{Author's Note: Just to clarify, this chapter takes place after the prologue. I thought about overlapping the two, but seemed unnecessary. I DO understand I made an error in the timeline – as Bella states she's seventeen years old in the prologue, and that it's November, when It's really mid October. I'm fixing that as soon as this posts.

Thank you to the people who added this to their favorites/alerts, or me to their favorites. Also to Megan and Lisa for their wonderful reviews, all of you are awesome, and honestly you guys keep me going.

I made a new fan-video for the last chapter, a Bella's POV video about how she felt when Jake ended the relationship. Warning: Even watching it now still causes me to get teary eyed, but I spent a lot of time on it and it came out really well – so please watch and comment, I'm really excited about it. :D Link = wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom /watch?v=5t6jGx7MlIQ

Please review and tell me how you feel about the POV switch up, I'd love to hear your opinions, and it'll help me decide how to do future chapters.

No copyright infringement intended, I own nothing!}

A month had passed without a single word from Jacob. Charlie had gone over to Billy's several times during those four weeks, and each time he'd come home he'd shake his head at my hopeful expression. I wasn't sure what I was expecting him to tell me, but it looked like not even my dad could find out what was going on. I'd held onto the mindset that there was absolutely no way Jacob had simply changed his mind and walked away from our relationship, but as the days passed it was harder and harder to convince myself otherwise.

Charlie had finally grown tired of seeing me mope around, ignore my friends and avoid leaving the house unless for work or school, and confronted me about it. He told me that he was sending me back to Jacksonville to live with my mother and Phil, that my behavior wasn't healthy or "normal" and he wasn't sure how to handle it anymore. I fought him on it, telling him that I was not leaving Forks, and mentioned an upcoming shopping trip I had planned with Jessica. That last part was a lie, but I figured if it'd get him off my back and keep him from looking at me sympathetically every time our paths crossed, I'd arrange it somehow. I knew he'd been able to see right through my reasoning for wanting to continue living with him, but I didn't care. I knew Jacob wasn't coming back to me, as he bluntly pointed out, but I hadn't been able to allow myself to believe that quite yet.

I'd barely kept in contact with my group of friends from school since Jacob left me. I was too consumed with grief to sit at lunch each day laughing over jokes that weren't funny, or to hang out at the movie theatre in which I'd spent so much time with him. Obviously First Beach was out (both because it was freezing outside and because I didn't want to chance a run-in with Jacob) and that pretty much kept me from spending any time with them at all. The looks I was given during classes or passing time in the halls, was enough for me to see that my presence wasn't expected anymore. They'd finally stopped trying to engage me in conversation, and let me succumb peacefully to the heartbreak that'd turned me into a lifeless shell.

I was surprised when Jessica actually answered my call, even more so when she agreed to hanging out with me. I guess she had missed me. It was nice to feel like someone other than my dad cared, and she made it obvious how worried she'd been when we met up the following day to make the drive down to Port Angeles. She'd invited Angela and I was excited about spending the day with my two best friends again. Despite the fact that only a month had passed, it'd seemed like years since I went anywhere but work or school.

Winter formal was in a month and a half, and the girls already planned on going dress shopping this weekend, so we decided to hit the shops while we were out. After they picked out their dresses the plan was to have dinner and see a late movie. I'd immediately (but politely) rejected Jess' idea to see a romance flick, and Angela quickly suggested a comedy, which apparently had zero romance.

Dinner was nice and gave the three of us a chance to really talk. Angela had asked if it was okay to speak about the event which led to my isolation, and I nodded, grateful that she cared enough to ask before bringing it up.

"I guess I'm just trying to understand what happened, you know? We've really missed having you around, Bella." Angela said, her tone sincere.

