I'm back! At least for tonight. I am terrible at updates. I need every detail to be perfect and to have each chapter planned and organised before I even write it. I already know how this story will end (I am starting to sound like a cliché). Anyway, Bella's story is here! What do you think it will be?

Fairy Tales & Mirages

Emmett's fist kept clenching and unclenching. I studied his hands for what seemed like forever. He had a faded scar on his left hand, right wear his knuckle meets his hand. I stared at that faded scar for so long attempting to comprehend all the batshit crazy that was going on in my head right now. I couldn't bring myself to look any of them in the eyes. They had all bared their souls to me and I couldn't even bring myself to give them a glance at mine through a fucking peephole.

"I would say take your time, darling, but we only have a limited amount of time" Jasper prompted. I glared at him while my thoughts raced wildly.

"I just don't know where to begin" I laughed sarcastically.

"Just start where you think is right" Alice's timid voice broke through my thoughts and my head snapped up. I stared into her brown doe eyes and it broke me.

I breathed in a shaky breathe.

"His name was Jacob." A soft smile graced my lips.

Emmett's hands stopped clenching and he focused on me. It should have made me nervous but it instead calmed me. I felt safe for the first time in a long time.

"We grew up together and in my innocent child mind I thought we would be each other's first and last loves. That we would get married, buy a house with the picket white fence and have kids."

Rosalie snorted a laugh. I didn't sound malicious though. Just surprised.

"I never expected you to have that fairy tale dream" She explained.

"I don't. I was fucking wrong."

They stared at me waiting for me to elaborate. But speaking about Jacob opened up a part of me that I thought I had forced shut with all the strength I had left.

"I mean I guess I was right to a certain extent. We were each other's first love; first everything. We started to officially date when we were 10. It was innocent at the start. We used to hold hands and kiss each other on the cheek. But of course when puberty eventually hits, it doesn't stay that way for long. We used to joke that we had a love for the story books. I was madly in love with him. I think a part of me still is. Always will be." I closed my eyes and pictured his face.

"He was fucking funny too" I snorted. "Always knew how to make me laugh. And he had the most infectious smile. But it was his eyes that I loved the most. He had big brown eyes, that as cliché as this fucking sounds, that shined."

I stared Alice and her doe eyes. I felt a tear slip down my cheek before I quickly brushed it away.

"Your eyes remind me so much of him"

Alice turned away from me. And I glanced down at my intertwined fingers. I started to fidget.

"January 11th 2015. It was a Sunday. Jacob was driving me home after we spent the day at his watching movies and having dinner with his family. It was a good day. He came from a big family. His house was always filled with noise. I loved it. I am an only child and loved how fucking alive his house felt. He always said that he would do anything for the quiet that I had at home." Another tear fell down my cheek but I didn't bother to remove it.

"Jacob's sister was 6 months pregnant at the time and had an intense craving for crispy crème donuts. So we stopped at a gas station on the way home. We went in and weren't paying much attention when we heard yelling at the front of the store. He told me to wait while we went to see if everything was okay. After a few minutes of him not coming back I decided to follow him. There was some guy robbing the gas station with a gun. Jacob was attempting to calm him down but the guy just pointed the gun at him…" I felt my voice catch.

"You have to say it. It is easier once you say it" Edward said.

"I started to come up behind the guy when Jacob spotted. He yelled at me to run. I couldn't though. Not because I was frozen to the spot but I couldn't leave him in there alone. I stepped towards the gun man and he turned the gun onto me. I don't remember how but Jacob had tackled the guy to the ground trying to get the gun off him. And then there was a loud shot..."

Alice placed a hand over mine to stop me from fidgeting. I clutched at her tiny little hand with dear life.

"He shot Jacob. The gunman ran off. I didn't try and see where. I ran to Jacob and tried to stop the bleeding with my hands and his jacket. There was blood everywhere and I couldn't hear anything around me expect for Jacob's shallow breathes. He didn't scream or cry. He just tried to calm me. He told me how much he loved me. He was such a great person who I was supposed to grow old with but instead he died on a dirty bloody gas station floor."

I clutched harder at poor Alice's hand I was afraid that I was growing to break a bone or something. But she didn't say a word, just squeezed my hand harder.

"Did they catch the guy who did it?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah, it was a 16 year old kid." I replied.

"Shit" she muttered.

"I know" I muttered back.

"How did you end up in Forks?" Emmett questioned.

"My dad missed his home and my parents thought it would be good for me to get away from it all. Like a fresh start is going to make me forget about Jacob. And everything that came along with it."

"You don't ever forget the people you love. My brother was proof of that" Emmett said wishfully. Alice snapped her head up to look at him. Emmett didn't seem to notice.

"How did you cope?" Edward asked. "I mean with losing him so suddenly."

I thought about it. How did I cope? After Jacob I became a completely different person. I turned to alcohol and drugs to help numb the pain. I became a complete and utter fuck up. He would have hated the person I have become. The things I have done.

"I didn't."

