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Important! While this is based on my life and the events that have taken place involving me, this is a Fanfiction and there will be fiction in the story. Enjoy!

Chapter one.

I start dinner as quietly as I can. I don't think I could put up with any of them coming in here right now. As soon as it is in the oven, I can go back up to my room. There is no reason for me to be down here any longer than I have to. No-one is in the kitchen, a fact I rejoice in. I close the door quietly, resisting the urge to lock it.

I can hear all of them talking in the living room, laughter and jokes flowing around the room. I am probably the butt to all of their jokes. Emmett doesn't care what they say about me, to be honest. He doesn't say anything to me, but he laughs along. That is what hurts the most. My own flesh and blood finds my pain funny.

If I remember right, the only time he stuck up for me was when all of his friends beat up on me. And it wasn't the girls, either. At least ten guys charged me after gym in the girls' changing rooms. I always wait until everyone is finished before I change. They started by calling me names until someone took it too far and punched me. The rest joined in, laughing about how I couldn't feel it; how I was too fat to feel it.

Emmett and his closest friends, Edward and Jasper, came in when they heard everyone yelling at me. I was curled into a ball as everyone spat on me and kicked me. Emmett went nuts, telling everyone to leave. They did; and so did Emmett. He left me there, but I didn't mind. I would rather help myself anyway.

I would never forget that day because I genuinely believed my brother loved me. He asked me if I was okay at home and he helped me clean the cuts on my side. I didn't want to show him at first, but he demanded that I let him see them. I was a little scared, so I showed him. He didn't say anything as he bandaged the cuts and put ice on the bruises. The scars still run down my side and back as a reminder of what I am, and what I shouldn't be.

The door opens behind me and I yelp in surprise, turning around. I notice Emmett standing there, staring at me.

"Sorry, you scared me," I apologize, turning back to my task, with my face hot. I hear him going to the refrigerator and getting out another pack of beer. Charlie will not be happy. He doesn't say anything as he leaves and I sigh.

Being seventeen is supposed to be amazing. You're supposed to have boyfriends, fall in love, and get your heart broken, then fall in love again a week later. I thought I was in love once. I was fourteen and this guy was nice to me. He held my hand in the back of the class room and whispered to me how beautiful I was.

He made me feel special.

It didn't last long. Someone saw us holding hands and they told everyone. Before I knew it, he had turned on me and was one of them. He went from sweet words to nasty sneers, soft touches turned to leaving bruises. My heart broke; I truly thought he was different from the rest.

When he first changed, he would come to me and apologize for what he was doing. He told me they made him do it and I believed him. I was such a fool. I let him back in and I let him tell me those sweet things again. When he got a girlfriend, he still told me those things and held my hand when no-one was around.

During school, he was nasty again. It hurt, but I didn't believe it. I knew the real him and that this was just an act. The nice words would ring around my head, telling me that he still liked me. I couldn't let myself believe the horrible words. He was my one.

The nasty words began to come out when we were alone. The soft, secret touches turned to hard grips and it scared me. Our time together dwindled to nothing and his words got worse as time progressed.

We had a place. Nobody knew where it was, only us. We would go there and just talk, we would be ourselves. One time I went there and waited for an hour for him because he told me he would be there. When he finally showed up, he grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. He tried to kiss me but I stopped him. I wasn't ready for my first kiss, but he wouldn't give up.

He grew frustrated with me and threw me to the floor, kicking me in the side. He continued with more hits and kicks. I begged him to stop, but he wouldn't. He left me on the floor with a cruel smirk and evil in his eyes. I stayed on the floor crying for hours. My whole body hurt and my eyes began to sting. I wanted to run home and cry to my big brother, but I knew he would laugh at me and tell me it's my entire fault for following false hopes.

When I finally got home, my mom and dad were sitting in the living room, the phone next to them. I could see my mom crying and my dad had her hand in his. When they saw me, they ran over and held me in their arms. I winced and my mom noticed, looking me over. She didn't let me out of my room again until I was healed.

