Last Time

I didn't know what to expect. I guess he had clarified that even our unusual hate-based relationship, that had been formed a couple of days ago, had crashed and burned. It wasn't even a relationship. I mean, would you count annoying and tossing around insults as a relationship?

We were far too different. Edward was, well.... Edward. I am... me.

What my point is that we are worlds apart. Make it universes. Any day now, paparazzi from all over the world would arrive in Forks, following Edward and the cast of New Moon around. I'd give it a day, tops. I wouldn't make the lame, magazine thickening pages at the end of a magazine even if I tried.

I guess it was best to keep the two worlds apart.

Because when they clashed, it would be ugly. Heart break would only be the least of it. And I didn't want it. Any of it.

Lessons Of The Heart

Chapter 8

It was time to replay the airport scene. It was the usual, except that I got first class...

"Mum, I've got to go!" I said detaching myself from her. Tears were streaking down Renee's and Angela's faces. Oh, gee, make this tougher for me, won't you? I hugged all of them one last time and walked back to where Carlisle was boarding. Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, Angela, Renee and Charlie had come to the airport to bid me farewell.

Next time I would laugh with my friends would be in three months. That is if I survive. No, I'm not pessimistic. I'm practical. And I've learnt the hard way that hoping is the worst thing that you could do to yourself.

"Bye!" I waved one last time before making my way into the plane.

Goobye America.... for real.

-------

Aloha London!

"The sun's out today!" Carlisle exclaimed loading our luggage into his car.

"Why, is that unusual?" I asked getting into the passenger seat of the Black Aston Martin Vanquish with leather interior. Smooth...

"Yeah!" Carlisle started up the baby. Sweet. I can officially say that I have been in a gazillion dollar car.

"So, your wife is Esme and your 'hulk of a son'.... is Emmett?" Alice had run me down on the basics of her family.

"That's right. I talked to Renee and she said that you would be attending school here. If you miss out on three months, you will have to redo the year."

"Yeah, that'll be great."

"You will be going to the Kings College. It's the school that Edward went to and it accepts girls from year 11 on. That's ok?"

"Edward's school..." I don't want to go to his school and deal with a bunch of Edward clones!

"Don't worry, it's good.... and no there are no Edward clones there." Did he just read my mind?

"Ah...." The rest of the ride was just Carlisle pointing our buildings and places and me 'oohing' 'ahhing'. The car came to a stop in front of a white house. Not the White House but, damn, it could've been.

"Nice house," I stated, almost indifferently. The key word being 'almost'. It's not my fault that I couldn't hold in my awe. Carlisle smiled, by way of 'welcome'. We went up to the front door and rang the bell.

"Coming!!" a large booming voice shouted.

"I sincerely hope that wasn't you wife," I said, smirking.

"Funny..." Carlisle said just as the large intricately designed oak doors swung open. A large looming figured hovered above me. If Carlisle wasn't next to me, I would've been petrified. He was huge.....

"Hi!" he smiled. I had to admit, he wasn't half as scary as he seemed when he smiled. Maybe I didn't need to carry a baseball bat around with –

The burly guy, who I assumed was Emmett, pulled into a bone-crushing, air-cutting bear hug. I take back my last statement – I need to carry around a baseball bat.

"Emmett!" a softer voice scolded, pulling him off me. "Don't scare her, already!" Emmett moved out of the doorway, allowing me to see the person who had just spoken. And, let me tell you, right now, I have to say that I'd be disappointed if Edward looked any less good-looking than he already was.

Not that Edward is good-looking or anything

Esme was beautiful. Her long caramel hair, hazel eyes, and perfect body structure were almost inhuman.

"Hello, dear. I'm Esme," she said, pulling me into a hug. I hesitated for a second before hugging her back. I'm not exactly a 'huggie' person but something about her reminded me of home. How she ended up with Edward as a son, I don't know.

