Chapter 1: The Day We Met

BPOV

When I started the first day of my junior year in high school, I never expected my life to become one of the statistical failures I had read about so often. I was always one of the lucky ones, passing by, never doing great, but never doing too bad either. Charlie, my dad, and my friends would always comment that I was just too lazy to really sort out my life and get my priorities straight.

After a month or so of my junior year, my life shifted. I met Jacob. He was a bit immature at times but there was so much more to him. He had an aura of kindness to him, and inexplicably, hope. I had a sense of hope so strong in my core when I met him, that I was sure I would never have to feel used and dumped to the side, like I had already been treated so many times. For the first time in my entire life, I understood what love could be.

Yes, I fell in love. And it was beautiful. There wasn't perfection, no. But there was raw emotion and passion. A sense of security and friendship that was so comforting in and of itself.

One day after school at Forks Senior High, I was making my way to my truck in the school parking lot when my friend Angela called me over.

"Bella! Come here. I wanted you to meet somebody."

I turned to glance at her and smiled as Ben wrapped his arms around her waist. I walked towards them with my backpack weighing heavily on one shoulder. I wondered who I hadn't met in Forks. Possibly a new student?

It wasn't until I got closer that I noticed a taller guy with russet colored skin standing with her and Ben. He had been leaning against the trunk of Ben's car, practically hidden behind Ben and Angela's embrace.

The world seemed to stop, I swear it had to have been set up by the Gods, Ben and Angela parted slowly and revealed the mystery man. His dark brown eyes were intense, bordered with a gentleness that couldn't be easily detected.

I stopped in my tracks a few feet away from them and when his eyes found mine, he shrugged away from the car and introduced himself before Angela had the chance.

His walk towards me had been so confidant and sensual, his tone of voice ended up surprising me beyond concern. "Hi, I'm, uh, well I'm Jacob. Jacob Black."

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Ben wiggle his eyebrows at Angela before she burst into a giggle.

My eyes connected to Jacob's again and I felt my breath catch in my throat. His eyes were practically sparkling. I coughed once and introduced myself. "I'm Isabella Swan. Actually, just call me Bella."

"You're Charlie's daughter?" Jacob had an eyebrow raised with question.

"Yeah," I said grabbing onto the strap of my backpack. I looked up at him through my eyelashes. "How do you know my dad?"

"Well, it isn't hard to know who the Chief of Police of Forks is. Besides, him and my dad go way back."

"That's right! Black. You're Billy Black's kid?"

Jacob laughed and nodded. "That would be me, yeah."

I smiled at him and mentioned, "Charlie talks about Billy all the time. I can't believe I haven't had the chance to go up there to the reservation yet? Charlie has been trying to get me to go out there for ages but I'm always so busy. And of course during vacations I'm always at Phoenix with my mom..."

After talking for another ten minutes, Jacob invited Angela, Ben and I to go to his place at La Push to hang out. That was the first day Jacob ever touched me. He had wrapped his arms around my shoulders from behind me and rested his chin on the top of my head.

The simple embraced had made my world turn upside down and all he'd done was ask me if I wanted something to drink.

Later in our days, he admitted that it had been the day he finally felt completion in the world.

I couldn't believe it myself, when Charlie pointed out to me how fast Jake and I were moving. Always spending every moment together. It wasn't as if Charlie didn't like Jacob, on the contrary, he couldn't have picked anyone better for me himself, but he advised that I take things a little slow.

I don't think it was what Charlie had in mind about taking our time when Jacob asked me to officially be his girl a few days later. On the nineteenth of November to be exact. Jacob picked me up from school that afternoon, which was fast becoming a habit, and on the way back, Jacob pulled his car over to the side of the road.

I started to look around in confusion when I asked him, "Jake, what are we doing here?"

He turned in his seat to face me and said, "Bella, I can't take this anymore. Will you be my girl?"

His eyes widened slowly as I held my breath for a minute. I was speechless.

I somehow found it in me to nod.

"Finally," I whispered before he leaned in and kissed me.

Jacob had been all smiles as we walked into his house hand-in-hand a few minutes later.

I looked down and blushed as Billy commented, "Good for you, son. Finally found yourself a keeper there."

Two months later, during New Years, the unexpected happened.

Jacob bent down as it neared twelve and lit some candles perched up on a huge log. I knew it was for his mother who passed away two years ago. With a tear in his eye, he straightened and gazed at me.

Without a word, he pressed his lips to mine the exact moment everyone shouted and cheered for the start of the New Year. Half the town of Forks and La Push gathered on the shore of First Beach. It had been a tradition since before I was even born for the two towns to gather and be friendly towards each other.

Jacob pulled back only far enough that his lips were only a few inches away from mine. His arms were still wrapped around my waist and mine wrapped around his neck.

He whispered against my lips, "I want you always to be mine. Will you be my wife, Bella? I know I don't have a ring right now, but I promise to have it soon."

Before he was even done I was nodding my head. My eyes stinging with tears of joy. "Yes, Jacob. A million times yes. Of course I'll marry you." I kissed his warm lips.

"Yeah?" His eyes sparkled again and he threw his head back and laughed. He tightened his grip around my waist and hoisted me off the ground as he twirled me around countless times.

"Yeah!" I managed to say through my endless giggles.

"Oh, I love you so much, Bella." He set me down and kissed me again.

"Ditto," I replied and smiled widely. I remember running off to find Ben and Angela, telling anyone I could find about what just happened. Jacob just followed me; hand in mine, with the happiest smile I had ever seen on his face.

When the last of the fireworks went off, he whispered in my ear, "You make me feel like the happiest man alive."

A/N: Hey all, sorry about the shortness of the chapters. But here it is, the day Jacob and Bella met. In my fanfic, Bella has lived in Forks all her life. And only happens to run into Jacob when she turns sixteen. Bit of a mix of fate, but it happens.

Pleeeease read and review. And spread the word any way you can about my fanfic. I'm hoping it will get more attention once I get more in depth with the story, but maybe I'm just not that good.

And don't fear people, Edward will be making his introduction soon.

But, have I done a good job sticking to the characters? I realized Bella is a bit more different but I couldn't help that part.

Should the chapters be shorter? Longer?

Please review.