Bella Swan

The weekend passed too slowly for my liking. I walked around the streets of Durham, looking for some sort of inspiration to hit me. My multi-lens camera was strapped around my neck. I sauntered down streets I had never been on before, always keeping a mental map in the front of my mind.

I found one street that looked like it had been pulled out of a Jane Austen novel. The sidewalks were cobbled; with the buildings set in a weathered and old fashioned brick. Beaten wood signs hung in front of each store.

I sighed. Not knowing when inspiration would hit. Even looking at this perfectly timeless street I felt no inclination to snap a photo.

Several things then happened at once that I will never know whether it was fate or pure coincidence. A bus pulled up, bearing a logo for a law firm. I read the name, only getting as far as the first six letters. My head turned to the tiny classical theatre I was standing in front of. A new movie was coming out. The same six letter name caught my eyes and I spun again, my mind reeling. Again, the same six letter word assaulted my eyes. On a billboard this time, a DJ for a radio station. The name wasn't even that common for god's sake!

Edward! Edward! Edward!

Edward on the bus, Edward at the movies, Edward in the billboard.

They were all different people, but the repetition of the name made my mind sure it was a sign. Or was my mind playing tricks on me? Sure I wished it was a sign. But it could have very possibly just been a coincidence.

Well I had my inspiration now at least. I started snapping pictures. Of everything I could see. Not stopping until my finger cramped up and my right eye started losing focus. I was going to create a new portfolio for school, titled: RepeatEd.

Strange how his name could have that effect on me. No! Not his name. Tons of people had the same name. It was just the repetition that had me inspired. I couldn't allow my mind to do this to me. I couldn't fall for Edward Cullen. It wasn't fair to myself. He would never want me.

It was almost eight at night when I finally turned onto the road that would take me home and into my bed. It smelt vaguely of warm garbage on the street and I had to cut short the breath I was inhaling in order to keep a settled stomach.

I noted Jaspers beat up old Vespa parked behind our apartment building, and next to it... What the hell? I gaped. A bright yellow Porsche. I didn't know much about cars, but I knew that that kind of car was NEVER found in this area of town. I wondered who it belonged to.

Jasper was sitting on the recliner when I came through the door. He was gazing towards the kitchen, eyes glassed over and daydreaming. I heard Rosalie laughing in the kitchen. Jasper snapped back into alertness when she did and looked around the room, shaking his head like an Etch A-sketch.

"Hey Jazz." I waved and he smiled at me, his eyes focusing back towards the kitchen. Hmm... weird. This called for an investigation.

Rosalie was sitting at the kitchen table, papers and magazines spread out across it. While little Alice Brandon sprawled across the floor, a huge collage of dress designs positioned in random order around her tiny frame.

"Hey Bella!" Alice chimed when she saw me. Alice always treated everyone like she knew how they're relationship together was going to turn out. As soon as she met me, she decided that we were best friends. While on the other hand, as soon as she saw Irina – a girl that sat with us for lunch – Alice knew she was trouble. Which was true enough, Irina was a gossip. She had eyes that saw everything and always made sure to report everything she witnessed. I just found it amazing that Alice could see these people and then know them so well.

"Hey Alice." I smiled.

"How's the project going?" Jasper asked from behind me.

"It's perfect Jazz." Alice said, winking at him. She was treating him like she'd known him for years. I turned to look at Jasper, and to my complete amazement, he was blushing. My jaw dropped. What? I turned back to Alice, then back to Jasper, then at Alice again. I must have looked like some sort of cartoon. Alice and Jasper were staring into each other's eyes, like they could hear each other with out words.

"Hey, do you want to go grab something to eat?" Jasper asked her. He looked shocked, as if he'd never meant to say it, that it just slipped out.

She beamed at him.

"Of course, but would you mind if Bella came?"

Jasper looked at me, almost relived. I didn't think he was ready to be alone with her just yet. Maybe she saw that too. Jasper just shook his head and smiled at me.

Rosalie politely declined her invite, so Jasper, Alice and I all filed out of the apartment. On the way down the stairs Alice turned as asked, "Hey would you mind if I drove? I just got this new car and I've been trying to drive is everywhere I can."

