Before
I met Jacob during the second week of my freshman year in high school. I was the new girl in a very small town. It was the kind of small town that everyone knew everyone which meant they also knew instantlythat I wasn't from around here. Then you add to it that I was moving here from San Diego, California, into this wet, rainy and strangely beautiful town that was known as the type of town you just passed through, I was very out of my league. Forks, Washington was nothing like I had ever seen or experienced before. It was constantly raining, the most beautiful greenery I've ever seen, and had good-hearted people. At first, a lot of the town citizens assumed that because my family, which consisted of just me and my dad, Charlie, came from California, we were rich, stuck up and had a ton of connections, when in reality, that couldn't be further from the truth. It seemed like everyone quickly picked that up when my dad and I purchased a small house on a little bit of land and proved that we weren't here to cause trouble. Plus when they realized he was here to take over as the police chief, that helped too.
I was born and raised in San Diego, but my family barely scraped by while we were there. To live in bigger cities like that in California, you were either rich rich, or barely living. We were on the barely living side. We never minded though; we were happy to be together. Sure, I didn't get to do a lot of the things people my age did, but I was never a materialistic type of girl.
My parents were hard working people who had been raised to work hard and give to others. Not exactly typical California behavior but they worked hard to build my mom's catering business from the ground up and my dad worked as a local patrol cop. They were both successful, but we wouldn't be considered rich by California's standards. That was actually part of the reason why we left there. When I was 14, just fixing to graduate middle school and ready to begin a new chapter as a high schooler, my mom, Renee, was suddenly diagnosed with breast cancer. We were all so optimistic in the beginning, even the doctors were but it was worse than they had anticipated. Before we could even process the news that she would need chemotherapy and medications, she was gone. I had lost my best friend at the age of 14 and I felt like I couldn't function. My dad was so strong during that time. He was my rock and my constant. He never pushed me to grieve any faster than I needed and was right there with me. I still don't know how he made it through, but he was everything I needed him to be and more.
After we lost my mom, dad and I couldn't stand to be in that house anymore, or around our old friends and even family. It was just too painful. You would think being surrounded by things that remind you of the person you lost would help comfort you, but for us it did the opposite. When we both came to that conclusion, dad started the process of selling moms catering business, quitting his job, selling our house, and everything that we didn't need. He had called up an old high school buddy of his, Carlisle, was a local doctor in Forks to see what life was like out there. At first, I thought he was insane. Washington? Really? Coming from California it seemed like such a drastic change, but dad had his heart set on getting us out of there and starting fresh. Escaping the painful memories. And if we were being honest, without mom's help with the business, we couldn't afford to live there anymore.
Dad's friend had gotten him connected with the local police department where the current police chief just happened to be retiring. When I tell you the amount of laughter that came out of my body after hearing my dad say he accepted it, was comical. I just couldn't imagine such a drastic change, but I could see in his eyes how much he wanted to do this and how much he needed to do this. So, without anything else to stop us, we packed up and got the hell out of there. What really let me know that I was ready to leave there is that I wasn't sad or depressed to be leaving my home or my friends. After mom died, everyone just sort of looked at me with pity, or I was lost in a sea of other thousands of students that no one cared about. I wanted to heal and move on, with people who didn't know what I had been through.
Dad and I settled in quickly. After selling the house and catering business in San Diego, he purchased a small 2-bedroom home for us a little way from town and it was perfect. No sky-high buildings, or constant traffic. Just the sound of the world around us, and it finally felt peaceful. For the first time in a while, I felt like I didn't have to cry or hide away, I felt like I could finally breathe. It was the first time since losing mom that the world didn't feel like it was ending.
Just a few weeks after we moved, I started at a brand-new high school. At that point, most people had heard that two newcomers had moved to town but not everyone had a chance to meet us yet. So, I was stared at quite a bit the first couple of days but eventually people moved on. I don't think they quite knew what to do with the new quiet girl who hardly said a word to anyone, but I wasn't sure how to make friends. It wasn't that I didn't want to make friends, I think I was just nervous what to tell people. Like when they ask why we moved here? I didn't want more pity from people. So, everyone just stared but didn't really approach me, until the second week of school when two strangers approached my table.
I was sitting alone at the lunch table, a few stragglers sitting a few feet away from me, but I was still obviously sitting alone, reading a book to pass the time. As I sat there, eating a couple of carrots and fixing to turn the page in my newest book, I felt the table shift and looked up to see two boys sitting down in front of me. I curiously glanced at both of them, noticing both were quite lanky, like most 15-year-old boys, but it caught me off guard how handsome they were, and I felt myself blush.