I took a breath before beginning my explanation; I didn't really know how to make either of them understand it, the whole thing probably looked ridiculous form an outsider's perspective. It wasn't as if Jake and I had been dating for years, but the pain I'd felt when he walked away was still just as immeasurable as if we had been. "I don't know, I guess I just kind of freaked out. Long story short, Jake ended things with me right after telling me he loved me. No real reason, nothing. Obviously I didn't handle it very well."

Both of them had stopped eating, listening intently to what I was saying, and I was relieved when neither of them looked as if they'd felt sorry for me. Instead, their expressions held understanding. I realized at that point that I had missed them too, and I was glad that we were hanging out again. If anyone was going to help me get back to normal, it was going to be my friends.

"We had no idea what happened, and nobody really knew anything except that you two weren't together anymore. Then you kind of... became a zombie." Jess stated, no attempt at sugar-coating. I laughed; glad that at least she wasn't any different.

"I know, and I'm sorry I shut you guys out, honestly. It was just really hard, and it still is. I just can't figure out ...why things happened the way they did. He won't speak to me."

Angela nodded and Jess began speaking, "From what Embry says, he hasn't talked to any of his old friends, avoids them like the plague. Apparently he's hanging out with that Sam Uley guy and his little posse now." I shot her a confused look, now this was something I didn't know. Anytime I had spoken to anyone, which was obviously pretty rare, they'd tip-toed around the topic of Jake. At least that answers the question of whether or not Jess and Embry were still dating, though. The thought caused a bitter feeling to creep into my heart, but I was glad they were happy with each other, they were good together.

"That really doesn't sound like him… he always talked about how much he didn't like those guys."

"Yeah, and I guess he's been drinking, too? Quil saw him and that Leah girl down at the cliffs with enough empty alcohol containers to get an army wasted." Jessica provided. I couldn't wrap my mind around that - Jake had never been one for alcohol. Not to mention the aversion he'd always had toward Leah. Were they together now? What the hell had happened to him? My mind was spinning, and I was almost regretting this little night out. This was the kind of information I really wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"That's really strange. I'm sorry Bella but it sounds like he's not the same Jake we all knew." Angela responded, sadly. Aside from me, Angela had spent more time around Jake than anyone else in our little group. I knew she was right; the Jake I'd fallen in love with was not cold or detached, and he certainly didn't ignore his friends or the people he cared for. I'd known it deep down, the night he ended our relationship, but refused to acknowledge it until now. Jacob was gone. I had no idea who'd replaced him, but it wasn't the man I loved.

"I think Angela's right, Jacob changed drastically, and the Jake I love doesn't seem to exist anymore – so it's time for me to move on, and get out of this stupid funk I've been stuck in for so long." It sounded easy enough, but I knew moving on, getting over what I had with Jacob, was going to be incredibly difficult… most likely impossible, but nonetheless, I had great friends, amazing parents, and I was tired of making them all worry about me. If nothing else, I could put on a brave face for them, even if it felt like I was dying inside, every day.

"Damn right!" Jessica agreed enthusiastically,

I smiled at her, fully understanding that these two were the types of friends that would always be there for you, even if you go into crazy-mode and start ignoring everyone. I was glad that as much as my heart was still torn to shreds, I was slowly starting to feel better. From this day forward, I was going to make it a point to spend a lot more time hanging out with my friends. If nothing else it would help to keep me distracted. It was hard to be sad when I was around people like Jessica and Eric especially, and the only person I was worried about was Embry. I knew I couldn't really throw myself back into my social circle without being around him, and the memories he'd evoke were undoubtedly going to be anything but pleasant.

After Dinner the three of us had decided against going to the movie; it was already getting late and I wasn't sure Charlie would be okay if I came walking through the door after midnight. He was still on edge about they way I'd been acting over my breakup with Jake, and the last thing I wanted to do was add to that stress. I knew he was glad that I was finally getting out of the house and renewing my friendships, but it was still a bad idea to push him this soon. Instead of heading to the theatre, we settled on an ice cream shop just outside the city.

