(AN)- Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable plot and characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer.

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When Life Gives You Lemons: Eat Them

And so the time has come, it's here

The silence ends, change is near

You wait in the balance libertine

Come into the pantheon.

~Welcome to the Universe, 30 Seconds to Mars

Chapter 6-First Steps

I stared down at my opponent with fiery loathing, the bathroom tiles cold underneath my bare feet. The seemingly innocent shape below me did not appear intimidated by my glares. Still, it made me feel a little better.

The tension rolled off of me in boiling waves. I felt like I was in the middle of a western cowboy show down, except this wasn't nearly as cool. In any case, I wouldn't have been surprised to see a tumbleweed roll past me on a foreboding wind.

Alright, you fiendish hunk of plastic-y doom, it's you and me. Mano a mano.

The bright red '0' blazed up at me indifferently, as I stepped onto the cool, hard surface. It disappeared with a series of beeps, and a dash began to blink fervently. There was no going back now.

Rose had suggested that maybe I should wait a while to buy a scale. She had this crazy idea that I was going to get too concerned with the numbers on the scale and self destruct instead of moving forward. I have no clue where she gets that idea fr…

Oh what the hell! 290 pounds? No…there has to be a mistake.

I took a breath, my heart racing a marathon underneath my ribcage, and stepped down, letting the scale reset. When the much less intimidating 0 reappeared, I resumed my position on the glossy machine's surface. Again the numbers 290 slapped me in the face.

Oh fudgerbucket.

"Bella, are you okay? You're being really quiet in there."

What girl hangs around outside the bathroom when another girl is getting on the scale? Isn't there a written law against that kind of stuff?

"Um yeah, I'm fine." The words didn't sound even remotely believable as they hung in the air. I could almost see the neon sign flashing 'Liar Liar Pants on Fire' above my head. Rosalie must have gathered that I was not a happy camper. When I had dried the tears that were gathering in the corners of my eyes and gotten a hold of my emotions, I went out to find that she had evacuated from the hallway.

I love friends that can read you like a book and don't make you spell things out for them.

"I'm going for a drive," I said softly, as I passed rose lounging nonchalantly on the couch.

Coaxing the truck to life, I made my way out into the rainy day with no clue where I was going. I'd already visited Charlie twice, and I couldn't let him see me like this. When I reached an empty road, I pulled into the shoulder and screamed. Filled with anger, sadness, defeat, and disappointment that I'd done this to myself, I cried, and yelled, and took my fury out on the poor, defenseless steering wheel. Eventually, I ran out of steam, and headed back out onto the road with no particular destination in mind.

Anyone who drives has those times when they end up spacing out, and somehow their body functions without the cooperation of their brain, and they end up somewhere they have no recollection of driving to. I hate those moments. They seriously freak me out. One of these days I'm going to look up and find myself outside some really shady shop late at night, because that's the kind of luck I have. Luckily for me there aren't many shady places in Forks.

When my brain caught up with the rest of me, I realized I was turning into the parking lot of the shopping center. Angel-Bella popped up on my shoulder and began pointing excitedly to the gym, demanding I go and try to do some damage control after eating all those brownies last night. Surprisingly enough, I found myself listening to her. I managed to take about five steps towards the gym before the fear started to set in. Through the windows of the establishment I could see rows upon rows of complicated looking machinery. On the machines were rows of skinny people, boasting exercise shirts that accentuated their slim curves. They barely looked like they were breaking a sweat.

I imagined the thoughts they would have when I walked in. They would feel disgust towards the ugly fat girl, and they would all move a little bit faster as they ran from the image of everything they never wanted to be. Angel-Bella gripped my shoulder and told me to suck it up and put my big girl panties on.

Come on Bella. You can do this.

My feet led me along the sidewalk that lined the shopping centre. I found myself but a few mere steps from the door to the gym. It was so close…it was too close. What would they think of me?

