Destiny

Chapter 1

Sometimes, I wish I was dead.

Not because I'm depressed and hate my life; or because there's something I'm running way from; or even something I'm running to-but out of sheer, unabashed curiosity.

I want to see people's reaction to my death. I know my parents would cry, but how much? Would they regret everything they'd ever said to me that pushed me away? Would they treat my brother and sister differently? What would they do to my room? Leave it intact, dirty clothes and all, to leave every last trace of me they had or would they clean it out? Quit me cold turkey to try and relieve the pain?

And what about the girl that occasionally bully me? Would they feel guilty, ashamed? Happy? Anything towards me at all? Would they wish they could take back every bitchy remark? Would they act like we'd been best friends to anyone who talked about me to forget the few moments of my life they'd made miserable?

And what about my friends, Edward and Tanya and all the others? How upset would they be? Would they talk about me to remember the good times? Or would they never mention me in an attempt to scrub me from their memory; lock me in a box that I would share with every painful memory their adolescent years had brought?

And what about all the other people at school? The people who I passed everyday without seeing? Would they be sad? Inwardly miss me as the girl who they saw every Tuesday to fourth period French? Or would they ask "Bella who?" if I was mentioned?

And what about Jacob? What would he say? What would he think about the future we never got to share? Would he mourn me for years afterwards and let it affect all future relationships because the girl next to him wasn't me? Would he say he love me because it was true but he had never worked up the courage to say it to my face; or because he felt no harm could possibly come of it when I was gone?

I wandered aimlessly along, sifting through my morbid thoughts and looking at every possible outcome of my early death. It was stupid, I know, because obviously I would never know the effect of my death: I'd be dead.

Just as I concluded my reflection on Jacobs heartfelt confession of love at my funeral, something, from the corner of my eye, slammed full pelt into me, winding me as I was knocked to the ground.

I am actually going to kill him!

"Edward!" I screeched as I tried to kick him off me. "That really hurt!"

"Aww, quite your whining, you're fine" he laughed as he got up and brushed the dirt off his baggy jeans.

"A little help" I growled, still flat on my back.

Laughing still, he grabbed my outstretched hand and yanked me to my feet. I punched his shoulder as hard as I could and went about recollecting my school bag and P.E kit that were dampened by the wet pavement.

"Would you like to explain the point in that?" I demanded.

"Just to see your face" He grinned.

"I'll never speak to you again if you don't come up with a better reason than that. You really hurt my back, fatty!"

Ignoring my crude insult, he just laughed again-it was really getting on my nerves- and said "You'll never speak to me again? That might have been the best thing I've ever done!"

I punched him in the ribs and strode away. He caught up with me and, laughing again-it would really be the death of him- tried to appease me. "I knocked you down because I thought I saw a UFO threatening to beam you aboard and take you back to your native planet. I thought you'd appreciate me prolonging your existence on earth... That a good enough reason?"

"Not quite..." I began, "There was something lacking..." I feigned thoughtfulness and, sticking my foot out to trip him up, cried "Like a valid reason!" and ran away as he fell into a bush, identical to the one he'd sprang at me from.

"You are so getting it!" I heard him vow, his pride clearly dented at being tripped into a bush by me.

I laughed at him as he chased after me. I was so much faster than him, albeit my coordination was not nearly as good, that I almost felt bad for leaving him behind, but then I remembered he had knocked me down, so I sped up, trying my hardest not to trip. I knew how much he'd love that.

"Want me to take a five minute time out to give you a chance to catch up?" I called over my shoulder while still keeping my eyes ahead.

"Not quite" he said smugly, right behind me.

Impossible, I thought. Edward was so slow. There was no way he could have caught up with me.

I quickly spun around, stumbled and fell into... Jacob.

"Ah" That explained it. Jacob is the fasted runner in the school. Edward is, arguably, the slowest.

"What?" Jacob said, hurt, "No, "hello my love"? Is this the only greeting I'm going to get?"

Smiling, I fit myself into his arms and continued my journey home with Jacob by my side.

***