Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight etc. I have used sentences and phrases from the book – Twilight.

Chapter 2: Smiles

I walked to my truck in silence, replaying the words I'd heard as people called me 'freak' and 'ugly' throughout the day. My heart was like an ice-cube but would never melt, always remaining frozen. It was because throughout my whole life I have had not one friend who could warm it. No one wanted to waste their time and life on me; sometimes I even thought my parents were giving up. I bet in their head they can't wait till my eighteenth birthday so I leave, than they can get on with their normal, happy lives.

I looked down the student car park and saw five of the most break-taking people in my life. They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, on was big – muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair. Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blonde. The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-coloured hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students.

The girls were the opposites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the kind that made every girl around her take a hit of her self-esteem just by being in the same room. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back. The short girl was pixie-like, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.

My eyes didn't tare from the bronze-haired boy though. His skin was pale, even paler than I – the half albino. He looked at me for a brief second and his breath got caught in his throat. I look back to the ground thinking, what are you doing Bella? He's the most handsome, and free in the school and what are you? – The hideous girl ever. Like he'd have any feelings toward you besides disgust. I slowly walk to my truck and hop in, taking one last look at the pale family. The bronze-haired boy was still staring at me but with sorrow like he just heard what I was saying. The rest of them were already in their cars besides the pixie-like girl who was looking back and forth between us.

I shook my head and started my truck, heading out of the car park; not looking at the bronze-haired boy again.

***

I was sitting on the wooden bench in gym class, watching over our class play hockey. I didn't want to participate at all and no one seemed to care. Staring at my shoes was probably my lesson for gym class this whole year. A shadow covered me as I spotted a pair of runners in front of me. Looking up I saw it was the pixie-like girl I saw yesterday. I gulped, maybe she's going to lecture about me being here and should leave this school, I thought. She gave me a small smile. Oh no here it comes. And extends her arm to shake, "Hey my name is Alice Cullen. What's yours?"

My jaw dropped and mouth open. What? Was this some kind of joke she's playing to impress her friends? I waited a while still frozen and she chuckles, "What cat got your tongue? You've got to have a name."

I blinked a bit and muttered, "I'm Bella. Bella Swan."

She nods and looks sad, "So you're the one everyone's been talking about."

Now I definitely felt afraid. Was she going to never talk to me again, from all the bad things people have been saying? I wasn't quite sure until she sat next to me, looking down at her shoes also. I just kept staring at her, waiting until she verbally inflicts pain on me, but nothing came.

"Do you what students are saying about you?" she asks curiously.

I nod, "I pretty much know what's floating around the school grounds," I sighed, "like it does all the time." I look back down at the floor, sad once again. I could feel her look at me wondering what was going on through my head.

"How long has this been going on?" she asks. "My whole life" I mutter. Her whole body becomes rigid, making me look up into her watering brown eyes. Her expression was pain and it scared me. Did I do something to make her upset? Suddenly her petite arms wrap around me, like a snake strangling its prey. My body freezes, never experiencing physical contact since…forever, then my shoulders relaxed. I felt my heart become warmer, happier than it ever has before, my head feels lighter and my eyes water.

"Oh Bella," she sobs, "Never in my life have I met someone so helpless and sad." She removed her arms around me and handed me a piece of paper with a phone number and house address written on it. "If your having any problems or feeling down, call me or come over" she smiled and ran back to another bench her family were occupying. I saw Alice's brother looking at me again, his emerald eyes boring into my muddy brown ones.

For the first time in years, I smiled. And he smiled back.

Author's Note:

In this story I'm making the Cullen family HUMAN so no super powers what so ever. And no fangs allowed!

*Smiles* Bella finally got her first friend! And it seems a certain bronze-haired, green-eyed boy is checking out the so-called ugly duckling. Lets see what happens next…

Black blood666