Hey guys, I'm taking some time to edit this and turn it into a better story! I'll add more chapters once I'm finished with the revisions!
Moving to Forks had not been in Bella's five-year plan. She didn't actually have a five-year plan, but if she did, it would not have included Forks. There was not a single person in the world who woke up one day and said, "You know what sounds awesome? I'm gonna move to the rainiest corner of the continental United States." Bella, however, fool that she was, was doing just that. She sat on the bed in her old first-ever bedroom and looked around. The only noticeable difference between the room now and the room when she was a child was that Charlie had traded her twin bed for a double. She had been born in this town. She had grown up in this house. Photos of her smiling face looked back at her from an old cork board, arms around smiling kids who might not even remember her anymore. Tomorrow she would get all the supplies she needed to remake this room. Tonight though, she would wallow in the misery of falling asleep under this oppressive, cold, rainy night.
Bella's nightmares involved dark woods where the rain never stopped, sunny beaches that she couldn't reach, and her mother crying as Bella left her alone in the middle of a baseball diamond, surrounded by unwashed dishes. She wasn't quite sure how they tied together, but there was one thing that was clear to her when she woke up: Her subconscious had already decided to be miserable here in Forks. With a heavy sigh, Bella pulled her legs free from the twisted sheets and fell right to the hard wooden floor. She sighed again, then made her way downstairs.
Bella whispered a quick prayer to herself before she opened the fridge. She needed sustenance, and she hoped beyond hope that Charlie had stocked the fridge, or at least had milk and some heart-healthy dad cereal. Her hopes were dashed in the flickering refrigerator light. There were two beers still attached to their plastic rings, three different kinds of mustard, and a pizza box with questionably dry-looking pizza inside. If Bella had to guess, she would have said the pizza was about fifteen years old. She knew that couldn't be right, but her growling stomach made her brain short circuit. She shut the fridge and noticed the paper on the outside. Held up by a magnet was a note that read:
Bella, I am so sorry I didn't manage to go shopping before you got here, and then I got called into work this morning. You mentioned you want to paint your room, so here's 300 bucks. Get what you need for your room and whatever groceries you think we need. Dad.
Pinned under the note were three hundred-dollar bills. Bella wondered if Charlie kept that kind of money just around the house, and knowing that he was a small-town sheriff, he probably did. She pushed that thought from her mind and smiled at Charlie's thoughtfulness. She was sure he felt weird about having a teenage girl in the house, but he was already doing his best. Renee often left notes asking for Bella to pay bills without remembering to move the money to their bill-paying account. This already felt like a step up. Bella made a mental note to text Renee about the electric bill that was due in two days before she remembered that Phil had set the bills on autopay. Feeling a little aimless, she hurried up the stairs to get dressed and grab food before her stomach started to digest itself.
Bella walked to the front door to grab her jacket when she remembered that she had no way to get to the store. Should she walk? It was only going to be about two miles, but then Bella considered trying to walk two miles home with groceries and paint buckets. Would the grocery store let her borrow a cart? Bella scoffed at herself and stayed on the spot, jacket in hand. She looked at the front door and saw there was a note taped there too.
Hey hun, I promise I won't always communicate through notes, but there's a surprise for you in the driveway. The key is on the back of this note. Have a good day!
Bella's heart tried to beat out of her chest as she flipped the note over. There's no way. On the back a key was indeed taped, and she ripped it off quickly. It was a small silver key, with Ford on one side. She flipped it over, hoping beyond hope that she knew what was on the other side. There was a running horse. She wrenched the front door open and ran through it. Parked in the street directly in front of the door was an old Mustang. It was poop brown and had rust spots over the rear wheel well. Bella ran to the car and looked in the window. The tan leather seats were old and cracked, and she could see that the gear shift was missing the knob on top. It looked like someone had taken a large nut of some sort and twisted it on, creating a makeshift handle. The car was a piece of shit. Bella got in and turned the key and it car started right up. She didn't like it.
She loved it.
She dragged her hand over the thin, leather steering wheel, the shiny silver spokes of it reflecting distortions of her excited face. She touched the black dashboard and marveled over the lack of dust on it. This old car, with its flaws and cracks, had clearly been loved and cleaned before showing up at her house. Bella tried to open the glove compartment. It stuck, so she slapped it with her open palm. It didn't move, so for good measure, she kicked it. It dropped open, spilling its contents all over the floor. She laughed, a small disbelieving giggle, and leaned over to pick them up. There were receipts from its last inspection, a tattered manual that came with the car, a wrench, and half a pack of cigarettes. Bella shoved everything back into the glove compartment, with the exception of the cigarettes. She shoved them into her hoodie pocket to throw away. Her dad obviously didn't get the car from a dealer.
