Okay, this is short, and I know that it's not that good. I'm kinda pressed for time here, and I hope you can bear with me for this bad chapter. I felt horrible for not updating in so long, so I've been working long and hard on this, struggling through some major Writer's Block just to give you guys this piece of crud. Hope it's decent, and I appreciate any reviews! Thanks.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Twilight, the characters, plot, lines, history, story, etc. Sadly, I don't own anything in this book, except for a secret future character I made up. ;D Wait and see!

Edward's Point of View

I felt a sudden urge of anxiety when Bella told me I should leave. Seeing her drive away without me create a small sense of disappointment and loneliness that I'd never felt before. Usually I reveled in being alone, though sometimes wanting to hang out with friends, but when Bella left me I couldn't stop the wave of... something indescribable. It was like everything turned a shade darker, every cloud was thicker, every feeling less vibrant.

The next morning, I almost just went back to sleep when my alarm went off. I wasn't looking forward to the beach trip, to say the least, or the school day. Instead, I struggled to get up and pulled on a loose pair of dark jeans, almost black, and a well-fitting red shirt. Slipping my feet into a pair of flip-flops, I brushed my teeth vigorously, took one look at my hair (But did nothing) and ran out to my truck.

School was horrible. Without Bella there, I sat at my old table, and my 'friends' didn't miss the opportunity to bombard me with questions about Bella. Biology was the worst. I was bored and Bella's conversation was obviously lacking.

Driving out to the Newton's store after school, I thought about Bella's Volvo, and couldn't resist an appreciative grin. I loved my truck, but the purr of the Volvo's engine and the shine of the glossy frame was appealing, and I couldn't deny it.

Pulling into the Newton's, I saw a group of people gathered near Mike's suburban and a minivan.

"Edward!" Jessica called as she smiled flirtatiously. I groaned internally.

"Hi, Jessica." I smiled at Angela when she gave me a small yet friendly wave.

"Edward, ride with me?" Jessica asked. "I had to bring my mom's minivan so we'd all have room. I looked at Mike who was beginning to look angry.

"Oh, I told Mike I'd ride with him so we could talk." Mike looked surprised, but went along with my lie, clearly unwilling to let me ride with Jessica despite his apparent crush on Bella.

"Yeah, he did." Jessica looked disappointed, but I felt relief when Mike, Tyler, Lauren, Connor, and I slid into the suburban.

At the beach, we sat down together and talked for a while. Tyler and Lauren listened to a CD, Connor sat next to Angela and Ben and chatted, while I was alone on my log. I instantly regretted my choice of a lonely log, because Jessica was instantly by my side. I stood and asked, "Anyone care to go to the tide pools?"

The trip through the forest was quick and I was lucky that my distracted mind didn't cause me to run into a tree (haha... the irony). At the tide pools, I precariously perched on the edge of a rock between two pools, and laughed quietly when I picture Bella here, trying not to fall in. The image of her soaking wet, beautiful hair dripping and clothes sopping, was endearing and by no means made her attractiveness decrease. Others messed around, but I just sat there, enjoying the peace. It was actually warm, maybe sixty, and the sun was out. The trip wasn't nearly long enough to avoid Jessica though, and when we made our way back, I groaned with irritation.

However, when we were back, a group of the natives were sitting with those who hadn't joined the tide-pool venture.

"Ooh! You're so funny," a girl I didn't recognize was saying to the well-muscled boy standing across from her. He smirked.

Introductions were made around; the boy who 'was funny' was Quil. The oldest, maybe nineteen or twenty, was Sam. Jacob, Rachel, Embry, and Paul were the others. I sat down on my log again after waving politely, and thankfully Jessica was engaged in a conversation with Jacob and didn't come over right away.

Instead, I was approached by Rachel, who sat down and said, "You're Edward Swan right?" She had brown skin and almond-shaped eyes that were a green/hazel color. Her thin lips curled upward in a smile, and she ran a hand through her shoulder-length, glossy black hair.

I sighed. "Yes."

"You bought my brother's truck." Oh. I was glad she wasn't interested in talking to me because of my status as town myth. Being the son of the Police Chief's 'flighty' ex-wife made you something of a story around a small town like Forks.

"Brother?" She grinned.

"Jacob." I appraised the kid. He didn't look to be more than fifteen, maybe fourteen. She grinned. "Oh, not his to drive. Technically it's my dads, but Jacob fixed it up." Then I realized that she was Billy's daughter.

"Wait, why don't I remember you? Or Jacob, for that matter. My dad and Billy are close, right?"

"Well, it was a long time ago that you last saw us. I was ten." Oh, yeah, and she's a year older than I. I'd been sulky an angry enough about the dull fishing trips to end them when I was nine.

"Edward?" Mike asked, suddenly looking at me with something close to contempt in his eyes. "Why didn't anyone think to invite the Cullens?"

"Cullens?" Sam straightened and asked. He looked almost angry at the mention of them. "They don't come here." It sounded like more. Like they weren't allowed. Sam's tone let no further discussion on the topic continue, so I grinned and turned to Rachel.

"Care for a walk?" She nodded and stood.

We walked down the beach a ways, talking and laughing. She was very nice, and I enjoyed her company. Sitting down on a fallen log in the sand, I carefully spoke.

"So, what did Sam mean, that the Cullens don't come here? He made is sound..." I trailed off.

"Oh, it's a clan thing. They aren't allowed here." Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oops! We're not supposed to say anything."

Doing my best to make my smile reassuring, I said, "I won't tell anyone. I'm just curious."

She appraised me, then agreed. "Like scary stories?" I laughed and shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay, well, we have a legend here in La Push. Our ancestors are supposed to be descended from wolves, and even today, they are our brothers. It's actually against our laws to kill one." Her voice was lowered playfully. "The wolves have an enemy, however, and it just so happened that one of them came to us. Legend claims that the men of the tribe turn into werewolves when our enemy is near."

"Werewolves?" I asked. "They have enemies?"

"One."

"Who?" I tried not to let Rachel see how much I desired the answer.

"Cold-ones; people with pale skin."

"That would include me, right?" I laughed, lifting my comparatively pale arm to hers as evidence.

"Not just pale people. Blood-drinkers. Your kind call them vampires." I sat, stunned.

"So, these Cullens are like the cold-ones in your legend?"

"No," she corrected in an ominous voice. "They are the same cold ones." She straightened and gave up the menacing voice. "Legend continues and says that the family moved here a long time ago, without one of the boys and one of the girls present now, but still the same family. They claimed that they weren't dangerous. That they only fed of animal blood, not human blood. So we made a treaty with them. If they would not come onto our land or bite any humans, we would keep the secret of their identity."

"Edward!" the loud voice came from behind me. I turned around after jumping down from the sturdy root I'd been sitting on. Jessica and Angela. Jessica came nearer, and her eyes roved up and down Rachel's form, judging her.

"Your girlfriend?" Rachel asked with a hint of disdain in her tone. I shuddered.

"No way."

"We're leaving, Edward." Jessica stepped up next to me, and I sidled away a little.

"Oh, bye Edward! I'll see you soon, hopefully," Rachel told me. "I'll drive up to Forks sometime!" Her voice suggested at an intimate relationship, and I wanted to laugh at the look on Jessica's face.

"Of course," I replied just as softly. "Can't wait." I hoped Rachel wasn't serious, and was just playing around for Jessica's benefit, but I knew Rachel was nice, and probably would be a good friend.

The ride back was quiet for me in the back seat. At home, I cooked dinner, did homework, and sat in my room. Turning up the volume on my CD player so that I could barely hear myself if I tried to speak, I lay down on my bead, blinking several times before I fell asleep.