A/N: Thank you everyone who read the first chapter and especially to all of you have decided to stick with it. An even bigger thank you to my first reviewers! I have responded to everyone who has reviewed so far and intend to continue doing so.

I forgot to post this in the first chapter. I often draw some of my ideas from music, not that I write based on the lyrics, more the feeling the song brings about. I will share with you the theme of each chapter. Last chapter's was Champagne Supernova by Oasis. This chapter's is The Freshman by the Verve Pipe. Check them out if you're interested.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, well except maybe Trip. He's no Jasper but I'll take what I can get ;)

BPOV:

I was feeling pretty good, albeit rather restless. I was walking with Trip and one of his housemates Luke, but the moving of my feet across the cracked sidewalk was not nearly quick enough for my brain. Trip was so laid back, walking like he had all the time in the world. That seemed to be his approach to everything in life. I could see why he got along so well with Luke. Between the two of them, I don't know how they ever got anything done. Luke had a very similar personality although he was much larger, possessing a similar build to Em..

I stopped my brain from trying to go down that path. I began to think about the chill in the air and wondered momentarily why I hadn't thought to bring a jacket. I honestly didn't care at this moment though. I was happy to be out of the house and just wanted to get wherever we were going. "Are we there yet Trip, where the hell are you taking us anyway, Mexico?"

The question elicited a hearty chuckle from Luke but Trip just rolled his eyes at me. I didn't understand why, it felt like we had been walking forever.

"Chill Cookie, we have only been walking ten minutes." Ten minutes? Before I could dwell on that thought too long my mind considered that he was still calling me Cookie. I was all over the place but I wondered something.

"Trip, you know I have an actual name don't you?"

"I know that, but Cookie just seems to suit you better." He said as he lightly knocked me with his shoulder. I kind of liked having a nickname anyway. It went with my new, normal life. Before I could say anything else he continued. "Well you can cool your jets because we're here."

We were standing in front of a rather statuesque structure made of red brick. I could tell just by looking at it that it was rather old. It hadn't fallen into disrepair, but it was clear that it had weathered many decades. My eyes moved from the wrap around porch up to the roof, noticing on the way the greek letters hanging there. "Really? A frat house?" This did not seem like either Trip or Luke's scene at all.

Trip laughed a little at my cynicism. "Hey, is this not what college kids are supposed to do?" I rolled my eyes at his sarcastic attempt at normalcy. "Besides," he continued "I know one of the guys that lives here, they're not all bad."

I just shrugged. "Alright, well let's go, I could use a drink."

We were sitting in a living room in the basement of the house. Suddenly I felt more like we were back at Trip's place. It was very dimly lit and the green furniture could have a place right alongside his in a throwback to the 60s. Trip was right, there were all types of people here. I guess I had been misled by the movies. Despite this fact we still found ourselves in the basement with the other peripheral types.

Trip went to get us all a drink so I was left sitting with Luke and some other guys I didn't really know. We didn't really say much, just sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Already I was getting antsy again though. As Luke pulled out some papers and began rolling a joint I just nodded. It probably wouldn't hurt me to calm down right about now.

Once Luke was done his work I grabbed it and inhaled as he lit the end for me. I breathed in deeply, already feeling more relaxed as I blew smoke into the air around me.

As I passed it back to Luke I noticed a guy across the room watching us intently. There was a girl on each side of him competing for his attention. They were each practically throwing themselves at him and I rolled my eyes as I took the joint back from one of the guys sitting next to Luke.

Trip re-entered the room balancing three drinks between his fingers. He sat down next to me and threw his arm casually over my shoulder as her handed a cup to Luke and one to me placing his own on the table before grabbing the joint out of my hands. This only seemed to further peak the interest of the guy sitting across the room and he got up shaking the blonde and the red head from him, much to their dismay, and walked in our direction.

I looked at Trip's arm still draped over my shoulder and thought that the approaching guy must have been cocky if he was coming over to talk to me like I imagined he was. He was good looking, there was no denying it, and I'm sure he was used to getting what he wanted.

He approached, sitting on the coffee table in front of me as he took in Trip's arm as well. Without even introducing himself first he said, "I think we have a lot in common you and I." I laughed a little as I remembered my first meeting with Trip and his assertion that we were kindred spirits. It turned out he may have been at least partially right, but I wondered what it was about me that made guys think they knew everything about me from looking at me. I also wondered what in the world this guy thought we had in common.

