All characters belong to SM- I'm just making them do dirty things to spite any book burners.

2017

"Bella, come here, let me do something with your hair," Rose's scrutinizing stare reflected at Bella from her vanity mirror as she perfected her dramatic winged liner. It made her light blue eyes pop, she said, and she was right. Rose was stunning in her high-waisted skinny jeans and low-backed bodysuit. She would fit right in at Emmet's housewarming party, full of his recent college grad friends who made the way up from Seattle and old high school friends that never quite fulfilled their dream of leaving Forks. She turned around, shaking out her long blond waves, and stared at Bella expectantly. Rose was a bombshell, but even if she could impart just a little bit of her confidence on Bella, she would take it. With one last look at herself in the mirror on the back of Rose's bedroom door, Bella decided the red, button-up summer dress would have to do- even if her breasts didn't fill it out quite as nicely as her friend's.

"It's just going to fall flat- my hair won't hold a curl," Bella complained, thinking that years of keeping her thick hair short for convenience's sake had perhaps stolen some of the waves that she inherited from her mom as a little girl. Still, she humored Rose and sat at the vanity chair. They soon gave up, realizing that as soon as Rose finished curling a section, the side that she started on had already returned to its natural, straight as a board state.

"Your hair is the worst! Whatever, let's do your makeup, and then we can eat before we go."

"I told you! And leave my face alone; I'm just going to throw on some mascara. You're going to give me a complex," Bella responded in what she hoped sounded like a lighthearted tone. In reality, although she loved Rose- especially since she was quick to take her under her wing once she returned to Forks, when many of her other childhood friends seemed to disregard her, it was sometimes difficult. And though she didn't hold it against her friend, it was difficult feeling like she was always in her shadow. As Bella curled her lashes and applied mascara, she took a moment to assess herself. Her hair had grown quickly, almost as if it were making up for lost time; it lay heavy and dark to the middle of her chest. When she was alone, most often after a shower and naked in her room examining the things she hated about her body and which features she decided were passable by society's beauty standards, she often wondered what it might have been to like to be Eve. She imagined that with her olive skin and dark hair covering her dusky nipples, she might resemble her a bit. She envied the lack of shame that she enjoyed before eating the forbidden fruit. Although Bella was not religious or ever raised to be, she often envied the steadfast belief of those who were. Maybe if she had some higher power, she would not feel the pain and insecurity of youth so acutely. But before her thoughts could turn melancholy, they were interrupted by the opening song, Consideration, from Anti. Despite being a year old, Bella and Rose were obsessed and often spent days with it on loop.

"I could see you getting lost somewhere; come back. We've got a party to crash," said Rose, resting her head on Bella's shoulder so now both of their faces occupied the vanity mirror. "We look hot, and we're not wasting it."

"Te quiero tanto, Rosita."

"Aw, you want me? I'm flattered, but I think we're better off friends Bell,"

"It means I love you, idiot, now let's go eat. I do not want a repeat of Jessica Stanley's birthday party."

"Oh, you mean, you weren't planning on getting blackout and making us all learn the words to Volver before making out with Tyler and passing out."

"You're a terrible friend and have no idea what a guy who can roll his r's does to me."

"Believe me, we all know now!" Bella swatted at her as she chased her down the stairs laughing with her.

"Speaking of Jessica, should we update our instas now or at Emmet's?" Asked Rose, already typing away on her phone, no doubt texting Royce to make him jealous.

"Why are we bothering with Jessica again?"

"Because she and Lauren tried to throw a graduation party without inviting you!"

"Really, Rose? We wouldn't have gone either way."

"But that's not the point! While most of these assholes will be stuck here for the rest of their lives, it's the last time we're all going to see each other for a while. Graduation parties are neutral. That's fucking sacred."

"Oh my god. I love you, but you are being so extra. Honestly, I'm just happy we're done with high school and getting the hell out of here. Eventually"

And Bella was genuinely relieved. Having had to leave Forks, and the country for the matter, after First Grade and returning her Junior year of High School, she missed the crucial moments in childhood and adolescence where bonds are formed over shared interests and dislikes of classmates. Most importantly, as hierarchies and clicks are established in middle school; cemented in the first couple of years of high school. When she returned, the buzz and attention had been overwhelming, especially in getting reacquainted with speaking English more than Spanish. Navigating the Forks High School ecosystem proved to be a culture shock. And while she eventually assimilated to the small town's culture, and most students forgot the hype, a small group, namely Jessica and Lauren, still made it a point to let her know she was not welcome. While Rose assured her it was because they were jealous, she was often anxious that it was something more sinister.

Knowing it was petty, she did take small satisfaction that no one from her graduating class was invited to Emmett's except for her and Rose. And while Charlie was the chief, he and her mom conceded that she should be allowed as long as no other underage kids were going- the liability, and it just wasn't a good look. Sometimes Charlie got it, though.

