"Your father and I are having some…" Bella's mother trailed off. She had Bella sitting on the front porch. Charlie was inside.

The door was slightly ajar. Bella caught a glimpse of Charlie inside. He had his head in his hands.

"We're having some difficulties," Bella's mother said, struggling with each word.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"We can't stay together."

"What?" Bella gazed up at her mother.

"You have to come with me," Bella's mother said. "It's your choice." She grabbed Bella's shoulders. "Choose to come with me."

Bella pulled away from her mother. She stepped towards the door, pushing it open.

"Bella, wait!" Her mother shouted.

Bella pushed the door open.

"Dad?"

X

"What's all the commotion?" The teacher shouted. "What are you doing?" He turned his attention to Bella.

"I'm talking," Bella said, taking her eyes off the bronze-haired boy for a moment.

"Take your seat!" The teacher, whom Bella noticed was named Mr. Banner, snapped.

Bella got a glimpse of Angela's worried face before she sat next to the boy. She shoved her bag to the floor and folded her arms.

"What's your problem?" He asked under his breath.

Mr. Banner set a book down on Bella's desk. "Pay attention," he said.

"What's yours?" Bella asked matching the boy's tone.

"What did I do?" He asked sharply. "I don't even know who you are!"

Before Bella could retort, Mr. Banner scolded the two of them again.

The lecture was about anatomy.

Bella wasn't very interested. She'd gotten carried away and showed her ass again. She picked at the side of her thumb, taking halfhearted notes.

Edward. That was his name.

Bella saw it on the top right corner of his notebook. He caught her eye as she inspected it.

"Mind your own business," Edward whispered. Bella did not respond.

The class dragged on.

Bella caught Edward watching her a few times. It made her nervous. She couldn't figure out what about him put such fear within her. He wasn't a very big guy; he didn't look particularly angry.

The bell finally rang.

Edward shot up, threw his things into his bag, and darted from the classroom.

The other kids slowly filed out of the class.

"Hey, Bella are you okay?" It was the blonde boy from lunch.

Bella looked up at the boy.

"What was your name again?"

"Mike," The boy said with a smile. "Where's your next class?"

"Gym," Bella said, getting up. "Lemme guess, you too?"

"That's right!"

The two of them walked to the gymnasium together.

"Do you and the new guy know each other?" Mike asked.

"He's new too?" Bella asked.

"Yeah," Mike said. "He's been here for about a week. He's Dr. Cullen's new son."

"New son?"

"He's adopted a lot of kids," Mike with a handwave. He seemed disinterested in the subject. "I believe Edward would be the fifth now."

Bella thought back to the four other kids she'd seen in the cafeteria with Edward.

"Interesting," Bella said. "Do they all act weird?"

"I guess." Mike shrugged his shoulders. Then, he perked up. "Hey, do you have a boyfriend?"

Bella frowned. "Subtle," she said.

Gym wasn't as much of a bother as Bella was expecting. Coach Clapp found her a uniform but didn't make her change for the class.

Bella watched four separate volleyball games.

Mike paused to wave at Bella before being hit in the face with a ball.

It wasn't long before the class was over and with it the school day.

Bella headed to the office, remembering the red-haired woman. She had to ask for fresh slips for all her teachers to sign.

She paused within a few feet of the office door.

Edward had just stepped out of the office.

"Oh, great it's you," Edward said. He frowned at Bella; his dark eyes narrowing.

"Listen," Bella said. "I think we started on the wrong foot."

"Real observant aren't you," Edward said with a sneer. He stepped past Bella.

Bella fumed, biting her lip.

"It's just," She continued, following Edward. "You creeped me out at lunch, and I thought you were a murderer or something."

Edward kept up his brisk pace, ignoring Bella.

"Would you listen to me?" Bella grabbed Edward's arm.

"Stay away from me!" Edward snapped. He yanked away from Bella, glaring at her. "What's with you?"

"There it is again," Bella said. She had a blank expression on her face.

Edward stared at Bella; his eyes darting between hers.

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Edward said. "Just leave me alone."

"I think you're hiding something," Bella said. "I know it."

"Edward!" A boy called from the nearby parking lot. He was standing by a Volvo.

A girl Bella recognized was in the passenger seat. She couldn't quite place her, though.

The boy stepped around the Volvo, waving at Edward. He was a tall beefy guy. Bella recognized him from the cafeteria.

"Let's go!"

"I'm coming!" Edward yelled back. He turned away from Bella, walking towards the Volvo.

The passenger window rolled down.

"Hey!" The girl in the passenger seat shouted. "That's her!" She was pointing at Bella.

Bella finally placed the girl. She'd rode in the seat next to Bella on the airplane.

Everyone was staring at Bella now.

The tall guy started for Bella, pushing past Edward.

"Don't hurt her!" The girl in the passenger seat opened her door.

"Stay in the car, Alice!" The tall guy ordered.

The girl lingered, one foot out of the car.

Edward opened the back door and stepped inside.

The tall guy stopped a few paces from Bella.

"What do you want?" he asked, his eyes were like Edward's. He had shoulder-length blonde hair.

