Author's Note: So about half of you loved my Rosalie, and the other half of you...well, didn't. I thought she was very in-character (except for the fact that she was speaking to Bella at all) in this story, which as you've seen, is very OOC. I've had readers ask me to label it as OOC in my summary, so I'll try to get to that. I know it isn't canon (at all!) but it's been fun to write.

Also, I promised some of you this would be out a day earlier, but I fell victim to the twenty-four hour bug. My immune system is completely out of order this semester. My apologies to those of you who checked and were disappointed.

Update: iloveChiodosXD pointed out that I made a mistake in this chapter. The Seahawks-not the Redskins-are Washington State's NFL team. I've fixed the error. Thank you, darling!

Disclaimer: Though they are hardly recognizable, these are all Stephenie Meyer's characters! And Stephenie owns herself...I just borrowed her for this chapter.

Chapter Thirty-Five: "Desperate" Bella's POV

"You're dressing up?" Zafrina asked me as I carefully applied my makeup.

I glanced down at my purple dress, wondering if I was too dressed up. "Yeah," I said. "I'm going out with my friend Rosalie. Do you want to come? I think we're going to dance and grab a bite to eat."

"Nah, I have to study," she replied. "Thanks for the invite, though. By the way, you look nice."

"Thanks, 'Frina. I'm out."

It did feel nice to finally wear something other than a t-shirt. Rosalie had called me earlier and said she wanted to get out of the sorority house, and that there was a new bar open. I had readily agreed, happy to have a friend besides my dreadlocked tokers. I couldn't wait to see her and have fun again. I wanted to just relax and chill. Being only nineteen, we couldn't drink, but that was fine. Being around Rosalie would be enough.

The new bar was called New Moon and looked very busy from the outside. I parked my truck and immediately saw Rosalie outside. She looked breathtaking in a chic pink dress. I never thought I would ever say this, but I had missed her surreal beauty. It killed my self-esteem but somehow made me feel better. My bitchy-but-lovable friend was back. She met me in a big hug, squealing. "Let's go inside," she said. "You look perfect, by the way."

"So do you."

The bouncer checked our IDs and stamped our hands. The atmosphere inside was very dark, with a great bat. A blacklight flashed on the dancefloor, illuminating the sweaty bodies occupying the large space.

"Great, isn't it?" Rosalie shouted over the music. "Let's go upstairs. That's where they serve food. It's a great little nightclub."

I wondered how she knew all of this—wasn't this her first time at New Moon? Nonetheless, I followed her up the stairs. The music was quieter, and I could smell cocktails and sushi.

Suddenly, someone grabbed me, and I suddenly figured out where Rosalie received her New Moon information. She had been here before, with her boyfriend Emmett.

"There's my Izzy!" Emmett boomed, placing an exuberant kiss on the top of my head. "I've missed you!"

I turned to Rosalie, eyes wide. She wasn't supposed to invite any of the gang!

She rolled her eyes. "Bella, Emmett misses you, too. Don't get your panties in a wad."

"Have you not missed me?" Emmett pouted before lifting a beer to his lips.

"Of course I have," I said, hugging him tightly. "I just told your girlfriend that it would be awkward for me to hang out with you guys after the whole…thing. But as long as Edward isn't here, I guess it's okay."

Emmett suddenly choked on his beer, and I grew very suspicious. He managed to compose himself before saying hoarsely, "I promise, it's going to be fine, Bella. I just want to hang out with you tonight. I've missed you terribly, and I can only blame the stick that my brother has shoved up his ass. Come on, let's get something to eat."

"Okay," I said slowly.

As soon as we had order our food, Emmett leaned back in the booth. "So what have you been up to, Bella?"

"Converting to a new religion," I joked. "I'm a Rastafarian now."

His eyes widened. "No shit?"

I snorted. "Are you kidding me? Of course it's shit. Have you ever seen me do a religious thing in my life?"

He grinned mischievously. "I don't know. Did you and Edward ever done the Catholic schoolgirl fantasy?"

I kicked him. "Shut up, Emmett Cullen."

He laughed harder. "Just kidding, Bells. My god, as long as he's being a dumbass, we might as well laugh at him, huh?"

"True," I said quietly, sipping at my water. Emmett had made a gentlemanly offer to buy us alcohol, but I had chosen to stay sober—for once.

"Emmett," Rosalie said. "You haven't told Bella your news, baby."

"What news?" I asked him.

