Author's Note: Hi there, hope you all are enjoying the story thus far, i did skip slightly ahead of somethings from the book to kind help press it along to more interesting thing. WARNING: curveball ahead. I hope you enjoy my twist.

SIX

Over the few weeks I saw Jacob and Bella less and less. I tried to remain positive and tried calling over, but the call always went unanswered. My nightmares returned, James always haunted then, saying that he wasn't finished with me, I always ended up waking up in terror – drenched in sweat. Usually I could never go back to sleep after that. Then the old memories surfaced, the ones from the beach party.

Needless to say I rarely got sleep, and it was noticeable. I barely ate the days following. I was picking at an apple at lunch when noticed the lunch room was abuzz.

"Why is everyone so excited? I asked.

Lauren scoffed at me, she looked almost alien, and her cornsilk blond hair had been cut short.

"We're getting more students, three of them" She said scathingly.

I flinched at her tone.

"We haven't gotten any new students in a while so everyone's excited." Angela said softly.

I nodded understandingly, Bella was the news of gossip for the long time. Small towns were probably the worst when it came to gossip, especially if anyone new came into town.

"What do we know?" I asked Jess.

She was bubbling with excitement she was about the pop. Bella had called in 'sick' today, I knew she was down the on the reservation with Jake, despite whatever she told Charlie.

"Three boys, all from somewhere east, they're all brothers." She said excited.

I saw Mike frown at her enthusiasm, apparently he still wasn't over her.

"They're supposed to be arriving this afternoon," Jessica said craning her neck towards the cafeteria entrance.

I shook my head, Jess was such a gossip and totally boy crazy. The bell rang signaling lunch was over. I grabbed my bag and made my way with a sea of people out to class. The teacher was earlier which was surprising, they were known for being late, especially right after class. She looked probably about as excited as the rest of students.

"Settle down, settle down." Sher called out.

The class immediately settled, hanging on her every word.

"Today we have new students joining our class, they're just observing today and will be at our school full time on Monday. Please welcome them kindly as we have other students.

Everyone sat a little straighter, the girls looked excited while the boys looked on in mild irritation. They walked in single file, but my heard began beating irately. My breath stolen from my lungs when I saw their faces. Anxiety shot up through the roof.

No….no, no, no, no, no no….

My past was staring me right in the face, like some sort of cruel joke. They had lost their baby faces since before, all hard lines and male. They were triplets so they were all similar, but they all looked very different to me. They all were tall, standing six feet and taller. Amalus was their ring leader, his skin tanned from years in the sunlight, his hair a dirty blonde, his eyes a piercing blue. He rocked the surfer-type look, long hair like the 90's boyband. Tidus was the most boyish looking of the trio and probably the youngest of the triplets. He shared his sibling's tanned skin, his hair was more blonde than brown, and left in a spikey up do, and his eyes were a startling green. Gideon was the middle child of the triplets, also sharing the same tanned skin, his hair more brown than blonde, his eyes were hazel, a mix between the boys if there ever was one. All of them were sharp jaws and impish grins. They still sported the same expensive clothes I remembered, and all of them roared confidence that they had before too. I ducked my head down for some hope that they wouldn't see me. I was thoughtful enough today to wear my hair down.

I used it as a shield, I didn't hear the teacher's words as she spoke and the boys took the empty seat in the back of the room. I tried very hard to concentrate on the lesson, but even from my spot, I felt their gaze. The class seemed to drag on forever. The second the bell rang I was one of the first people out of there, I immediately found the girls bathroom and closed myself in a stall. I felt myself hyperventilating

What the hell are they doing in Forks?!

I fumbled with my phone for several minutes before managing to dial Charlie's number.

"Shouldn't you be in class little bear?" Charlie asked.

"Can you please come get me?" I asked voice small.

Charlie's tone immediately changed.

"What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you when you get here, just please…"

"I'll be there in five."

I waited a good three minutes before the final tardy bell rang, and escaped the bathroom. Luckily I didn't run into anyone on the way to the front office. Charlie was in the office signing me out when I arrived. He saw my panicked face and ushered me out the door and into the squad car, I curled up in a ball in the passenger's seat. Neither one of us spoke as he drove home.

"They're here," I whispered.

Charlie frowned.

"They?" He asked.

"The McCullough boys,"

Even saying their name made the old scars throb. Charlie's face contorted in anger.