The engine of the old Mustang idled loudly, and Bella smiled at the smooth sound. She turned up the heat, marveling at how fast the warm air came out. Bella took a moment to adjust her mirrors and noticed a small wolf hanging from the rearview mirror. It was on a small, beaded necklace. She took a guess at where the car had come from. She'd have to thank Billy, Charlie's best friend. After a few moments sitting and reveling in how comfortable the car was, Bella finally pushed the clutch, put the car in gear, and headed for the nearest hardware store.
The store was easy to find. Everything in Forks was on the same main road, so to get lost in town would take special effort. She pulled into the parking lot, noting the way people turned, and looked at the noise her car made. Her cheeks burned, so she hurried to shut the car off. Bella wasn't used to people looking at her back home, and she didn't want to convince them to start now. In Phoenix, Bella learned to be an invisible fly on the wall. Nothing about her screamed 'look at me,' and that was by design. Bella didn't join teams. She didn't join clubs, share stories with friends, or even talk about her favorite music. Her plan to pass through high school unnoticed had been a resounding success so far, and she had no plans to change that. After a public fallout with her best friend in middle school, Bella was saving her best self for college. She hoped her beautiful, noisy Mustang wouldn't ruin that plan for her.
Bella took a deep breath, then got out of the car and gently patted the hood as she walked by it. I'll name you later, she thought to herself as she made her way into the hardware store. A small bell announced her arrival to the man stocking shelves. He looked her up and down. "Charlie Swan's kid?" The man asked nicely.
Bella cleared her throat and nodded. "Bella Swan, that's me."
The man reached out and patted her shoulder. He said in a gruff voice, "I don't know if you remember me, kid, but you used to hang out at my house all the time."
Bella thought about the sign on the door. 'Weber's Hardware.' "Mr. Weber?" He smiled widely, and Bella laughed a little. "Hi! How's Angela? She still running around with pigtails?"
The man laughed heartily. "Bella, it's been ten years. She's moved on to a ponytail. She's looking forward to seeing you!"
"Me too. I can't believe she remembers me."
"Come on kiddo, no one forgets their first best friend. Except maybe you?" Bella shuffled uncomfortably, and Mr. Weber laughed. He threw open his arms and said, 'Come here!" Bella hugged the pudgy man, and he squished her to his paint-splattered apron. "You know I'm kidding, right? Charlie bragged that his Phoenix genius was coming back, so I should warn you that Angela fully expects you to join Science Olympiad." Bella rolled her eyes and sighed. "Somehow, I knew you would react like that. So, what brings you in?" Bella explained her need for a bedroom that wasn't purple. Mr. Weber pointed towards the back. "The paint and supplies are against the back wall. You'll find everything you need there. I'll give you the family and friends discount."
"Is there anyone who shops here that doesn't get the family and friends discount?"
"Nope!" He laughed and waved Bella off, returning to stocking while humming a song Bella didn't recognize.
Bella followed the aisle to the back of the store. She saw the darker colors directly ahead of her, so she turned right to find lighter shades, and ran directly into a brick wall. Bella hit the ground, something falling out of her pocket as she tried to figure out what had happened. She looked up at the brick wall, and it spoke. "You know, you could watch where you're going." The soft, deadly voice came from a woman that looked down at Bella with a sneer on her face. This was the most beautiful woman Bella had ever seen. She was tall, blonde, and perfect in every way. Her skin looked like it had been carefully carved from marble by the most talented Renaissance artist. Davinci? David? Was David a painter or an actual sculpture? Maybe God carved this one? Bella's mind ran away as she tried to respond, but she hadn't breathed since the breath had been knocked out of her.
The woman rolled her eyes and reached down. Bella took the proffered hand. It was surprisingly cool, like the woman had just washed her hands in cold water. She hauled Bella up to her feet with no effort. She pulled a little too hard (or Bella forgot how her own feet worked) and Bella stumbled into the girl again. The girl caught her, steadying Bella before taking a small step away. She eyed Bella like she expected her to say something.
Bella cleared her throat and finally found her voice. "Hello."
"Hello."
"I'm Bella." Bella stuck out her hand this time and waited.
