at first, then grew more eager. He would never be more than a brother to me, and I tried to make that clear from the start.

Though I would never admit it to anyone, I felt that love should be something that swept you off your feet. A whirlwind of excitement that literally stole your breath. According to my mother, I had been a big fan of the classics before, and that must have influenced me.

Before. Such a simple word, but it encompassed so much. I lost almost fifteen months of my life with no recollection of how I had spent them. My last clear memory before the accident was telling my mother I wanted to move to Forks to finish high school. I woke in the hospital with an agonizing headache and an exhausted looking Charlie holding my hand. I remember his clear look of confusion and dawning horror as I asked why he was in Phoenix and where Renee was. He explained patiently that I was in Forks, that I'd had an accident, and that Renee was on her way. Though I had a clear memory of that, it apparently was not the first time I asked the same question.

In the weeks after my 'accident' – if falling in the woods and cracking your head is classed as an accident – I had difficulty retaining events. The doctors had initially thought my short-term memory had been affected too, but as time wore on, I gradually began to improve.

The time spent in the rehab centre in Florida was one of the hardest times in my life. I grew frustrated at myself and sank into depression. I was desperate to fix whatever it was in me that was broken, and worked tirelessly at learning any and all techniques they had to offer.

It wasn't until I began seeing a psychotherapist that I accepted it was not something I could do alone. I had to give my body and mind time to heal. They put me on an anti-depressant – something I resisted at first, fearing it would make me a zombie – which gradually helped me accept my new life.

I still had days when the sheer magnitude of what I had lost would get the better of me, but Jacob was always there to help. In fact, I sometimes suspected he and his friends had me under surveillance. They always seemed to pop up when I needed them, whether it was because of a situation like the one in the grocery store, or because I was upset that I had lost something. They supported me in everything until the time came to apply for college.

They had been passionate in their arguments for Peninsula College, but, though I would miss them, I had worked too hard and too long to give up my dreams now.

I had always wanted to go to an Ivy League school, and when I was accepted I celebrated alone, fearful of the reaction of Jacob and my other friends. They came round eventually, and when I received my scholarship they threw me a bonfire party.

A month before I was due to leave for Ithaca, I received my settlement from the negligence case Charlie had pursued after the accident. The trail I was found on was extremely dangerous according to the report, and I was the unlucky person that ended up paying the price. The settlement was enough for me to afford a small house off campus, and with the scholarship covering tuition, I was able to live a quiet - if thrifty - life.

I had been prepared to live in the halls of residence, but Charlie had fretted about me being overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of people. Seeing me insecure and vulnerable while in Florida had an impact on Charlie, and he was finally given the opportunity to act as a father and comfort me. As I gradually recovered and developed into the now confident and happy Bella, he seemed unwilling (or perhaps unable) to relinquish the role of caregiver. I had ceased the anti-depressants on the proviso that I attended counseling with the campus doctor. I had headaches on occasion as a result of the accident, and, as they pointed out, the noise of a busy dorm would not help. Eventually I had caved and was now the proud owner of a two bedroom house.

I was surprised but pleased by Alice's invitation. It seemed that she was one of those rare people that got along with everyone. Talking with her felt as easy as if I had known her for years. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on it, which was not uncommon these days. I often had moments of déjà vu. The first time had been at one of the Quileute bonfire parties, as Billy told the legends. I had hoped that it was returning memories and called my doctor at FINR the next morning gushing about it, but I had been brought back to earth with a thump as she reminded me not get my hopes up. 'Of course there is a chance of your memories returning, but it is better to deal with fact rather than set yourself up for disappointment.'

Whatever it was about Alice that was familiar, it certainly wasn't the way she looked; I was sure I would remember that. She was beautiful, with inky black hair, flawless skin even paler than my own, and eyes that were the most curious shade of gold I had ever seen. I wondered if they were contacts, there had been a girl in school last year that had worn some like cat eyes.

I made my way out to the quad, occasionally checking the map to see if I was going in the right direction. I was sure I didn't look too conspicuous with it, it was still the first week and I doubted even people with perfect memories were able to memorize the layout of the campus already. I scanned the picnic benches for a sign of Alice, but there were so many people that I was unable to see her.

"Hey Bella!" a deep male voice bellowed.

I looked around and spotted Alice at a table with four others, one of which was her bear of a brother that had knocked me on my ass the day before; he was standing and waving at me enthusiastically. Evidently, colliding with him was the secret to friendship, as he looked as excited by my arrival as he would at the promise of a lifetime supply of playboy.

