I ate the food ravenously before stepping out of the wash room and I silently went to my classes. After school I thought I could get away but as soon as the bell rang Alice appeared right in front of the door of my Biology class. I packed my bag and got up.

"Hi Alice" I said.

"Hey Bella, thought you'd get away didn't you?" She asked smiling.

"What? Of course NOT! Why I mean, why would I try to get away? I mean it's going to be sooooo much fun!" Somehow Alice missed the extreme sarcasm in my voice. It seemed that when Alice was excited there was no reining her in. "Wait what about my truck?"

"Don't worry I'll ask Edward to drive it over."

I smiled inside as I imagined Edward's annoyance at my truck's 50 mile per hour range.""

I stepped quickly to avoid the staring eyes of the children already in the parking lot. Alice did not seem to be ashamed of me nor did she seem to care. She simply waved to her other friends and got into the driver's seat.

"So where did you say this day care was?"

"Oh…...um on North Road, just past that apartment building."

We road in silence. When we reached I saw the girls staring at the hot yellow Porsche but I think they were more surprised to see me in it.

"Bella?" Paige shouted loudly. They both walked slowly to me, staring at both me and Alice.

"Did you win the lottewy Bella?" Hope asked, rubbing her fingers on the car.

"Nope, my friend just offered to invite us all to her house for dinner tonight. C'mon get inside now. Oh dust your feet, don't want to get it dirty."

I helped the girls inside and introduced them to Alice.

"Are you the pwesident's dottaw?" Hope asked.

Alice giggled. "No, I wish I was though. Oh, here we are, my place, c'mon we're late."

I got out expecting to see a normal house but instead I saw a grand mansion. I stood appalled at the fact that this was a HOUSE!

Hope's mouth was open; she was oblivious to Paige who was ringing her arm lightly.

"Um, ah, Alice?"

"Yes" he said. She had already reached the door. I tried to walk and I pulled the girls along. "Is this where you live?"

"Yeah, oh Aunt Esme I brought Bella over. Sorry we're late we had to pick up her sisters."

A sweet faced brunette stepped out of her porch and walked towards me. "Hello Bella and what are the names of these two angels?"

The girls were behind me, sneaking a peak at Alice's aunt. "Oh um these are my sisters Hope and Paige."

"Hi girls" She said. "I'm Esme; you can call me Aunt Esme or Mrs. Cullen if you like."

Hope came from behind me and introduced herself. "I'm Hope. I am six years old." I clapped quietly. "Very good Hope." I said. This made Paige come out too but she didn't say a word.

"If you're Hope then you must be…hmm…let me see -"

"Paige" She said quietly.

"And how old are you Paige dear?"

She didn't say a word. "C'mon baby you don't know how old you are?" Paige held up her lily white hand and showed Esme five.

Esme pretended to gasp. "Oh my you girls are very big. Follow me I'll go find you some big girl toys." She held out her hands and Hope took it confidently. "Go on Paige, hold Esme's hands." She shook her head.

Esme smiled. "That's alright. Hope and I can manage them just fine."

"Let's go inside Bella." Alice said, quickly reminding me of her presence. "Uncle Carlie! Edward!" She shouted as we went into the house. "I've got some friends over!"

"Bee what do you want to drink? We've got water, Coke, Pepsi, cranberry juice and Sprite." She continued in a whisper. "If you want I can sneak you some vodka from the bar."

I laughed. "No thanks. I just need some water."

"A juicy juice." Paige said quietly. After looking at me she quickly added her, "Please"

"Me too Alice" Hope squeaked.

"Two juicy juices and a glass of water; coming right up!" Alice said before marching into the kitchen. It hadn't been a full three minutes before Esme and Hope came back with their hands filled with toys. They placed them on the living room floor.

"Here you go; you guys can play with these after dinner. Oh Bella this is my husband Carlisle and of course you know Edward."

"Nice to meet you Dr. Cullen, thank you for inviting me to your home." I said, shaking his hand. "Good to have you" He said. He was a handsome man with golden eyes. Was everyone in this family…hot?

"Edward" I said curtly. He merely tilted his hand to acknowledge me. As Michelle in Full House would say, 'How rude!'

Alice came back into the room with the trays. "Here you go guys."

"And who are these sweet girls?" Carlisle asked.

"These are my sisters Paige and Hope."

"Hello" Carlisle said, stretching out his hand. "My name is Carlisle." Hope shook his hand. "I'm Hope thisis is my little sistaw Paige." She whispered, "She's shy."

He winked his eye at Paige and said, "Don't worry I don't bite."He flashed her a smile and in no time Hope was talking.

After dinner I sat talking with Alice and after a while Edward surprisingly joined in the conversation. It wasn't until I saw Paige fiddling with her toy watch that I realized it was late. OH MY GOSH! I screamed internally. I'M DEAD! Charlie never allowed us to stay out, especially when he was at home. His dinner needed to be cooked; the place was to be cleaned up. Every single person was supposed to be in the house long before him.

And here I was, hanging about at…8 in the night!

"Um, Alice I need to leave right away."

"Aw, why? Aren't you having fun?"

"Yes but…"

"Would you like me to call and explain to your mom?" Esme asked kindly.

"We don't have a mother." Paige said, playing with her Barbie doll. "She wan away fwom daddy cuz he's a meanie."

I was mortified. "Um, what she means is, um…well…Renee couldn't handle the um, stress. You know, she was one of those mothers that didn't want a care in the world. Anyway, we really need to go. I'm sorry Esme I can't help you pack up the toys right now. I'm very, very late."