Angel-Bella tugged on my hair. "You walk around in front of people who judge you all day, every day. These people won't care about you; they're busy with their own workouts and goals."

Hesitant, I took another step, my mantra fading and losing steam.

290 pounds Bella, you have to change. You have to do this. You can do this, you will do this, you are…

As if they had a mind of their own, my feet veered to the right.

…chickening out and going for ice cream instead?

It certainly appeared that way. I was now standing in front of the door to the ice cream parlor. My hand was reaching out and grabbing the handle.

Bad hand, you get back here!

The rest of my body decided to jump ship along with my hand. Treacherous legs lead me to the counter. Mutinous lips worked with a disloyal tongue to form the words "I'd like a large cup of chocolate chip cookie dough, please."

I swear that I was but an innocent bystander, a victim. But once I'd paid for my ice cream, and found myself standing outside the shop again, what choice did I have but to consume my purchase? It would be unethical of me to throw it out. There were starving people in China. I wasn't quite sure how my consuming ice cream would help those people, but I clung to the sentiment my mother had always used on me when she was trying to make me clear my dinner plate.

Devil-Bella joined the party, lavishly licking at her own ice cream. Angel-Bella gave her a scathing glare.

So much for that whole 'start fresh and beat temptation' idea.

Consuming my frozen treat with expert speed, I returned to the car and prepared to head back to the house, with my tail between my legs. As I turned the key and started the engine, I couldn't help the thought that darted across my brain.

If I've already spoiled my diet for the day, stopping for some burgers before I go back won't be so bad.

Angel-Bella sighed, and held her head in her hands, while Devil-Bella patted me on the shoulder, and grinned with pride. Maybe cutting myself off cold turkey hadn't been such a good idea after all. Maybe…I needed one of those weight-loss guidebooks from the bookstore.

Or maybe, I had absolutely no clue what I needed.

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"Come on Bella, speed it up. My grandma has arthritis and she moves faster than you."

When exactly had I signed up for boot camp? Oh right, I hadn't.

Rosalie had decided to initiate me without my consent, into her own personal boot camp from hell. This wouldn't have been happening if I was even the tiniest bit good at lying. When I'd come home yesterday, the shame had been on my face as clearly as if it had been written with permanent marker. One glare from Rose and I'd squealed like that stupid little pig-child from those Geico insurance commercials, confessing to the ice cream, and the two burgers and fries.

For a moment, I had entertained the delusion that maybe Rose would give me an A for effort. I'd attempted to go to the gym. I'd started to walk towards it. Wasn't that something worthy of leniency?

Considering I was currently tripping over the sixth tree root in a 5 minute period, and felt like I was about to pass out from hyperventilation, it appeared that leniency was not a word Miss Hale was familiar with. This morning, she'd woken me up at 6 am, blaring in my ear like a foghorn, and insisting that we were going for a hike. Nature doesn't like me very much, and I have to say that the feeling is mutual. I'd managed to walk into every thorny bush and disgusting spider web in the nearby vicinity, and Rose kept shouting at me to walk faster.

Why did the Cullens have to live on the edge of a series of hiking trails? Just…why?

I only have two settings; sitting, and a snail's-pace walk.

"Rose...do you...have…any clue…where we're going…or…how to get…back?" I wheezed as I followed her retreating crop of blonde hair.

"Of course I know where we're going," she snapped. "Do you think I'd lead you out into the woods to get lost?"

"At this point…I am more than willing…to entertain the idea."

My hyperventilation issues seemed to finally be noticed by Miss Drill-Sergeant-from-hell-Hale. We stopped for a break, guzzling down water and munching on some sort of granola bar thing that tasted like Styrofoam. I managed to whine enough to convince Rose that it was time to head back to the house. It took only a few minutes of hesitant movement for me to realize that we were lost.

"I thought you said you knew where you were going!"