"Excuse me?" Bella took a step away from the guy.

"Stay away from our family," Jasper said. "If you knew what's good for you, you'd leave this town."

Bella stared at the guy for a few moments. He turned and stomped off.

The girl named Alice gave Bella a soft look before closing the door.

The guy got into the car and drove away.

Bella was dumbstruck. The parking lot seemed to fall silent save for the patter of rain on the pavement.

"I'm so confused," Bella said to no one.

X

Bella wasn't in a hurry to get to Charlie's house. She spent a bit of time wandering around town.

She stopped at a gas station to gas up. Despite its size, the place was busy.

Bella spotted several kids from school hanging out at a picnic table by the building.

She strode into the building and wandered through the shelves for something to snack on.

"You're fired!" A man yelled. Bella jumped, bumping into a shelf. Several candy bars fell to the floor.

"You can't fire me!" A boy yelled. Bella recognized him. It was Oil slick aka Eric. "Dad, come on!"

"Go home!" The man shouted.

Bella peeked down an aisle, spotting Eric and his dad. They were arguing behind the counter.

"Fine!" Eric stomped around the counter, heading outside.

The man put his head in his hands.

Bella sighed, kneeling.

"Good grief," she said under her breath. She started picking up candy bars and putting them back on the shelf.

"Who's over there?" The man rounded the counter. He spotted Bella on the floor and frowned.

"Hi," Bella said.

"You want a job, kid?"

X

It was past eleven when Bella got to Charlie's house. He was standing on the porch. It was still sprinkling.

"Where have you been?" Charlie demanded, stepping off the porch and quickly approaching her.

"I got a job today," Bella said. "At the gas station."

"Where have you been!" Charlie shouted, grabbing Bella's shoulders.

"Around town," Bella said.

Charlie let go of Bella.

"I had officers looking for you all over the place," he admitted. "You were missing for hours!"

"Sorry, Charlie," Bella said. "I didn't realize you…" She couldn't find the words she was looking for.

"Do you want to go to The Lodge?" Charlie asked. His face softened. "Have you eaten anything?"

"No, Charlie—" Bella caught herself. "I mean, dad. I'm not hungry."

Charlie sighed. He ran a hand through his wet hair.

Bella felt a pang in her gut. He had that face again. She lowered her eyes.

"Bella, you don't have to force yourself." He turned away from Bella, starting for the house.

Bella folded her arms, letting the rain fall on her.

Charlie paused on the porch, looking back to Bella.

"Come on inside, before you get a cold."

Bella did.

Bella sat alone on the couch while Charlie cooked spaghetti, wrapped in a blanket.

"How was your first day?" Charlie asked.

"I met a lot of people," Bella said, flipping through the channels on the TV. "Have you heard of a Dr. Cullen?"

"I have," Charlie said, sitting on a recliner across from Bella with a bowl of spaghetti. "He and his wife are good people."

Charlie spoke a lot about Dr. Carlisle Cullen. He told Bella a few stories about the lives the man had saved.

Bella almost dozed off during the third story when Charlie's tone shifted.

"I'm still not sure how he did that," Charlie said.

"Did what?" Bella asked, wiping her eyes. "Sorry I dozed off for a second there."

"You should get some sleep," Charlie said. "If you're going to be working after school, you're going to need rest."

"Alright," Bella said. "Goodnight… Charlie."

X

The next day wasn't much different from the first. Bella got a new set of slips before heading to her first class. She made sure to be friendlier to the receptionist.

Jessica was worried about an upcoming test in one of her classes. Bella and Angela did their best to help her study during lunch.

Bella spotted Eric sitting by himself. She wondered if he knew that she'd been hired in his place. He'd been in a bad mood all day. Bella couldn't help but feel guilty.

She turned her attention to Edward and his family. She met Edward's eyes. He quickly looked away.

The tall guy glanced over at Bella; he glared daggers at her.

"What the heck?" Bella murmured.

Angela, Jessica, and Mike all looked at the guy.

"What's with him?" Angela asked. "That's Jasper, right?"

"Yeah," Mike said.

Bella explained what happened between her and the so-called Jasper the day before.

"That's so weird," Jessica said.

"I think somethings up with those people," Bella said. "I think they're a family of murderers or something."

"My dad really hates their dad," Jessica said. "I can't remember why, though."

"I'm gonna get to the bottom of this," Bella said. "He started it."

"Who?" Angela asked.

"The Edward one," Bella said.

"What did he do?"

"He looked at me weird," Bella stammered. She felt embarrassed admitting to the petty reason she'd got into it with Edward. It didn't feel so petty to her.

She thought back to the moment. The look in his eye. The intent behind it. It felt like she was staring down a monster, a murderer. She'd never felt such genuine horror before in her life.

That's what bothered her. It made her feel weak.

Bella balled her fists under the table.

The lunch bell rang then. It was time.

Angela and Bella walked together to her biology class.

"You're not going to make a scene again, are you?" Angela asked.

"I'll try not to," Bella said with a smile. Angela returned the smile.

Edward wasn't in his seat when the girls reached the classroom.

Bella and Angela split up, going to their seats.

"Do you have your slip?" Mr. Banner asked.

