Chapter one: Be somebody

I looked at my mother, wondering what in the world was wrong. She was never the type of person to show many emotions, I guess I take after her in that department and yet, there she stands wiping away at tears and holding back sobs.

"Mom, what's going on? Why are you crying? I thought were supposed to be excited for me!" I said, approaching her slowly, as you would approach a wounded and frightened animal.

" It's nothing Bell, I'm just overwhelmed" she said, wiping more tears away, " I never thought I'd see the day my baby left me, I never thought you'd grow up so quickly."

I looked at her and smiled, I guess parents will always be parents…

"Mom, come on, it's not like I'm saying goodbye for good. You've been pestering me for the most part of my life, saying I should work hard and make something out of myself" I said, remembering the times I got scolded for bringing home a B on a Biology test. "If I want to make something out of myself, I have to start by going to college." I said it as you would a joke, and the most surprising thing happened. My mother wailed!

My mother was not the type of woman who wails, or sobs, or gets sentimental. Something was seriously wrong.

"Mom?" I said my tone shaky, I was terrified; this was all so new to me.

My mother pulled me into her arms, hugged me tightly like she hasn't done in years, and whispered words that should have warned me my life was about to change.

"Don't let them break you Bella" she breathed, trembling.

I looked to my father, Charlie, seeking help. Asking him to explain this to me, but he was too busy glaring at the top of my mother's head. I gave him a puzzled look and huffed, "will one of you please explain to me what the hell is going on around here?" I said angrily, I never dealt with emotional situations well, "Mom, since when did you take up crying? And dad, since when do you glare at your wife and daughter?"

My father laughed and averted his eyes, while my mother pushed herself out of my arms.

"Well Bells, it's not every day your only daughter goes to college, hence the glaring, I feel like you're abandoning us!" He said, and I hoped to God he meant it as a joke.

"Excuse me?" I said in a small voice

My mother looked at him, then back at me and smiled a shadow of a smile.

"He's just kidding Bella" She said, almost completely recovered from her almost breakdown. "Let's get back to hauling those bags in the car." And back to work we went.

Some of you may be wondering, why was I so shocked and puzzled by their words and action, well that's relatively easy for me to explain. You see I've said my goodbyes and heartfelt words to my parents last night, we talked and they gave advice, they told me how proud of me they were, how I will make their dreams come true and try to make it outside the confines of my little town of Forks, Washington. Both of them were so excited for me, hardly any hint of sadness or worry in their tones, the complete opposite of how they were acting right now.

I helped them bring my bags to the car, I checked my room for anything I might have missed, when I was sure everything was in check, I hugged my mother one more time as my dad stepped out to start the car.

"Remember what I told you Bella, and know that no matter what happens, I have always and will always love you" She said kissing my cheek.

"Please stop worrying Renee, I'll be just fine. I always am" I said hugging her to me "I'll call you as soon as I land."

She smiled at me and I turned to walk out of the house I grew up in. I got into the car with my father, and he set us on our way, as my mother waved us goodbye from the kitchen window.

And thus began my reminiscing, I found myself thinking about our lives up until this moment.

We weren't wealthy people, not by a long shot. Our house was modest, and in dire need of some repairs, our car wasn't the newest or most expensive model, but it worked, and my mother loved it. The only extravagant thing in our home was the flat screen T.V. my dad recently bought. It was his pride and joy. I honestly think he loves that thing more than he does me.

My mother instilled in me, since the moment I was able to formulate a correct, albeit childish thought, that my education was the only way for me to live a nice, pleasant life. "Beauty Bella, that's for the vain and uneducated, you my girl, will be smart and intellectual and brilliant."

So, since I was a little girl, she pushed me to study, to read and soak up information like a sponge, and I've never, or will ever begrudge her that. She helped make me what I am today.

I was the smart, knowledgeable girl who was going to an Ivy League school no one in our tiny community has ever seen up close.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't sociably challenged. I had plenty of friends, and a somewhat nice high school career. No major teenage drama, no ungodly beautiful girls to make my life a living hell. It was all somewhat peaceful.

I was going to miss my friends; our lives were going separate ways. It was something I grew accustomed would happen since the beginning of senior year. But Angela will always be the quite one, Jessica will always be the foulmouthed one, and Laurent will always be the slightly slutty one in my book.

My high school friends were used to me, which was why I wasn't considered a freak, or a dork, or a prude for being the way I was. You see there's something about me that makes people think I'm completely and utterly out of my mind; I do not believe in love.

I've always had that belief, I've always been repulsed by that delusional way people crave something so completely false and irrelevant. It was like they want to make themselves as miserable as they can be under the pretense that they are in love. A load of crap in my humble opinion.

The drive to the airport was long, and I spent it thinking.

My father slowing the car down cut through my reverie, "We're here Bells." My father said. "Now make sure to call home when you land, and say Hi to Mr. Cullen for me, when you see him." He said kissing my forehead. "You take care baby."

"Bye Daddy" I said hugging him a little harder.

I was going through the motions at that point, and the next thing I knew, I was seated in my seat, the plane about to take off.

I was nervous; I'm not going to lie, partly because I've never been on a plane before, and partly because this is the first step towards the begging of the rest of my life.

School hasn't started yet, it was still too early, it was still summer. I was going to get settled in and start my very first job. Somehow, someway, my father got me a job as a receptionist at a major business corporation, Cullen Co.

All I knew was that the owner, a mister Cullen was a very successful businessman; some went as far as calling him a genius, an unrelenting force to be reckoned with in the world of business. I didn't know much about the topic since business did not interest me in the least.

And so, with hope in my heart and sweat on my hands, I steeled myself for takeoff heading to New York City, to Colombia University. I was going to study medicine. I was going to be somebody.