Disclaimer : Nope, it's still not mine.

Chapter 7! There's a little bit of comic relief in this chapter, or at least I hope you'll find it funny … maybe I'm just an idiot … which is highly likely haha! But anyway I just wanted to lighten the mood a wee bit because all the previous chapters have been pretty angst … but have no fear this chapter has it's fair share of angst too =P! I hope you guys enjoy it!

BellaPOV

So, today marks my ten year anniversary of being a vampire. Its been an amazing experience. Although it has been hard at times. Because of the life Maddy and I lead, as high school students, it can be extremely monotonous. This is only my second time through high school, first as a vampire, and already I'm bored to my wits end.

Last year was definitely harder than this year though. There was a senior Alison Bell, she was really nice and sweet, kind to everybody. Why did that make last year hard? Because her blood made my mouth fill up with venom so fast I was pretty sure I was about to start drooling every time I was near her.

I used to have constant internal battles with myself. Part of me wanted so badly to just steal her, take her far away and drink her blood. My rational side kept me in check though, constantly reminding me that I did not want to be a murderer.

Thankfully she's graduated now and is off to college in California, so I don't have to worry about running into her again anytime soon.

As expected nobody really talks to us. We're "admired from afar" as Maddy puts it. I can understand it though. Not every human being is dumb enough to befriend vampires, their survival instinct tells them to steer clear away from us both … I often wonder how my survival instinct could have been so faulty. I don't regret that it didn't keep me away from the Cullen's, it's just … well what if Edward hadn't been able to control himself? I would have been left for dead somewhere and that would have broken Charlie's heart.

We're currently staying in Ketchikan, Alaska. When I first came here I was constantly jumpy, and nervous and scanning every face in every crowd … watching for Edward. I'd never heard of the Cullen's coming here and besides it was pretty far away from Denali anyway, but I just think I was hoping that one day I'd see him even just from afar. So that I could take in his beautiful face, just once, with my perfect vision and perfect memory, and keep him with me always.

I can remember exactly what he looks like, it's just all my human memories are blurry and muddled and I can't help but feel like I've lost some of my most vital memories with him. It annoys me to no end.

I've thought many times about going and finding him. Just to let him know that I've become a vampire and that I'm safe and as happy as is possible given the circumstances. Also I just want to know how he is. Has he fallen in love again … well for real this time? That piece of information would hurt but if it was making him happy then I can't argue with it. I really want to see the rest of the Cullen's as well just so I can see for my self that Alice is still a shopoholic pixie, and that Emmett's still making crude jokes at everyone else's expense and that Carlisle's still as compassionate as ever.

But I decided against it. I loved him, and I loved them but Edward had made the choice to leave me. He didn't love me anymore and at least he had had the courtesy to let me know that and so he shouldn't have to be haunted by me when he had already let me go.

Even though Edwards decision to leave me wasn't ideal, I can't find it in myself any more to wish it had never happened. It was the best thing for him, and because of it I found Maddy. Which I am thoroughly grateful for. She truly is an amazing person she never pushes me, she listens to me and to top that off we haven't argued once in ten years.

I lost a love but I found a best friend. After a couple of years I had decided to confide in her everything that happened in my human life … that I remembered anyway. She felt for me, but she never made me feel like she was pitying me. Also she took it upon herself to find ways to distract me, which was always highly amusing and usually resulted in us narrowly avoiding getting into trouble.

We've come across various other vampires also. Which has its good points and its bad points. The good points being that we get to hear of things that have been going on in the vampire world. Although to me that was bad news at one point.

We met a pair of vampire Chris and Suzie who had recently been in and around Forks. They told us that they met Victoria there. I hated remembering that conversation it chilled me to the bone every time.

*cue flashback*

"Victoria?" I asked, stunned.

"Yes. Do you know her?" Chris eyed me in a way that made me feel very uncomfortable for some reason.

"Well … no not directly. But I've heard of her before." I lied, thankful that I now didn't have my blush to betray me.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Chris continued, Suzie had hardly spoken a word since we met her. She was very quiet, reserved. "We used to know a vampire named Laurent, he was a very good friend of ours and we had been seeking him out. Our search lead us to Forks where we met Victoria. She told us that he had been killed by some beasts that live on the La Push reservation. You," He said looking at me. "if you know of Victoria, do you know what her power is?"

"No, I don't. I told you I didn't know her well. I only met with her once." To be fair I wasn't really lying.

"Well her power allows her to escape before being captured, or hurt. She feels some sort of magnetic pull if you will, that leads her out of harms way. That's how she managed to escape, but she watched as Laurent was torn apart by those beasts. She says she regrets that she couldn't help him, but they were greatly out numbered. It's such a shame for her losing James and then Laurent." Chris gazed off into the distance for a while, I couldn't even guess what he was thinking about and I didn't even want to try. I wanted to leave and get as far away from them as possible. They had been in contact with a vampire who had been after my life … who was probably still after my life.

