Previously,

There was a flash of something in her eyes before stone aloofness surrounded her.

"Not in this lifetime or any other"

And that statement marked the end of the conversation and many to come for a few days.

I felt my heart crack a little bit more after that.

x-x-x

There is a time in everyone's life when one just has to stop moving and actually think. Think about where they're headed – what they want and most importantly, how to keep true to yourself as they go through this extraordinary journey.

Because one day it's going to hit you that each minute, each second is valuable and priceless. A day will go and that same day will never come again. The most important question is what you will be doing when that day passes.

Will you be living life – perhaps getting married, even having a child or will you be sitting in a lumpy couch drinking your life away?

I realized that very moment, one week, three minutes and five seconds after the dreadful Alice incident that I wanted to be living life. I wanted to be visiting friends – sharing experiences, preparing a future. I would not be that crazy old woman who sits in her home all day dreaming of what once was.

The key to life was accepting what it threw at you and moving on.

Dad said I was being melodramatic – sitting at ends of a time watching reruns of George Lopez on T.V.

I guess it had to do with escaping reality for a few days. Not having to think about Alice and her refusal. Her cute grin. Her spikey hair. The ways her eyes light up when someone told a funny joke.

Nothing.

But school was passing on without me. Grades were falling. Teachers were asking questions. Heck even students were concerned – that is if you counted Angela and Ben. It had gotten so out of hand even Charlie had been informed by none other than my very distraught basketball coach.

Of course once your dad catches wind of said failing grades an explanation was demanded.

So in the end I spilt my guts – told him about Alice, the events leading to the dismissal and everything else my mind refused to filter.

He wasn't shocked – surprised if anything else. He didn't expect me to find someone interesting so fast after moving. It was only when he began giving me relationship advice was I forced to curl up in a ball and ask if the world had suddenly ended.

Charlie was not amused.

I think I might have offended him, especially when I began shivering. Okay so perhaps melodramatic was too kind a word.

In the end we compromised – I would start rising my grades if given an indefinable amount of time for the television. I think Charlie was just humoring me though because it was only a day after this compromise was reached that he started going to La Push after dinner.

Typical.

Anyway I might have gotten off track. The point is that after seven days of sitting on the lumpy couch, the same couch I belatedly realized was the one dad and Sue had been doing the nasty , that I decided to stop moping.

I had friends that felt a little more than neglected. A Dad that need some attention (the attention being a cooked dinner other than the three and a half pizza boxes lining the fridge. Basketball practice that needed attending.

So that's exactly what I did – I got my lazy ass of the warm couch and immediately and without hesitation took the longest shower known to man.

Why didn't I replace that couch? Oh yeah – no money.

Secondly I packed my basketball clothes – I was surprised Mr. Conner hadn't already thrown me off the team.

And finally, I did the most boring and time consuming event invented by man…homework.

I seriously wished I had to time machine, if for no other reason than to go and torture the man who had suggested homework. Did he not know that teenagers had better and more important things to do? As if school wasn't enough.

Anyway…after moping, groaning and spending an indefinable amount of time on Google I managed to finish.

"Bella you home?" Dad yelled, announcing his arrival. I hadn't even heard the door close…this just proved that homework stunted a person's sensory development. Seriously- my eyes were burning from staring at the computer screen for hours on end.

"Yeah, in my room" I yelled back – seriously I hadn't really been anywhere doing anything for an entire week, where did he think I was.

"Jacob sent something for you"

I felt a pang of regret as I thought of Jake. I hadn't really talked to him since my arrival. Some best friend I was. The first rule of friendship was to never abandon your bros.

Turned out Jacob had his own way of getting back at me for said neglect.

The so nonchalantly called 'something' was actually an invitation to a baby shower. I think I threw up a little in my mouth.

Now imagine me – surrounded by pink/ blue balloons, eating decorated fruits discussing morning sickness, dirty diapers and everything else baby related.

Yeah – even that image caused my exhausted mind to implode on itself. Not to mention my skin started itching just thinking about it.

Jake must be crazy - did I really, I mean really, deserve this.

"I think you should go" a voice said over my shoulder.

Screaming bloody murder I punched dad in the arm "Not funny dad!"

The man in question just laughed before ruffling my hair. So not cool. It took effort to get this nest in any decent shape.

"I thought it was. So I think you should go"

"Why?" I asked, grimacing as I read the card again. At least it was bordering the beach. I could always sneak away using my ridiculously amazing stealth. Hopefully the sun would be out – slim chance but still, one could hope.

"Jake misses you."

Aww gotta love dad – blackmail how thy never tasted so sweet!

"I don't even know a Iris!" Perhaps I sounded too desperate but come on a baby shower! My reputation would be ruined – my brain scared. The police would be called. Parents scandalized. And not necessarily in that order.

"She's Jake's cousin, it's her first pregnancy." Charlie said as if that explained everything. Really what in the world would I have to offer to something like that?

But if I didn't go Charlie would just be throwing me that disappointed scowl over his shoulder all week. I swear the man practiced the look in the mirror. It was ridiculously really, his mustache would arch up, his eyebrow lowered and his mouth set in a deep frown. No one deserved that look.

It was downright scary.

"Fine" conceding my Monday afternoon to a day of borderline torture I got ready for bed.

I just prayed I made it out okay.

x-x-x-x-x-x

"Yo mama so stupid she went to bed with a ruler to see how long she slept"

The entire table was silent. How should one respond to that? Was it safe to simply ignore the bulging idiot or actually warrant such a stupid statement with a response?