"Oh right."

Bella got up, bringing the slip to the front desk.

That was when Edward walked in.

He passed Bella at the desk and sat down.

Mr. Banner returned the slip.

"Get to your seat," he said.

Bella watched Edward as she approached the table. He met her eyes and looked away.

Bella sat down next to Edward with a huff.

"How are you doing today?" Bella asked trying to sound sweet.

"I'm fine," Edward said. "Yourself?"

"This town is the same as I remember," Bella said. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Alright," Mr. Banner got up. "Open your books!"

As soon as the class was over, Edward darted from the classroom.

Bella lingered in her seat, thinking.

This time, Bella had to participate in gym. She had to play in a volleyball game.

She didn't go for a single ball that came flying her way. In fact, she ducked out of the way each time. Her team detested her. Mike was the only one who seemed to get any amusement out of it.

When that was over, Bella headed to the office with her slip full of signatures. She felt a sense of pride having pulled it off.

The redhead woman took the slip and wished Bella good luck.

Bella marched out to her truck, splashing through a large puddle without care.

The fancy Volvo was parked by Bella's truck.

Edward and his family were standing around the Volvo.

Jasper had his angry eyes on Bella.

"Wow," The blonde woman said. "She is strange." She was an attractive woman. Her sharp eyes were like those of a hawk.

"I know," Alice said. "It's really weird."

The black-haired guy didn't say anything. Edward's eyes were on the ground.

"You guys gonna attack me?" Bella asked as she got closer. There was a quiver in her voice. She didn't want them to know how intimidated she was.

"Let's go," Jasper said.

The family filed into the Volvo, and it sped away.

Bella opened her truck and got in. She headed to work.

Bella's shift wasn't very busy. Eric's father spent most of it complaining about Eric. Bella didn't bother mentioning that she knew the boy from school.

She thought hard about Edward and his family. What was their deal?

It was almost the end of Bella's shift when Jessica showed up.

"Hey, Bella!" Jessica hurried to the counter. "I didn't know you worked here!"

"This is my second day," Bella said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm thirsty," Jessica complained, leaning dramatically on the counter.

The two of them chatted for a while until Bella's shift ended.

While Eric's dad locked up. Bella and Jessica talked by Bella's truck.

"You walked here?" Bella asked.

"Yeah," Jessica said. "I don't live very far."

"Let me give you a ride," Bella said. She smacked the side of her truck. "It's not as crappy as it looks, promise."

"Really?" Jessica asked.

"Sure," Bella said.

The ride to Jessica's house took ten minutes.

"You walked this far?" Bella asked as they pulled up to Jessica's house.

"Yeah," Jessica said sheepishly.

"Well, bye," Bella said.

Jessica got out of the car and hurried up to her house.

Bella waited for Jessica to get inside before returning to the highway and heading home.

It was hard to ignore the sense of loneliness on the way home. Bella had enjoyed Jessica's company.

Bella rapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She thought hard about what she could do.

This town gave Bella a strange feeling. She couldn't explain it. She felt like the town was a perfectly organized puzzle, each person and thing belonged but her.

She was a Cheeto puff stain on one of the pieces. One day someone would come to their senses and wipe her away.

Bella didn't belong here. She never would.

A deer darted onto the road, stopping right in front of the truck. Bella slammed the brakes and the truck ground to a halt a few feet shy of the deer.

Bella stared at the deer for a moment. The deer stared back at her. It blinked slowly at Bella.

Bella breathed slowly, unable to look away from the deer.

The deer turned away from Bella and trotted off the road.

"Okay," Bella said. "Weird." It wasn't long before she was home.

Charlie was sitting on the front porch as Bella pulled up.

Bella got out of the truck and trudged through the mud.

"How was your day?" Charlie asked.

"Fine," Bella said. She paused by the door, looking at Charlie. "You gonna come inside?"

"I'll be a few minutes," Charlie said. "There's some pork chops made if you want some."

"Thanks." Bella stepped inside.

The next week passed uneventfully. Bella was getting into the routine of her new life. She'd been getting along with her new friends.

Mike was into Bella. She tried not to pay it much mind, but he didn't hide it very well. Eric was still upset. Bella told him about her new job, she pretended not to know that it was his dad. He seemed to buy it.

Bella confided in Jessica about her second encounter with the Cullen kids. She was pretty sure all of them were in a gang or something.

None of the Cullens had been to school since that day. In fact, another whole week passed before Bella saw them again. They were sitting in the cafeteria together like normal.

"That's weird," Angela said. "Maybe they were on a trip or something."

"I don't know," Jessica said. "I never really thought about it before, but they are kind of weird."

"They don't eat much, do they?" Mike pointed out.

"Maybe they were out killing people," Bella said. The others looked at her.

"Probably not," Angela said.

The bell rang and Bella got up. She and Angela walked together to Biology.

Bella was tense.

"It'll be okay," Angela said. "He's just a regular guy."

"I'm not so sure," Bella said as they entered the building. She took a few steps inside and froze.

Edward was standing in the middle of the hall, watching Bella.

"Isabella," Edward said. "Can we talk?"