I hopped into my ancient red Chevy truck and turned the key. As always when it was on, the truck gave a roar from the engine that always caught everyone's attention.

Lucky for me, vehicles in Forks were mostly old or hand-me-down cars from parents and grandparents so my truck some what blended in. If only they knew my father had saved it from the junk yard and had taken it to his friend's son Jacob to be fixed. It turned out the truck had been around for a very, very, very long time.

The only exceptions to this were the Hale's, Rosalie and Jasper.

Rosalie and Jasper weren't always students of Forks High nor had they always lived in Forks.

Rosalie and Jasper were children of a wealthy couple. Rosalie was sixteen then and because of her father's rules was set to marry Royce King, as soon as she was eighteen. But one night, after walking home late form a friend's house Rosalie had been badly raped and beaten and discarded on the road.

Royce's family was outraged and seeing that Rosalie was no longer a virgin had dismissed the wedding promptly after Rosalie was released from the hospital.

Cauis and Athenodora Hale were embarrassed and enraged at the sudden cancellation of the wedding and, after Rosalie was physically recovered, moved here to Forks.

Rosalie had been so solitary at first, only speaking to her brother Jasper. But after a year she seemed emotionally and mentally recovered and was now dating the captain of our football team, Emmett McCarty.

He was dreamy! Emmett had black hair and the loveliest pair of blue eyes. He and Rosalie suited perfectly for each other. I have to admit I did have a 'thing' for Emmett but not anymore.

Angela had secretly liked him as well, before she met her current b.f. Ben Cheney. But what was there not to like; Emmett was gorgeous and, according to Katie, had a sense of humour and was not snobbish like Jessica's crush Mike Newton.

Mike is the exact definition of a bratty, stuck up, self centered, all American jerk.

Mike had, unfortunately, a crush on me in the past, when Jess and I were friends. She had liked him and strangely still did like him so out of respect for Jess, cautiousness (Charlie forbids boyfriends. Enough said.), and most of all total disgust, I had politely let him know I wasn't interested. Apparently that had deflated his oversized ego. So, he had stopped bothering and flirting with me and had started criticizing everything I owned, including my senior truck who I had christened Fanny.

I ignored Mike without effort though.

Anyhow, the only other new exceptions to the old or hand-me-down car tradition were, yes, the Cullen's.

I had gasped, along with several others when I saw the brand new silver Volvo Edward had stepped into. Alice had come skipping in afterwards. I overheard her telling Samantha that the Volvo was Edward's car and that she had her own yellow Porsche at home.

"But we're just using the same car today because we have to get back home to help pack up and, besides, we don't have friends to hang around with." She had said.

Jessica and Lauren had smiled. "That's changed now."

But somehow I didn't think it was changed. Alice and Edward had been around Jessica and Mike's crew and they both seemed uncomfortable. Alice looked a bit angry when Lauren had said she was going to give Alice a few fashion pointers.

I drove to Paige and Hope's nursery school, Alpha bees, and picked them up.

"Bella!" Hope shouted when she spotted me. I wrapped her in my arms. Paige was just picking up her Dora bag and walking to me. Just then Hope's teacher waved at me. I waved back and tried to walk away quickly with the girls but she caught up with me.

"Hello Bella" Mrs. Winter said. I know it's weird but that is her actual name. Mrs. Summer Winter. Her name was Miss Summer Dean but unfortunately her husband's last name was Winter. Talk about bad luck. "How are you?"

"I'm ok Mrs. Winter, nice to see you." I replied.

"When am I going to see your Dad? He keeps missing P.T.A. (parent/ teacher association) meetings for both girls. He should be involved in their lives."

"But I was there for them all Mrs. Winter." She smiled and touched my hand. "I know dear, and you showed great interest in their work but you're not their parent. Your dad should be there. You're a teenager Bella. Now, when am I going to see him?"

I bit my lip and racked my brain for a suitable lie. "Well…um…you see…Mrs. Winter…Dad's very…busy and he…he has many things to do…that's why he sends me for the…um…conferences." I knew I was a bad liar. Even when I repeated it in my head it sounded stupid.

She looked at me suspiciously. "Well, that's understandable but…he should make time for his kids. Especially when they're as wonderful as you three. "

I smiled. "I'll be sure to pass the message."

"Good, well have a nice afternoon."

I walked away. "Same to you Mrs. Winter."

I helped the girls into the truck and drove away. Yeah right. I thought bitterly. If Charlie ever asked any of us a question about school I'd eat my head.