That was the only time my parents knew about the physical abuse. Everyone around town knows about the verbal and mental, but the physical stays on the down-low.

Richard, the guy who did that, moved away a few days later. His parents were divorced so he moved from his mother's house to his father's. Everyone blamed me, saying he was so repulsed by me that he had to leave. I know otherwise; it was the guilt. He felt guilty for what he did to me and seeing me every day made the guilt worse.

Emmett found out about what he did and wouldn't believe anything I said to him. He told me I was spiteful and jealous, and to get over myself. I wanted to cry with every little thing he said, but instead, I snapped. I told him how he made me feel, how it hurt to be spoken to that way. I told him I hated him.

I have never truly hated my brother. I couldn't even if I wanted to. I want to believe that he is still the same guy I grew up with, the one who would pick me up and take me to our mother every time I fell down and hurt myself. I want him to be the Emmett I know; the one who would play with me, even if his friends were asking him to play with them. The Emmett who would hold my hand when we went out just so I didn't get lost. I want my best friend back.

Still to this day, my heart hurts thinking about Richard. He was so nice to me, always there with a kind smile and a comforting hug when I needed one. I would never say we were boyfriend and girlfriend, but we had something. He was my best friend, besides my brother.

I finally put dinner into the over on low, meaning I don't have to come down and check on it. It should be ready when Renee gets home. I wipe away a few tears that have escaped my eyes and stand up straight, getting ready to go back up to my room. Looking back to see that everything is put away and the kitchen is clean; I go to the door and make sure no-one is there.

I scurry back to my room and slam the door shut behind me. I sigh in relief when I know I am safe again. It's completely stupid that I feel the need to be in my room to feel safe. This is my house, for goodness sakes. I should be able to walk around freely, and not worry about what people think or say. For an hour or so, I lay on my bed with my music flowing around the room. I let myself get lost in the soothing words and hum along with them.

Music has always been my outlet. Sure, I don't write it or even sing it, but it's there with me. The words that flow from the speakers are like they are written about me, about my life. It's like the writer of the tune or the lyrics have been through what I have, like they understand me.

But I know they haven't. Everyone you see in magazines or on the television are skinny, beautiful. They have never had to worry about what troubles life bring. They have had everything handed to them on a silver platter and they happily helped themselves. I would give my right arm to live a single day like them; to know how it feels to be liked, to be wanted for a change.

"Isabella!" I hear my mother yell from outside my bedroom door. I jump off the bed and turn the music off before going to the door and opening it.

"Hi." I smile at my mother. Her face softens and she rubs her hand over my hair.

"Hey, baby. Dinner's ready." I nod and follow her down the stairs.

My mother and I have a somewhat close relationship. She knows how I feel and what I have been through. She went through it, too. Of course, back then, it wasn't nearly as bad as it is now, but she still knows. The words still mean the same thing. The hurt is still the same.

I pale as we walk down the stairs to the first floor. The living room door has been left open and everyone in there can now see me. My size too big t-shirt suddenly feels too small for me. I pull at it, trying to get air into my lungs. I try not to look at any of them as I follow my mother into the kitchen.

Laughter fills the living room and my appetite suddenly disappears. I still sit at the small table opposite Emmett as he inhales his plate. Renee and Charlie eat slowly, looking at me closely. I just stare down at my plate, my stomach churning. I can feel every pound on my body. They're weighing me down like a ton.

"Isabella, eat your dinner," Renee pushes, nodding towards my untouched plate. My eyes flash up to hers before I sigh, picking up my fork. I push the food around my plate, not even trying to hide my disgust. I can see the calories in front of me, taunting me.

"Isabella," Charlie says softly. I know they are trying to help me, look out for me, but I can't bring myself to eat this.

"I'm not hungry," I mumble, pushing the plate away and standing up.

