Chapter 3 – Dear old friend

I try to focus on within, then sending my awareness around me, to find Arwen. It's been so long since I've seen her last. Earth, I'm afraid, is not one of her favorite worlds.

She was so sad to see me settling here, trying to ignore the fact that I would stay, ignoring the Earthling way of life. If her new body is indeed human, maybe she will see the beauty of this simple life as I have. To take this chance to live before going back, once again, to our people. To heal her soul, like I've been trying to heal mine. But before she does, she must feel so lost.

I feel her presence before I see her. She recognizes me and greets me in the tongue of our people. I nod, take off my sunglasses, walk towards her and hug her hard. I've missed this woman so much, this friend who is like my sister. I step back to look at her; we are both on the verge of tears. We hug again and have a good, albeit short, cry. We eventually stop, sniffing a bit and I laugh.

"My, my, look at us two. Crying like two little babies.", she says. "Well, Lana Brown. It's been too long."

"Too true. What on earth have you been doing?", I put my sunglasses on.

She starts to tell me how she left her body and her spirit travelled towards Earth, through space.

"I found this teenager on the forest, being attacked by a vampire. He nearly sucked her dry and left her dying. As soon as her soul detached I entered her, healed the body and… here I am."

"So who are you now?" I sigh.

"Isabella Marie Swan, at your service.", she grins cockily, bowing a bit. I giggle. "Daughter to Charlie Swan, Forks' sheriff. Formerly in love with a vampire, too.", she mumbles dryly.

"What?", I'm impressed, that's interesting. Vampires aren't usually… lovable. Especially when regarding food, ahem, humans. We start walking on the beach.

"I can't see much more of her memories. I recall a vampire named Edward and his family, the Cullens. All vampires. Civilized, cultured, humanlike ones, if you can believe that.", she pauses. "It's like only they mattered."

"You can't tell names of her acquaintances?"

"I cannot.", she frowns. "If they were here… they seemed to be good people, despite being vampire… it would have been easier to blend into her life. But she must have been too consumed with her feelings for Edward.", she grins unexpectedly. "It's a good thing everybody thinks I have amnesia."

"You're terrible!", I laugh. "Then, again, it's true, even if not completely. Tell me, how have you been adapting?"

"Not too bad, but I need your help.", she smiles a bit. She describes the wonder of Internet.

"Yes, so you managed to work with the girl's computer. Your computer, then. That's great."

"Still, I know I'm going to need your help. Now I'm starting to understand your obsession with detail as far as human culture was concerned. I've seen more complicated worlds, but…"

"Well… you have known those cultures longer, and you were willing to learn about them.", I tease her.

"Trust me… I'm pretty eager to learn now…", she grumbles. I was going to ask her about her eyes, but we hear someone call her.

"Bella!", it's a teenager and a slightly older guy. They seem to be of Native American origin. Quite attractive, but they don't do a thing for me. I know, I know, you must think I'm a naughty girl, assessing the lads like they're a piece of meat. Not my intention, I can assure you. Another one of them is coming this way too. "Bella Swan!"

For a second, Arwen seems to recognize him at the distance but then covers it up.

"I'm sorry", she says apologetically. "Do I know you?"

And… he looks like she punched him, pretty hard. Poor guy. Wonder if he's one of the faces she's seen in her memories. She greets the older guy, trying to give the poor boy time to recover, I guess.

"Sam Uley, how are you today?", geez Arwen, we have to address this habit of calling people by their first and last name…

"I'm okay. And you Bella?"

"Isabella, please. I'm fine,", she looks at me, "making a new friend, is all. I was getting fed up, looking at the same walls all the time so I thought I'd come to the beach, take my mind off... well… off.", she grins.

They talk a bit more, but I'm no longer listening. My eyes set on the other guy who's heading towards us. Oh… there's something about him, that's right. I can't stand to look at his approaching figure; my heart starts beating wildly in my chest and I take shallow breaths.

"Shit.", I gasp.

"Lana?"

"Not now.", I snap. "I'll see you later.", I start running through the beach and stop only when I reach my car.

There's a red pickup truck parked next to it. I get into my car and take deep, calming breaths. That Sam Uley and the other one… What the hell just happened? It couldn't be… could it?

I look suspiciously at Sam, Jacob and a not-so-nice-young-man-whose-name-is-Paul. Well, something's definitely wrong with this guy's attitude.

"Maybe it was PMS, for all I know. Don't look at me like that Sam, I didn't do a damn thing!", Paul's starting to get on my nerves and I just met him. Oh, joy!

"Of course. That's why you're getting all pissy and defensive.", I drawl. I feel like punching him. And Sam Uley too. Huh?

"What? Why you little...", Sam Uley gets between us.

"That's enough Paul."

"She started it.", whines Paul.

Sam apologizes and drags Paul away for a bit.

