No matter how many stars I wish on, I don't own Twilight or its characters, darn it! Twilight and its original characters are property of Stephanie Meyer. All original characters (Not many of them, but the few that are here) are the result of too many late nights and too many energy drinks! :) Take care all! ~AD

Chapter 3

Jacob talked me out of leaving. He gave me one of those, "if you run away, they win," speeches that he'd gotten so damn good at.

I think that's what did it. I was still hurt over how they'd just left, never looked back or so much as wrote a letter to me. I couldn't just let them run me out of the last place I'd felt like I had a home.

With that mantra going through my head, I marched in to school that Monday with a purpose. No way in hell was I going to leave because of them. If they didn't like it, tough.

That lasted until lunchtime. Like a picture from the past, there they all were, sitting around the same lunch table that they'd dominated the year I'd met them. I got my customary green salad (that was easy to fake eating...like all females, I could claim I was constantly on a "diet" and not eat much), and sat with my friends.

I couldn't help but glance at them once in a while, though. Rosalie was a beautiful as ever. Emmett still had that lovable, cocky smirk. Jasper looked a little extra pained, but still normal. Alice, still rocking that short, jagged haircut, was as cute as ever.

Then there was Edward. It gave me a twisted sense of satisfaction that he looked a little worse for wear. He'd always been broody, but he looked borderline hostile at the world. He looked like he'd never smiled.

I tried not to care, but my heart gave a little wrench at the thought of him being unhappy.

I tore my gaze away and tried to focus on my friends and their conversation. Unfortunately, it centered around the "new kids" and the new doctor who'd joined the close-knit community only a few days earlier.

Slowly, I got their names. They were going by the last name of Williams now, and their names were all the same.

I felt like laughing. Here I was, changing my name so often I had a hard time remembering what it was, and they only changed their last name.

The bell rang to signal the end of lunch. There was a rush of people getting to their feet to empty their trays, and I joined the crowd. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward's head swing around. I wasn't sure if he'd seen me, but he was scanning the crowd intently.

Inwardly, I sighed. I wouldn't be able to stay hidden forever, but I was not looking forward to what was coming.

It was during the last class of the day that it occurred to me that I should use their ignorance of my presence and reintroduce myself on my terms. After all, if I had control, I wouldn't feel quite so helpless.

Luckily, my last class was in the room closest to the doors leading to the parking lot. I gathered my things and made my way out.
It wasn't difficult to figure out which cars were theirs. In a small town this size, the newest cars stood out. I walked over, and feigned interest in what was in my backpack. I saw them come out in a pack, and make their way towards me. As they were getting in the cars, girls in one, boys in the other, I walked up behind Alice.

"We need to talk," I said harshly.

"Wha...," She turned around and gasped. It wasn't often that someone got the drop on Alice, so the fact that she didn't see me coming was a bit of a shock for both of us.

She blinked twice, then whispered, "Bella?"

"We need to talk," I said again. "Not here, not now, but soon."

"Sure."

"Remember the field where you played baseball?"

She nodded slowly.

"I'll meet you there tonight." I started walking away, and then added, "All of you."

I didn't stick around to see what happened next. I climbed into my car, and drove slowly from the lot.

Chapter 4

I got to the clearing early. The sun was still up. I paced, trying to work my nerves out before they got there. I had a few memories from this place, both good and bad.

I wasn't sure which ones bothered me more.

When the sounds of approaching vehicles reached me, I sat calmly on the hood of my car. I watched with feigned indifference as they got out of the car. True to her word, Alice had rallied the troops. They were all there.

"Bella!" Esme called, hurrying toward me. "How is it you're...?" She drifted off and came to a standstill as I leveled my angry gaze at her.

"Don't pretend to care," I snarled. "At least give me that much."

"But..." she looked helplessly toward her family.

"I think," Carlisle said, walking close to put a comforting arm around Esme's shoulders, "We'd all like to know what happened to you. How is it that you're a vampire?"

I tilted my head and leveled my gaze at him now. "I met an old acquaintance. He meant to kill me, but a friend saved me. You remember Laurent, don't you?"

Carlisle grimaced.

"Yeah," I laughed humorlessly. "I thought you might."

"We were told that you were all right," Alice stepped forward now. "You'd gone off to college and even graduated."

"Sure I did. I had to keep up appearances for a while." I said. "That's one of two lessons that I learned from your family."

"What was the other?" Emmett asked, cautious now.

"Not to care," I sneered, looking at Edward, who was looking shell shocked, but still hadn't said a word. "Look," I said, looking back at Carlisle, "I'm not here to step on any toes, expose you or anything else. I came to be close to a friend for a while, then I'll move on. Can we just ignore each other?"

Carlisle nodded slowly. "Of course."

"We'd never do anything to hurt you," Esme said quietly.

"Riiiight," I said, drawing the word out with so much venom, even Jasper cringed. "I guess it's a little late for that one, but I'll take what I can get for now."

Gracefully, and with a feigned calm that I sure wasn't feeling, I climbed down from the hood of my sporty little car, and went to open the door.

"Bella," Edward called out.

There it was, that voice that I'd loved so much. I remembered that voice speaking pretty, loving words...and then telling me how little I really mattered to him.

"Don't," I snarled, turning 80 years worth or hurt and anger on him. "I haven't been 'Bella' for quite some time. And don't bother pretending to care. You lost that right when you said you didn't want me and left me here, alone, in the woods. Hell, you all left me. Couldn't even be bothered with poor, pitiful Bella to even pick up a phone. I wandered in the woods for hours, hoping to find you and beg you to take me with you. I wanted to be one of you so badly," I shook my head, "As it turns out, all you had to do was leave me for a few months, and I became a vampire anyway. Only I didn't have the luxury of having someone with me to help me. I was left alone to figure everything out." I took a step towards him, then another. "When Laurent attacked me, I hoped for death. I burned for three days, and prayed that I'd die. Anything to end the emptiness that you caused. God," I sneered, "I can't believe that I was ever that weak and naive. But those days are over and gone, and I'll be damned if I'll give you a second chance to hurt me like that again."

Edward's face went blank, and he stood straight and still. He nodded once to show he understood, never taking his eyes off of my face.

Turning, I took them all in one more time. "I loved you all once, but I just can't.." I shook my head, not wanting to show them any more emotions than I'd already shared.

I got into my car, and drove away, making sure I was out of sight before I pulled over and tearlessly cried.