——————

After a quick bite at the diner, for something to absorb all the alcohol they planned on consuming, but also to be seen by their peers, they finally arrived at Emmett's. Having moved back to Fork's after finishing his MBA, he got a job at one of the more prominent lumber companies, which seemed to suit his long-time girlfriend, Vicky, just fine. She had been open about her plans to marry Emmett after school and start a family once they were settled. Walking up the path to his house, Bella felt equal parts fear and excitement. Although she was now 18, she worried that being around his older friends, many who made the trip from the city to celebrate with him would spotlight just how young she really was. Rather than dwelling on it as she was often too prone to do, she let herself share Rose's excitement. Nothing seemed to shake her.

As they walked in, they were met with laughter and the sounds of "Skiptracing" coming from the kitchen. Making their way through the living area towards the back of the house, she heard Vicky's unmistakable shriek-

"Isabella! I'm so excited you're here," as she enveloped her in slender arms. Over Vicky's shoulder, she watched Rose mouth "Isabella," rolling her eyes. "Come take a shot with us!" She continued, pulling her by the hand. Smiling at Rose, Bella grabbed her too as they snaked their way through a group of people around a pool table, presumably where a formal dining table would be.

"Emmett, look who's here!"

Emmet looked over his shoulder where he played bartender at the counter, already very obviously drunk.

"Hey, Isa… Rose," offering his sister a one-armed hug, but his attention obviously fixed on her friend.

"Hey, Em- the place looks good." She shimmied out from under him as he returned to the task at hand, pouring shots.

Nodding, he replied, "Yeah, give me a bit, and I'll give you the tour. But here, take these. Mixers and booze are on the counter, and there's a keg outside. Mom said your spending the night, so have at it!" With everyone around them with a shot in the hand, Emmett cheered, "To hoping the neighbors don't call my dad to bust this up."

"Wait, wait, and to Bella and her friend for graduating from high school, too!" Vicky interrupted.

With that, everyone cheered and threw it back. While Bella couldn't hide her disgust at the taste, Rose took it like a pro and grabbed Bella's hand.

"Let's go get a beer," she said, sounding annoyed.

"Okay, but what's wrong?" Asked Bella trying to keep pace with Rosie's long strides.

"She just announced to everyone there that we're just out of high school. She basically called us jailbait," huffed Rose.

"Dude, it's not a big of a deal. We practically are! And besides, you have Royce, and everyone here is probably lame. It's fine. Now, beer"

Making their way through the French doors leading to the backyard, Bella took a moment to take in the people around her having a good time. Smaller groups congregated with each other talking, and others stood around a bonfire. As she continued surveying, she was struck by eyes meeting hers. The guy stared while continuing a conversation with a pretty blonde next to him, and Bella couldn't look away. He was hot. With messy hair and a scruffy jaw, her eyes trailed to his plain white tee and legs clad in perfectly fit jeans. She thought she'd never used the word beautiful to describe a man before, and yet that's the only word that came to mind. It wasn't until he threw his head back and laughed at whatever the blonde said that their eye contact was broken. Bella felt a tinge of something she couldn't quite place. A feeling only comparable to when she was a child, video chatting with Emmett when they were younger. Her in Mexico with her mom and him describing all the fun he had with Charlie fishing, hanging out on the res, hunting frogs in the creek behind the house; the feeling of missing out on something you didn't know you wanted until it was shown to you.

"How do you work this thing?" Rose interrupted her thoughts. "How pathetic are we that our parties only ever had cans of beer," she complained, continuing to push on the nozzle without success.

"Here, you probably just have to pump it," a deep voice said, before reaching down to do just that. Bella was surprised to see that the guy she had been staring at just moments ago was the owner of the voice, and she knew for sure she'd try her best to dream about him when she went to bed that night. After filling both their cups, he seemed to return the favor, taking a moment to look them over.

"I'm Edward," he said, extending his hand.

"I'm Rosalie, this is Bella," she said, taking the offered hand lightly, while Bella gave an awkward wave.

"How old are you two?" He asked, not unkindly but with curiosity.

"We're 18," Rose snapped.

He raised an eyebrow looking at Bella expectantly.

"I'm Emmett's sister. Yes, our parents know we're here, we HAVE drunken before, and we do know the signs of roofie-poisoning, so thank you and bye," Bella snapped, emulating her friend's annoyance.

"Woah, woah. Just checking, I've never met either of you before and just wanted to make sure the Chief wasn't going to kick Emmett's ass for having some high schoolers here. I didn't even know he had a sister."

Before either could reply, Vicky came stumbling up to their group. "Oh, Bella and friend, you met Edward! Good- he's the best and is going to be moving in with Em and me soon."

"I'm not, but I appreciated your persistence, Vick."

"Aw, come on. It would be so much fun!" Seeming to remember why she sought Bella in the first place, "Oh my gosh, anyway- Bella, Em kinda overdid it with the last shot, so I'm going to lay him down. But give me about 20, and I'll give you the tour!" She exclaimed, already turning away.

"Shudder. Why do I feel like she's going to take advantage of my drunk brother and then come find me right after."

"Totally! She's forcing some deep familiarity that you guys do not have. We don't need her; it's not like walking around a house is hard," Rosie responded.