Finding an empty table, we sat down, treats in hand, and made ourselves comfortable. Jessica spoke up first, Angela and I too involved in our sundaes. "So, we totally need to plan something for this weekend. Something we can all do to celebrate Bella's return!" She ended the statement, dramatically.

Angela snickered, licking off the remains of ice cream from her spoon, "That's a great idea, but what?"

I pondered for a minute before a light bulb went off in my head. "I noticed that huge arcade up the road from the restaurant, the boys would love that."

"That would be so much fun; I haven't been to an arcade in ages." Angela replied, excitedly.

"Arcade it is." Jessica agreed. "I'll text everyone when we get home and invite them."

We finished the contents of our bowls soon after and made our way toward the car. I stopped for a second on the sidewalk in order to answer the beeping of my cell phone, when a body slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. Disoriented, I picked up the phone that had fallen during the commotion, when a male voice spoke up, "I'm so sorry, are you all right?"

I looked up, nodding, as his hand wrapped around my arm, helping me to stand. I flinched at the cool touch, as Jessica and Angela made their way over to ensure that I was okay. "I'm fine, just not very good at watching where I'm going, apparently. Sorry," I retorted, embarrassed. He chuckled, and I looked up to find myself locked in a stare with one of the most beautiful pairs of eyes I'd ever seen. Golden brown, they reminded me of honey.

His skin was pale, almost translucent, and I couldn't stop myself from thinking that this man was the definition of gorgeous. "No, no, that was my fault. I was in a hurry to catch up to my brother. I'm Edward," he stated, smiling. I returned the smile and introduced myself to him, before turning to my friends and doing the same with them.

He finally let go of my arm and I noticed the time on my watch, "It was nice meeting you, but we really have to get going. Take care, Edward."

"You too, drive carefully." He shot me a smile as we continued on to the car, and once inside, I swear Jessica squealed.

"That boy was gorgeous!"

"Jess, think of Embry and calm your raging hormones," Angela laughed. She was right, though, I'd never seen anyone like him. For whatever illogical reason, the thought of finding another guy good looking, was bothering me, so I decided to change the subject.

"Hey, guys, what time did you want to do the whole arcade thing tomorrow?" I asked, directing the question at both of them.

"We should probably leave Forks around 4pm; do you think Tyler would be willing to drive? He's the only one with enough space." Angela stated.

"If not we can always take separate cars, either way should work."

"I'll find out tonight when I text everyone about the plan." Jessica offered, "I'll let you guys know tomorrow afternoon, then we can all meet up somewhere and head out."

I'd been fine throughout the entire day in Port Angeles, but the moment Jessica dropped me off at home and I was alone again, the sadness which had been taking over lately, hit me with such force it nearly knocked me off of my feet, As soon as I entered my bedroom, the first thing I spotted was the little wolf bracelet from Jacob, sitting on my window sill. I'd set it there a few weeks ago, after wearing it began to feel stupid; as if it was my way of holding onto something that was obviously pointless.

Sighing, I set my purse down next to my bed and situated myself next to where the bracelet was laying. I was tempted for a split second to chuck it out the window, but decided against it. I knew if I lost it I'd regret it, and honestly I was tired of having regrets involving Jacob. Hell, I was tired of thinking about him altogether. It'd been a month and the pain was just as evident as it was the morning after he'd ended things. I wondered daily if he'd thought about me once since that night, if I ever crossed his mind at all. My brain was incredibly disobedient lately – never letting me forget the things which did nothing but cause an overwhelming amount of unhappiness. Any time I wasn't surrounded by people or distractions, my mind was replaying every moment we'd spent together as if it was stuck on some annoying montage of our relationship, complete with cheesy tear-inducing music. Sometimes, I just wanted to rip my hair out.

A thought hit me out of nowhere and I quickly dialed Jessica's number. Even having to drop off Angela, she should've been home by now, and I was relieved when she answered cheerily. "Hey Bella, what's up?"

