Disclaimer: Twilight and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Thanks Jess!

Edward arrived home to the usual shouting. His parents hadn't had an actual "inside voice" conversation in a long time. They thought they were being careful about it by waiting until after Edward went to sleep or he was away from home. But kids are very intuitive to the vibes of their parents, spoken words or not. Plus, it wasn't hard to miss. Edward's playlist couldn't drown out all their bickering at night, and his parents didn't know that Edward was a light sleeper.

It always came down to money. Esme and Carlisle Cullen talked around the topic, but Edward picked up on the hidden issue. Carlisle was a great doctor, but they were living in a small town. They weren't riding on the big city train. With the economy the way it was, his hours were being cut to accommodate the other staff. It wasn't like they were struggling, but they had to cut back a lot. Esme wanted to go back to work. Carlisle argued that it would only make matters worse, tax wise. Carlisle wanted to move. Esme wanted to stay. Their relationship had always been passionate. Their arguments reflected the same. Edward didn't understand this. He felt his once loving parents were splitting apart.

They didn't hear him enter the house. Edward walked in to find Esme scowling at Carlisle, while he pointed a finger in her face. They both stopped talking abruptly when they took notice of Edward in the archway.

"Welcome home, son. Your mother and I were just discussing something. Actually, we need to talk to you, too." Carlisle backed away from Esme and took a seat in the large wing-back chair. Esme arranged herself delicately on the sofa. Edward didn't move.

"Well, it seems your mother is against the idea of moving," begin Carlisle. Esme huffed. He returned her huff with a hairy eyeball.

"Why would we move? This is our home," replied Edward.

"That is what I really wanted to talk about," Carlisle continued, "I'm not bringing in the money I once was, and we've had to make some changes around here. We have been keeping this a secret from you, so as not to upset you, but we need to make another change that involves you this time." Edward rolled his eyes mentally when he mentioned "keeping it a secret".

"We can't afford to send you to private school anymore, and this upsets me greatly. Your education is my number one priority."

"And you think it's not mine?" chimed in Esme. She was not pleased.

"Esme, please. It's your mother's and my top priority. I have been looking into the public school systems around here, and the closest one really isn't that bad, but this means switching schools. It's going to be hard on you, adjusting, so we decided to wait until the next school year. We will let you finish out this year with your friends and teachers, but next year you will be attending Forks High School."

Edward let this new information sink in. He wasn't thrilled about this, at all. All kinds of emotions swirled around inside him, but the idea that maybe his parents wouldn't bicker as much with this extra money they'd be saving stopped him from being his usual arrogant self.

"I'd have to go to a different school if we moved anyway," Edward replied and then made his way up the stairs to his room.

"Well, that went better than expected," sighed Carlisle. Esme just shook her head and made her way into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Stretched out on his bed, Edward stared at his phone. He was glad Bella hadn't asked for his phone to put her number in it. Sometimes girls did that. He had already added her number. It was one of the first numbers he programmed in the thing once he got it. It was the only number he had memorized besides his own.

"Bella," he hummed. He could really use her friendship right about now. Then, it dawned on him. He would be going to her school. Maybe even attending some of her classes. This was perfect. Now he had an out. He didn't have to call her because he would see her soon enough. This autumn. Yeah, it was a hell of a long way away, but she's made him wait years…so what's a few months? And by God, he would make sure she noticed him then.

Across the Cullen's backyard and into the Swan's, Bella was holed up in her room. Her bedroom light was the only light on in the house. Her parents were both working late. Her mom was pulling a double at the local diner, and her dad was working the late shift at the police department. Sometimes, she felt they did this to so they wouldn't have to be home. They barely spoke to each other, and when they did, it was short, sweet, and to the point.

Her right hand tapped a pencil repeatedly against her science book. Her left hand held the house phone in her lap. She was trying very hard to concentrate on her homework. It wasn't working.

With a frustrated groan, she threw her head back on her pillow, hitting her head on the bed frame as well.

"Shit, fuck, crap!" she yelled, rubbing the sore spot on the back of her skull. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she told herself it was from the pain of her head and not her heart. He hadn't called, and it was already getting late.

He's probably hanging out with those girls, she thought. She rolled over onto her stomach and screamed into her pillow. She promised herself she wouldn't let him hurt her ever again. Blinking back tears, she thought back to her glory days with Edward.

As children, Bella and Edward were inseparable. They spent their time climbing trees, riding bikes, playing late night tag and hide & seek. Edward went to a private school and got home first. So right after Bella got off the bus from her public school, she'd check in with her parents. Then, she would make her way across the back lawn to Edward's. Since his yard was nicer, she didn't want to play in hers.

Edward was able to open up to her more than he could with his classmates. She liked that he enjoyed reading, which he knew anyone else would tease him about. She liked to read, as well. Her books were really girly though, so he would scoff when she told him he could borrow "a really good book." He would push a comic or a mystery novel on her, but unlike him, she would accept.

When the winter days were too cold, they would sit inside playing video games, drinking Kool-Aid, and eating chips. Bella didn't complain when he took an extra turn. He thought he was being sneaky, but she was just thankful to get to play. She didn't have video games at home.

Everything was going fine as young friendships go, until Edward made some male friends from his school. Friends that didn't ride the stinky, public school bus. Friends that liked to pick on Bella every chance they got because she had girl cooties. So, she went over to Edward's less and less, until less became no more.

Bella's absence made Edward think that she didn't want to hang out anymore, but he was too stubborn to question her about it. Edward's lack of interest as to why she never came over anymore made Bella think that he just didn't care. Sometimes, he would sit in his tree when no one was around and stare at the worn path that she used to cross into his yard. The bushes were growing back, and he refused to trim them. Only Bella should trim them, he thought. If Bella came over then they wouldn't close up, so this was her fault.

Bella was angry that he chose his new friends over her and swore she'd never forgive him for betraying her. There was a piece of her missing, and she couldn't help but feel sad whenever she went into her back yard. So for a long time she quit going back there all together.

She celebrated her twelfth birthday with a sleepover. It was girls only, which made her smirk. See, she didn't need Edward. Edward was a boy, and if he was still her best friend, then she couldn't have had a sleepover. "Boys can't stay the night," mom had said.

Her mom surprised her with a locket before her friends arrived. She admired it alone in her room. The locket somehow made the sleepover seem insignificant. She would have rather shown her gift to Edward. She knew he wouldn't have cared about girly things, but he was the first person she wanted to share it with. Moving to her bookcase, she removed her diary. She opened it to page twenty-three and removed a lock of hair. Hair that she had snuck into her pocket after Edwards's last haircut. He had whined and moaned the whole time because short hair was for babies, even though he was acting just like one the whole time. She placed the lock of hair in her locket and snapped it shut.

Rolling on her back, fifteen-year-old Bella rubbed the locket that still hung around her neck. "He's not going to call," she sobbed. One tear ran down her chin, landing on the gold between her fingers. And he didn't.