PART ONE: JEALOUSY

Chapter One - A Flash of Recognition

"Bella – Bella…"

I woke, startled by Charlie's voice and blushing as I realised that I'd fallen asleep. I had been having a dream… I couldn't quick remember what it had been about but it had been sunny – yes I had certainly liked that part of the dream, but there was something else that I couldn't remember; something that had been important – a promise of some sort.

Restless, I turned my head out the window. All I could see was green… green as far as the eye could see and the splatters of a faint drizzle across the car window. The sight of rain made my mood drop slightly but nevertheless I smiled. I was finally back in Forks.

I noticed an old truck parked beside the pavement as he pulled into the drive of a house I hadn't lived in for nearly eleven years.

"Who does that belong to?" I asked, pointing at the truck.

Charlie coughed. "Uh… well, it's yours actually," he said with embarrassment, purposefully not looking me in the face. "Since you were going to be living with me and I'd be out a lot during work hours, I thought that you could use a car of your own."

I leaned across as far as my seatbelt would allow me to and hugged him.

"Aw, thanks Ch – uh, Dad."

I caught myself before 'Charlie' slipped out; I was going to have to watch myself and make sure I said 'Dad'; even if we hadn't lived in the same house for over a decade.

We carried what few bags I had brought up to my room. From what I could remember, little had changed. The walls were still the same colour and very little of the furniture had been replaced.

"I'll leave you to unpack," muttered Charlie and quickly left the room.

I barely heard him, too busy reminiscing to pay attention to what he said. I vaguely remembered this room – I hadn't spent a lot of time in it when I was kid. I smiled, I had always been outside in the park or in the garden playing with… someone; I couldn't quite remember who. Too many years had passed since then.

I looked out the window and into the front yard where I had run through sprinklers in my underwear as a child. I looked up at the clouded sky where red threads ran over the horizon as the sun went down. I smiled at the fading sun, feeling at ease in this setting despite my love for the city.

A cluster of rowdy teenagers – probably around my age – caught my eye and ruined the peaceful moment.

There were three of them; all wearing the same leather jackets and ripped jeans, each one with a lit cigarette in his mouth. They were good-looking; I could tell with a single look. They were the types who attracted women just by being in the same room as them.

The easiest way for me to distinguish them was by their hair; one had dark curls, another had honey-blonde locks and the third, bronze hair that went everywhere.

I watched them smoke, suspicious of their intent. They muttered to one another, their lips moving minimally, occasionally throwing wary looks to the side. After a moment they stubbed out their cigarettes and got into a silver Volvo, the bronze-haired one moved to get into the driver's seat.

By pure coincidence, he looked up and caught me staring. His green eyes flickered slightly.

I felt myself blush. It was a stupid habit; I turned red at just about anything. I turned my head slowly, watching out of the corner of my eye.

The guy had frozen in place; his eyes still on me.

The dark haired youth in the passenger's seat leaned over and shouted something at him.

Bronze-hair tore his eyes away from my window and replied. He cast a second, slightly perplexed look back at me then got into the car and drove off.

I sunk onto my bed, confused. There had been a flash of recognition in his face when he'd looked at me – the thing was, I didn't remember him. I leaned backwards and spread out my arms, my torso fell onto the mattress with a soft thud.

I studied the ceiling, doing my best to recall the boy. If he knew me, then logically, shouldn't I know him too?

I rolled over onto my stomach and sighed into the duvet. Of course, there was always the possibility I had just imagined seeing such a look in his eyes, I was very tired after travelling.

Charlie knocked on my bedroom door. "Bells, are you ready to have dinner?" he asked, sticking his head into the room. "We'll eat out to celebrate your arrival."

All thought of the handsome boy with the unruly bronze-hair vanished from my mind.

I sat up and hid a grin. "Are you sure that you don't want to cook? It would be lovely to have a dinner made by my Dad on my first day back," I said teasingly, knowing full well that Charlie was barely capable of cooking an edible meal.

He paled slightly at the prospect of having to cook dinner.

I chuckled and got to my feet. "Don't worry, Dad. I was just kidding."