"Are you sure?" He asked sharply.

"They were in my last class. The teacher introduced them, I know their faces." I whispered.

I heard Charlie curse, something he didn't do often.

"I'll call the principal when we get home, I'll straighten this out." He vowed.

We arrived home and Charlie released another set of expletives when he realized Bella's truck was missing. We entered the house and I mumbled to Charlie I was going to shower, dashing into my room I dropped my bad and sat at my desk chair. Part of me wanted to email the Cullen family…

And do what?

The angry bitter side of me argued that Bella was finally happy at the expense of taking my best friend perhaps, but she was smiling and almost herself again. Even after firing up my computer I realized there were no new emails from my nocturnal friends from the last email correspondence. Slowly I felt my heart shattering, I was losing myself…and unlike Bella I didn't really have anyone to pick me up from it. No one to turn to. Reluctantly I closed down the computer and grabbed my bathroom necessities,

I'm not sure how long I stood there under the spray, but I had plenty of time to look at what was done to me. Scars littered my body, the two on along my hips stood the worst, but even closing my eyes I could remember when each one was made….I could see their faces. Opening my eyes their faces were gone, but I could still see them clearly, although now morphed to show their older selves. They were heavily muscled now…more than capable of….

NO.

I wasn't going to go down that road. The water was cold when I finally washed my hair/body. After dressing in warm pajamas I went into the dark living room and sat in one of the armchairs surrounded by blankets. Charlie came in a few minutes later looking ragged and tired.

"The principal says that all students are allowed to learn," he said darkly.

"What about the restraining order?" I asked quietly.

"The principal says it was annulled, the boys apparently went through some rehab program, turned a new leaf or some bullshit."

I flinched, feeling tears in my eyes.

"Isn't there anything…"

"If I can, would you be ok with online classes?" he asked sighing.

I nodded.

"I don't want to see them." I whispered.

"I'll arrange it,"

I nodded and staying in the room, I could hear Charlie talk with someone out in the hall. Charlie and I ordered pizza, and Bella didn't get home until much later, Charlie yelled at her a bit for faking being sick and skipping school. Although the yelling sub-sided when he saw she had stitches on her head. Apparently she had tripped and hit her head on a hammer. I wanted to scoff at the lie, I knew that Jake had finished the bikes, they no doubt went joy riding. That night the nightmares came, harsher and crueler than before.

I was drowning…and this time there was no lifeline.

Bella didn't even react when I didn't get up and didn't join her to school. When I woke up the next morning, I had emails from all my teachers explaining what they would require from me to pass class. I shot a quick text to Angela, while she was confused she was probably the most understanding of the group. And so the days blended together, one day to the next. The nightmares came every night, and I wasn't sleeping well. Bella spent all her free time in La Push with Jacob, he never really came around anymore, he never asked for me.

It wasn't until late February early March when there started to be issues. There was a stomach bug going around, and apparently after Bella had gotten home from the movies, Jake had gotten it.

"Bella for the love of god, stop calling him. You're putting Billy in a weird position," I murmured from the living room.

She glared at me and stalked off to her room, slamming her door with a little more force than was necessary. Sighing I wrapped myself in my blanket.

"Lettie do you mind doing a favor for me?" Charlie asked coming into the living room.

"Sure what is it?" I asked.

"Sue asked me to bring down the Tupperware she left, it's all clean, but I've got to go on patrol." He said worriedly.

"You just got off a little while ago," I murmured looking at the clock.

Charlie looked at me apologetically.

"There's a lot of sightings of wolves or bears or something that is attacking people, the patrols make people feel safe. I promised Merle I'd cover till 8." He explained.

"Let me get dressed,"

He beamed at me with a smile.

"There's a big pot of stew left too, you can take that over to Billy's if you want to."

I nodded. I headed upstairs, and looked longingly at my computer, there was still no communication from any of them.

Maybe they got bored….

Shoving the ugly thought away, I changed into a pair of jeans and my converse, and a large oversized green sweater. Leaving my hair down I grabbed a hair clip and clipped it onto the strap of my small bag that held the essentials. Most recently added was bear spray. As I came down the stairs, Bella still hadn't left her room. I shook my head, she was acting like a three-year old. Charlie waited downstairs.

"How am I going to get this to the Reservation? I doubt Bella would let me borrow the truck," I murmured suddenly realizing I didn't have a car.