"I did!" Rose answered, in a voice of high pitched panic. "I memorized landmarks to get us back, but I think I made a mistake, because I should have seen the white rock that looks like it has a pee stain on it…but I don't."

My feet stopped, and I turned to my companion with a look of dismay. "You depended on a pee stained rock to get us back to the house?"

"I didn't say it was actually pee stained…it just looked like that."

"Rosalie…I think you're missing the point."

"Do you ladies need some help?"

We both jumped and unleashed horror movie cliché screams, as a voice came from behind us. After the fear came relief, as my eyes drank in the sight of a big, beefy guy with a hiking pack on his back looking us over with a look of amusement. With dark brown, curly hair, dimples deep enough to stick your finger into, and muscular sports appropriate physique, he was exactly the type of guy one wanted to come and rescue them from being lost in the woods.

"We're a little lost," Rose explained. My ears, having been privy to Rosalie's voice for many years now, detected the slightly higher pitch and coy breathiness that signified she was flirting. I looked to the burley mountain man again. Yeah…she would go for a guy like him; broad shoulders and an even broader ego most likely.

Mountain man chuckled. "Yeah, I'd gathered that. Which way are you heading?"

"Do you know where the Cullen property is?"

"Well I would hope I'd remember my way back to the house I grew up in."

"Oh!," Rosalie exclaimed. "You're one of Esme's sons."

"Emmett Cullen, at your service," he answered, stretching out his hand for a shake. It did not escape my notice that he barely looked at me, while giving Rosalie a double…wait…no…triple take. "And you must be the girls who are staying in the guest house. I was wondering when I'd run into you."

With a kind smile, Emmett offered to escort us back to the house, seeing as he was headed back that way himself. Apparently his favorite trails were easier to get to from his parent's property, so he drove up often for his excursions. Rosalie seemed tickled pink at the idea she may be seeing more of him. I scowled at and kicked at the dirt in between steps. Yesterday she'd cried as she deleted Royce's number from her phone. Eventually she'd had to block his number, because he wouldn't stop calling. Weeping into my shoulder she'd exclaimed about how hard it was to stop loving someone even though they've treated you badly. Now look at her, all starry eyed and practically drooling. Moments like these made me glad I didn't have any romantic attachments in my life.

Emmett led us back to the guest house, where he lingered for almost an hour, flirting with Rosalie on the steps. I sat my ass on the couch and turned the volume up so I didn't have to hear the gooey sap. Infatuated, didn't even begin to describe the look on Rose's face when she finally came in. Emmett was the topic of discussion for the rest of the day. I only escaped it for a brief two hours while I visited Charlie. Did I know Emmett was the oldest? Did I know he played practically every sport known to man? Did I know he actually owned a gym? I didn't remember signing up for Emmett-101, but I took it like a champ, nodding my head and saying "uh huh" at all the right moments.

When Rosalie finally headed to bed, I savored the silence, as I attempted to remedy the pulsating pain in my legs with an ice pack. Yet despite the internal moaning of my muscles, there was what I could only identify as a sense of accomplishment. I'd whined like a brat…but I'd done the walk. I'd pushed myself and thought it was a small one; I felt that it was a step in the right direction.

I probably negated that 'step in the right direction' thing with the three cookies from Esme's goody basket I snuck before bed though.

What can I say? Habits are hard to break.

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I awoke to interesting smells coming from the kitchen. Intrigued, I padded out to investigate. Rose was cooking in the kitchen. She didn't cook often, but she was actually pretty good, and my mouth watered at the thought of her ridiculously delicious chocolate chip pancakes. Unfortunately, it was not flaky, buttery, chocolaty pancakes on the plate which Rose handed me with a smile. Instead, unappealing omelet with what appeared to be tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach in it mocked my hungry stomach.

