A/N: I own nothing Twilight - SM does.

Chapter 1

Moving

I had packed up my room at my mom, Renee's house. It looked like I had never even spent most of my life in this room. The walls were now bare and my only window that had constantly haunted me with the evilness of the Arizona sun was open letting in the baking heat. My bed had been stripped and my small dresser was empty. The only thing I would miss was my desk. I had spent endless hours there writing in my journal about all the things I could never and would never say to people in person. To say I was shy would be an understatement. I lived my life in the books I read, mostly Jane Austen, by writing in my journal, and by losing myself in music. Singing was only something I had recently discovered about myself at the end of my sophomore year in high school. And actually doing it in front of other people terrified me until I became lost in the music. I was broken out of my bubble by the sound of my mom's screeching yell, "Isabella Marie Swan get your butt out here so we can get to the airport!" I closed the door of my former little haven with light blue painted walls and never looked back.

I loaded my 2 bags into the trunk of Renee's sleek red Ford Mustang. I didn't have much to bring with me. Most of my clothes were the type you would wear in the fiery hot sun of the Arizona desert, mostly shorts, tank tops, T-shirts, and my favorite pair of tattered Converse sneakers. I didn't have much clothing, since I hated shopping. Nothing ever looked good on me, so my possessions were minimal, yet another thing that I didn't have in common with Renee.

"Come on Brat! Let's go. Get in." Phil whined.

I quickly climbed into the back seat of the completely useless Mustang. Whoever thought a Mustang was a suitable car for a family of 3 was crazy. And Renee was that because she didn't care that I always had to climb into the back of the 2-door coupe. My older sister, Beca, had always gotten to ride shotgun being Renee's favorite child. I was just 'the mistake' after all. Just one more tie to Charlie, my father. And now it was to him I was seeking a safe haven from Renee and "the Mooch", Phil. I felt like a political prisoner seeking amnesty in Forks, Washington to live with my dad Charlie. I must be as crazy as Renee, because I hardly knew him or remembered the small town of Forks.

There were no tear felt goodbyes at the airport. Just a quick hug from Renee saying to email her once in a while and to call Beca if I needed anything, then there was the hate filled glare from Phil. That was it. I was standing all alone on the sidewalk in front of the Southwest Airlines door at the airport. I was free! I'd worry about Charlie and Forks, when I got there. The next few hours were completely mine to enjoy alone on my flight without the anxiety and loneliness of Arizona being left behind me.

I listened to my iPod the whole way to Washington and wrote in my journal. I felt like I had been pardoned from the hell of the heat in Arizona and I was off to a new adventure, which was crazy because I never had adventures. I was predictable to the T. I planned everything. When people are always criticizing you it's only natural to try to keep the torture to a minimum. So planning and organizing was my way do doing that. If I planned my schedule just right, I would see less of Phil and Renee. If I organized the house, then Renee would bitch at me less. The result was that I was an incurable planner and organization freak, which I guess helped in my schoolwork, since I was in all the college prep courses. I thought how ironic it was that my survival coping mechanism had at least helped me in school. Lost in thought, I was rocked out of my reverie, when the captain came over the loud speaker announcing that we had arrived in Seattle.

I loved Seattle and the smell of the saltwater. On our forced visits to see Charlie, we had mostly done our visiting in Seattle, since there was more to do there for a divorced father and the 2 daughters that he hardly knew. I had only visited Forks a once or twice since the divorce. I just remembered that it was a small town and that it was always green and wet with almost constant drizzle. God, now I was definitely going to have to go shopping! Ugh! I just realized that none of my clothes were suitable for Forks, Washington. I would freeze my butt off and get hypothermia! "Damn I hate shopping!" I muttered to myself as I left the plane. I earned a strange look from the flight attendant as I walked by.

I'd have to get a job or call Beca for a loan. Maybe Charlie would help buy me some clothes at least a coat. I'd hate to ask him for help. I hardly knew him. Renee said I got my stubborn streak from Charlie. Ugh, this was going to be a nightmare. Maybe I should have just stayed in the hell that I knew with Renee and Phil.

