Bella's POV

It wasn't all laughter after that but it was sure as hell ten times better than before. Instead of spending my lunches alone in the toilets I spent them with the misfits, the only group of people I'd ever fit in with- I guess that's dramatic irony for you. But the nights, oh the nights in Forks felt longer than any other place on earth, in the dark I forgot about my friends and the gaping chasm of my heart opened once more. Each time more painfully than the last, until eventually I learnt to smile even when my heart was breaking.

Rosalie was still wary of me and Edward, well he was still Edward. At least I thought to myself that it seemed he could bear to be in my presence for extended periods of time. Arguments were frequent but rarely reduced either one of us to tears. Alice, well as for Alice she became the closest I'd ever come to having a best friend. She spent long periods of quiet reflection interrupted with bouts of indescribable contagious joy that I thrived off. I even came to enjoy her many shopping trips- together we found cream silk shirts, leather jackets, velvet coats, all the clothes I'd dreamt of but never found until I met her.

Our first outing together was strange to say the least. Alice had dragged me out not telling where we were going or who with. She even went as far as to blindfold me. After her car stopped someone took me by the hand and led me into a large building. Then I was almost blinded by the fluorescent strip lighting of what seemed to be a million stores. All the flashing lights though were far outstripped by Edwards tentative face as he peeled back my blindfold at Alice's command. I laughed as soon as I realised what the piece of paper Alice had thrusted into my hand was- a schedule, I never made the mistake of laughing again. She sure took her shopping seriously, shepherding us into hundreds of stores, ushering us into changing rooms and finding as well as co-ordinating our outfits.

There was a very obscure moment when all five of us (excluding Alice who was no doubt hassling more store workers) came out of the changing cubicles wearing almost exactly the same outfit. Khaki combats and a black vest top by pure coincidence. To my horror Alice insisted on buying almost everything we tried on. The others seemed used to it but it made me feel almost inadequate. In the time I was at forks my wardrobe must have increased by a tenfold.

Forks wasn't good for my state of mental well-being though, my obsessive tendencies grew gradually worse until I was brushing my teeth for half an hour each morning and my insomnia came back but worse than before. I didn't feel tired at night no matter how many runs I'd been on in an effort to wear myself out. In a way I was glad I could avoid the dreams that plagued my conscious with ideas and creations that so far surpassed any life I could hope for. So instead I spent my nights reading, writing, studying, even cooking in an attempt to distract myself from the feeling there was something missing. Time passed even when every second seemed to last forever, but, then it felt like I was living at a thousand miles per hour.

It started like any other day Alice picked me up in her black classic Jaguar XJ6 not before a long wait on my part shivering on my doorstep. The lessons were the same, lunch was the same. Just like every other day of my life repeated itself, each time more excruciating than the last. That is until the last lesson of the day- PE. We were studying general health and fitness and had been asked to pair up for some basic tests of stamina, flexibility and the like. Unfortunately though, as it always seemed to go with partner choosing Edward and I were the last standing, and were paired together. This was the way our arguments usually started.

He seemed in a bad mood, I couldn't put my finger on why, and the bags under his eyes were bigger and darker than ever. His though were as beautiful as always dark pool of molten emerald that flickered like flames, drawing in those mad enough to stare into them for more than a second. We were supposed to start by gently stretching our partners arms behind there backs testing flexibility but I only had time to hear the coach's instructions before Edward had me pinned to the ground, my eyes stinging as he twisted my arm. "Edward stop" I begged as he pushed my elbow further. Then suddenly he let go, "sorry" he muttered darkly "I don't know what came over me."

After that we were wary of each other avoiding contact, at least I was. Together we struggled with star jumps, press-ups and shuttle runs until the end of the lesson when we were asked to do 100 sit-ups each. Not an easy feat when you consider I hadn't slept the night before and had just done an hour of cardio work-outs. I volunteered to go first knowing Edward would probably enjoy my suffering and thinking it would be best just to get it over with.

He pushed down on my feet as I pulled myself up and touched his shoulder once, twice, a hundred times. I was left sprawled on the floor gasping for breath. Edward lay down and I snaked my hand forward to grab him by the ankles. His whole body jolted as my hands made contact with the white material of his sport socks and he wriggled away from me. "Stop being a baby Edward I have to anchor your feet." I complained. Reluctantly he pushed his legs back towards me, I couldn't help admiring the muscles that rippled under his pale skin as he flexed and stretched them.

He was nearly at the end of his set when the ankle sock on his right foot began to slip, he froze under me and I saw what he had been trying to hide. Hidden under the cuff of his sock was a series of angry red cuts and scars. Scars I knew only too well. He looked at me and his eyes were burning with ire, he was incandescent with rage, if looks could kill…

Before I could register what was happening he was up and running towards the changing rooms. And I just let him run because I finally knew what I'd been running from, what I had been missing, and I finally understood what was running though Edwards mind.

Please review, more soon.