"Eat up," Rosalie ordered, in a cheerful tone that I had never ever heard emitted from her before 10 am. She wasn't a morning person. Getting up and bouncing about the kitchen while making breakfast was not her style. No, Rose was that person you had to shove out of bed at 9.30, and god help you if you didn't have a cup of coffee to put in her hand when you did it. This was Twilight Zone bizarre.

As uninterested as I was in the heap of egg and vegetables before me, I brought it to the dining room and did as I was told. I didn't want to irritate the alien who had obviously abducted Rose last night and had taken her place.

"Make sure you put on comfortable workout clothes when you're done there," Rose advised, as she began washing the pan and cooking utensils.

I nearly chocked on a forkful of omelet. "Um…why?"

"We're going to the gym."

Seriously? Hadn't the hike yesterday been enough for like…the week?

Looking up, I saw Rosalie staring at me with a firm scowl stretching across her face. "Listen you, I know you. So I know that you've got this whole 'lose weight and eat healthy' thing inside of you. All you need is a little kick to get you going. Being the amazing friend that I am, I will be giving you that kick."

Immediately my brain began a panicked search for a way out. "But..but Rose, you have to sign up for memberships and we're only going to be here for a few months."

"No worries," she answered confidently, "Emmet owns this gym. He's giving us a short-term membership which we can dissolve at any time. And it's only $20 a month for the both of us."

So that was her ulterior motive. She wanted to go flirt and be all fit and sexy in front of mountain man. I should have known.

Again I did what I was told. So now here I was once again, this time in a pair of baggy sweats and a plain t-shirt, standing outside of the doors to the gym. Only this time, there was no time to hesitate, because Rose was pushing me in and practically shouting in the face of the receptionist, "Hi!"

God help me, she is way too chipper. Kids given free reign in a candy store wouldn't be as happy.

The receptionist lifted her head of short, spiky, black hair. Her eyes were heavily lined and sporting a ton of mascara, as she acknowledged us with boredom. "Membership cards, please," she said in lilting soprano tones.

"We actually don't have those yet," Rose explained. "My name is Rosalie Hale, and this is Bella Swan. Emmett said he'd have everything set up for us."

"Oh, are you the super special VIPs' he told me to expect?" The girl arched an eyebrow and shot me a not even slightly hidden judgmental look. "Well you aren't what I expected at all."

As she whirled around to gather our paperwork or whatever we needed in order to sign up for this stuff, I took notice of her nametag. It proudly displayed that her name was Alice. I'd known an Alice once. She used to throw mud at me in elementary school.

Rosalie went through the revised paperwork, signing and checking and agreeing to terms of service. Alice handed us our little membership cards, small enough to go on our key chains, and then directed us to an X on the floor where we had to stand and have our picture taken. Apparently they needed a photo ID to check in case someone forgot their card. Awesome. I looked like a frumpy couch potato.

Emmett rounded the corner, and Rose started beaming brighter than the highbeams on a car. He walked us around and gave us a tour of the gym. It was moderately sized, complete with spacious locker rooms, showers, and rooms with tanning beds. Emmett explained that he'd gone into business with his brother, Jasper. Jasper's wife, Alice, managed and also handled advertising around town. It was a small, but well-cogged and lucrative business. There was only one other gym near Forks, and it was apparently really crappy, so business at The Cullen Gym, as it was so eloquently named, was booming.

Finally, Emmett had to stop flirting with Rosalie and go do more productive, work related things. I followed Rose into the locker room where we put away our purses, before heading out into the gym area again.

These machines look scary as hell. I don't even know where to start.

Luckily I didn't have to decide. Rose headed for the treadmills, most likely because they were the closest, distance wise, from the front desk where Emmet was. I followed behind her with a sigh.

Apparently Rose had the foresight to bring headphones with her, the gym wall before us had a row of TV's playing various popular channels. She hadn't thought to give me the memo, though, and I stared sullenly at the machine before me, and wondered if I could sneak out while she was distracted. Deciding that move would only end up kicking me in the ass later, I sucked it up, and hesitantly stepped onto the machine.