He looked slightly more relieved.

~x~

The drive progressed with us sitting beside one another in awkward silence. Neither Charlie nor I was good at speaking our minds but I had never really needed to say much, my moods were as easy to read as an open book.

Charlie cleared his throat. "So… how's Renee?"

I froze, unsure of what I should tell him. He had never gotten over Mum the way she had gotten over him, Mum was married and living a lax life but telling him that would just cause him unneeded pain.

Finally I settled on a rather vague answer, "She's well."

"Hmmm…"

Again we lapsed into silence.

I looked out the window as Charlie turned into the car park of a restaurant and bar. My eyes widened when I recognized the silver Volvo driven by the boy with bronze-hair and green eyes sitting close to the building's entrance.

I bit my lip, what if he was there? He'd easily recognize me since I was new in Forks. Maybe he'd ask me why I had been staring… or threaten me. I shivered at the thought.

Charlie saw the Volvo as he got out and frowned at it.

"What's the matter?" I asked curiously. I supposed that the boys who had been in the car before had gotten into a few problems with Charlie, seeing as he was the Chief of the Forks police force.

"No, it's nothing. Let's just enjoy your first day back," replied Charlie, shaking his head and entering the restaurant.

I moved to follow him and yelped taking a reflexive step backwards as the door swung open towards my face before I could place my fingers on the handle.

A laugh came from behind the open door. "Good one, Edward – just knock out Chief Swan's daughter."

I looked up and found the guy in the leather jacket who owned the Volvo standing before me and giving me an alienating stare. I felt as if I had grown a second head. My face grew hot and I knew that I was blushing. I turned red way too easily.

It was the muscular blonde boy who had spoken – I assumed that the beautiful, bronze-haired boy in front of me was the one called Edward. Again that flash of recognition flickered in his bright green eyes. I bit my lip. Why didn't I recognize him?

"Sorry…" muttered Edward tearing his eyes away from my face and quickly strutting past, his shoulder knocking into mine.

The blonde haired boy looked sort of apologetic as he followed his younger comrade. I watched as they got into the Volvo, Edward tossed another look at me then speeded away. There was no sight of the larger, powerfully built dark-haired young man who had been with them before.

Feeling embarrassed at being caught so off-guard in such a surprising manner, and confused about the look I had seen in those deep, emerald green eyes I quickly entered the restaurant and found Charlie scowling at me.

"Dad?"

"Did they say anything to you?" growled Charlie looking quite angry.

I bit my lip and shook my head fervently. "No, nothing."

"Good, I don't want you to get –"

"Excuse me; a seat for two?" interrupted a waitress with heavy makeup and a superficial smile cutting off the end of Charlie's sentence.

"Uh – yes," replied Charlie.

We followed the waitress to a booth. I accepted a menu from her silently but my mind was focused on Charlie. I hoped that he hadn't forgotten his train of thought; why wouldn't he want me to get involved with Edward and his friends? - Apart from the obvious bad influence of smoking and their notorious bad-boy looks. The blonde guy seemed nice enough.

Charlie said nothing until the waitress came back and took our orders. He cleared his throat, "As I was saying; Bells, do not get involved with any of the Vampires."

"Vampires?"

He shrugged. "That's what the gang calls themselves; the Vampires of Forks. We've had to chase after them constantly ever since they got into a brawl with members of the Wolves from La Push. Please do not get involved with any of it."

A gang? There was a teenage gang in the small town of Forks? In dreary, wet, green Forks? I wanted to laugh and say 'yeah, right,' but Charlie's face was grave. I gulped. He really was serious.

I smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood, "Of course I won't, Dad. I don't go looking for dangerous situations." I didn't mention that they always seemed to find me – like that time back in Phoenix where I had mistakenly walked into the middle of construction site whilst I was exploring a new mall.

My words reassured him. He relaxed visibly and grinned as the waitress came back with steaming plates of food.

"I'm glad that you're here, Bells," he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled.

I smiled back. "I'm glad to be here too, Dad…" I answered; butterflies and nerves fluttering in my stomach as I thought about having to go to school tomorrow.