BPOV

I really hated small towns.

Like really hated them.

I hated Forks. I hated Phoenix. I didn't want to be here, I didn't want to be there. I didn't belong here or there. If I let myself think about it for too long, it was incredibly heartbreaking and confounding. If I didn't want to be in Phoenix, the place I'd known most of my life, or Forks, where I'd been born and spent the first few years of life, where did I go? Where did I belong? No where it seemed. What I really wanted was to escape myself, to be free of the last 5 years of my life. I couldn't do that, so here I was pretending to be someone I wasn't. Pretending to be okay. Just pretending.

It was my first day of school and I felt atrocious. I wasn't sure if it was the fact that everyone was talking about the Police Chief's daughter showing up or the other thing that I refused to think about. Charlie had already left for work, I took a bite of cereal and immediately threw it back up.

Great.

I cleaned myself up again and then realized I had made myself late for school. Hey, at least I was going.

The truck Charlie had gotten me as a homecoming present got me to school just in the nick of time. Of course, I was supposed to have come in early to get all my paperwork, but it was better than nothing.

I had mastered the art of nonchalance back in Phoenix. I dressed well enough to get attention, but not too well to look like I was trying too hard. I acted like I didn't care about school, but behind closed doors I was almost always reading or studying. Well, when I wasn't getting myself into trouble. But I didn't really have to do that here. I didn't need to get my mother's attention anymore as long as no one was hurting me. I was going to ignore the problem I had found myself in and I'd lay low. I'd stir up minimal trouble.

At least I tried to.

After strolling to the office and getting myself squared away while also getting lecture about my attire- I didn't understand what was wrong with the ripped jeans and slightly cropped shirt but I digress, it was then that I encountered Mike Newton.

He looked like your All-American douche. The way he slung his arm around me without even introducing himself to me really didn't sit right with me. I was almost certain I saw red for a second.

"Isabella Swan, right?"

"Yeah, but what's your name?" I licked my lips. I saw how he watched my mouth in complete fascination. Repulsion and disgust flooded my system while red clouded my vision again.

"Mike- Mike Newton," he stuttered. Without any warning, I had him pressed up against the locker. I was pretty strong after everything I had been through, but I was pretty sure that the only reason I had even moved him was that I had surprised him.

He towered over me, but he didn't make a single effort to move me. I got so close to his face that I could feel his breath against my face. His breathing was coming quicker, and I realized that he thought this was me showing interest.

"Mike..." I whispered. He nodded enthusiastically. "If you ever touch me again, I'll fucking castrate you. Got that?"

His eyes widened, but he nodded without any hesitation.

"Good." I started walking away. "Glad we had that talk, Mike," I called from over my shoulder.

Apparently word had spread about my encounter with Mike because no one else made any attempt to touch or talk to me. Good. The sooner people realized that I wasn't someone to associate with, the better. I spent lunch in the bathroom, vomiting my guts out. Thankfully, these bathrooms had a lock on them. I was going to need to keep a toothbrush in my backpack I guess. All I could do was chew on a stick of gum to get rid of the leftover taste of bile and the smell of vomit that clung to me. It wasn't great, but it was an improvement.

I knew I was going to be late to Biology, especially since there was no one to guide me- I guess it hadn't been smart to make everyone scared of me. Still, I strolled to the class room even minutes after the bell had rung.

When I flounced into the room, the Biology teacher looked unimpressed with my tardiness. "Isabella Swan?"

"Yeah," I answered, popping the gum I had in my mouth. "Just Bella, though."

"Well, Ms. Swan, spit out the gum and take a seat. There's an open desk by Mr. Cullen."

I nodded and made a show of spitting out the gum then strolling to my seat. It was almost funny that just this morning I had told myself I wouldn't make a spectacle of myself and here I was doing just that. I guess old habits die hard and all that...

When I turned back to my seat, I finally saw who I was going to be spending the year with. He was beautiful, which was a weird word for me to use to describe a boy but he was. He was completely perfect. His bronze hair and green eyes were so striking that I almost didn't believe that they were real.

After quickly shaking off the awe, I sat down and pretended to listen to his entire lecture. I kept my eyes away from the green eyed boy and on a random spot on the table. I didn't bother telling anyone that I'd been in Advanced Placement Biology so I had learned all of this already. At least I could breeze through this class.

By the time Mr. Banner stopped talking, it was almost time to go.

"Hey, I'm Edward Cullen. You must be Isabella Swan?"

"Bella," I corrected curtly, not even bothering to turn my head in acknowledgment. I didn't have to be an ass, but it was better that people get the message that I wasn't somebody they wanted to associate with. I'd drag everyone down with me.

Apparently he got the message because he didn't try to talk to me the rest of the period.

And apparently I had the worst luck or karma or whatever you wanted to call it because I had him in my Theater class too. He was seated right in front of me this time, so at least he didn't see my staring at him. I heard very little of what the teacher said in that entire hour, but apparently they were starting a new section this semester: monologuing. Great.

"How are you liking Forks?"

I raised my eyebrow at the beautiful boy that was being perfectly nice to me and made the decision to be an ass again. Only my eyes flickered up at him and I playfully scoffed. His eyebrows furrowed, and my eyes flicked back to my doodling on the desk.

Once the bell rang, I walked out of the room before the teacher, whose name I hadn't actually learned, could say anything.

The next few days weren't any better. I actually angled my seat away from Edward in Biology and kept my head down in Theater. I didn't want him to talk to me. If he talked to me, I'd have to be an asshole again and shockingly, I didn't want to be an asshole to him, so I didn't say anything.

