AN: Hello everyone, I know it has been forever and I owe you all a huge apology and an explanation. After I posted my last chapter my ac adapter to my laptop (the cord) frayed to the point where I could not get on my computer. It was only supposed to take a week for the cord to be delivered, well there was mis-communication between the manufacture and Best Buy and I could never get a straight answer. Well low and behold yesterday I came home and had a delivery and now I am so happy to give you Chapter 9.

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer's owns everything Twilight.

An Illusion of Happiness

After an awkward supper with our parents the night of the hickey incident, our fathers' seemed to lighten up a little. We were allowed over at each others' homes even without parental supervision, correction without parental supervision as long as Emmett was present. Therefore we did not push our physical relationship any further.

At school I began to receive more glares from the girls, but tried in vain to ignore them. Edward seemed to be oblivious to the stares. For the most part though things were peaceful there.

Rose and Alice had even taken me shopping because Edward had talked me into going to the winter dance. I found a very simple dark blue dress; it went to my knees and had an empire waist with cap sleeves that were see through. They had told me that I didn't need anything more formal as this was just a semi-formal dance. Rosalie was all for the final dress where Alice had some reservations, she thought I should have something more flashy.

The night of the dance the plan was for all of us to meet for supper at the Cullen's before going to the high school. Edward had said it was a tradition that Esme had started during middle school. Carlisle and Esme would dress up like wait staff and set the dinning room up to look like a restaurant and they would proceed to serve the children. It was something she insisted on and would not listen to anyone if they should suggest going somewhere else.

Emmett knocked on my door as I was getting ready to go to sleep Thursday night. I told him to come in and he sat down at the edge of my bed and had a very serious expression on his face.

"Bella, geez I don't know how to say this, but here it goes." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I know that you and Edward have been seeing each other for a few weeks now, and I couldn't be happier. I know you have kissed a little, but I want you to tell me if he ever pushes you too far. I don't think he will, but if he does you scream bloody murder alright."

I was a little perplexed as to what brought this on, but had little time to wonder because he continued. "However, if you feel you are ready there are some things you should know. I'm not sure if your mother talked to you about the, ah, birds and the bees, but I figured as your big brother I should mention it. I don't want you to have to put up with Pop telling you, because that was uncomfortable and I can't imagine him trying to have that conversation again- especially with his little girl; it may cause the man to have a heart attack. Seriously, when he had the 'talk' with me there was sweating and nervous glances everywhere and fidgeting, just not something you should have to deal with."

As he kept talking without really saying anything I realized he was nervous and that he was rambling and then I figured out what he was going to try to say and when I heard the mention of a penis I put a stop to it.

"Emmett" I said as I put my hand over his mouth, "I know about the birds and the bees, and my flower will be safe until I say otherwise. Can this be done now?" I asked hopefully, and he responded enthusiastically and wished me good night.

֊Ж

It was six o'clock on Friday night and I was waiting in the living room with Sue. Edward was going to be picking me up in a few minutes and then driving me to his home for supper with the rest of our friends. Emmett had left a few minutes ago to go pick up Rosalie.

I had the dress and flat shoes that Rosalie and Alice helped me pick out and Sue had done my hair. There was nothing too fancy about how I looked, but it was by far the most elegant I had ever dressed, let alone felt.

Charlie's heavy footfalls alerted me to the knock at the door that I did not hear due to the pounding of nerves that had taken up residence in my ears. I could hear a quiet mumbling between the two men at the door and Sue started to nudge me towards the entry where Edward was waiting for me.

When we both locked eyes time seemed to stand still, neither of us moving but appraising each other. Edward was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a white button down shirt. There was nothing extraordinary about his clothes, it was the typical uniform of a boy going to a school dance, but on Edward he looked like he just drove in from Mount Olympus.

He gave me his patented half smile and held out his hand for me to take. The normal energy that I felt whenever we touched shot through my fingers and spread all over. Edward wished Sue and Charlie a good evening and promised that I would be home by curfew- midnight.

Ж

Dinner was uneventful, but enjoyable. The three couples sat around while Carlisle and Esme served us a spaghetti dinner. The two adults were dressed in black pants, white button up shirts and black ties and referred to us all in professional manner. While the food was delicious and there was laughter all around something felt off to me and that uncertainty had left me unable to fully enjoy the dinner.

By the time we reached the school Edward could tell something was worrying me. I kept brushing him off and trying my best assuage him that everything is fine. The last time he asked was when he was pulling me out of the car in the parking lot.