I waved back and made my way over to them, smiling. Alice's insane attractiveness was not a fluke, they were all beautiful, all pale, and as I got closer I noted they all had the same strange eye color.

"Hi Bella," Alice greeted me cheerfully. "Introductions. Emmett you already met, this is Rosalie, my boyfriend Jasper, and my brother Edward." She laid heavy emphasis on his name, and I wondered if this lunch was in fact her idea of a blind date.

The one named Rosalie nodded, then turned her attention back to her magazine. Emmett grinned at me happily, and Jasper gave me an analyzing look. It made me a little uncomfortable and as if he sensed it, he turned his attention back to Alice. I looked to Edward last, still unsure if this was a blind date or not, and not wishing to encourage him.

He was gorgeous. His unusual colored hair was in disarray as if he had been running his hands though it. His skin was as pale as any of them, but most unusual of all was the way he looked at me. It was as if he was trying to memorize me. I had never been under such close scrutiny, and, like Jasper's stare, it made me uncomfortable. I wondered how I could excuse myself and get away from him; I didn't want to offend Alice, she seemed nice, but his stare was really freaking me out. Just as I was about to plead a headache and escape him, his eyes snapped to Jasper and then to the table again.

Breathing an audible sigh of relief, I pulled my sandwich from my bag and unwrapped it. I noticed that they hadn't touched their own food. Alice was tossing an apple from hand to hand, and Jasper was poking at his salad as if had personally offended him

"Not hungry?" I asked the table at large. I was particularly shocked at Emmett's lack of appetite. Jacob was smaller than him, yet he ate so much Billy often joked that he would need to sell a kidney to pay the grocery bill.

They exchanged a look with each other as if silently communicating, then began eating with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Emmett took a huge bite of his burger and smiled happily, whereas his girlfriend merely picked her sandwich apart.

"So Bella, tell us about yourself," Alice invited.

"Not much to tell really. I lived in Washington for the last couple of years, and before that I lived in Phoenix. My father is police chief in our town, and my mother teaches second grade."

"Was that you I saw arrive on a motorbike?" Emmett asked eagerly.

My face split into a wide grin. "Yep, that's my baby. My friend and I rebuilt it from parts we scavenged."

"Has it had a safety check?" Edward cut in.

"Yes, it is perfectly roadworthy," I said patiently, bemused by his anxious expression. He looked a little possessed.

I turned my attention back to Emmett and began telling him about the work we had done on the engine, but Edward interrupted again. "Motorcycles are terribly dangerous, you know."

I rolled my eyes in frustration, this guy had serious issues. "In the wrong hands, yes. I am more than capable of handling it though, but thanks for the tip."

Rosalie looked up from her magazine and watched me curiously, and I thought I saw a smile twitch at the corner of her mouth. Emmett and Jasper made no attempt to hide their amusement, and were grinning broadly. Alice and Edward were locked in a staring contest. I looked down at my sandwich, starting to regret agreeing to this lunch.

He tore his gaze from Alice's and started speaking once again. "Did you know that last year 336 people died in motorcycle accidents, in the United States alone? That is almost one person a day."

What the hell was this, Spout Annoying Statistics Day?

"And over eight thousand were injured," he continued, oblivious to my death glare, "a number that is climbing every year."

That was my limit. I couldn't sit there and take a parental lecture from someone who looked younger than me. I grabbed my bag and strode away, leaving my half-eaten sandwich on the table. I would get something from the vending machine, it was worth paying an over-the-top price for a granola bar to get away from him.

"Bella, don't go," Alice called after me, but I merely waved back at her.

"Nice going, dipshit," I heard Emmett scold as I ducked back into the building, making a mental note to refuse lunchtime requests in future. Realizing that wasn't going to be enough, I added a memo to my phone too. I was all for making friends, but that guy was a serious pain in the ass.

I made it through my afternoon classes without encountering Alice or any of her family again. When I got home, the light on my answer machine was blinking. I shrugged off my coat and flicked the coffee machine on before listening to them.

My mom's voice was first. "Hi Bella, it's Mom, just calling to see how it's going. Phil says hi, call me when you get home. I love you." I wrote a Post-it reminding me to call her back, and pressed the button to play the next, this one from Charlie.

"Hi Bells, just calling to see how you are. I am working the late today, but call me at the station when you get home. I love you."

The final message was Jake. "Hey Bells, how's college? I bet you're too busy partying to remember your old friends, but everyone says hi. Call me when you can. Love you."

