Disclaimer: Not mine and the last of In-Luv-With-RobPatz's work.

Chapter Six: His Smile

I sighed happily as I looked at a picture of me and Edward when we were freshman. We were swinging on the tire swing in the park. We were both smiling and laughing at each other. It was my favorite picture of him. He was smiling his–my–crooked smile and was looking at me like I was his only reason for existence.

That smile could be on the cover of any magazine, and every teenage girl, maybe even adults, would buy it. Well, at least I would. That smile would make my day whenever I caught even a glimpse of it. Even if it was pouring rain, when I saw his crooked smile my day got brighter immediately.

I looked out of my bedroom window and sighed sadly as I saw the rain. Suddenly there was a face in the window. I jumped back and was about to scream until I saw who it was. I ran to the window and opened it as soon as I had gotten my heart rate down.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" I asked as I moved over so that he could get into my room.

It wasn't the first time that he came over to my house and came in through the window. He just climbed the tree and jumped in. He just hadn't done it in a while.

"Can't I visit my best friend?" He teased me as I handed him a towel so he could dry off.

Just by looking in his eyes I could tell that something was wrong. Even as different as they had gotten I could still tell when he was upset.

"It's eleven pm."

"On a Saturday."

"Tanya just got ungrounded."

"She told me that she had a study session with Jacob." I bit my tongue so I wouldn't growl. But I couldn't hide the pain and disappointment in my eyes as I realized that I was just the backup. "Besides, I thought that we could just hang out. Unless, of course, you would rather have me leave..."

"No!...I mean, you can't stay if...if you want." He smiled when I said that.

It wasn't my smile. I have rarely seen my smile since Tanya came along. That evil smile stealing witch.

"What do you want to do?" He asked.

"How about we talk."

"About what?"

"Answer a question for me." I began, ignoring his question. "Why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset." He was confused. "Why would I be?"

"I don't know, but ever since you started dating Tanya you've changed. You're always upset and look sad."

"I'm fine." He assured me, though his tone said otherwise.

"I know you better than that Edward! Something is wrong."

"Nothing is wrong." He promised. "Change the subject, please."

"What are you doing with a girl like Tanya?" is what I wanted to ask.

"What do you want to-" I was cut off by my phone ringing. It was Alice.

"Hey, Ally. What's up?" I asked.

"B-bella, c-ca-can I co-come over?" She sobbed.

"Of course you can! What happened?" I asked.

"I'll tell...y-you wh-when I-I-I g-get there." She sobbed. "Can you ca-call everyone over so that w-w-w-e can all hang out?"

"I'll get right on it." I promised her as I hung up.

"What's going on?" Edward asked as I dialed Rose's number.

"I'm not sure. Alice sounded really upset." I told him. "Hey, can you call Emmett and Jasper. Tell them to get over here pronto."

"Sure." Edward got his phone out and called his brothers.

"Hey Bella. What's up?" Rose answered.

"Can you come over to my house? We are having a friend meeting. Alice called me and sounded really upset."

"I'm on my way." With that she hung up.

Edward was still on the phone with one of his brothers. I quietly walked across the hallway and looked into Charlie's room. He was asleep with the TV still on. I shut his door quietly after turning the TV off.

"They're on their way." Edward informed me as I re-entered my room.

"That's good. Let's go to the living room."

I began to walk when I slipped over one of my shirts that was on my floor. Before I could hit the floor Edward caught me and flung me over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I didn't want you tripping. You should be thanking me for saving you." He joked as he walked down the stairs and put me on the couch. A few minutes later the doorbell rang. I jumped up and answered it. Alice was standing there, dripping wet.

"Come in, Alice." I said. "Edward, bring me a blanket!"

He brought me a blanket, and I wrapped it around Alice's shoulders. She sat next to me on the couch. I put one of my arms around her shoulders as she sobbed. When someone else knocked at the door I had Edward answer it. It was Rose. She helped me comfort Alice. When Emmett and Jasper arrived, they didn't even bother to knock. Jasper stormed in. Emmett followed and locked the door behind him.

"Alice, what happened?" Jasper asked quietly as he pulled her into his arms.

He held her like she was a child, rocking her back and forth until her sobs quieted. We all sat in a circle on the floor; Emmett was next to Rosalie who was next to me. Edward stayed by my side and Alice who was on Jasper's lap was on his other side.

"What happened, Alice?" Jasper repeated in a soothing voice.

"I...I...was late for d-dinner so...m-my dad got m-mad. He...t-to-took my cell phone away. I...I got mad a-and y-y-yelled at him. H-h-he slapped me. M-my mom told him to stop so he...he hit h-her. Sh-she ran u-up to...to her room. He sl-slapped me again and t-told m-me how...how I w-was a mistake a-and how I...I would never b-be loved."

Alice's dad was kind of abusive. He sometimes would slap her and push her around. He didn't usually hurt her younger sister or mom, just her. It was bad enough so that she would get hurt and would break down every now and then, but it wasn't bad enough to get him arrested or anything. He usually didn't physically hurt her, but mentally.

"None of that is true." Jasper assured her as his arms tightened around her shaking frame. "You are not a mistake. And you are loved. I know I love you." Alice's eyes got big as she looked up at Jasper.

"Do you mean it?" She asked.

"Yes. I love you." He repeated.

"I love you too." She whispered.

They just looked into each other's eyes. It was like the outside world didn't exist for them. It made me feel like I was intruding by watching so I looked away. I was guessing that they had never told each other that they had loved each other before.

"How are things going around at your house?" Alice asked Rose a few minutes later.

"Okay. William just left." She sighed angrily.

Emmett's arms tightened around her. William was her father. When she was four he left. Carry, her mother, became a drunk. Rose was ten when Carry finally got her act together and got a job. When Rose was twelve William came back promising to stay. When he left three months later Carry went back to her old, always drinking, self. William now came back whenever he pleased to get money or when he needed a place to stay. Carry always welcomed him with open arms while Rose had given up hope of him ever changing.

"How is your mom taking it?" Edward asked.

"She hasn't gone to work for three days. She also sends me to the store to buy liquor every two hours. Other than that, she's just peachy." Rose's voice was dripping with sarcasm, her expression cold and angry.

"I'm sorry, Rosie." Emmett said as he kissed her cheek. "Next time he comes, tell me right away. I'll teach him a little lesson that he won't forget."

"We don't want you getting arrested." Jasper laughed.

"How are things going around here?" Rose asked me.

By the look on my face, I was pretty sure everyone knew the answer.

"Charlie is acting the exact same." I sighed. "He wakes up, goes to work, comes home, watches TV while I make him dinner, insults me, then goes to bed."

"What happens when you don't do dinner?" Alice asked.

"More insults. Other than that Charlie just orders pizza." I shrugged.

Edward glared up the stairs, probably directing it at Charlie. I was six when Renee, my mother, divorced him and left unexpectedly. The man I called daddy disappeared, and Charlie took his place. He was like an empty shell, the only thing inside of him were insults that were always directed at me. He didn't even notice how I had become dangerously depressed.

Carlisle had noticed, and the Cullens, Alice, and Rose helped me get through it. Edward was the one who helped the most. He was always there for me. The Cullens had become my family. Carlisle and Esme had often tried to gain custody of Alice, Rose, and I but they never had enough evidence. And whenever we went to court our parents shifted into parental mode, but they shifted right back out when they won. In one month, we would have another custody trial. Hopefully we would win this one.

Our families were messed up, but we held each other together with our bonds of friendship. Nothing could break them. Carlisle and Esme were included in our little group, the parents that guided us in the right direction. The best thing was that no matter how bad things were at home, we could always turn to each other, and we always did.