"It's getting chilly, let's go in," Carlisle suggested. I stepped into the large house. It was furnished. Very nicely.... Let's just say that my house couldn't compare, even with a hundred thousand dollar renovation.

"You have a nice house," I commented.

"Thank you, dear. Emmett will show you around the house later. We have a charity function to attend tonight. I hope you don't mind me putting your name down as part of our family. We are leaving in a couple of hours," Esme said. She didn't even know me and already made me welcome. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

"That's no problem. I didn't bring any clothes.... nice ones." I knew that this charity function would be grand, with rich people and all their... richness. I didn't realise that I would be brought along.... not that I minded.

"You could fit into my clothes. We'll sort that out now; come on!" Esme led the way up the stairs and to a grand room. It was huge with a massive walk in closet in which I was standing in right now, pulling on a silk top over my head. It was turquoise and fragile. I had black dress pants and turquoise heels to match. The outfit turned out better than I had expected. I didn't even have to wear terrifying dresses that showed far too much cleavage or mini-skirts that rode up to reveal lacy underwear.

I pulled the clothes off and hung them on the bathroom rung.

I stepped into the shower, which could've easily belonged to a five star hotel, and turned on the warm water. Esme had stocked the bathroom with scented soaps, milk body washes, berry-scented shampoos, bath salts, a loofa and various shimmer creams and moisturisers. I pulled out a bottle of body wash and poured a bit onto the loofa. I then lathered my body with the creamy white stuff.

I quickly washed my hair and stepped out. The mirror had fogged with the steam from the shower. I smelled like honey and berry. Yum....

After rubbing moisturiser all over, I pulled on the fancy clothes. Esme came in just as I finished. She was ready in a red floor length dress. Esme curled my hair and lent me a pair of diamond studs to wear. Even though I didn't like the whole dress up thing, I accepted. I knew that I'd have to get used to it.

By the time we left, I looked like a girl. Not a tom-boyish girl who had no sense of fashion whatsoever, but a girl with a lot of money and clothes to match. Never thought I'd see the day. But, hey, expect the unexpected.

---------

Esme was right in saying that I needed theses clothes. This 'function' redefined 'party of the century'. It had everything from movie stars, to loaded bachelors, to promiscuous oldies. Yes, even the 'promiscuous oldies' part is true. One old guy seemed to have taken some interest in me. Call me paranoid but I swear that part where he gave a slobbery kiss on my hand wasn't platonic.

Emmett, after witnessing the disgusting scene, had taken to protecting me from every male within a one mile radius. I didn't mind that. Emmett's protectiveness only made me long for a sibling. One like him....

Back to the party.... I sat at our table at the edge of the dance floor, tentatively sipping at my coke while studying the scene before me. Carlisle was talking to one of the organisers of this function while Emmett twirled and dipped his mother like a pro.

I was interrupted from my observation by a boy. A very tall boy, to be exact. He had a native-American appearance.

"I'm Jacob," he introduced.

"Bella."

"So, Bella, tell me, are you another one of the many girlfriends of the jackass," Jacob asked casually. Was this a common question to ask someone you had just met? What happened to the good ole' weather topic? Had I missed the memo?

"'The jackass'...."

"Edward Cullen."

"Oh, that brat! Wait- Did you just ask me if I was his girlfriend?" I asked, shocked. Edward Cullen's girlfriend.... yeah.... when hell snowed over.... twice.

"Uh.... yeah?"

I snorted in a very un-womanlike way. "I'd rather be dead than be labelled his girlfriend."

"Well, then," Jacob said, smiling for the first time, "We'll get along. Hi, I'm Jacob Black. I go to Kings College. Nice to meet you."

"Huh? Oh, yeah! I will be going to Kings College, too. I'm staying with Carlisle and Esme." Don't ask me why, don't ask me why....

"Are you a junior (in year 11)?" he asked hopefully. Thank you!

"No, but I should be."

"What?"

"I skipped a year. I'm in year 12."

"Shucks!"