Despite being somewhat disappointed that her brother was already done for the night, the feeling dissipated when Edward laughed.

"Well, you two have fun, and if anyone gives you shit for being children, come find me," Edward said, making his way back to the blonde by the fire.

Bella's disappointment took a strange turn to her heart.

———————-

Vicky never came back, much to the relief of Bella and Rosalie. No one else asked their age, and they seemed down to have more people join in their revelry. The night passed with games of pool and flip cup; Bella and Rose were happy to be accepted, and Emmett's friends were just excited to be drinking for free and perhaps enjoying a bit of nostalgia to their earlier college days when house parties were the norm before bars became the go-to. With the music playing and the low thrum of conversation, Bella helped clear off the pool table to get a game of King's Cup going. Watching as Rosalie frowned, furiously texting on her phone.

"Hey, I'm going to go out front to call Royce. Will you be okay?"

Rolling her eyes, "yeah, just abandon me." Seeing the anxious look in her eyes, Bella finished, "it's fine; I'm going to see if I can bum a smoke from someone outside."

"K, I'll be back in just a bit," she said, already walking to the front of the house.

Bella wandered out in the opposite direction, using her Spidey-senses to figure out who might be a smoker. She didn't have to wait long as she saw the flick of a lighter and red of a cherry, brightening with someone's inhale, on the other side of the dying bonfire. Making her way over, she seemed to realize all at once how buzzed she was and how good she felt. More than once during the night, she would catch Emmett's friends staring at her as she laughed, talked, or just existed. While she knew this type of validation was ultimately meaningless, it did feel nice being on the receiving end for once rather than just playing the outsider as Rose basked in it. As she moved closer, she realized it was Edward smoking and, for the first time all night, not with the blonde. The nape of her neck and palms prickled as she approached, suddenly hyperaware of the fact that her dress was a bit low cut and she was probably sweaty from being packed in the house with Emmett's rowdy friends. Rather than betray her nervousness, she asked, "could I steal one of those from you?"

"Steal, huh? I wouldn't want the chief's daughter breaking any laws the minute she became an adult, but if you ask nicely, I'll give you one."

Fighting the urge to call him out and defend that she would be 19 in a few months, she decided the alcohol had given her enough confidence to tease him. Standing closer to him than she'd usually be comfortable with and looking up at his face, "please, Edward." This close, Bella could see just how pale his green eyes were and could feel just how hot they burned her. Without breaking eye contact, he reached into his front, grabbing what she hoped was his cigarettes. Holding his lit one between his teeth, he opened his pack between them, smoothly pulling one out for her, both of them intently watching the movement of his hands. Handing it to her, he looked into her eyes again, only to drop them to her mouth as she placed them between her lips. Still saying nothing but with a look of concentration, Edward lifted his lighter to her smoke. Bella realized he was just ensuring he didn't miss and burn her, but she hoped instead that he liked the way her lips looked around it. Loud laughter filtered through the opening and closing of the back door, breaking the trance, at least for Bella. She turned away from Edward to face the fire, realizing the heat of the day misled how cold the nights could be, even In May. Bella prayed that her goosebumps didn't make her look like she had a skin condition and that her cold-hardened nipples didn't look bigger than average in Rose's summer dress. More importantly, they weren't so freakishly big that it allowed Edward, at least a foot taller than her, to see down the front of her dress. Scolding herself, her version of a pep talk, she took a deep gulp of her beer only to embarrass herself by having to wipe off some spilling down her chin as a result.

"Are you having fun?" Edward asked, derailing her train of thought.

"Yeah, everyone is super nice."

"Emmett's good people. He can't help but attract it. Where did your friend go?"

Disappointment heated Bella's face, "Oh, umm, she had to go call her boyfriend. But we can go find her and make her play King's Cup with us if you want?"

"Nah, it's all good. I just wanted to make sure she wasn't going to come yell at me for trying to flirt with you." He said as he took a sip of his beer.

"Are you flirting with me," Bella responded earnestly, before catching herself and hoping she was channeling Rose, "because you're not very good at it."

"Not good at it. I honestly wasn't sure if I should try."

"You don't seem like the type that usually has to try." taking another more ladylike sip of her beer, she continued, "maybe being so hot does come with disadvantages. Has it made you lazy when picking up girls?"

"I don't usually try to pick up girls, even if tonight feels like the exception, but no. I don't usually try because I believe you can tell if you're going to hit it off with someone in the first 5 minutes of the meeting. Flirting or not"

"Five minutes, huh? And what has our first five minutes told you about us?"

"Little girl, you don't even want to know."

AN:

Eeek- I had to take a break after writing this last night; let me know what you think!

Edward and Bella's first meeting will be in two parts. The next chapter should be up in a few days (if you want a sense of the vibe, listen to Digital Bath by the Deftones). I like when authors share songs that helped them write, so I'm going to too- let me know what you think!

Mile High Club- Skiptracing

TV Girl - Lover's Rock

Gus Dapperton- First Aid

Obviously, The entire album Anti- If you haven't listened to It- where have you been! For any other stans, how excited are you for her?!