I parked the truck and walked inside the house. Strangely the door was unlocked and I was dead sure I locked it this morning. Living in our neighbourhood, one couldn't afford to leave the door open.

"Stay right here girls." I ordered. I walked in quietly. Pizza and beer were lying on the floor. I jumped when I heard something crash in the kitchen. I grabbed a bat nearby and walked to the kitchen.

"Bella" Hope said, walking into the living room. She held Paige's hand. "We heard something."

"Be quiet" I snapped. "Stay in the living room and hush." When I walked in I immediately dropped the bat. Charlie was clutching at his hand. Blood was dripping on the floor where bits and pieces of glass lay.

"Dad" I said. "Are you alright?" I walked to him and tried to hold his hand but he slapped my hand away.

"Get away from me!" He shouted in his gruff voice.

I went into the drawer and took out some plasters."Here" I dashed them angrily on the counter. Just then something tasting like bile travelled up my throat. I turned around and bent my head over the sink and started retching. Charlie nearly tripped over the glass.

I was at that sink for about five minutes before I was finished throwing up. I washed my mouth and hands and was about to try and wash up the vomit when I heard footsteps behind me.

I turned around and saw that Charlie's eyes burnt with panic. "How long have you been vomiting like this?"

I was a bit baffled bit I still answered. "Second for the week, probably something I ate, why?"

He ignored the question. Charlie seemed a bit more relaxed then his eyes strayed to the blood on the floor. Charlie looked to me quickly. "When was the last time since you had your…monthly bloody."

I raised my eyebrows. "What? Why do you care?" I asked.

"Answer the fucking question!" He shouted, his spit nearly missed my shoes.

I immediately started counted the days and froze. It had been…"Thirty days ago. I missed the day and I didn't even know."I held onto the sink for support.

Charlie quickly walked out the door slamming it behind him. I sat on the floor, ignoring the glass and blood, and re-counted and re-counted. Thirty days ago.

Hope's voice broke my stupor. "Come back Paige!" She shouted.

Just then a pair of blue eyes stared at me. Paige had inherited Mom's blue eyes while Hope and I had Charlie's chocolate brown ones.

Paige ran to me and knelt on the floor beside me. "Be careful, there's glass on the floor." I said.

"Wa happen Bella?" Paige asked.

"Nothing" I said.

She screwed her face in disgust. "What's dat smell?"

I smiled a bit. "Just something very nasty." I got up and helped her up too. "Let's go to the living room."

When we walked in Hope's eyes froze on me. She dropped her few toys and ran to me, asking a thousand questions. "What happen Bella? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Calm down Hope. Nothing's wrong with me."

She pointed to my pants. "Den…why is blood on you pants? Wat's dat smell?"

"Oh, its Daddy's blood, I accidentally sat on it-"

Paige interrupted me. "Somtin vewy naty."

I cracked a smile.

Suddenly we heard the door slam. Charlie tossed me a blue bag. When I opened it I saw it was a…pregnancy test.

"Girls you stay here, I'll be right back." I ran up the steps and locked myself in the bathroom. I took the test and waited the required five minutes. My heart started beating like a thousand drums. But I sighed with relief when I saw it was…negative.

I was about to go outside when I heard Charlie banging on the door. I opened it. "I'm negative dad."

Before I could say anything else Charlie slapped me causing me to clutch the door for support.

"W-what did I do?" I asked.

Wham! He kicked me and I slid on the tile and hit my head against the wall.

"Don't ask me questions!" He barked. Charlie grabbed my hair and pulled me up. "Ever!" He spat in my face and I wiped it with my shirt.

"Sorry !" I screamed. "I'm sorry!" Tears streaked my face.

"I can't go through shit like that again." He dropped my hair and I collapsed on the floor, hitting my head. I placed my hand on my forehead and wailed from the immense pain. When I let go my hand was filled with blood.

Charlie sucked his teeth. "Stop shedding those fucking tears! They didn't work when your slut of a mother did it and they're not working when you do it!" He looked at me in disgust. "Now I gotta pay bitches like you for some lovin'." He slammed his huge boots on my leg and walked out of the bathroom.

I got up by holding the sink and limped my way to my room. Hope was already sitting on the bed with a cloth, some disinfectant and some bandages. I suddenly got a feeling of dejavu. This reminded me of when mother would get beat and I would rush to the scene and start helping her to clean her wounds.

I guess that's why I wanted to be employed in the medical field. And because of the life I had I was ok with blood though when I was younger I usually fainted on sight but now I got used to seeing blood on the floor or on me…mostly on me.