"Nice to meet you Jacob, see you around school. At least now I'll know someone!" I gave him a wave and wandered off to Carlisle. My feet were killing me in these shoes. Yes, they were only a small heel but give me some leverage here! This is the first time I've come out of my usual 'sneakers-only' rule.

I found Carlisle speaking to the afore-mentioned perv, with a look of distaste on his face. Carlisle's face lightened up when he saw me as a perfect way to break the conversation. Carlisle grabbed my hand and took me out onto the dance floor where Emmett and Esme, along with many other couples, were dancing. I danced, if you could call it that, with Carlisle who seemed to find my apparent lack of gross motor skills entertaining.

Then Emmett decided that he wanted to witness my embarrassment first hand and invited me to dance with him. My answer was a no but that changed when I saw the old guy making a bee line towards where I was standing. It was either dancing or being slobbered over. Emmett excused himself when his phone began to ring. At first he was going to go outside by himself but then an unwanted figure caught his eye, making him decide to drag me out with him.

"Hello?" he asked into phone while I stared at the ducks swimming around in the pond.

"Hey Edward!" My head whipped around at the name. Edward! Crap, crap, crap, crap..... I shook my head vigorously at Emmett, attempting to indicate in 'Bella sign language' to not tell Edward that I was here. Emmett raised an eyebrow at me.

"How's the filming going?" he asked. He listened for a while before pounding the air with his fist. "Woot! What time? Right, bro. See you then."

I sighed. He didn't mention me.

"What were you saying, Bella?" he asked me, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"I didn't want him to know I was here."

"Huh? He doesn't know about" – Emmett flailed his arms about – "this?"

"No."

"You do realise that he is going to find out sooner or later."

"Better later than sooner."

"He's coming at the end of next week. He managed to negotiate with the director to come every two weeks." Uh oh!

"I'll.... I'll face that problem when it arrives."

Emmett stared at me for a while before he said, "It's cold outside. We better go in."

Back inside, Emmett and I took our seat at the table where teens our age were seated. Emmett couldn't really be considered a teen since he was twenty but nonetheless sat with us. Girls that reminded me oh so much of Hannah, the brainless beauty, were gossiping amongst themselves. Jessica would have had a field day is she were here.

"Hi, I'm Tanya," a slightly familiar blond girl introduced. As far as I had observed for the past ten minutes of sitting at this table, she was the leader of the bunch. She had long, wavy blond hair, baby blue eyes, small nose, high cheek bones and a very high-pitched giggle. She was pretty – even a blindperson would know that – but shecouldn't even hold a match to Rosalie's looks and personality. The word 'stuck up' – well, two words but whatever – came to mind, but I didn't want to judge based on appearances.

"I'm Bella," I said.

"So...." she said, smirking while looking me up and down. Her followers looked shocked as if I had yet to realise something that was staring me in the face.

"Can you get any dumber?" blond two said. "Don't you know who she is? OH MY GOSH!!! She's Tanya Denali! Like, super famous model. Duh!"

"Huh?" I was still lost. Then Jessica face popped into my head. Tanya.... Tanya, Edward's first girlfriend, Tanya. I see. "Edward's ex."

Emmett was watching my apparent lack of interest in these stereotypical blondes with an amused and impressed look.

"She's such a bitch!"blond three cried. Gee, go ahead - talk about me as if I'm not there! Even for them, I expected more class.

"Would you shut up, Jane," Emmett said in a bored tone. He was apparently used to her behaviour.

I shoved the thought of their presence from my mind. It was really going to take more than that to hurt me. Seriously, I had better things to worry about.

Like the hole in my heart, for instance.

Hello, folks!

Well, I haven't updated in an eon because I was on holiday in America and Canada. I went to LA, Las Vegas and San Diego. So, practically the bottom half of the country... Then I stayed in Mississauga, Toronto.

So, I am finally updating. Those who read 'Love Doesn't Come In Packages', I'm glad to say that the next chapter should be out soon.

Kisses,
Rach