"Edward, really everything is fine, I'm just a little nervous about this" I waved my hand towards the familiar building in front of us "I've never been to a dance before and it's just making me a little nervous." I said shyly while looking at the ground.

"Buttercup" he said softly while putting his hand under my chin forcing me to look up at him "its just you and me okay. All the other people in there don't matter, I just want to go and dance with my girl a few turns. If at any time Bella you feel the need to leave just let me know and we'll get out of here. Okay?"

I nodded my head and took his hand as he led us into the gymnasium that had been transformed by cotton and lights to resemble a winter wonderland.

Ж

We had been there for an hour and Edward was by my side the entire time. When we weren't dancing we were next to Emmett and Rosalie at one of the side tables and just having a really relaxed time. Jasper and Alice had been keeping their distance from the rest of us, for the most part I hadn't seen them for more than a few minutes since we left the Cullen's home.

I told Edward that I needed to go to the bathroom, Rosalie had offered to go with me but I shooed her off as Emmett was trying to drag her back on to the dance floor.

I turned to Edward and whispered "wait for me."

His reply was instantaneous and just as soft "always."

I left him then and made my way through the halls to the bathroom, which surprisingly was empty when I entered. As I was finishing in the stall I heard the door open followed by soft voices. I abruptly stopped before opening my own door when the words and voices registered.

"I can't believe her dress, I mean who told her that dress was flattering." Lauren stated.

"Wait, didn't you go with her Alice?" Jessica asked.

"I did, let's just say it could have been better and she obviously ignored my advice." I realized it was me they were talking about because I knew she had only gone with me and Rosalie dress shopping and she was extremely insistent that I get a much shorter and in my opinion raunchier dress than the one I bought.

"Well all it did was just showcase her inability to belong" Lauren cackled.

"True, however it is only adding more humor to this whole charade. I mean my guess is that as soon as she is out of Edward's line of sight Tanya will be all over that." Jessica added.

Lauren's next words stung deeper than anything my mother had ever thrown at me: "I really don't get how she can be so blind, I mean it's one thing for her to think that the Swan's actually want her, but then for her to believe that Edward Cullen would want her above any other in this whole school is purely laughable. Come on Jessica lets go watch the fireworks."

I didn't hear anything else that they said I quietly opened the door and caught sight of myself in the mirror. Globs of mascara running down my cheeks being pushed further by each new tear that fell. As soon as the image registered in my mind I ran.

Ж

I'm not sure how far I got when the reality of what was happening sunk in. This was all a joke to them, every single person who I've opened up to, every person who I've trusted, every person who I've loved, it was a joke: I was a joke.

The pain in my knee began to be too much with my running and I had to stop. I took in my surroundings and saw that there was no light near by, I'm not even sure what direction the school was in. I gave into the exhaustion and sat down and just cried. I mourned for the final string that was holding my heart together.

I tried to figure out why they felt the need to do this, Charlie... I mean Chief Swan could have just sent me with Victoria to the group home in Seattle. Or Emmett and his friends could have simply ignored me. No sense of order was coming to the muddled mess that my mind was in.

After an undetermined amount of time my tears dried and a choice was made. I was done. No more Swans, no more Forks, no more social workers, no more hurt and most of all no more tears.

I stood up and started walking towards the woods that lined the street. The moon had been cleared of the clouds that were in its way and I realized the best option for now would be to get warm and the trees would be the best option and they would also offer protection from the snow that had begun to fall.

I found a little nook in the woods of three trees that served as protection. I pulled my dress as tight around me as I could, wishing it was longer and had sleeves. I tucked myself as far as I could into the base of one of the trees. I decided to wait until the snow slowed down a little and then I would begin to walk again, towards what I'm not sure, more than likely more pain.

A while later I woke with a start, it took me a few moments to remember where I was and why I was so cold. As the memories rushed over me, however I refused to let myself cry anymore. I reminded myself of my decision the previous night and as I saw the small flakes of snow fall and the beginning light of the sunrise I got up and dusted myself off.

I stayed near the side of the the forest and had been walking long enough where my knee was shaking with each step. I knew I would have to rest again soon, but I wanted to make it as long as I could. As far as I saw it the farther away from Forks I got the better.

Just as I was about to sit down the sound of a distressed car began to approach. I prayed that I was fast enough to hide from the driver. When that thought passed through my head I heard the car begin to slow, followed by the sounds of a car door opening and closing.

I crouched further into the shelter the trees offered me when the person's footsteps grew closer.

