Disclaimer: Stephenie Myer and associates own all Twilight characters/etc. I just want to play with them for a while and give them something new to do.

Chapter 5:

(APOV)

From the moment she walked into Trinity Saturday night I knew it was my Isabella. The world knew her as Marie, but I had always called her Isabella. She looked so different, but at the same time all the same, just grown up. It wasn't hard to figure out who had captured my brother's attention that night. I wanted to warn him, but something told me that she had a plan for what was to happen.

So I waited. All day Sunday, I waited. I spent countless hours pacing my room waiting for the phone to ring and for my best friend to tell me that she was home and wanted to see me. But no, she never called.

So I waited some more. I figured she would at least acknowledge me at school today, but again, NOTHING. By the time seventh period let out I was fuming. I stormed out to the parking lot to wait by her car, texting my brothers and Jasper along the way to let them know I was going home another way. Then I turned my phone off.

I saw her approach, her head down, lost in thought. The locks clicked behind me. As she reached to open her door I caught her hand. Angry blue eyes met with startled brown ones. I opened my mouth, but she beat me to it.

"Get in."

So here we sit, driving down the back road towards First Beach. It figures she'd take us here. We used to make Emmett bring us here when we were little and we wanted to go on adventures. Isabella always insisted on dragging Edward along. I guess she figured that bringing me here would lessen my anger.

Damn, she knows me too well, still.

She parked and we got out, each of us pausing to breath in the briny air, before walking towards the shoreline.

"I'm sorry, Ali."

All the heartbreaking emotion in those three words decimated my already crumbling anger. I stopped and pulled my best friend into a hug, tears already streaming down both of our faces.

"Its okay, Bella. Its okay."

We sobbed on each others shoulders for what seemed like forever before we broke away, giggling at our silly display.

"Why didn't you tell me you were back," I asked.

"I wanted to, Alice, so much. I just couldn't figure out how to tell you without Edward, Emmett, and the rest of the school knowing as well. I honestly thought my game would have been up by now, surely I haven't changed that much."

"Oh contraire, my dear. The girl who left was a beautiful, shy, bookworm. The woman who has returned is a stunning and confident. Hell, not even Edward has a clue of who the, and I quote, 'ravishing brunette that keeps my head going in circles' is. He knows that he met you at the club, but beyond that, nothing."

I looked towards her as I told her of my idiot brother's cluelessness. I didn't miss the wave of disappointment that crossed her face.

So Edward isn't the only one who was struck silly.

"Darling, don't worry. Edward has had his head up his ass since the first day of high school. We used to talk about you every night after you were taken, but after that first day Edward refused to listen or speak about anything pertaining to you. I found him passed out in his room with a bottle of Jack Daniel's that night and I think that he gave up that day. He always kept hope that you would come back to us, to him, but when you weren't there he gave up and a part of him died. Since then he has been an arrogant prick who wants nothing other than sex from any girl."

I watched again as the disappointment crossed her face, followed quickly by anger and then determination.

"Edward did what?…