Then the worrying began, as I grabbed my bags off the luggage carousel and quickly headed for the sidewalk to find Charlie, bumping into a few people along the way. Ugh, I forgot he would be in his police cruiser.

"Hey Bells!" I hated it when he called me that! I wasn't 7 anymore. Charlie was standing next to the cruiser and awkwardly gave me a quick hug that was barely even a pat on the back. "Ahh . . . let me help you with those bags."

I was in so much shock and worry that I just mumbled "Hi Charlie, ah dad." And let him take my bags. I forgot that he always insisted on being called dad. Renee had never cared. To her being called mom meant she was old, so she was just Renee.

The ride to Forks was almost silent except for the sound of the car's engine. Charlie seemed as uncomfortable as I did. At least I wasn't alone in this predicament. Then the thought hit me – shit I am going to have to be driven to school in the police cruiser! Forks was too small of a town for a public transit system or school bussing. I guess I could walk but I would definitely need to find a job, if I needed a car to get to school. The embarrassment of being dropped off by the town's Police Chief would be something I didn't think I could ever live down. I thought that I would start Forks High School on a clean slate and without any of my embarrassing past but arriving in a police cruiser would squash that as soon as I hit the campus.

"Well Bella I am glad you came to live here. I have missed you kid." I didn't know how to respond so I just nodded back. "I um kinda got you a couple of welcome home gifts." Charlie mumbled.

Ugh, presents, I hated getting presents! It was going to be bad enough to ask Charlie for help in the clothing department. I decided I would call Beca as soon as soon as I was alone and could find my iPhone.

"You didn't have to do that Dad. I didn't come here for you to buy me stuff."

"Well I just thought you may need a couple of things while you were here." Charlie glanced at my thin fleece jacket. "You aren't in Arizona anymore kid . . . So I um got you a few gift certificates, so you could get some warmer clothes and a rain coat, boots, ya know the necessities."

Wow – this was way easier than being with Renee, I would have to beg her to buy me anything I needed for school. Which also explained my serious lack of possessions.

"Ahh thanks, Charlie – Dad." I quickly corrected. "You didn't have to though." I stared out the window again. Everything here was so green. It was so different from the barren brown in Phoenix.

"Well it's no problem, Bells, I want you to be happy here. Oh . . . I . . . uh also got you . . . a car. Nothing fancy, just something to get you around town. Not new or anything . . . maybe you'd like something new, Renee would." Charlie clamed up. I guess he didn't want to talk about Renee.

"You got me an actual car?" I almost squeeked. I never expected this! Maybe this wouldn't' be so bad. It was definitely better than Renee and Phil so far. "Uhh . . . thanks, dad." I didn't know what to say. I wasn't used to people getting me anything and I felt so uncomfortable.

"No problem kid."

We continued the drive in silence until we arrived at Charlie's house. It was the same one that we lived in before the divorce. And there it was . . . my baby! It was almost a rusty red, well mostly rust I admitted, as I got closer. It was a little VW Beetle. It must have been from the 60's or 70's. It definitely had character and I couldn't believe it was mine! My mouth must have been hanging open because, Charlie quickly piped up.

"I bought it off my fishing buddy, who rebuilds engines, it runs great even if it doesn't look so great." He stammered. Charlie looked at me and then quickly looked down at his boots as he got out of the cruiser.

"No dad it's great! Thanks really!"

Charlie carried my bags to my room and told me he'd be downstairs, if I needed anything. And then he left me in my new room. Well it was Beca and mine's old room. Nothing had changed the bunk beds were even still there. Charlie had left some linens out on the bottom bunk. I sat down on the bed and looked around. There was a new desk in the corner and on top of it was a new silver Macbook Pro. Oh my god! Charlie got me a computer! I must be dreaming! I laid down on the bare bed and thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad here.

©Neonapple

Melting Heart

Edited: 03/08/2009

Chapter 1