His smile suddenly grew to be a mile longer. "I'm going to the big leagues. The Seahawks drafted me. But don't tell anyone I've chosen. I haven't made the formal announcement."

"Wow, congratulations!" I said happily. "I'm so proud of you! And Washington is my home state, so if I end up back there, you'll give me box tickets, right?"

"Consider it done," he winked.

"I'll probably transfer to UDub," Rosalie informed me. "So we can still be together."

"We're thinking marriage," Emmett admitted. "Her parents aren't crazy about the idea, though. We might have to wait a couple of years."

"That's really great," I told them. "I'm so happy for you both."

Rosalie started to talk about Washington plans, and my mind started to wander. Emmett and Rosalie—the clown and the bisexual slut—had it all together. Where did it go wrong for me and Edward?

Oh, yeah—when you started to sleep with his father.

"Phi Mu has been fun," Rosalie continued, "but I'd rather live for my man. I guess we'll see what happens."

"Yeah," I replied weakly. Rosalie and Emmett stared into each other's eyes. They had grown up so much…

I suddenly needed to get away from the mushiness. "I'll be right back," I muttered, sliding out of my booth. I walked to the bathroom and put a cold paper towel to my neck, trying to calm myself down. Breathe in, breathe out…

I was starting to breathe easier when a toilet flushed and a familiar-looking blonde stepped out. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well, if it isn't the ex-girlfriend of Edward Cullen," she smirked as she washed her hands.

I glared at her. "Who are you?"

It was then that I saw the sorority letters tattooed on her shoulder. "The name is Jane," she replied. "You're sweet little Bella, aren't you?"

"I'm afraid I don't know you," I replied dully.

She cackled. "Oh, I know you. You went to the Cullens' famous beach house and met the parents, but Edward dumped you. Obviously you weren't good enough for him."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," I said evenly. "And by the way, bitch, I do know you. You're the slut who turned the Halloween charity event into an all-you-can-eat buffet. Did you enjoy Mike Newton's tongue between your legs?"

"Mike Newton did not eat off of me." Her blue eyes shot daggers toward me.

"Bullshit," I replied. "Maybe when you stop being Fraternity Row's doorknob, you can comment on my relationships."

She gave me an evil smile. "Edward comments on your relationship every night when he screams my name. Back off, bitch."

Childishly, she splashed water on me and left the restroom.

I shouted an expletive. Edward was with Jane? The dirtiest-skank-on-campus Jane?

I stormed out of the bathroom, infuriated. If Edward was with Jane, then why had Rosalie told me he was single?"

I marched back to the table, and then realized that my seat had been taken. It was too hazy and loud for me to see who it was…until I heard his voice.

"Rose, Em, my relationship with Isabella is over," Edward Cullen said firmly. I audibly gasped, and all eyes turned to me.

"Rosalie!" he shouted. "What have I told you about meddling?"

I crossed my arms and turned to the blonde. "Yeah, Rosalie," I snapped. "I told you not to do this!"

"Look!" Emmett exclaimed. "You guys are agreeing on something! That's a start. Now sit down, Bells, and we can all talk it out."

"No!" Edward said. "There. Is. Nothing. To. Talk. Out."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Look, Edward. Bella is miserable. You're miserable. All you do is sit around and stare at the walls. But all of that could be fixed if you would just pull your head out of your ass and see what you're giving up!" He pointed a big finger at me. "Look at her, Edward! Look how gorgeous and sweet she is! All of that perfection was yours, and you have a chance to get her back!"

"If you like her so much, why don't you date her?" Edward snapped. His beautiful, angry eyes turned to me. "Isabella, you look beautiful and I know we had something special. But you screwed it up. I'm not going to be able to love you again."

"But you do love her!" Emmett screeched. "You say her name in your fucking sleep!"

Edward stood up. "Why don't you ask your precious Izzy about the irony in that statement?"

Before I could stop myself, I picked up Rosalie's Cosmopolitan and threw it on him. The pink drink stained his white button-down.

"Listen to me, Edward Cullen!" I shouted, garnering the attention of the other clubbers. "I know I screwed up, but you're the only person who is still holding that against me. You're being an absolute prick if you can't even speak to me. It's time to grow up. People make mistakes. And you're making a huge one right now."

I leaned over and grabbed my purse. "'Bye, Em. 'Bye, Rose. Thanks for trying. I know you guys love me."