"She started it.", I mimic him, using a high pitched voice. "Oh, that's real mature."

Jacob snorts, trying to cover his laughter. Jacob is the only one who doesn't set me off. Those other two are a bit strange, though; can't really put my finger on it.

"I'm sorry I don't remember you, Jacob. Dr. Gerandy told me most cases of amnesia solve themselves. Others… stay like this forever.", she muses.

"I hope that's not your case, Bella. Um... sorry, Isabella.", he stammers a bit. "I don't know what to say."

"Neither do I.", I smile. He looks so cute when he stammers I could hug him to death. Or eat him up with kisses.

Wait.

What?

It couldn't be… could it?

I've never seen Bella smile like that before. I'd love to see that smile reach her eyes, but I can't. Those glasses are becoming a bit annoying.

"Listen, your eyes.", she tenses up a bit. Sam is on us, again. Paul's gone, thank goodness.

"What about them?"

"For what I remember, your eyes are different now, Isabella.", Sam points out.

"They are sensitive to the light, right now. I only take this off at night, before I go to sleep. Otherwise I have headaches.", she takes them off briefly, opening her eyes as wide as possible. "See? What were you expecting? Red eyes like a vampire or something?" Sam's lips stretch to a thin line. "I couldn't, they're night creatures, right? And it's pretty sunny right now.", she laughs.

"Come on, Sam Uley, don't look so serious… I was kidding. What can I do to thank you for your help?"

"Come and meet Jake's father and a friend of mine, Billy Black. We'd like to reacquaint ourselves with you.", he answers.

"Alright.", she turns to me, after Sam leaves. "Jake? Who's that?"

"Me." God, she really lost her memory. "Listen, I… I was worried about you, but Sam told us you didn't remember a thing, so I thought I should give you some time to recover." She holds up her right hand.

"It's okay. I understand. How about I drive you home?"

"I'd like that. And… there's going to be a party here tomorrow. Quileutes, mostly." Maybe we can start over, I hope.

"I don't know. I'd love it but…" She chews on her lower lip. "Just let me think about it for a bit. Shall we?"

I follow her to her truck. There's another one next to it, Lana gets out of it.

"What happened? Paul scared you?" Bella teases Lana, who scowls.

"That's his name? No… I was just indisposed, that's all." I have an idea.

"Isabella, why don't you two go to the party together? It's tomorrow Lana, here, at First Beach."

"Will Paul be there?", asks Lana.

"Yeah, probably."

"He has quite the charming temper." Bella says in a saccharine sickeningly sweet voice. "You'll hate him." I laugh. Another Paul fan. Not.

Lana lifts her eyebrow.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"I wouldn't be so certain, if I were you. The Universe works in strange ways. 'sides...", she sniffs. "It wouldn't do to leave such a young lady all by herself. Even if I must suffer, it is for a good cause, my long lost friend!"

"I thought you two just met.", I smile at Lana.

"It's like we've met before."

They have this knowing look on their faces, an understanding and I'm not sure I like it. Bella and I get in the car and she drives me home, humming a few tunes all the way. Her voice is really nice, but that behavior is very un-Bella-like.

"What's up with the singing?", I ask.

"Oh, just a couple of songs I heard the other night on TV. Phantom of the Opera.", she hums a bit more. I give her a few more directions and we're finally at my place. We get out of the truck, my dad is waiting for us and I introduce them.

"Wanna come in, Isabella?", I ask her.

"Oh, I'd love to, but you see…", she trails off.

"Bells, what did you do? Is something wrong?", she joins her hands, intertwining her fingers and circles her thumbs around her each other, her eyebrows shooting around her dark sunglasses.

"Well, I was a bit naughty... Now that I think about it, I recall I just might have tricked my father into going fishing with Mr. Clearwater and Mr. Black…"

"You can call me Billy, Bella.", he smirks.

"Isabella, please.", she adds, distracted. "And if Billy is already here, Charlie's home already and… I really should go." She grins sheepishly. "See you tomorrow night."

Bella Swan is not who I thought she was. From what I heard she was a quiet, boring little slip of a girl. This girl is like a little piece of sunshine, without being childishly immature, making my Jacob smile. The boy is clearly besotted with her, I only hope she doesn't reciprocate those feelings. It's only a matter of time till his heritage catches up with him, and if she ends up being some sort of vampire…

Then again, she doesn't smell like one, and her eyes aren't topaz or red. She doesn't glow with the sunshine, either. Sam has already told me that, having retreated to the forest just before they arrived. And Charlie was elated – as elated as he can be, being Charlie, that is – that Bella seemed to have a very healthy appetite.

Bella eventually leaves, Jacob is happy that she will be attending tomorrow's gathering in First Beach, with a Lana Brown, a very recent friend of Bella's. Bella Swan, quick to make friends. From what I heard of her, that is not usual.

I really must keep an eye on her. Can one really change that much with amnesia?

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