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 6:

(EPOV)

The bass pulsed through me as I tore out of the parking lot. Who the hell was that girl, chick, woman? Definitely a woman. And what the fuck was Alice doing with her? She'd had my head spinning since the night she left me standing alone in the middle of Trinity. Just as I think I've not only met the perfect woman, and realize that I may never see her again she shows up at school looking a-fucking-mazing. I definitely didn't miss the way her hips swayed so seductively when she walked through the parking lot. Then the stunt she pulled with Lauren was incredibly hot. My mind hasn't had a chance to process anything about this mysterious woman other than her name: Bella. And what a fitting name it was.

Now my sister is involved though. How the fuck did Alice know her? They didn't have any classes together. Alice was with me all through lunch. And the only time I wasn't around was 6th period bio. I wasn't ready to look into those piercing chocolate eyes yet. But now what? After Alice talks to her Bella will never speak to me. I know how much my dear sister despises what I've become, no matter what the cause. I also know that Alice very much approves of Bella's fashion sense which probably means that they're bonding over shoes at this very minute and I have lost all possibility of getting Bella into my bed.

I floored the gas pedal.

Parked my Volvo, slammed every door behind me, waved hello to my parents and made it to my room in 10 seconds flat. I quickly locked the door and pulled out the Jack. The only way to forget about Bella would be to drink her out of my head.

XOXOXO

9:00 p.m.

I sat up and lightly shook my head. I was still very drunk. Next to me was the empty bottle and another bottle half gone. Almost a record. The clock read 9:06 p.m. when I finally registered the source of my consciousness: a loud banging and slightly muffled yelling at my bedroom door. I stood up slowly and stumbled over to the door to unlock it. I would've ignored it but it was just making my head throb even worse.

I barley get the door unlocked before it flies open leaving a very red faced pixie standing in front of me. One look at my face and red turns almost to purple as Alice opens her mouth to verbally assault me for drinking so much. Before she can get a word out my hand covers her mouth and I muster up the best look of pleading I can.

"Please?"

She nods. I take my hand away as her face starts to turn back to its normal color.

"Please don't yell at me. I'm miserable enough as it is." I back away from the door and fall into the welcoming smell of my black leather couch.

I feel the cushion move slightly as Alice sits down and starts stroking my hair. "What's wrong," she asks simply. I took a deep breath. "My head has been spinning since I met Bella at Trinity, Al. I never thought I would see her again and all of a sudden she appears. I'm so caught up in her that I don't even know how to talk to her. For the first time I want to truly impress a girl. At first I just wanted to fuck her senseless, but now I actually want to get to know her I just can't figure out why she means so much to me though I barely know her. Maybe its because…. Nah, that can't be it, never mind."

"What can't be what, exactly"

Another deep breath and I turn my head to look into her eyes. "I was thinking about her on the way home and then SHE popped into my head. I've been a wreck ever since." I knew Alice would understand who I meant by SHE: Marie, my best friend. "I guess Bella just reminds me of HER a little bit. I still miss her Ali, so much. I want her back so bad. I thought I could just put all of it behind me but I couldn't. I changed so I wouldn't be forced to remember the best friend and love of my life that was ripped from me."

I sobbed into Alice's lap for a good 20 minutes. As my tears began to subside Alice shifted me a bit then got up. When she returned I'd managed to sit my stiff, pounding body upright and just hold my head in my hands. Two asprin and a glass of water appeared in my face and I ingested them rather quickly.

When the pounding had dulled to a dull throb I looked over at Alice. I wasn't surprised to see a look of distress on her face, but I was surprised that the distress didn't seem to be about me.

(APOV)

Bella, a much improved name for her changes I might add, and I spent a few hours just sitting on at the beach catching up on everything. We laughed and cried and nothing could've been more perfect for our reunion. She made me swear not to tell anyone, Edward especially, about who she really was. I agreed only on the premise that she wouldn't wait too much longer to reveal herself.

I was extremely relieved that she'd agreed after I found Edward in his room and he let out all the stress he'd been covering up since the weekend. I knew he couldn't be THAT dense not to at least have some idea that there was a connection between 'Marie' and 'Bella.' As his sobs began to subside and a gentle snore escaped him I gently slid his head off my lap. After I covered him up I took in the scene around me. Empty and half empty liquor bottles littered the floor along with clothes and cd cases. I heaved a sigh and began tidying up before Esme or Carlisle got curious as to where their beloved son had disappeared to all afternoon.

Two baskets of laundry, a bag of bottles and an hour later his room was almost done. All that was left was to strip his bed and put on clean sheets. As I hastily pulled off the sheets I was met with a rather heavy book flying through the air and hitting me in the face. I caught myself before the stream of curse words hit too high of a volume and woke Edward. I picked up the offending book and immediately recognized it to be Edward's journal. I never remembered it being quite so thick though. Before I could give in and read it I gently tossed it onto the bedside table and finished clearing off the bed. I'd wanted to read that damn journal since we started high school.

Being twins, Edward and I were naturally close. Even after he changed I was still the only one he would let himself break down in front of, but it was different. We hardly spoke about anything personal anymore. There were so many things we used to share with each other, but now anything that brought us true happiness was taboo. I knew that his journal was the only way I would ever understand what actually happened three years ago today. It made it all that much more difficult not to open it up and at least take a peek.

I would've been good and not read it, too if it hadn't fallen off the table. As I was putting the last of the pillows on I bumped the table and the book fell off. As I picked it up a few pictures fell almost completely out of the book. Carefully I held the pictures in place as I turned the book over, so as not to lose their places in the pages. I glanced down and almost dropped the book again.

Every one of the pictures was of Bella. My curiosity, now exploding, got the better of me and I opened the book.