"Are you doing anything tomorrow before we all hang out?" I asked in a rush.

"Not that I know of, why?" she responded in a curious tone.

"I want to get a hair cut, any chance you feel like going with me?"

"Sure, how about I pick you up around noon? I know a great salon near your house." She suggested.

"Sounds great, I'll see you then." I affirmed before hanging up the phone.

'Don't cut your hair, ever' His voice replayed in my head, and I smiled to myself, satisfied. I'd wanted to get a hair cut for a while; though probably not as drastic as the one I had planned for tomorrow. Regardless of how miniscule it seemed, I had a feeling this was going to make me feel a noticeable amount better.

Climbing into bed, I prayed to whatever higher being was out there, that just this one night, I dreamed of anything but Jacob Black. It was about time I got a handle on my life again.

I woke up Sunday morning just early enough that I was able to shower and get dressed before Jessica arrived. I was beyond thankful when I realized I couldn't remember my dreams from the night before. Charlie said goodbye to me with a smile on his face as I walked to the door, and I returned it, glad that the renewal of my social life had such a positive impact on him. I knew he'd been really worried the last month or so, and while it upset me seeing him so concerned, I couldn't seem to shake myself from the daze the breakup had caused. Luckily for me, spending the night with my two best friends taught me how to smile and put on a good poker face. I knew it was going to take a lot more than that for my heart to heal, and at that point I was pretty sure it never would, fully, but the least I could do was make my pain tolerable for the people who loved me.

"Do you mind if we get gas first? I forgot to fill up last night before I went home." Jessica explained as I climbed into the front seat, and I shook my head in response. She smiled, and pulled away from the curb, speeding down the road toward one of the few gas stations in Forks. I'd offered to go inside and pay while she pumped the gas, so she handed me the cash while I made my way toward the entrance. Tripping over one of the stumps near the door, I fought to regain balance as pair of strong arms wrapped around mine. My mind flashed to memories of Jacob, how often he'd saved me from falling on my face, catching me each time I stumbled. Tears immediately sprang to my eyes and I slid my hands up to my face, quickly wiping them away, forgetting about the person still holding onto me.

"We've really gotta stop meeting like this," Edward said, his voice playful and somewhat worried. "Are you all right, Bella?"

I smiled gratefully at him while he removed his hands from my arms, dusting myself off and picking up the twenty dollar bill that had fallen from my grasp. "I'm good, thanks. Nice reflexes." I commented, tucking the money into my pocket. Realizing that this beautiful stranger had run into me thirty miles away, I stepped back, and gave him a puzzled look. "Do you live around here?"

"Yeah, right outside of town, over near the woods. My family just moved here a little over a month ago, but I didn't get into town until three days ago. I had loose ends to take care of. I was just picking up a few things in Port Angeles last night," he enlightened.

"So you go to Forks High now?" I questioned. I couldn't tell if he was too old for high school or not; he definitely gave off an older vibe, but he looked to be close to my age.

"My first day is tomorrow, you may have met some of my brothers or sisters already?" I shook my head. If they looked anything like he did, I was sure they would've stood out to me, but given my mental state lately I probably overlooked them anyway. "My dad works at the hospital, Dr. Cullen?"

"My dad mentioned a new doctor, but he didn't name names. It's a small place though, if you haven't already noticed, so that was probably him. He had great things to say about him." I replied, noticing from the corner of my eye that Jessica was sizing Edward up, tapping her foot impatiently on the pavement.

"I'm sorry, my friend's waiting for me, I've really gotta get going." On a whim, I decided that I wouldn't mind spending more time with this guy. Besides, he was new in town. I was sure that, aside from his siblings, he probably didn't know anyone here. "If you're not busy later we're heading to the arcade in Port Angeles, you're welcome to come if you'd like." I invited, running a hand through the locks of my hair. I was starting to get cold-feet about chopping it off.

