CH 1: 3 Months before the Accident (March)
(BPOV)
"Bella, it's time to get up." Charlie shouted from down stairs.
"I'm up!" I shouted back as I made my way to the shower to get ready for school.
I hated Mondays. It's not that I didn't mind going to school, it's just that when you are a year younger than everybody else making friends is kind of hard. Although I was lucky enough to have one friend, Alice. As I washed the shampoo and conditioner from my hair, I thought back to when Alice and I first met.
- Flashback-
It's the start of my junior year in high school. Just another year of being bullied and friendless. I tried to convince dad to get me homeschooled, but he didn't go for it. Sitting in home room at the back of the class, where I always sat, I heard the chair next to me scrap across the floor. What happened next really shocked the crap out of me.
"Hi. I'm Alice Brandon."
I looked up from my doodling in my notebook to see who she was talking to. I saw no one but me around, so I thought that I had misheard her.
"No, I'm talking to you." She said smiling
"Um….. I'm, I'm Isabella, but I prefer Bella."
"It's nice to meet you, Bella."
"Yeah. It's nice to meet you too, Alice. Not to be rude or anything, but why are you talking to me?"
"Why wouldn't I? You seem like a nice person."
"Oh, well thanks. It's just that no one talks to me. I don't have any friends. Haven't since I starter high school." I replied like it was no big deal.
"That's crazy. How can you not have any friends?"
"Well….. I'm a year younger than everyone and don't really fit in."
"That's fucking stupid. Age is just a number. I can already tell that we are going to be great friends."
I smiled knowing that she might be right and also thinking that she was a little crazy as well.
-End of Flashback-
As I felt that water start to get cold I knew that I had to rush to finish my shower and getting ready. By the time that I got dressed and downstairs I knew that I didn't have much time before Alice got here to grab me so we could get to school on time.
"Cutting it close there Bells?" dad chuckled.
"No, dad. I have plenty of time." I answered as I grabbed a pop tart since there wasn't a lot of time to eat. I heard Alice pull up and just as I was headed out the door to leave dad stopped me.
"Bells?"
"Yeah dad."
"I'm going to be working a little late so I won't be home for dinner."
"Kay, dad." I went over to hug him "Love you and be safe."
"I love you too kiddo and I always am." He said as he hugged me back. "Oh, by the way. Your mother called."
I pulled away from him, grabbed my bag and started to stomp off. Just as I reached the door I spun around to look at him. "I don't have a mother." With that I closed the door and got in Alice's car to head to school.
"What has you so pissed off?" Alice asked.
"Dad just told me that my so called mother has called."
"You're kidding right?"
"I wish I was." I muttered as I wiped a tear from my eye. The rest of the ride to school was quiet and I was thankful that Alice knew not to question me anymore about it. Thinking about the woman who should have been there while I was growing up, just made me so made and upset.
-Flashback-
"Daddy?" I asked crying. I had just heard mommy and daddy fighting again. I never liked it when they started yelling. This time was different though. Mommy had a bag with her, when she left.
"Come here baby girl, it's ok."
I walked over to daddy. He picked me up and just held me as I cried.
"Shhhhh. It's ok Bells. Everything is going to be ok. I promise sweetie."
"D-dddaddy, is mommy coming back?" I asked as a hiccup bubbled up from my mouth.
"Oh, baby girl, I'm so so sorry. I don't think that mommy is coming back."
"Mommy doesn't love me?" I whispered as I looked up at daddy.
"No baby, no. Mommy loves you so much."
We sat like that for a long time. Daddy holding and telling me that he loves me.
"Daddy?"
"What baby girl?"
"I miss mommy."
"I do too sweetie. I do too." He answered as he kissed my head.
-End of Flashback-
"Bellllllaaaaa. Earth to Bella."
"What? Huh? Oh, sorry Alice."
"It's fine. I just though you would like to know that we are here. So what had you so lost in space?"
"Nothing really." Alice looked at me with her, really you're going to pull the nothing card look.
"Fine." I sighed. "I was just thinking about when I was five and Renee walked out on us."
"Oh. Ok, so one, I know how much that hurt you and that it still does and two, since when are you calling her Renee?"
By this time we had walked to homeroom and were sitting in our usual seats in the back of the classroom, waiting for the bell to ring so we could go to second period.
"She is NOT my mother. A mother doesn't walk out on her daughter. Then try to contact said daughter after eleven years. She wants something. I know she does."
"Yeah, I guess that make sense."
"I'm sorry Alice. I'm not trying to be a bitch. I'm just frustrated."
"Hey, I get it. No biggie. Kay?"