Three messages, three expressions of love. It made me feel better about my disastrous lunch date. I poured myself a coffee, and sat out on the tiny back porch to call my father. The sun was creeping out now, the clouds that had covered it all day giving way to clear blue sky.

I curled my legs up under me on the porch swing and speed dialed my father's work number, smiling as his familiar gruff voice answered. "Chief Swan."

"Hey Chief, how's it going?"

"Bella?" he said happily. I could picture his happy face, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, and I felt a surge of homesickness. "So how is college working out for you? You enjoying your classes?"

I filled him on all my news, the run-in with the Art History lecturer and my consequent plans to drop the class.

"Did you explain why you were late?" Charlie asked.

"No, it's none of his business," I said obstinately.

"I know that honey, but if knew, maybe he'd be a little more lenient with you."

I bit back the remark that rose easily to my lips, 'I don't need special treatment.' It was a discussion Charlie and I had many times already, starting from the day he started filing the paperwork for Disability Insurance I hated admitting I needed help, even financial, and I had already dealt with the pitying looks when I was in Forks. College was supposed to be my fresh start, and I was not prepared to screw it up because of that grouchy ass Professor Cullen. The name triggered something, and in one of those rare moments of connection, I realized what I had forgotten to tell Charlie.

"I met with a group for lunch today."

"That great Bella, you making friends already? I'm real proud of you."

"A couple of possible friends, yeah. They are a family, in fact their father is the professor I told you about. Doctor Cullen."

I heard Charlie gasp, then a sound like choking. "Dad! Are you okay?" I asked, panicked.

"What was his name?" he asked, speaking slowly, and in a tone I had never heard Charlie use before. It was close to frightening.

"Cullen," I whispered. "Dad are you okay? You're freaking me out."

"What were their names?"

"Alice, Emmett, Jasper, Edwa–" I didn't get to finish as I heard the thud as the phone dropped to the floor.

"Dad! Dad!" I shrieked, visions of an unconscious Charlie on the floor flashing before my eyes. I heard a muffled stream of cuss words, extremely out of character for Charlie without the addition of a baseball game.

"Sorry about that," he said finally. "I think you should definitely drop that class, and stay away from his children to be safe, too."

"But you said you were happy I was making friends," I said, confused.

"They are not good friends for you, Bella. College is for studying, not for making friends. Understand?"

"Whatever," I snapped, cutting off the call.

I was incensed at his unreasonable behavior. Sure, their father was a bit of an ass, and Edward was definitely worth avoiding, but the others seemed okay.

I dialed my mother's number, hoping for some insight into Charlie's freak out. I got the busy tone though, and was pretty sure that she was on the phone to Charlie herself. They had developed a much better relationship following my accident, and I hoped she was talking some sense into him

I sipped my coffee and waited for the inevitable phone call. It only took a couple of minutes before it rang, flashing up my mother's number.

"Hi mom," I greeted without enthusiasm. My conversation with Charlie had put me in a bad mood, and I could feel the beginnings of a headache building behind my eyes.

"Isabella." This was a bad sign, my mother only ever called me Isabella when she was attempting to play parental authority. "I have spoken to Charlie. He told me about your new friends, and I agree that they sound like a bad crowd and you should stay away from them."

What was wrong with my parents today?

"Mom, I am not going to avoid people because of Charlie's overreaction. The father is a bit of a hard-ass but that doesn't mean the kids are no good. I am going to continue to see whoever I like." It felt ridiculous to be defending my friendships to my mother, I was almost twenty for crap's sake.

"I have discussed it with Charlie, and we both agree you should transfer to Florida State," she said, completely ignoring my words. "It is still early enough for you to transfer the scholarship, and I'm sure with your circumstances, they would accept you as a late transfer."

"Renee, I am not transferring to Florida, I worked hard to get into Cornell, and I am staying. I don't know what is wrong with you and Charlie, but I am quite old enough to choose my own friends. Now I have a headache, I am going to lie down."

She immediately dropped the subject of transferring, and started making recommendations, everything from calling my FINR doctor to going to the ER.

"I am fine, mom," I reassured her. "I have just had a long day, and need to rest."

Both she and Charlie were overly concerned with anything health related since the accident, but this was just a normal tension headache. I calmed her down from her panic, and assured her I would call first thing in the morning, and if it got worse, I would go to the ER.

Finally hanging up the phone, I breathed a sigh of relief and massaged my temples.

This was not how my first week of college life was supposed to go.

Thank you to all who read and reviewed the last chapter. If you would like a teaser of the next chapter let me know in a review or a PM.

Simaril x