Emmett glances at me before taking my plate and scraping the food onto his own. He inhales the second plate as quick as he did the first. I leave the room as soon as my dishes are in the dishwasher and go straight upstairs, ignoring the laughter and whispers coming from the living room.

~/3~

I wake in the morning around six. Getting ready for school doesn't take me long, but I like to be up before everyone else. Well, Charlie leaves here at five-thirty every morning. Being the chief of police is definitely a full time job. I shower, dry and get dressed before going down to the kitchen.

I try to stay away from breakfast as much as I can, but I know I should eat it; brain food and all. To be honest, I know it's just more calories added to my daily intake. I decide just to grab a banana and a bottle of water. I am sitting at the table, eating my breakfast when Emmett comes down.

He ignores me, getting out a bowl and filling it with chocolate cereal. I grimace at the thought of eating that and take the remainder of my banana out of the peel. I eat it slowly, savoring the taste before taking a small sip of the water. When I finish, I stand up, scraping my chair noisily across the floor. Emmett looks up, glaring at me.

I choose to ignore his nasty look and put the peel in the bin. With my bottle of water in my hand, I go back up to my bedroom to finish getting ready and to grab my bag. Pulling my hair up in a messy ponytail, I put a coating of mascara on my lashes and stuff my bottle into my bag.

When I get back downstairs, bag in hand, Renee is in the kitchen. Sitting at the table, she sips her coffee and flips through a fashion magazine. She has always acted younger than she really is. Sometimes, she likes the child and I am the parent. Charlie keeps her grounded as much as he can, but she is so irresponsible sometimes.

"Isabella?" she asks. I sigh and walk around in front of her, waiting for what she has to say.

"Yeah?" I answer, somewhat impatiently. I'm not trying to be rude, but I really should be getting to school.

"Are you okay?" I nod at her words, not even needing to think them through. "Really?" I nod again, putting on a fake smile.

After we say our goodbyes, I leave and head off to school. Emmett has already left to pick up his friends. He refuses to drive me to school, not that I would want to go with him anyway. Renee and Charlie know there is something wrong with Emmett and me; they just don't know the extent of it.

They want to believe that he sticks up for me; that he helps me and tells off the people who say hurtful things. They don't know exactly who is horrible to me. I think Charlie is catching on, but Renee is blissfully ignorant. I'd rather it be that way anyway. She would only fly off the handle and make Emmett hate me even more.

Walking towards the school, I ignore the stares that I get from the other pedestrians. Car horns beep at me and people yell out their windows. I resist the urge to flip them the bird and I just keep my head down, looking at the ground. Why give them the satisfaction that it is annoying me, hurting me.

I arrive at school and a shiver runs down my back. This whole thing may seem stupid and pathetic; but to me, this is hell. This school is hell. The teachers try to help, they really do, but they can't stop what goes on outside of the school. They can't help me in my own house.

They would stop anyone from saying anything, assuring me that they were wrong, but I know they aren't. After a while, I stopped going to the teachers, they can't do anything. The nurse stopped asking me questions when I limped into her room, bruises swelling up my face and blood trickling from my lip.

I breathe in deeply once and start to walk slowly towards the school. It takes everything in me to not turn around and run all the way home. Actually, maybe that would help. I wouldn't have to be in school and I could shed a few pounds. It's a win-win. I laugh internally at my own joke, but stop short when I realize it was just a silly thought. Like the whale could lose weight.

I go into the school, walking timidly through the halls. People look over at me and sneer, some spit on the floor by my feet. Every word and action cuts deeper than a knife. The nasty comments are swirling around my head, making me regret coming to school. I should have run home when I had the chance.

Laughter bounces off the walls of the hall, making me stop walking and stiffen. Just in front of me, they all stand there, whispering and looking right at me. I can see Angela, Ben, and Jasper standing at the back of the group, offering kind smiles. Alice, however, barges her way through them all and comes over to me. She wraps her small arms around my waist. Well, tries to anyway.