When I didn't respond he continued. "I bet either of us could have our pick of anybody in this place, yet no one seems to really measure up." He seemed to be sizing the guys around me up as he said this, especially Trip who by now was caught up in another conversation and had dropped his arm. I could tell he was still glancing in my direction to make sure everything was alright. I just nodded at him, letting him know everything was fine. I didn't need him fighting my battles for me.

I guess I had been right about this guy being cocky. I thought briefly about just being polite but decided against it. "Judging by what you just said I think the only similarity I can find between the two of us is that we occupy the same room." I rolled my eyes as I stood, telling the boys I was going to get a drink.

To my dismay, as I stood waiting for my cup to fill with beer, he re-appeared. "Well I guess we both like beer too. That's something else we have in common," he said with a wink. I rolled my eyes for what felt like the millionth time tonight.

His expression softened slightly as he laughed and changed tactics. "Okay, look I'm sorry. I see that we've gotten off on the wrong foot. I didn't mean to offend you. I just meant that you're so beautiful that I'm sure guys are throwing themselves at you all the time."

I felt the red creeping into my cheeks as I tried to will it down. "Oh, like those girls were to you?" I asked sarcastically still not sure whether to believe him.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm not really into that though. Maybe I like a challenge." I started to laugh as he outstretched his hand to me and said "I'm Chris by the way."

I hesitated before offering up my own hand, mentally noting his warmth before replying. "Bella."

"Well Bella, what do you say to some beer pong?" I thought on it as I looked over at Trip and Luke. Trip was talking to a scraggly looking guy as Luke continued to sit back in the couch. They would still be there when I got back.

"Sure, why the hell not."

A few hours later I found myself upstairs dancing in the crowd of people that now filled the floor. It wasn't really my type of music. It was too clubby for me but after earlier it felt good to burn off some of my energy. I didn't want to stop moving. It was like if my feet stopped moving I might melt into the floor. A much slower song came on and he moved closer to me, wrapping his arms around my back and in turn I reluctantly wrapped my arms around his neck. I was having actually having fun, what's the harm in that.

Before I knew it he was leaning down towards me placing his lips on mine softly at first and then more forcibly. I again noted the warmth of his touch, as if it wasn't meant to be that way. We kissed for another few minutes as he started running his hand downward and up my shirt as he deepened the kiss. I could tell where this was starting to head and I wasn't sure that was where I wanted it to go. Things had changed since those days when I had pleaded with him to make love to me. I wasn't quite as naive as I had been then. I had made out with some guys when I had been drinking or high. I had even fooled around a bit, although it never seemed quite right to me.

And then of course there was that time on the beach.

Flashback

Trip and I were at a party about a month and a half after we had met. We had spent pretty much all our time together and things were good. We had been drinking pretty heavily with some of his brother's friends and I was feeling really good after my first encounter with ecstasy. I was really hot. It had started to become warmer as spring transitioned into summer.

After some encouragement from some of the guys I found myself diving into the water in my bra and panties. I didn't have my bathing suit on me at the time. Most of the guys followed, stripping down to boxers. We swam around for awhile, but eventually some of the other girls and the alcohol on the beach had most of them getting out. I noticed that Trip wasn't around so I swam to the shallower water where he could hear me.

"Triiiiiiip." I called as he looked up at me smirking. "Come out here, I'm lonely."

"Oh Cookie, I couldn't keep up with you." He replied as he held up the drink in his hand before continuing. "I'm otherwise occupied anyway."

"Bring it with you." He laughed and I quickly added. "And bring me one too."

I swam backward watching as he started removing his clothes revealing his pale body. He was probably the only person as pale as me in all of Florida.

I swam a bit shallower so that I could stand and take the drink as he walked out with them. This revealed the upper half of my body and I realized that the thin lace of my bra left little to the imagination now that I didn't have the water to cover me. I felt my blush spread as I caught Trip's glance downward.

I quickly took a drink and swam out a bit so that I was treading water but still able to drink. "Get out here slow poke." I teased.

He did as I asked and we stayed like that for a while sipping and talking. When both of us had finished our drinks and the cups were floating away I saw him coming towards me with clear intentions to tackle me under the water. I tried to swim away but it wasn't long before he caught me and indeed pulled me under. When I made my way back to the surface I punched him but I wasn't angry and my laughter gave it away. As our laughter subsided I noticed that I wasn't kicking to stay afloat and realized he still had his arms around me. I was feeling a bit tired and put my arms around his neck to further rely on him to keep us afloat.

Sitting like that under the moonlight got to us both I guess and before I knew it our lips were meeting. I wasn't sure who had initiated it but neither one of us stopped it. We had a witty banter between us but it never really seemed like flirting to me. There never felt like any of that was between us. But somehow we lost ourselves in everything tonight and before I knew it we were out of the water, both of our hands roaming as our lips continued heavily in a messy open-mouthed kiss.