"Um.. can I do something for you?" I asked in a shy voice, truly confused as to why either of these boys were sitting here staring at me like I held the answer to their questions. I was the new girl, but I wasn't blind or oblivious. I knew who these two boys were. Jacob and Edward, both seemingly well known among the people of Forks High School. Edward, the goofy class clown, but friendly it seemed to everyone who passed by him. He was known for his athletic skills and how great he was at baseball. Jacob though, he had caught my attention early because where he would joke around with Edward and their other friends, he was what I would define as the opposite of his best friend. He was much quieter, reserved, but constantly helped those around them. Both boys seemed to know everyone which made me assume they were both born and raised here.
The boy sitting across from me to my right smiled and cleared his throat before he spoke, "I'm Edward and this here's Jacob," A smile on his face after every word. His eyes held a mischievous glint in them, like someone who saw the good in everything. He had auburn colored hair that stuck up all over the place, green eyes and a smile that was just one of those smiles where you can't help but join in. And I do. I think I smile so big that I must look ridiculous "And what the hell might your name be?" He asked, grinning.
I gave a laugh at his southern charm, which was totally unexpected in this part of the world, yet unrelenting mouth as he said this. "Like you don't already know? People haven't stopped talking about the new girl quite yet." He grinned along with the boy, Jacob sitting next to him. He was definitely the quieter, soft spirited one with a soft smile and kind eyes, even though he had yet to speak. I knew I was staring and rushed to look away quickly from the brown eyed, and midnight black haired boy before me who was making me blush and look like a fool. I couldn't help it; he was just that cute.
Jacob spoke up when Edward elbowed him slightly, "Well, yeah but it wouldn't be polite to assume your name when we haven't quite met." I laughed again and nodded and answered his question. "My name is Bella, but I'm still confused, why are you sitting here?"
"Well, we've noticed you sit here alone every day and I gotta be honest, that shit don't fly with me. No need in a pretty girl like yourself to be sittin' here all alone when you have us to keep you company. Plus, according to Jacob here, it would be easier to stare at ya everyday if we just sat with you." Edward wagged his eyebrows at me, sending my face to turn bright red and look over to Jacob. He elbowed Edward, with slightly wide and embarrassed eyes. "What he's trying to say is, maybe it looked like you could use a friend" Jacob continued.
"Are all people in Forks this nice?" I laughed while putting my things away, hearing the bell ring in the background. Both boys stand up, not breaking eye contact with me as they grin and nod their heads like whipped dogs. It was almost comical, but I also felt a little reserved as to why two boys wanted to be friends with me?
"Yes m'am." They both say at the same time and I laugh.
"Well in that case, how could I possibly say no?"
And that was it. That one afternoon, two boys being impossibly charming was all it took for them to weasel their way into my heart and life. One a little more than the other. Jacob, with his shyness and charming smile, never took his eyes or attention off of me, and like any 15-year-old girl would, I was instantly lost. But it wasn't just that I had this instant crush on Jacob. More than that, after that day when both boys would sit by me every day in the cafeteria, make me laugh hysterically, introduce me to their family and friends, steal my carrots, and hang out with me at the creek in the field behind my house, I realized how desperately I wanted friendship. And both boys, without questions gave me that friendship. It was no longer just Jacob and Edward, it was now me sandwiched between them like I had always been there.
After that day, the three of us were inseparable. It only took a couple of months for Jacob to eventually work up the nerve and ask me out on a date with him. Edward, I think was more excited than the both of us at our potential romance. But it didn't come without him promising, or more so threatening us to never ruin our friendship should we ever break up. He constantly reminded us he'd have us by the balls if we ruined it for him. I think sometimes he forgot I was a girl. But even when Jacob and I started dating, it never changed the dynamic of the friendship the three of us had. We were still the three best of friends, and it was almost as if I had always been there. The boys themselves said they sometimes found it hard to remember what life was like before I snuck up on him.
We all graduated high school together, me and Jacob with honors, Edward barely making it out unscathed. Then went to the same college together, although dad refused to let me share an apartment with "horny boys" as he called it. So, I roomed with Edward's twin sister Alice and her best friend Rosalie. Our friendship and bond came together quickly, much to Jacob and Edward's dismay. They don't like to share.
Jacob graduated with a business degree, me a teaching degree and Edward, well he eventually got drafted by the Cardinals baseball team in St. Louis, even though it pissed Jacob right off as a die-hard Mariners fan. Edward moved and left us behind in Washington. Jacob and I eventually got married after we graduated, and stayed in Forks, though we made many quick trips to watch Edward as he worked his way up through the minors eventually to be called up to play amongst the big leagues. Then a few years later after Jacob and I married, we welcomed our daughter, Avery, who not only became the light of our lives, but became the number one girl in Edward's life also. It's not to say that our friendship, and mine and Jacob's relationship didn't come without its hardships. There were fights, arguments, breakups, friendship over kind of moments but at the end of the day, nothing could tear us apart.
Life felt perfect. Like nothing could break it. Until something did.