"Isabella!" she squeals. I hesitantly wrap my arms around her, letting myself get lost in the comfort of a single hug. That's all it can take sometimes to make me feel normal. A hug can make my whole day better. Renee hasn't hugged me in years, Charlie is always working and Emmett wouldn't touch me with a stick, let alone hug me.

"Alice, let go. You'll get lost in all her fat!" one of the guys shouts and I instantly let go of her, stepping back. She also lets go and turns to glare at whoever said that.

"How dare you say that?" she sneers, but I stop her by putting my hand on her small, fragile arm.

"Alice, please leave it. I have to get to English anyway." I give her a smile to let her think I am okay. I'm not.

"No, I will not le-" I cut her off.

"Alice," I simply say. She nods and stops talking, but she still glares at the big group of people. I see Ben and Angela looking anywhere but towards us. They don't agree with what the rest do, but they need them to get through school. I understand. Jasper, Alice's boyfriend and 'soul-mate' - her words, not mine - comes forward, taking Alice's hand. I smile shyly at him and he smiles back.

I turn around and go the other way, my locker looking less appealing. I don't even get a few steps away before the chanting starts.

"Boing! Boing! Boing!" they all cheer together. They started to sing that when I walked years ago. When I asked Alice why, she reluctantly said it was because my clothes bounce as I walk. I know it's because whole body bounces when I walk. She hates telling me what they say, but I want to know. Of course, she didn't say it like that, but I knew what she meant. It's bitter sweet. I hate the way it hurts, but I want more. I want to know all of my bad points so I can try and make them better, not that I ever could.

I sigh in relief when I arrive in English and the teacher is already there. I love English, it's my favorite subject. It used to be Math, but I just don't get it anymore. I scurry to my seat in the back, waiting for the class to begin. I choose to sit at the back, mainly because no-one can see me here without difficulty.

The lesson drags. Most of the students blatantly stare at me; laughing to the person they were sitting next to. Every time I am called on in class, someone has something to say. The teacher just smiles at me, silently letting me know it was all lies. Of course it isn't, but I don't let it get to me too much.

I get up out of my seat at the end of class and walk towards the door, waiting for everyone else to leave. The teacher asks me if I'm okay just as I'm about to leave. I smile, and reassure him that I am fine. I get into the hall and let out a surprised squeal when I fine myself pushed up against the lockers. My books fall out of my hands and scatter all over the floor.

I slowly shut my eyes, letting myself get ready for what's to come.

"Hey, fatty," a low feminine voice sneers. Tanya. "I was wondering; how many people did you have to eat to get this fat?" she asks. Before I can stop her, she punches my stomach and I lose my breath, my eyes snapping open and filling with tears.

"Tee, you almost lost your hand then," Rosalie declares loudly. Laughter echoes around the empty hall, bouncing off the walls. Tears build in my eyes and I look over Tanya's shoulder and see everyone here.

Emmett is standing with Edward, Rosalie, Alice, Angela, and Jasper. Tyler is in the background with Mike, Eric, Ben, Paul, Jared, and Sam. Jessica and Lauren, Rosalie's followers, are off to the side, gossiping and taking pictures of me being held to the wall by Tanya.

Alice is being held back by Rosalie as she tries to get over to me. Emmett, Jasper, and Ben are all looking at the floor and Angela is standing with Alice, tears building in her eyes. The rest, however, are telling Tanya what to do. They are telling her nasty things that she should do to me. I silently beg Alice to stop screaming at them. She's begging them to stop while Rosalie laughs.

"I expect to see you at lunch time, usual place," Tanya whispers and I swallow hard, knowing what she means. With one last hit to my stomach, they all leave, their laughter still echoing off the walls.

Thanks for reading.

Reviewers will get a preview of the next chapter.

I hope to update this story every Monday. So that's when the next chapter will be up.

Twi-girl09

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