We both agreed, but froze when we hit the parking lot and the bright yellow Porsche's lights flashed on with the click of Alice's keys.

"Whoa..." was all Jasper could manage to say.

"Ostentatious, isn't it?" Alice was beaming at her car, or rather her miniature jet, in my opinion. "I got it from my cousin when I moved here. He said, 'after the life I've had I deserved a nice car.'"

"Well that was... thoughtful." I said. The words I was really thinking were more along the lines of: crazy, insane, extreme... lucky.

We piled into her car – I took the back seat which was surprisingly comfortable and roomy considering it was a sports car – and we took off down the, now partially emptied, street. We arrived at a small take-out restaurant, and tripped over each other as we ran into the building, laughing as we entered. There were very few people in the Chinese eatery; a few of them were staring at us. I only noticed one set of eyes though.

Perfect green, sparkling eyes.

Edward.

He was staring at us, at me, with amusement and surprise mingling on his face. My mouth fell open as if I was going to say something, I quickly closed it again. Alice tugged on my arm and I focused back into the present. Letting my eyes fall from Edwards.

"Hey Edward." Alice grinned at him.

He nodded, his eyes still on me.

"Alice. Bella." He gave us each a quick smile. My stomach fluttered when he said my name, when he remembered my name.

He continued to look at me, not in a creepy way, but in a curious way. It was like there were a thousand questions in his mind right now that he would like nothing more than an answer for.

My stomach fluttered again at his curiosity.

I stood beside him awkwardly for a few minutes while Alice and Jasper ordered. I guess he thought I couldn't see him staring, or he might have stopped. His food came and he turned to leave the shop. Edward glanced back once and looked at the three of us.

"I'll see you soon." I knew he was speaking to everyone, but it felt like he was only speaking to me. It made me feel guilty again, about the thoughts of Tanya. She was so wrong for him. But was I really right? No. He could do better than me.

"Yeah, bye." I managed to say.

"Bye the way, nice car Alice." He grinned a dazzling crooked smile, and my heart stopped beating. It looked like he was enjoying some sort of private joke.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she almost screamed, her high soprano voice probably waking all the dogs in a half mile radius.

He continued grinning as he retreated out of the store and into the night.

I hated Tuesdays. Seriously hated them. I had two classes that were placed at either end of the campus just 15 minutes apart. If I ran on the pathway it still took me 20 minutes to get there. And running was not something I should do ever, let alone every Tuesday. The only way to arrive on time was to cut through the staffs' parking lot. I still had to walk quickly, but I usually made it.

Today was the one exception.

As I entered the ground level of the parkade, I was surprised to hear loud smack, just a few cars away from me. All of the staff were supposed to be in the school now. The lot was always abandoned at this time. I should have realized right then and there what was going on. A door opened about 8 cars down from where I stood. A white Mustang. My eyes popped wide open when I heard Laurent's voice.

"Shit, Tanya. You kicked a foot print on my ceiling." He laughed once.

"Shut up. You're going to be worshiping in that footprint tonight. Be thankful for what you have." She giggled, and I gagged.

I didn't know what to do. If I took another step my feet would make sound and then they would know I was here. If I stayed where I was... well they would eventually know I was here too. So I just stood frozen in place.

Tanya got out of the car and noticed me standing there. A shocked and disgusted look on my face. She looked furious. Angry enough to kill the only witness? Maybe. I didn't want to take chances.

"Oh, it's you." Her emphasis on the word "you" caught my attention.

"I heard everything you know. I know you're cheating. I know you're a liar." I was scared of her, but my voice, thankfully, didn't betray me.

"What business is it of yours anyway?"

"Edward deserves better than this." I almost whispered, turning on my heel and walking away as quickly as I could. I decided I would go, right then and there, and make good on my promise. Tanya had had one more chance, and she ruined it. It was time to find Edward. It was time he knew the truth.

As I retreated I heard a little gasp as the words clicked into place in her brain.

"No." Was all she said, and then I was gone.