"Sure." His smile was dazzling, and I couldn't look away from his gaze. "Do you mind if I bring my sister? She's been cooped up in the house since they got here, I'm sure she'd love to get out for a while."

"Sounds great, we'll meet you there then?"

"Here, take my number and text when you're heading out there." I reached to retrieve the phone from my pocket, flipping it open and programming his name into the contact list. After we'd exchanged numbers, we said goodbye and I finally made it inside, handing the clerk the money, and jogging back out to where Jessica was waiting outside the car.

"What was all that about?" she asked, as soon as I was within audible range.

"I invited him and his sister to join us later, he's really nice. They're new in town. Cullens, I think he said?"

"Dr. and Mrs. Cullens' foster kids," she confirmed. "There's four, well, five of them now, I guess. The other four are like, all together. Together-together." She emphasized. "The two older ones, Rosalie and Emmet, are dating. They're seniors. And the other two, Alice and Jasper, are together, too. They're in our grade. I'm not really sure how legal that is, but whatever. They're all like, super good looking too. Someone said they had another brother but that he was taking care of some stuff back in Alaska, where they used to live. I guess that's him. Makes a lot more sense now…" She was practically drooling and I couldn't help but laugh. Of course Jessica would have the low-down on the new family in town, that girl was a gossip machine.

"Again, don't you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes, but he's not going to be near me for another…" She paused, checking her watch. "Three and a half hours."

In an instant my stomach was in my throat; Embry was going to be hanging out with us today. I guess I should've seen that coming but I hadn't really thought about it until now. I knew I was going to run into him eventually, I'd just have to work through it and force myself to have a good time. I could let myself fall apart when I got home, but for now I was on a mission. Cut my hair, have fun, and make new friends with Edward and his sister. There had to be a way for me to keep thoughts of Jacob and my time spent on the reservation, from eating me up inside… at least for a couple of hours.

I thought I was going to chicken out when we arrived at the salon, but somehow Jessica mentioning Embry (and the mental breakdown that it almost caused) snapped me out of it. I'd obviously decided to go for a shorter look. The woman gave me bangs which were styled off to the side, and a layered face-framed look which barely grazed the bottom of my chin. At the last second I asked her to lighten my natural color and add a few dark red highlights throughout. I was pleasantly surprised how good the hairstyle looked on me, and was practically walking with a bounce in my step as we slid into Jessica's car again.

"Your hair looks amazing, Bella. Seriously, I never thought you'd go for such an extreme change."

I smiled and turned to her, "Thanks, Jess. Neither did I, but I really like it."

"It fits you really well." She assured.

Everyone else had really nice things to say about my new look, as well, and I was feeling an overwhelming level of confidence. I knew I'd feel better when I cut my hair, but I hadn't anticipated feeling so liberated and free. Jake had tossed me from his life with so little regard and even if he never saw the new hair cut, it'd made me feel damned good.

I'd texted Edward to let him know we were on our way, and he and his sister met us there about a half hour or so after we arrived. Tyler had indeed agreed on driving so that we could all pile into his van, which made the drive up that much more fun. Half of the time was spent talking about my hair, and although the attention was a little uncomfortable, it was still nice. The rest of the drive was full of obnoxious singing way above the music of the radio, and generally just screwing around. The rest of our group had welcomed me back with open arms, just as Jess and Angela had, and I was starting to feel better every second I was away from Forks, surrounded by my friends. I didn't care how much falling apart behind closed doors it took, I was going to get back to normal and I was going to show these people how much I appreciated them for being there, one way or the other.

I started, by paying for everyone's lunch, after a few hours of playing games and running around the monstrous arcade. Edward and Alice, his sister, had thanked me politely but neither were hungry. I guess they'd eaten a big lunch before leaving for the trip. The more I got to know the two of them, the happier I was that I'd invited them. They were a lot of fun, and Alice was the sweetest girl I'd ever met. She reminded me of a tiny little pixie, adorable and very likeable. Truth be told I think all of the guys had crushes on her, but she was seeing Jasper, another of the boys under Dr. Cullen's care.