"Bella." Chris said. I was confused, he wasn't asking a question he had simply said my name.

"Yes?" I asked unsure of what to do or say.

"Victoria told us that if we ever came across a girl or Vampire named Bella, with the last name either Swan or Cullen … that we should kill her." He began eyeing me suspiciously again. Now I understood why he was looking at me like that earlier. I laughed, it sounded strained to my ears but I hoped they wouldn't pick up on it, thankfully Maddy played along.

"If you're insinuating that I'm that Bella, I'm sorry to say you're wrong." I said.

"Well, what's your last name then." Suzie snapped. I was shocked and even jumped at little, I hadn't been expecting her to speak at all, let alone in that manner.

"Pierce." I said, thankful yet again that I was telling the truth. I'd taken on Maddys last name to prevent people from my past finding me.

"Yes, we're sisters." Maddy said smiling brightly at them. If this situation had been less severe, I would probably have laughed at her. She looked ridiculous with the massive grin stretched across her face, and the way she was bobbing up and down as if with excitement, as if she were really wishing that was true. Suzie simply huffed and Chris nodded at us without saying another word.

*end flashback*

I shuddered and Maddy looked at me, quirking her eyebrow questioning me.

"Just a flashback." I whispered, shuddering again. We were in English, it was our second last class of the day. She nodded at me and went back to her essay. I tried to do the same thing but my mind was elsewhere. It wasn't until I felt a sharp tap on my right arm that I was brought back to the present. Maddy was shaking violently due to a silent case of the giggles, I was totally bemused. I couldn't understand what was making her laugh like that.

She pulled back a note that she had evidently placed on my desk sometime during my daydreaming, and began writing on it again, before passing it back.

Hey, want to ditch gym? I really, really don't want to go. Can we go hunting or something instead? - God Bella, you had the dumbest expression on your face just now, I swear I nearly burst from trying to not laugh out loud.

I chuckled to myself quietly and returned the note.

Sure, sounds good. Oh shut up, like you never day dream! I swear it's because of your face sometimes, that people don't talk to us!

I glanced at Maddy who looked utterly shocked. She added more to the note, scrunched it up and threw it at my head.

Bella Pierce … that was just hurtful. But fine, be that way. Because you smell funny! HA!

I just laughed and chose not to write back to her. These note wars could get vicious sometimes, even if we were only kidding. I sighed. I finally noticed what she was up to. She was distracting me … again! Well thank God for that, I didn't feel like getting depressed right now. After what felt like forever the bell finally rang and we headed to the front office to excuse ourselves. The receptionist looked at us disbelievingly when we told her we both had Doctors appointments, but let us go none the less.

We ran for a long time before stopping to hunt, which did me a lot of good. My head was clear for what felt like the first time in a long time. We had split up so that we could hunt on our own for a bit when I heard roaring coming from my far right. Then I distinctly heard Maddy roar. What the hell was she doing? I ran towards the source of the noise.

When I got there, I just stood for about half a second before falling to ground laughing.

I must say seeing Maddy, who's a whole 5 foot 1 inch tall, wrestle with a gigantic bear had to be the funniest thing I'd ever seen. It would roar at her and she'd roar right back. She ducked in between its legs, causing the poor thing to fall over as it tried to see where she was going.

It carried on like that for quite sometime, until she felt too sorry for the bear to continue winding him up. She didn't even kill it! You'd think after tormenting an animal like that for over an hour you'd at least do it the service of putting it out of its misery!

After that we decided to head home. I was pleased with what had transpired today. Even though the day had started out pretty grim, it ended well. I found myself wondering what I would have done if it hadn't been Maddy that had changed me. What if it had been someone who just told me what I was and what not to do and then left me? I don't think I would have coped well on my own. I'd probably have ended up trying to commit some sort of vampire suicide … if that's even possible.

I guess I shouldn't dwell on that thought. Because thankfully it's not like that for me. I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm one of the ones who … Edward.

I felt like I had just ran into a brick wall. I could smell him. I could smell Edward, I swear I could. I tried to follow the trail and in doing so I veered away from Maddy.

"Bella? Bella! Where are you going? Bella that's the wrong way!" She shouted after me. But I didn't reply I couldn't, I had to follow this trail, I had to find out what it led to. I could hear Maddy chasing after me, but I really wasn't paying her any attention.

I came to a stop at the edge of a large lake, the trail had disappeared. Whoever it was, Edward or not, had taken off into the water. There was no way I could follow them now. Damn it.

"Bella!" Maddy said finally appearing beside me. "What is it? What were you running after?" I didn't answer her, she shook me, I still didn't answer. "Bella, come on! You have to tell me!" I finally looked her in the eye and said one word.

"Edward." I saw comprehension dawn across her face.

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A/N : Ooo bit of a cliffy there! Don't worry all will be explained in the next chapter, which will probably be a relatively short one, but have no fear the one after that will be a double POV chapter so that should be nice and long.

Thanks for reading please leave a review and let me know it you liked it =]

Much Love,

Rachael.