The girls shoved everything they brought into their bags and rushed out of the house with me.

I was so afraid when I pulled into our driveway and saw Charlie's truck there.

What would he do? I asked. I prayed to God for him to be in a pleasant mood.

I shoved my key into the door and opened it. We all held hands and walked upstairs. "Who are you coming from?" I heard a voice say from behind me. I let the girls go, they both continued running up the stairs towards my room.

I walked back down the steps. "I broke down on the road." I told him.I

"And you didn't call? When did you break down?"

"About 4"

"So you've been on the road for 4 hours?"

"No, I called a friend and she picked me up."

"And dropped you where?"

"Um…."

"Bella" He said. He looked at me evilly. His smile frightened me. "You're lying to me. Do I look stupid to you? Huh!" Charlie shouted. I cringed and backed away. He got angrier. "Do you think because you've gone farther than me in school that you can come in this fucking house when you feel ready?"

I tried to make a run for it but he anticipated this. He pulled my hair and slammed to the ground. I lay still. "Do you think I don't see through your lies?"

Tears trickled from the corners of my eyes. "No dad I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me."

"Don't hurt you?" He smiled. "Whatever I do to you is my choice aright? I'm your fucking father and you need to learn some respect! You…you don't know pain. My father used to tie me to a tree and beat me and he would leave me there all night and I learned respect that way. Same way you're going to learn respect."

He pulled out his belt. I tried to break free from his hold but he held me tightly. I screamed as the belt caused a searing hot pain on my back. I squirmed and kicked but it was of no use Charlie beat me for hours before he felt satisfied. When he was finished I cold barely move. My back was bleeding. I didn't even have the energy to stand. I placed my right cheek on the stone cold floor. I could not cry. I had shed my tears so much that there were none left. I closed my eyes and slept the night away.

I drove to school quietly. My back was paining me. The girls were so traumatized. When they woke up and saw me lying on the floor they thought I was dead. Oh I never wanted to see that expression on their faces again. Their eyes were teary and sad. Their cute little noses were red and stuffy from so much crying. I had to reassure them for an hour or more that I was well and unharmed though the bloody floor didn't help much.

I parked my truck and sauntered into school with somber look on my face. Though I don't know why I wasn't a bit happier seeing that it was my birthday. I was officially eighteen years old. I had waited all my life for this to arrive. If I wanted I could raise my two girls on my own but I wasn't quite financially prepared for such a change. All my savings would only do us for a few months but I needed some stable amount of cash if I wanted the authorities to leave Hope and Paige in my custody.

I'd already planned to move away from Forks. I would get too many stares from people in town once I told the police of Charlie's abusive behavior. I had even set the girls up when they were younger to take some photos. They weren't professionally done but they would do. I'd taken months showing those two how to take photographs though I didn't know what else to expect seeing that they were about two years old.

Alice ambushed me from behind. "Hey, how ya doin'?"

"Fine thanks" I tried to smile but I don't think it came out right.

"Oh don't give me that." She lightly punched me in the back I cringed.

"What's wrong?"

"I kind of hit it yesterday so it's hurting a bit."

Alice shook her head "Seriously Bella I think you've injured every part of your body."

Maybe I said in a totally not joking manner.

"So what are you doing this Saturday?" Alice asked a wicked smile on her face.

"I'm doing something important for my dad, business errands actually."

Her smile vanished immediately. "Aw, I wanted to go shopping. Well how about we see a movie this Friday."

"My dad doesn't let me go out at nights."

Alice's eyebrows raised in surprise. I expected that reaction. That's what I got from everyone who asked me to hang out. "Seriously? Bella c'mon you're like seventeen years old."

"Actually I'm eighteen."

"Since when?"

"Since today"

"Bella, Happy Birthday!" She shouted. She hugged me tightly; her rosy lips pecked my cheek. "I can't believe you didn't tell me. I don't even have a present."

"That's ok Alice, I don't need one."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Shut up Bella. You know you're pretty strange."

I smiled. "Tell me something I don't know."

She just shook her head and smiled.

"Alice!" Someone shouted from across the hall. I looked up and there was Edward sauntering toward us. "Esme called and said to pick up some L'Oreal shampoo and conditioner. "

"Why can't you do it?"

He smiled that crooked smile that would make any woman launch at his feet. "I have football practice."

"Oh and she said to pick up her Vera Wang from the dry cleaners in Seattle. Here's the address." Edward handed her a white sheet of paper with he instructions written neatly in his perfect cursive. I envied that. My own handwriting was sheer scrawls on paper.

"Great" She mumbled sarcastically collecting the paper from her twin. "That reminds me…" And she went off skipping through the corridors. "Bye Bella" She shouted.

I laughed and turned around forgetting that Edward was still there. "Oof" I exclaimed as I bumped into him. My hands instinctively went in front of me and grasped his hard, six pack chest. He held my hands firmly. My heart began beating faster.

"You have a habit of bumping into people." He whispered. Oh fuck he had such a sexy voice!

I managed to say, "I know it's a habit I hope I can break." He chuckled. "So you're still talking to me after I behaved like such an overdramatic bitch?"

"Yes, I'm still talking to you after you behaved…coldly towards me."

I smiled. "I'm sorry. I have no idea what got into me. Anyways" I stretched my hand towards him "Truce?"

He shook it. "Definitely"

"Cool" I could've have punched myself in the face. Make conversation you twit! I screamed at myself

Thankfully the bell rung. "See you later Bella" I loved…no adored the way he said my name.

"See you" I said. I turned away and sighed. I need help!