"I can ask Billy if Jacob would come up," Charlie said.

"You can ask, but if he's not talking to Bella I doubt he's talking to me,"

"Don't worry about it dad, I'll call a cab," I said shaking my head.

"That's expensive." He argued.

"It's ok."

He wanted to argue more, until I pointed out that he was going to be late. Kissing me on the head and he was out the door. I called a cab and ten minutes later I was in the back seat with the stew beside me and the cloth bag full of Tupperware. The trip by cab seemed longer and more arduous than normal. Eventually I arrived in front of the Clearwater home, the crockpot full of stew on one arm, and the Tupperware hanging from the other.

"Hello?" I called out.

Sue came out form around the corner.

"Lettie, it's great to see you how are you?"

I gave her a soft smile, she was always super kind, and she gave of a motherly vibe like no others.

"Not too bad," I said softly.

She scrutinized me as a mother would, and it didn't help that she was a nurse, she didn't miss anything.

"You haven't been sleeping," she accused.

"Not very well, no," I admitted.

"Staying up too late?" she teased.

I shook my head.

"Nightmares."

She frowned and then recognized the bag on my arm.

"The Tupperware?" she asked.

I nodded.

"I should have told – it doesn't matter, would you mind walking it up to Emily's? It's her dishes." She asked carefully.

"Of course, would you be able to get this to Billy's?"

Sue nodded taking the crockpot.

"Thank you so much for taking it up to her I appreciate it."

"No problem,"

"I'll have some tea for you to take home with you when you get back, it'll help you sleep."

I nodded and set out. The road to Emily's wasn't far, most of the plots owned by the different families were spread out. Emily's was no different. Her home was the eastern most home off a dirt road. At the end of the lane was a tiny house, it had once been gray. There was only one narrow window beside a weathered blue door, but the window box had bright orange and yellow marigolds. I knocked on the blue weathered door and heard footsteps approach. The door was answered by a woman with copper skin and straight black hair, the right side of her face was scarred from hairline to chin by scars that were long healed but still vivid in color.

"Lettie!" she said happily.

She gave me a squeeze and ushered me inside. Inside the house smelled amazing. Emily was always cooking or baking something. She pulled back to look at me, and I saw her scrutinizing me like Sue.

"How have you been?" she asked excitedly.

"Been better," I admitted.

She gave me a sad smile.

"I know we didn't get along with them well. I'm sorry that you have to go through that." She offered.

I gave her a watery smile.

"Was that from them?" She asked gesturing to the ring.

"Jasper yea,"

"Luckily guy," she teased.

"More like lucky me, kept me calm."

She looked at me a moment longer.

"You look like you could use some calm." She said softly.

I snorted.

"Ain't that the truth? I don't sleep much not since…"

Emily frowned, I gestured to the table and she and I sat down. I told her about what happened the last month and she whipped me up hot chocolate. Her face was furious when I told her about what happened.

"They can't do anything?" She asked.

I shook my head.

"Equal opportunity for education," I mumbled.

She snorted.

"Well you're always welcome to come here and study if you like, my home is always open."

I smiled.

"I'd like that, gives me a different excuse to come down here."

"Don't you usually hang out with Jacob?" She asked confused.

"I haven't seen Jacob in a few months actually?"

Her eyebrows rose.

"You two are always attached at the hip," Emily murmured.

I gave her another sad smile.

"He's been preoccupied with my sister."

Emily gave me a sad knowing look.

"He should forget about his other friends,"

I smiled softly. I looked at the kitchen.

"What are you cooking up now?"

"Some chocolate chip cookies, they'll be ready in a few moments, would you like to stay?"

I perked up at that.

"Do you need to ask?"

She laughed, and then frowned at her garbage can sighing.

"I thought I asked Sam to take this out this morning."

I smiled.

"I'll do it, where's your trash can?"

She blushed.

"Out back, but you really don't have to, Sam should be home soon."

I shook my head.

"It's the least I can do you, you've sat there listening to me complain."

She shook her head, and I gathered all the trash in the bag and strung it up and headed out her back door. I had just tossed the bag into the can when I rustle caught my attention. Out from the woods came the largest wolf I had ever seen, standing roughly the size of a horse. It had dark silver fur, and hadn't seen me yet. A split second later it shimmered and a very naked man – albeit familiar to me – appeared. My toe caught on the edge of the trashcan, and his face darted up to mine.

"Well shit,"