Oh fudgerbucket, what are all these buttons? Elevation, cardio, weight loss, what is all this?

My eyes caught onto a green button labeled quick start. That seemed easy enough. I pushed, and the tread beneath my feet began to move slowly.

Okay. I can do this. Deep breaths, Bella.

I looked over at Rosalie's button control panel thingy, and a little screen stated that she was going 5.0 miles per hour. Her hair bounced up and down as she jogged lightly, her eyes focused on the TV screen before her. I didn't want to look lazy, so I pushed the up button on the speed. There was no way I was jogging, so I stopped at 3.0 miles per hour, which brought me to a brisk walk.

No one is staring at me; no one is staring at me. Oh my god, everyone is staring at me.

After five minutes my legs began to protest and my breathing became staggered with my efforts. Time seemed to be slipping by so slowly, and I looked around trying to find something to concentrate on.

That's when I saw him.

Two treadmills to my right, wearing a pair of low-slung gray sweats and a black, sleeveless t-shirt, was quite possibly the hottest guy I had ever seen in my entire life. High cheekbones, a strong jaw line, a straight nose, and full lips which were set off by a mop of unruly, yet beautiful, bronze hair. He was lean, but muscular, and his long fingers were curled into fists as he ran.

I started to stumble, and just barely managed to grab a hold of the support bars on the treadmill and regain my step.

Okay, no more looking around for me. I'm klutzy enough without being distracted by ridiculously hot, sweaty guys.

My side began to cramp, I felt like my chest was caving in on my lungs, and my legs were planning a full scale mutiny against me. Surely I'd been going at this for at least a half an hour. I checked the control panel and was dismayed to find that I'd only been doing this for a total of 10 minutes.

Maybe if I close my eyes and pretend I'm somewhere else.

I let my eyelids drift to a close and tried to picture myself walking down the streets of Phoenix towards my favorite Chinese restaurant. Yeah, that would give me motivation.

It happened so fast. I suddenly realized that I was moving backwards, and then my head was hitting something hard. Pain lashed through my head and back, and little pinpricks of light danced in front of my eyes.

Then there was a face, hovering over me.

Oh no, not Mr. HotTreadmillDude

The hazy lights that clouded my vision shimmered over his perfect features, almost making it look like his skin was sparkling. His eyes, which I hadn't been able to see from my spot on the treadmill, were a deep, vibrant green. They made my head spin. Or maybe that was a concussion.

"Bella are you okay?" came Rosalie's concerned cry.

The pain and blurred vision began to ebb, and in their place came burning shame and the knowledge that the whole gym was staring at me.

"Ma'am, can you sit up?"

Oh no, cute treadmill guy was talking. His voice sounded like someone bottled heaven and turned it into sound. I rose slowly, holding my head. Treadmill Guy put his hand on my shoulder, and I tried not to freak out.

After a big show of nonsense and putting ice on my head, it was decided that I was fine. I was a klutzy idiot, but I was physically okay. The Treadmill God of Hotness went back to his workout, and Rosalie decided it would be better if we went back to the house before I injured myself any further.

We collected our belongings and she asked me what had happened, and then proceeded to chastise me on the way out. "Why the hell would you close your eyes on a treadmill Bella?"

I shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Treadmill: 1, Bella: 0

"What am I going to do with you, Bella?"

"Oh, you're just butthurt because I cut into your Emmett-ogling time."

I received a light punch on the arm. "I wasn't the only one ogling," Rose countered.

When it came to the gym…I was not a fan. Yet I didn't feel as discouraged as I thought I would. Part of me wanted to go back, and conquer that stupid treadmill. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this.

The thought of running into those gorgeous green eyes again didn't hurt either, of course.

(AN)-So we've gotten our first sneak peek at Edward in this chapter. I know I've taken awhile to get to him, and I appreciate you guys being patient. But fear not, you shall see lots of him soon!