Edward was very witty, and extremely well-spoken. I spent a lot more time hanging out with him than I would've expected. I'd felt an immediate connection to him the night before, outside of the ice cream shop, and the more we talked, the closer I felt we'd gotten. My heart wouldn't allow my mind to wander beyond the realms of friendship, but I still immensely enjoyed being around him.

Things got awkward for a couple of minutes when Embry and I had wandered off to the "old school" portion of the arcade, in order to hone our Pac man skills, and ran into Leah and another of the boys from Sam's "posse". I was completely against the idea of speaking to her at all, but Embry waltzed right over there, greeting the two of them. I tried to get away before my presence was noticed, but it was too late – and she came walking over, smiling widely as she said hello to me. I responded in kind and we shared a bit of small talk before she excused herself, as the two of them were "just taking off". I was relieved and said goodbye to her as Embry and I continued on in search of the Pac Man game.

"That was awkward," he laughed.

"You sensed that too?" I asked sarcastically.

"I wish I knew what was up with Jake…" he sounded sad and I truly felt for him. I missed him more than anything, and I'd only been back in his life a month before he threw me aside. I could only imagine how Embry must've felt – he and Jake had been best friends almost since the day he was born.

"Join the club, my friend." My tone matched his perfectly, and neither of us said anything else on the topic, both of us understanding completely how the other was feeling.

Jessica had poked her head around a corner, spotting us, and made her way over to see what we were doing. I was grateful when her bubbly personality altered the mood between Embry and me, and the pain that was slowly starting to seep through me, was forced away. One of the many reasons I loved Jess, was that it was almost impossible to be upset around her for any length of time. I probably should've gone out of my way to spend time with her before a month had gone by, maybe I would've been sad a little less often.

Another hour or so had gone by when Alice had came up with the idea of having an Air Hockey Tournament, where everyone battled it out until the last two players were left. We all had a lot of fun talking crap to each other and trying to distract the two people playing, in order to keep them from scoring goals. At the end of it Edward and I were the last two, and I swear his reflexes were unbeatable. I did win, however, but I had the sneaking suspicion that he'd let me.

When nine o'clock rolled around, we decided it was time to get home – Six a.m. came really early on Monday mornings. Everybody said their goodbyes and piled into their respective vehicles while Alice hugged me and promised we'd hang out tomorrow for lunch. She was a constant bucket of chipper, and reminded me of Jessica in that way, but other than that the two were very different. She seemed to very easily fit into our group of friends, though, and Edward did as well. I was glad that despite everything that had taken place over the last month, not only was I starting to get back into the groove of things, but I'd also made two more great friends. It seemed as though things were looking up.

I waved a goodbye to everyone when Tyler pulled away from my house, since I was the first to be dropped off. I felt good when I entered the house, telling Charlie goodnight before making my way up to my bedroom. Changing into a pair of pajamas and sliding underneath my covers, I was excited by the idea that I wasn't necessarily content at the moment, but I knew I was making steps toward becoming that. I still thought about Jacob more than anything else during the day, but I had a lot of wonderful distractions, and I was hoping that things while not perfect were slowly becoming bearable.

However, as much as I tried to tell myself otherwise, I also knew that the emptiness which had become a constant fixture in my life was far from subsiding. I sighed as I rolled over, wrapping my limbs around one of the extra pillows covering my bed, and closed my eyes to the images of the face that haunted my mind – whether conscious or otherwise.

{please review, and PLEASE watch my newest fanvideo linked above – I spent at least twelve hours doing it, It's perfect quality (dvd rip) and I think it conveys Bella's emotions during the Chapter 9 extremely well. P.s,

wwwDOTshort-hair-styles-magazineDOTcom If you'd like to see Bella's new hair cut.}