"Isabella," Edward said, but my hand operated before my brain and grabbed Emmett's beer. My grizzly-like friend laughed as I threw it on Edward.

"Shut up," I told my ex-boyfriend. "Just shut up."

I turned on my heel and walked out. Hot, angry tears stung my eyeballs, threatening to escape. As I left the club, I saw Jane smirk at me. I flipped her off and walked briskly to my truck.

As I entered my dormitory twenty minutes later, I was badgered by the resident advisor, Stephenie.

"Isabella!" she called.

"I can't talk right now," I told her, mascara running down my face as I hailed the elevator and stepped into it.

"But there's dorm inspect—"

The elevator closed, and I couldn't comprehend anything she said.

It really is a stroke of luck that Zafrina bought me that tequila, I thought as I unlocked my dorm. My roommate was asleep in bed with some guy I had never seen before. I accidentally slammed the door, waking her up.

"Isabella," she murmured. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I pulled out the large, full bottle of tequila. "I will be soon."

She nodded sympathetically, used to my psychotic tendencies. "Tell me if you want to talk."

"I will." I kicked my heels off and stumbled into bed, sinking into my blankets with my drink.

I had no plans to resurface.

"Isabella," Zafrina's raspy voice said as she shook me awake. "Isabella, you have to wake up."

The light burned my eyes, and my stomach instantly flipped like a scary rollercoaster. I ran to the bathroom and puked every ounce of the tequila out while my sweet roommate helpfully held my hair back. When my stomach was finally empty, I groaned and leaned my sweaty forehead against the cold sink. "Zafrina, what is that god-awful smell?"

"I'm burning incense," she replied in a panicky tone. "Stephenie is inspecting dorms, and you and I have to hide some things."

"Shit!" I groaned. I did not feel like this. I started to count the prohibited items I had in my room: the nearly-empty tequila bottle, the vodka under my bed, and the Xanax in my underwear drawer.

"Stop thinking!" Zafrina shouted—quite an uncommon feat for her. "Let's go!"

My head pounding, I went straight to my drawer and pulled out the pill-filled baggy. I ran to the bathroom and emptied it out into my Tylenol and Midol bottles. After that, I ran back to the room to see Zafrina stash her box of leaves and rolling papers beneath her mattress.

"Where do we put our pipes?" she whispered frantically.

Shit, I had forgotten about my pipe. "In my socks," I hissed, yanking open a drawer. I unfolded a pair of socks and let her drop the two small pipes into one before I refolded it again. I shoved the pair into the back corner of my drawer, hiding it under other pairs of socks.

"Alcohol," I muttered, grabbing my tequila. In an act of desperation, I opened the window and threw the bottle down to the sidewalk, wincing as I heard the glass shatter. The whole dormitory would catch hell for that.

"Where's my Grey Goose?" I asked Zafrina as I spun around to face her. There at the door was Stephenie, a clipboard in her hand. Her long sleeves and long skirt was a testament to her inner nun. Her nicknames included Sister Mary Meyer and Miss Goody Two Shoes.

"Good morning, girls!" she said brightly. "Room inspection!"

My legs were wobbly. I knew that if she found my vodka, I could lose my dorm privileges or even get kicked out of school. The university was extremely strict about their dorm rules.

I clamped a hand over my mouth and tried not to gag from the nerves.

"Steph," Zafrina said sweetly. "This isn't a good time. Isabella is terribly sick."

"It will only take a minute," the RA smiled. She started to check the conditions of the walls and furniture, and I started to wonder if I had just wasted a bottle of tequila for nothing. But then she got nosier, patting the mattress down and opening our drawers. I noticed Zafrina wasn't breathing as she searched the chest of drawers. I wasn't, either.

"Looking good, ladies," Stephenie said. "Just let me check under the beds."

My heart pounded. I knew that was where my vodka was. And I knew that she would find it.

My bed is really quite messy," I said in a desperate attempt. "You may not get your hand back if you stick it under there."

Stephenie chuckled almost evilly. "It's fine." She dropped to her knees and felt her hand under my bed. I closed my eyes, silently praying that I had pushed the bottle into the farthest, darkest corner.

But when I heard her stand up, I had to open my eyes again. My heart lurched as I saw my bottle of Grey Goose in her hand. On her face was a wicked smirk.

"Busted."

So I kept my promise to those of you who worried that Bella's self-destructive behavior would be rewarded rather than disciplined. She's about to get in an even bigger pile of shit.

Review, please?