The rest of Challenge Day passed in a blur. I don't remember much of it. I had decided to distance myself from the activities. I had slight doubts about revealing Jacob to them. I hadn't told anyone about him. He was mine. I didn't want to have to share him and I did. I felt guilty for it. It made it seem as though I was fucking moving on from Jacob. I wasn't. I couldn't.

"Thank you all so much for cooperating today! I am sure that it was difficult for you all, but hopefully you will all realise that there is no need to segregate yourselves from each other!" The lady from the start was starting to annoy me with her positivity. Nothing would change. It would all go back to the way it was in a few days. She finally wrapped it up and we were all allowed to leave.

I leaped out of my seat and raced towards the exit. I had made it outside and I breathed in the fresh air. I kept my head down while I reached into my pocket for my packet of cigarettes and kept my head down so I could light it. I let it dangle from my lips as I saw the car park come into my vision. Freedom. I took a deep drag of my smoke and felt my nerves begin to relax. I had almost fucking made it without any interactions with anyone when I was stopped.

"Bella!"

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath. I contemplated for the briefest second to just keep walking, but I waited for them to catch up.

"I spoke to the others and we thought that maybe we could all hangout tomorrow." Rosalie Hale was speaking to me willingly in public. I guess I was wrong about today not changing anything. It seemed as though it already had.

When I didn't respond she started to speak again.

"It wouldn't be anything big. We could just hang out at my house. I am sure my mom won't mind" Rosalie broke her gaze from me and glanced behind me. I turned around and saw them all together. It was an odd sight; Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Edward all standing together. The saw me looking at them and turned to talk to each other.

"… if you can't make it I understand." Rosalie continued.

"Sure" I shrugged.

"Sure?" She looked confused. "Sure that you'll come or…?"

"I'll be there, Hale. After school?" I tried to remain indifferent but I was nervous fucking mess on the inside.

"Okay! I will see you then" She turned and walked back towards the group. She looked confident again.

"What was that all about?" Kate voice appeared out of nowhere. I jumped and turned towards her.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Kate! Don't do that to me" I scolded with a hand over my heart. It raced rapidly and I wasn't sure if it was from fright or something else completely.

"Don't be so jumpy" Kate scolded me back.

"Ladies, ladies there is no need to fight over my fine piece of ass" Garrett joked while sliding his arm around our shoulders and pulled us in for a group hug. I laughed and hugged them both back for a second before sliding out from under their arms.

"Sorry, but the only fine piece of ass I see around here is Kate" I motioned at her while she displayed the 'goods'. Kate and I dissolved into a fit of laughter.

"Damn girls, one day you are going to tempt me too far and I won't be able to resist" Garrett grumbled.

"Garrett, you're fucking great and all but I ain't about to jump into your bed anytime soon" I patted him on the shoulder before making my way over to my car. Kate and Garrett trailed behind me while they flirted shamelessly with each other.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"Oh! Carmen and Eleazer said they will see us tomorrow. Something about a date night I think" Kate explained.

"And Irina should be here any minute" Garrett looked around for her as he said this. We had reached my beautiful car. I traced a hand up her hood when I saw Irina make her way over to us.

"Hey, guys! What's the plan for such a beautiful day in Forks?" Irina smiled sarcastically as she looked up at the dark clouds in the sky.

"Why don't we go down to Portland and enjoy us some much needed retail therapy" Kate suggested while Irina agreed.

"Um, as torturous as that sounds I think I'll give it a miss." I was not fucking going shopping with these bitches. We would be there for hours.

"I think I'm with Bella, ladies! See you tomorrow" Garrett hurried into my car before they could convince him otherwise. Irina shrugged it off and made her way to her car after saying goodbye.

"I will see you tomorrow" I said to Kate before turning to get into my car.

"Bella!" Kate stopped me. "Are you alright?"

"I will be" I offered with a faint smile.

"I'm here, okay? Whenever or whatever you need… I'm here" Kate urged.

"I know, but really I'll be okay. Just a tough day is all" I explained. It felt nice someone caring. Worried if I was okay or not.

"Love you, honey bunny" She lightened the mood. It was what I loved most about Kate. She was able to ease my anxiety and fears without even realising what she was doing. There was a charm about Kate that was rare. Many people just assumed she was an easy party girl without much substance. But she was more than that. She was loyal, kind, charismatic, strong and she was my rock without even knowing it. She is a fucking beautiful girl and almost too good to be true. She was like a mirage. I was afraid that if I got too close she would just disappear and I would be alone again.

"Love you too, Kate" I smiled at her before getting into the car with Garrett.

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What did you guys think? With the last couple of chapters I have finished with a big paragraph of a kind of reflection. But I really wanted to emphasis Bella's friendship with Kate. I really love the dynamic between them both. I also think that it was important for you guys to realise that Kate isn't shallow or just a character who is here for the start. To me Bella's friendship with Kate is vital. It is something that will continue through the story. So let me know what you all think! I love responding to reviews and messages. Especially where I can improve. I'll try and update in the next few days or so. I have a lot of free time now!