"Hello" a rough voice called out, as the words registered in my mind the same physical reactions I had about Jacob Black came to surface. I knew it wasn't him, but my breathing became labored and chills began to run the back of my spin.

"Oh little Isabella" the man called again, "don't try and hide from me, we have some unfinished business to attend to" his words were almost spoken as if they were in a song, I burrowed more into the tree trunk and stilled my breathing.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk little girl" the voice said above me as a pair of beaten up snow boots came into sight.

I looked up and was afforded the view of a young man, with stringy blonde hair tied in a low ponytail. He appeared slightly dirty and rough, but the look in his eyes is what sent true fear into my veins.

As I stared a quick movement to my right startled me, it was followed by the man's hand clamping down on my forearm.

"Such a pretty dress" he sighed then leered down the length of my body "and it will make this so much easier." His tongue came out and licked his chapped lips.

The grip on my arm tightened as he started to pull me towards him, but suddenly threw me to the ground. The snow was not deep enough to help mask the hard ground of the forest floor, and wayward sticks and stones pressed into my back. The man dropped to his own knees and started to lean towards me, his body covering mine. He began to trail his lips on my chin, and that's when my missing adrenaline kicked in and I started fighting. My legs began to move with an uncoordinated rhythm, and my arms started shoving his chest away.

"ah, there's the little fighter" he whispered as he neared my ear. While my body was attacking his he became more solid and rough. His hands grabbed my arms and held me still, this move was followed by him pressing his lower half on mine and stopping the desperate attempts of my lower limbs.

He licked his way from my neck to my lips and plunged his tongue into my mouth the instant his lips met mine. I took the opportunity and opened my mouth a little wider, he began to relax the dead weight he was putting on my body when I struck. I bite down, hard on his tongue and I shoved him off. My body began to sprint through the snow and trees. I could hear him following as the volume of his curses began to escalate.

I forced my legs to go faster, with each shot of pain that shot through I pushed, I would not allow myself to end. While the thought of the end did appeal to me, something in the back of my mind told me to keep going. I knew I could never live with myself in this life or the next if I knew I just gave up. So I pushed, and I pushed I started to see the road ahead and I moved faster than before.

The sickening crunch of a fallen tree was my undoing. My left foot stepped on one of the branches and my right tripped over the trunk and my body propelled forward. The man's laugh echoed around me and I knew my fight was coming to an end. I attempted to right myself before the strange man reached me, but as I started to take off again his cold hand clamped down on my ankle and sent me spilling on the ground again.

As he as flipping me over I began screaming, no words, just any sound I could get out of my mouth. I knew this was probably a pointless attempt, because this man's car was the only one that I had come across since I left the school last night. The back of his hand came across my face while his other clamped down on my lips in an attempt to silence me. I kept moving, any part of my body I could manage, one of us would tire soon, my assumption was that it would be me, but I couldn't stop it wasn't in me.

The man continued to spew insults at me punctuated with spit. His fluid combined with my own tears and the snow drenched my face, almost to the point where I felt drowning would be the next progression of this nightmare.

He finally was able to pin my legs with his and had one arm holding my two. After landing a few blows to my face he took his free hand and began to undo his pants and pulled out his erect penis. Bile began to rise in my throat both at the thought of what was about to happen and at the disgust I felt that any person could get excited by these events.

He pumped himself a few times and spoke of how he would enjoy what was to come. When he was satisfied with his preparations he shoved his hands under the end of my dress and grasped my panties and tore them. He then leaned forward, I'm not sure what the purpose was but the bile that had been building made its appearance. His body reacted before he could control it and removed himself from me and started a new string of profanities.

I got my chance and booked it, I didn't look back but I heard him struggling to catch me, more than likely because his pants were not up right. I saw the road and broke through the trees. I'm not sure which way I came from but I picked a direction and continued going.

I'm not sure how long I ran, but eventually any sounds of the man died off, I didn't want to believe that I was free from him so I kept going. I stumbled multiple times but got up each time and ran as fast as I could.

Thoughts began to flow through my mind as I went where do I go now? Who will be waiting for me? Should I have trusted what I heard? What if I was wrong? If I was wrong will they forgive me for what I thought was true? Is anyone looking for me? Will I survive long enough to find out?

Just as the last thought entered my mind a faint noise of a siren broke through.

AN: Please read and review, and thank you all for hanging in there- I do want to remind you all that Bella is 17 and girls at that age (well any really) can have a tendency to overreact. Also there is going to only be a few more chapters, but I am planning on writing a few outtakes of some of the events in some of the other characters perspectives.