The girl looked surprised like Bella had done something unexpected, but she still took Bella's hand. Her hand seemed warmer this time, and it felt like electricity was passing through their linked palms. Bella looked at the woman's eyes, surprised by what she found there. They were a color Bella had never seen on any human before, a kind of fiery, striking bronze, leaning more towards varnished gold. The strange woman maintained eye contact with Bella, looking more and more put off. Finally, she simply said, "I'm Rosalie."
"Nice to meet you."
The girl released Bella's hand after holding it a moment too long. Something on the floor caught her eye. Bella followed her gaze to the pack of cigarettes and groaned. "You know, Bella, smoking will kill you."
"Yeah, well so will running into beautiful brick walls in the hardware store." She mumbled under her breath. Rosalie arched an eyebrow at Bella, smirking a little. "They're not mine. I don't smoke."
Rosalie folded her arms across her chest. "They fell out of your pocket."
"They did."
"But they're not yours."
"Nope."
"Care to explain?"
"Not really." Bella smiled at Rosalie, who was clearly frustrated. The girl seemed torn between asking Bella who owned the cigarettes and walking away when another beautiful woman laden with plastic bags came to the end of the aisle.
"Rosalie, I've got everything if you're ready to-" The woman saw Bella. "Oh, hello there!" She smiled warmly. She was slightly shorter than Rosalie, with long brunette hair and bright eyes. Her eyes were also golden, but somehow not as vivid as Rosalie's. "Are you one of Rosalie's friends?"
Rosalie glared down at the woman. Bella smiled and responded, "No, but maybe one day?" Rosalie looked back at Bella. "I'm Bella Swan."
"Oh, the chief's daughter! Charlie has been very kind to us since we moved here. I'm Esme Cullen. Rosalie's mom."
"No way! You've got to be her sister, right?" Bella looked back and forth between them. There is no way.
"I'm adopted." Rosalie shrugged.
Bella smiled and pointed between them. "Now, that makes more sense."
Esme smiled even wider at Bella. "Do you go to the high school?"
"I start there on Monday."
"Fantastic! You'll get to meet our whole family. All the kids go to Forks High."
"I look forward to it."
Esme looked over the moon. "Good! Now we have a few more stops to make, so we're going to go."
"It was nice to meet you, Esme Cullen." Bella looked at Rosalie, who hadn't spoken for a few moments. Esme looked at them with curiosity.
"You too." She patted Rosalie's shoulder. "I'll see you at the car." She turned and left the two girls standing alone.
"It was nice to meet you too, Rosalie Cullen." Bella reached out to shake Rosalie's hand one more time.
Rosalie took Bella's hand and cocked her head the smallest bit. "It was nice to meet you, Bella Swan." Rosalie dropped Bella's hand and started to the front of the store, shaking her head and leaving Bella behind her. Bella watched her go. Rosalie stopped and turned back. "And Bella?"
"Hm?"
"It's Hale."
"What?"
"Rosalie Hale."
Bella smiled. "Nice to meet you, Rosalie Hale." Bella waved at the girl, a stupid smile on her face. Rosalie rolled her eyes one more time before turning to walk out the door. Before she turned though, Bella caught the smallest smile gracing the girl's lips.
Rosalie slid gracefully into the seat of her cherry-red BMW. Esme looked out the windshield, saying nothing. Rosalie pushed the button that started the car and listened as it quietly purred to life. As she backed out of the parking lot she caught sight of an old, shit brown Mustang. Oh my god, that's what she drives. Rosalie wrinkled her nose at the idea that such an interesting girl would drive such a horrible car. Rosalie slammed the gas pedal, ripping into the street and spraying a few loose rocks behind the car as she left Forks in a hurry.
The silence in the car finally got to her. "What?"
"Nothing."
Rosalie looked over at her mother. Esme looked like she had just seen an alien for the first time. "What?"
"I've never seen you be," Esme paused, looking for the right word, "nice to a stranger."
"I'm always nice to strangers."
"No, you're always polite to strangers, as I expect from a child of mine. But you know nice and polite are different things." Esme continued to watch her.
Rosalie shrugged. "I'm turning over a new leaf."
"Why is that?"
"Too many leaves go unturned," Rosalie gestured at the forest they were speeding by. "See all those leaves? Unturned."
Esme put a hand to her forehead. "What did I do to deserve this?"
"You turned the wrong leaves over."
"Okay, sure. We don't have to talk about it." Esme sat silent for a moment, then clapped her hands. "Wait until I tell your father. He's going to be so happy you made a new friend." Rosalie groaned, and her mother launched into a description of the furniture she was building. Rosalie was happy about the sudden change of topic. She only hoped Esme would forget to mention the girl. Bella Swan. How interesting.