A/N: Here's the next chapter, guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. All creative credit goes to Stephanie Meyer for creating this universe I like to meddle in ;D

Chapter 6: I'm Just a Girl, Standing in Front of a U-Haul

BELLA

Six Months and Nine Days Ago

(AKA Before Edward)

The morning I leave Seattle turns out exactly as I described to Angela and Ben. I hitch a ride with Ben on his way to work, in his beat-up Subaru hatchback, and he drops me off at our Neighborhood U-Haul Dealership. I rent a ridiculously expensive round-trip 10-foot truck with Arizona plates that smells faintly of weed.

Once I got back to the apartment with Angela, we set to work sifting through all the boxes for Tyler's crap. Seeing as all our belongings were headed to the same destination, a lot of our items ended up boxed together.

I wish that I could lie and say that it was this deeply cathartic process as Angela hoped it'd be, but it wasn't.

You see, the original plan was for me to move down to Texas, get our apartment settled and start my new job. Then Tyler would join me in roughly three weeks after completing his Personal Trainer certification; three weeks in which he and Katie Marshall could screw their brains out in uninterrupted, girlfriend-free bliss.

Instead, I found myself sitting on the floor in my best friend's apartment sporting a perma-scowl, while riffling through fifty boxes labeled like: our kitchen, our bathroom, our living room (heart), and my personal favorite our bedroom (winky grin).

Gag me with a spoon.

All said, there were five big boxes of clothes, three shoe boxes of shitty CD and DVDs, two crates of books, and one stuffed 30-gallon trash bag of papers that belonged to Tyler. Angela, lovely person that she is, persuaded me not to just torch everything.

Ben took an extended lunch from the karate classes to help us load everything in the truck, accompanied by a symphony of sniffles. During the forty minutes it took to get everything settled, he attempted to keep the atmosphere light, but all it took was us girls making eye contact for the waterworks to start all over again. By the time we finished, we were all a little glassy eyed. The seismic shift heading our way was not lost on any of us. The Three Original Amigos were splitting up. I was moving six states away to be closer to my empty nesting parents, while my old married couple were staying in rainy Seattle so that Ange could finish her PhD.

At the back of the cab, we stood in The Huddle of Friendship, each lost in our shared memories. Eight years with these dorks as my constant companions had left a beautiful and indelible mark on my psyche, and I knew I would feel the loss.

Ange, the pastor's daughter, recited a touching traveler's prayer, fingering the cross hanging around her neck, and grasping my hand. "Oh God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills all creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go, preserve Isabella Swan as she travels. Surround her with your loving care; protect her from every danger and lead her in safety to her journey's end. Amen."

With a grape sized lump in my throat I whispered, "That was beautiful, Angie. Thank you."

And then I hugged my best friends for all I was worth.

When I turned to get in the cab of the idling U-Haul truck, Angela handed me a canvas tote bag stuffed to the gills with my favorite junk foods, some fruit, and a four pack of Red Bull. "To save you from that awful truck stop food!", she said on a laugh.

All that was left to say was goodbye. But a sap I'm not, so I went for facetious. "Thanks, momma! Love you guys, see ya around."

I did finally get in the truck, driving away while waving like a loon.

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A/N: So, Bella is one mouthy mofo, but we like her like that. ;D This felt like a really great place to leave them. She's going off on a new solo journey. So, in order for me to do this story justice, I'm forecasting 2 more small chapters with solo Bella. You'll get a glimpse of her road trip next chapter, and then *fingers crossed* Edward WILL BE in chapter 8.