We were laying on the beach continuing in this fashion. I reached for the thin layer of clothing that remained on him as he pulled away from me briefly. "Cookie, are you sure? What are we doing?"

I just continued. "I don't know what's happening but let's just go with it." I didn't have to persuade him any further as he reciprocated by removing my remaining clothing as well. I guess everyone had left by this point as the beach was quiet. I quickly climbed on top of him lowering myself onto him. I noticed some pain but not as much as I expected and besides I was feeling too good to notice it if it were there. We continued to move together, occasionally rolling and switching positions, until I felt his release and I too felt my body tighten and then relax around him. I sat to catch my breathe for a minute before rolling over laying next to him.

I knew what I was thinking and I guess everything I had taken that evening had removed my filter because I was asking the question before I could stop myself. "Did that feel weird to you too?" Before I could continue or explain Trip held up a hand to me.

He pulled me closer to his chest as he wrapped his arm around me and I rested my head on his chest, taking note of his steady heart beat. "Now normally I would at least fake angry at that question but I am too exhausted for that. I know exactly what you mean. Don't get me wrong, that was a hell of a lot fun, but it's almost like we weren't meant to be that way."

I was glad he understood. It had been fun but the whole experience was slightly off. We definitely had a connection I couldn't deny but still it wasn't right. We were meant to be in each others' lives, the pull was that strong, but not in this way. I half wondered if it would ever be completely right with another human but my brain stopped that train of thought.

End of flashback

I was pulled out of my memory as Chris' hands continued to roam and I pulled away. This wasn't right either and I was not prepared to do this with this cocky guy in front of me. "Look, I should get back to my friends."

I started to walk away and down the stairs as I felt his hand on my wrist. I looked to the couch and Trip was no where to be found but Luke was still there. "I'm sorry Bella, I didn't mean to push you." He said from behind me.

"I really should be going" was my only response.

"I'm sorry. Let me get you one more drink, we'll just sit and talk and then you can go." I hesitated, but I would at least have to wait for Trip so I nodded. One drink couldn't hurt. He went off into the kitchen as I went and sat in the basement.

He returned handing me the drink. I smiled and thanked him as I started sipping it. We started talking about our respective education and programs but we didn't get very far as I felt everything starting to become a bit fuzzy. I realized I was standing and being dragged upstairs and I heard his warm breath in my ear as he said, "I told you I could have anything I wanted." And then everything started going black.

T (Trip) POV:

I had been outside with a guy I used to know from class. He had been the one to tell me about the party. We chatted a bit downstairs earlier and then just chilled out. He wanted to come out for a smoke and while I didn't consider myself a smoker I enjoyed it when I was drinking. I also had to pee and the line for the bathroom was really long and the alley would work just as well.

I came back and Bella still wasn't here. She had went off dancing awhile ago. I thought about going to find her but became distracted when Luke pulled out another joint and passed it to me. I started thinking about Bella as I lit up and inhaled.

Bella really was something. I found things to be so easy with her. Things were never really easy for me when it came to other people. I never really belonged anywhere, although the closest it came was on the outskirts. While I knew she had some kind of past that made her the way she was, I couldn't it explain it with me. I just never felt like I was in the right place, not even the right world. So I was always looking for something, whether I searched for it in drugs, alcohol, or art. I was never quite in my element.

I know Bella always talked about finding a normal life. That's how I felt sometimes, like I wasn't ever normal, whatever that meant.

But with her I felt a connection, like I was closer to where I was supposed to be. It was never like that though. Well I shouldn't say never actually. There was that time on the beach. And as much fun as that was, I could feel something wasn't right about it. I don't know what kind of shit luck that was. Here was a smoking hot girl who I was actually comfortable around but we were destined to remain friends. I would even say that she has become a kind of sister to me.

I was starting to get the munchies now and I was ready to go get some snackage. I wasn't about to leave Bella high and dry though so I figured I would at least tell her where I was going. "Hey, do you know where Bella is?" Luke hadn't moved all night, I figured he might know.

Sure enough he did. "Yeah, she came down with that guy but then they went upstairs."

"Upstairs eh? I'm ready to get out of here, I just wanted to go tell her I'm leaving. You ready?" He nodded and got up, following me to the main floor.

I continued up the next flight of stairs. I hoped I wasn't going to have to walk in on anything. I looked into each bathroom and bedroom, but there was only one with the door closed. I decided to knock and tell her through the door. "Hey Cookie, sorry to interrupt but are you in there?"