Just as I was about to answer her, the bell rings. Now I know that I won't be able to talk to her until lunch and final period.
It was so hard to concentrate during class. All I could think about was Renee. She has no reason to come back into my life. By the time lunch rolled around I was beyond frustrated and tired. To boot, there were still three periods left before the day would end. Biology would be easy cause I knew Banner we not in today, free period I never worried about, cause it's free period, but unfortunately last period was gym. I hated gym with a strong passion. I am probably the most klutzy person in the state of Washington.
The nurses at the hospital can most likely hear my truck from a mile away. I am surprised that I don't have my own parking spot. I mean I even trip over thin air. Who does that? Me, that's who. When it was time for gym I learned that we were going to be playing basketball. The second the word basketball was said big neon lights popped up in my head screaming out injury. Now whether the injury was going to be to myself or someone else, I couldn't say, I just had to pray for the best.
Sadly my prayers were not answered. On the bright side I only manage to hurt myself and not someone else. Walking into the ER with Alice I knew what we were in for. Waiting forever, getting put in a room, waiting for doctor to come in and tell me that I need an x-ray, waiting to get the x-ray done, getting said x-ray completed, waiting for the doctor to tell me that my wrist is broken, waiting for the cast person, getting the cast, waiting for discharge papers, and finally getting to leave. I felt so bad for Alice cause I knew that it would be boring and when I tried to tell her to go home, she wouldn't. After signing in at the nurse's desk I went and sat next to Alice to begin waiting. All of a sudden I hear my name.
"Bella Swan why I am not surprised to see you here?" ask my favorite doctor in the whole world, Dr. Carlisle Cullen.
"Well Dr. Cullen, maybe it is because today is Monday, which means school and gym class."
"Come on sweetie, let's get you looked at."
When all was said and done, I was right and my left wrist was sprained. Thank god it was not broken. Granted a sprain is not great, but a break sucks even more. Walking out of the ER with a black brace I asked Alice if she could drive to the police station so I could let my dad know what was going on. When we got to the station I walked in and the first person that I saw was my dad's lieutenant Mark.
"Hey Mark, is my dad in?"
"Hey Bella. Yeah he is in his office. Go ahead back."
"Thanks." Alice has decided she was going to wait in the car and call her boyfriend Jasper who is in his first year of college. Getting to dad's office I notice that his door was closed, so I knocked. "Come in." Is the muffled reply that I hear.
I push the door open and walk in. "Hey dad."
"Bells what are you doing here?" he asks looking up from the paper work on his desk.
"I thought I would let you know about my wrist now instead of later." I said holding up my wirst so he could see the brace.
"What happened?" he asked as he got up and walked over to me.
"Basketball in gym."
"Ah."
"Yup. Dad?"
"Hmmm?"
"I'm sorry about this morning."
"Don't worry about it kiddo."
"I just don't get why she is trying to contact me all of a sudden. I mean it's been eleven years. Why now?"
"Truthfully kiddo, I have no idea."
"Ok. I'm gonna hear home. My wrist hurts and I have some homework to get done."
"Alright kiddo. I'll see you later." He said as he hugged me.
"Love ya dad." I said ass I hugged him back.
"Love you too kid."
When I got back to the car Alice was still on the phone with Jasper. I am not sure I want to know what they were talking about based on the giggles coming from Alice.
"Ok. Love you too. Bye." She hung up with Jasper and turn in her seat to look at me . "I'm guessing your dad wasn't surprised to see your wrist in a brace?"
"What do you think?"
"I'm thinking he wasn't." she answered as she started to car and headed to my house.
"Then you would be right."
The rest of the ride to the house was quiet. When we got there I thanked Alice for the ride and told her I would see her in the morning. Since dad wasn't going to be home for dinner, I decided to get my homework done first and then figure something out to eat. I started with biology, which wasn't too hard. i had gotten most of it done during my free period.
I didn't have to worry about English as I have already read the book the class was reading. The only homework that I was dreading was math. I have never really been good at it. I may have skipped a grade, but it wasn't without a lot of hard work. It took me a while, but I finally got everything done and realized that it was already 6:30. Not wanting to cook something big since it was just me I made myself some soup and a sandwich.
After eating I went into the living room, curled up on the couch and watched some tv. The next thing I knew I was being shacked awake.
"Bells, sweetie, come on. Wake up and go up to your room."
"Dad? What time is it?"
"Late so go up to bed."
"Kay. Night dad, love you."
"Night Bells, love you too."
With that I trudged up the stairs, changed into one of the shirts i stole from dad, took a couple of pain killers for my wrist, brushed my teeth, crawled into bed and fell asleep.