Being dismissive came naturally to me, for everyone except him. I so badly wanted to be nice to him, to invite him to get to know me and then run away screaming when he did. Then I reminded myself that I was too fucked up to get involved with someone like him.

Especially knowing what I knew but was in extreme denial about.

I was good on my own.

I wanted to be alone, I told myself over and over again.

So when Monday rolled around again, I was pretty sure I was going to be left alone. This is what I wanted, I mentally chanted.

The morning passed uneventfully, I was actually kind of becoming at ease here. I sat outside in a secluded spot at the back of the school just letting the cold wash over me. Normally I hated the cold, but it felt good on my face. The wind was still enough that I didn't really need a jacket either. So I sat outside on the curb nursing a Ginger Ale of all things. Apparently it helped with nausea and so far I hadn't thrown up so I'd take it. I liked that the sky was a dark stormy gray instead of blue. Blue reminded me of him. His cruel, unforgiving blue eyes. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down my spine.

Forks was so completely different from Phoenix. As much as I hated to admit it, Forks was growing on me. I was a world away from what had happened to me. Sure I missed my friends, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make to get away. I almost laughed at the thought, I had gotten out. I was fucking free. Albeit not entirely, if the situation I had suspected I was having was actually happening. But I could ignore that for now, pretend that I had a real shot at happiness. I could just enjoy my newfound freedom.

I was so lost in thought I didn't notice Edward Cullen slowly approaching me.

Without saying anything, he sat right next to me on the curb. It wasn't as assuming as Mike Newton had been, he left about a foot of space between the two of us. I kind of wanted him closer than that, which was more than surprising to me. I didn't typically like people touching me nor did I want anyone that close to me.

"Can I help you?" I spoke without thinking. I almost cringed at my instinct. I hadn't always had the defensive reflexes of an asshole but time and circumstance had made me that way. A product of my environment, if you will. I almost couldn't remember a time when I hadn't been damaged and beaten down by the wicked and heinous acts that had been done to me. I didn't remember a time when I was a normal person. A person who could have a conversation without questioning someone's intentions. A person who could be touched, even in passing, without worrying about what came after that touch. Just a person. Maybe a person that was good. Yeah, I hadn't been that in quite some time.

I actually didn't remember what I was like before. I didn't remember if I'd had time to develop a personality other than being a kid. Was I a funny kid? A caring kid? An obnoxious kid? I couldn't know. It was almost sad that I'd been that young. I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. When I finally refocused Edward was chuckling.

He chuckled, he actually chuckled.

"What?" I scoffed, finally lifting my head to look at him. He was as beautiful as the last time I dared to look at him.

"You know, you don't have to be a dick, right?"

"I know," I licked my lips and swallowed my pride for a second. "I'm sorry."

I couldn't think of the last time I had ever apologized for anything. To anyone. No one had ever apologized to me. This world was cutthroat and vile, and no one had ever said sorry about it, so I didn't either. 2 minutes with this guy and I had already broken my rules.

"I take it you don't like it here?"

I chuckled bitterly, "Better than anywhere else."

"You're from Phoenix." It wasn't a question. He knew that about me. I wondered what else people 'knew' about me.

I stared off into the woods that surrounded the school. "Word spreads fast here."

"Welcome to living in a small town," he laughed. I liked his laugh, it was almost musical...Ugh, I was already turning into a sap. Next thing I new I was going to be talking about how his eyes fucking sparkled. As I snuck a glance at him I noticed that they kind of did. "It's how everyone heard about that incident with Newton last week," he laughed again.

"A few days here and I'm already going to get in trouble," I laughed.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Everyone knows he had it coming. He's kind of a jerk to all of the girls."

"Are you?" I asked without thinking.

"What?"

I decided to roll with the question since it was already out there. No use in trying to backtrack. "A jerk to girls?"

The corner of his mouth twitched up. "I'm more of a stick to myself kind of guy."

"And yet you're here?" I pointed out.

"This was actually kind of my spot until you stole it. When my siblings get on my nerves and all of that, you know?" I shook my head, I didn't know. Most of the time I was glad I didn't have siblings, no one else to deal with what I was dealt. "What, no siblings?"

"No, just me."

"And your parents?"

I shook my head again. "Next topic."

"Don't want to dispel the mystery?"

"Something like that," I spoke coldly.

Then the bell rang. I was both relieved and disappointed that I wouldn't have more time with Edward. Relieved that he wouldn't be asking me anymore questions, disappointed that I wouldn't be in his company anymore.

When I didn't get up, Edward looked at me strangely. "You're not going to Biology? Or are you going to make another fashionably late entrance?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Nah, I think I'm going to go look for some fun." The truth was that I wasn't. I was going probably going to go home and nap. Throw up a little, nothing fun at all. "You're welcome to come if you want," I added at the last second. I wasn't sure why I'd done that, I didn't want to be subjected to another round of questions, but I liked being around him. A little too much.

"I shouldn't." He looked apologetic. "My siblings will absolutely snitch on me."

I nodded and finally got up off the curb. "Have fun in Biology."

"Will I see you tomorrow?" He called after I had started walking away.

I turned around and smiled. Would I see him tomorrow? I didn't plan on ditching tomorrow. I actually didn't plan most things, I was more of a go with the flow kind of person. So I shrugged dramatically and laughed. I turned back around, hopped into my old red pickup truck and left.

Hello, again!

I couldn't wait a week to post, so here you go! I've been writing a lot recently and it takes a lot of willpower to not post everything all at once. I've done that before with previous stories and it always turned out poorly.

I'd like to thank Angelik Angel and Sunflower Fran for their lovely reviews and to everyone who followed and favorited, it means so much to me and it motivates me so much.

Thanks for reading and reviewing!