There was no answer so I knocked louder. "Cookie? Just wanted to let you know I'm out of here, so I will see you later?"

I was about to walk away when I heard a response. "Dude, she doesn't want to talk right now so just get out of here." That wasn't her.

I was about to oblige. I had told her what was happening and I would come back. But then I thought I heard a little whimper, it almost sounded like my name.

Well I wasn't about to leave now, I was going in. She would forgive me later if I misinterpreted. "Bella," I said, "I'm coming in." I didn't hear her objection so I turned the door handle but of course it was locked. I pushed my shoulder against the door but wasn't getting anywhere.

I called for Luke from the top of the stairs and he made his way up. I explained really quickly what was happening and then the two of us threw our combined forces into the door. It only took two attempts between Luke's size and the age of the wood door.

Sure enough the first thing I saw was that guy jumping up putting on his pants. "What the hell? We're busy in here can't you tell?" I was about to apologize until I looked at the lifeless looking body of my girl on the bed.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Before I knew it I had him by the collar of his shirt. He was bigger than me, but I was angry enough at that moment that it didn't matter.

He started to explain something about how she was just tired out but I knew exactly what was going on here. I was pulled out of it when I heard her starting to whimper out my name again. Her eyes were still closed but I could see her trying to flinch. I went and knelt beside her. Luke took over for me and I knew that his size would once again come in handy.

"Cookie?" I said softly as I stroked her cheek. Nothing. "Bella? Are you alright what's happening here?"

I heard him still trying to explain to Luke but I wasn't paying attention to him anymore. I continued to focus on her, hoping to snap her out of it. "Did you want to come up here? Do you want to be here?" I saw her shake her head.

"I feel funny." I barely heard the words leave her mouth it was so low.

I took a deep breath in, trying to steady myself. "Alright Cookie let's get you out of here." I pulled the blanket down a bit and looked at her pale body, realizing she was missing a few items of clothing. I knew if would be cold out but I didn't want to make this any worse for her or spend time trying to find all her clothes. She was wearing her jeans, although they were undone. I didn't know if that was because I got here in time or because he tried to cover it up while we were outside. I don't think I wanted to know at that moment. I didn't see her shirt anywhere, so I took my own sweater off and wrapped it around her and picked her up into my arms.

She was so tiny it wasn't that hard. I carried her outside and saw Luke wailing on that guy. Luke was usually so passive but he was mad. I paused and approached him. "This isn't over, but what did you give her?" A few more punches from Luke and he answered that it was just some muscle relaxants. He wasn't getting off the hook for this but Bella was my first priority now.

What was I supposed to do. Did I bring her to the police station, would she want that? Did I take her to the hospital. If they were just muscle relaxants she would be okay, I know that she definitely had some other things in her system and even if we blamed him, she was underage and there would be a lot of questions. I decided to take her back to my place for now and then she could make up her mind later about the police. I wasn't even sure exactly what had happened.

I stepped out into the cold carrying her with me as I walked quickly towards home. I thought I saw someone watching us in the distance so I sped up a bit more.

BPOV:

My eyelids were heavy and I just wanted to have a little nap. I was still kind of confused. Trip had come to me, I needed him and he came. I was trying so hard not to fall asleep before but now I was safe, Trip had me. He carried me in his arms and I felt safe there even though they were not as strong as...

Again my mind tried to betray me. I wasn't ready to think about him, not tonight. I guess I could add tonight to the list of things I needed to forget.

I was feeling kind of numb as I tried to tell Trip I was going to take a nap but I couldn't quite get my words out. But as my eyelids drooped again I saw something in the distance. Apparently my mind didn't comprehend that I didn't want to think about him.

I saw a figure, pale even in the moonlight. I could tell through my haze that even through his clothes that his marble features were chiseled. I was mostly angry that my eyes and mind were betraying me after I had done so well forgetting. The little piece of me that didn't want to believe he was gone or that he didn't love me or care what happened to me was still there though. That tiny piece of me was momentarily excited. But wait, my mind must be really confused, I was imagining the wrong brother...

A/N: That was a long one! Hope you didn't mind the flashback (i didn't get that much into details since its not a Bella/Trip pairing story) or the Trip pov there, I think it helped get at him a bit, and introduces some things for later on. Have no fear, Jasper ahead..

Let me know what you think. I know some of the major plot lines but I do not know the specifics of how we are getting there so your reviews will help inspire me!

Also, I'm looking for some Beta love. Before I browse if anyone reading is interested please let me know!