"Uh…um Eric you feeling ok?" Angela asked, one eyebrow quirked in a delicate arch. Why was it that all the cute girls were either taken or homophobic. Such is my life.

Said idiot boy in question nodded, greasy curls bouncing around. Seriously what in the world did he use in his hair- flip it was enough to put McDonald's out of business.

"I'm trying to put together a comedy club" Eric explained and then proceeded to pout at me "You're supposed to say a yo Mama joke back."

Making my eyes impossibly wide I swallowed the last bit of spaghetti before responding "Umm…sorry?"

"See that's what I'm talking about, we need to bring life to this school" Eric proclaimed with a girlish flourish – letting his inner newspaper persona out.

Scary,

"So Bella why aren't you sitting with the Cullen's anymore?" Lauren asked with false concern – tired of hearing Eric's ramblings.

I hadn't spoken to any of the Cullen's in a week. To say I had been depressed would be a gross understatement – silent zombie would be more like it. I was partially disgusted with myself. Where had my self- proclaimed cool gene gone?

Woe is me.

Emmett had been a little disgruntled – until Rosalie had to go blab her big mouth. Now he winked and giggled that man giggle at me every time I passed him in the hall.

The school body probably thought we were having some sort of affair with all the winks he had bombarded me with.

Awkward wouldn't even describe my second week at Forks High School.

"You know Lauren you may not know this but people have something called personal privacy" I said, glaring at the blond "So please mind your own."

A rising 'Ohhhh' vibrated around the table for about four seconds.

Amateurs.

"Whatever" said blonde muttered. That comeback was so old it didn't even warrant a response.

School.

Woe is me!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Bella! Pay attention" Coach Conner yelled just as the ball bounced off my forehead.

I hardly felt the pain- because not three feet in front of me were cheerleaders….

Half naked cheerleaders.

Skin tight shirts, minis (cause there wasn't any skirt visible to my blatant gaze – trust me I would know.) I wish I had more eyes so I could keep up with all the breasts that were practically flying off their chests.

Thank God I was wearing basketball pants. Total lifesavers.

I don't know whose great idea it was to coordinate both the basketball and cheerleaders practices together in the gym but who boy were they paying for it!

Half the boys were distracted – there were basketballs flying everywhere- none of which were actually reaching their goal…it was suffice to say we were distracted.

I was not ashamed to say I ogled along with the rest of them. This was just torture!

"Sorry coach" I mumbled, tearing my eyes away. A few of the guys threw me weird looks which I strategically ignored. Let them think what they want – I wasn't hiding anything, not anymore.

They were always staring at me anyway – being the only girl on the team and all. Wasn't my fault it just so happened that the school didn't have enough funds to sponsor a girls' team and I just so happened to be the only girl interested in the sport.

That was pure coincidence.

"Woah Bella you look flushed!" Ben said as he ran up to me. I really, really felt sorry for him – it was beyond obvious his mother had handpicked his wardrobe. His shoes almost looked brand new for pete's sake! What guy wanted to be running around in shiny white shoes?

"Yeah, too much testosterone" I laughed, extracting my sweat drenched shirt from my body.

Ben just smiled, gave me a knowing look and glanced, non-subtly, might I add, at the cheerleaders.

Whatever.

I ain't never care.

Before I could respond it was my turn to do some lay ups. I had a feeling that wouldn't be the first or last conversation (if you could call it that) about my sexual preference.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Seriously Bells it's not gonna be that bad!" Jake exclaimed as I continued to glare at him.

It was the first time in my young life I was actually considering homicide.

Now before you judge me you have to understand – after Jake had suspiciously arrived at my school I had kept my cool. When he had dragged me to his house to change into my swim trunks and waterproof sports bra I had understood.

When he had too innocently announced he had forgotten to buy something – let me borrow his favorite black t shirt to cover up my sports bra and continued to lather a bunch of apologies and mumblings I had gotten suspicious.

Jake was not a mumble kind of guy. He said things the way they were point blank.

I really should have noticed it then but I blamed my pure disgust at the idea of what I was being forced to do.

Who in their right mind actually went to a baby shower without a gift? That would probably be the worst crime committable – right next to stealing the statue of Liberty.

"You're so going to pay for this" I hissed at my aforementioned best friend. Because not only had he dragged me to a baby store – you know the ones that have that disgustingly cute name like Snuggles and Hugs.

It was the exact store Alice and Rosalie Cullen worked at.

Shiver…Clench…Twitch.

My left arm refused to stop convulsing. If there was any love in this world I could sneak away without them noticing me. Of course with my total track record of absolute zero my chances were blown out the window.

"Oh come on, going in a baby store is not going to be the worst thing to ever happen to you" Jake assured me. Surprisingly enough no relief came. Sense the sarcasm.

Curse him.

"Bella?" A voice behind me asked and it was with a groan, curse and frown I turned around to face Alice.

The frown on her face almost mirroring mind.

A/N I would like to thank all my reviewers for leaving a review. I was afraid almost everyone had probably forgotten this story. I am sad to say my muse is still missing but I will not let it stop me. I will try to continue this story to my best ability. I know some people are probably annoyed with Alice (I am too) but don't worry, good times are to come. I am just trying to make this story realistic – homophobic people don't usually jump in bed with the first lesbian they come across.

Please drop a review,

Silverdust101