Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. Any real life instance, situation, persons, or patented product, etc. that holds similarities to this story is purely coincidental. No copyright infringement intended. Also, I just want to put it out there that i have no beta and this is me sharing my love for writing so no need to hate on all the errors hehehe.

Author's Note: Hi, Everyone! Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows. Appreciate them very much. 3

Here's Chapter 2 in Bella's Point of view. I know i said they'll meet in this chapter but i would first want to introduce Bella :) If the story gets a bit more attention i'll be whipping up the next chapter faster. hehe

Also a note on Bella's character: she's still her clumsy self but when she gets on stage, she's in her element. Feel free to ask any questions in your reviews, i'll clear up any confusion.

So read on, people! See you at the bottom ;)

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BPOV (2018): Manhattan, NYC

"Can I get a tall brewed coffee please" I smiled at the Starbucks barista. Thank god there wasn't a long line or I would've been late for my morning yoga session!

My best friend Rosalie Hale gave me a couple of passes to this new yoga studio near Madison park. I used to just stay at home and follow YouTube videos but she insisted that I needed to go here; something about the morning instructor being her new shopping partner….

"That'll be $ 2.70" I swiped my card and proceeded to wait for my drink at the bar. I checked my phone to see I had a message from my mom and another from my agent— who I happen to very disappointed at. He's been ignoring my calls and I was personally finding auditions to go to for when Basic Mandy: The Musical ended. We only had a few shows left and I was getting anxious on the possibility of being jobless in New York.

The Off-Broadway show played 6 times a week (twice on Saturday and off on Tuesdays and Thursdays) with a 2-hour duration. I had a small part as Basic Mandy's friend. The role (well the whole play actually) didn't give the theater community much to talk about so we're wrapping up after 3 months of being on Laura Pels Theater. I couldn't complain about the pay and the hours but don't even get me started on the lead actress…

I dialed Laurent's number just as I got my coffee, not bothering to read his text message. I started my short walk to the yoga center on 23rd Street. I was surprised when he picked up after 2 rings…

"Bella! I was just about to call you. Sorry I was in Miami, you won't believe how wild the parties I've attended were, sweetie. Did you see my text? I officially quit as your agent." Now I'm really seeing the reason why my dad was skeptical about me coming to New York… You never know the real nature of the people you'll meet here.

For a minute I was stunned speechless. This asshole hasn't been replying to my calls, emails, or texts for at least 2 months and he has the decency to QUIT on ME?

"Oh…" Yeah way to speak your mind Bella!

"Its just not working out with you…. Anyway, gotta meet with my new talent soon. Good luck with your career. I've already sent you my resignation." Click.

I stopped walking and took a deep breath. Maybe my dad was right, he advised me against Laurent a year ago when I moved here to New York. But I was desperate for work and I needed my name out there. I willed the tears not to fall from my eyes.

Rosalie was my saving grace in everything though— We met at a photo studio while getting my professional headshots and have been close since. She's a runway model and currently does shoots for East Coast based fashion houses—I think she mentioned her steady project was with MAW Fashions. Rose introduced me to the casting director of Basic Mandy and I was able to score an audition. An off-Broadway show was miles away from the café gigs and back up singing I did for months before. I was lucky to have found someone like her in this crazy cut-throat city.

I shook Laurent out of my thoughts and out of my system. It was relatively easy as he hasn't been doing his job for almost the whole time I had him as an agent. Can't help but feel so regretful of all this time wasted though.

Sipping my coffee as I continued my walk to the studio, I wondered if I ever really needed him. Don't get me wrong, I was thankful that he took the time to get me roles as an extra in movies shot in New York or that time I was an understudy for a small play in New Jersey. But it wasn't the job I've discussed with him— I wanted musicals. Can't afford getting an agent now so I would just have to wing it.

I've always remembered being on my own anyway. My dad knew nothing about music or acting and my Mom couldn't care less when I got the scholarship at University of Washington. She used to be a music teacher in Port Angeles but got mixed with a bad crowd, got fired, moved to Arizona and married Phil— a minor league baseball player. Its been a couple of years and we've re-established our relationship, texting most days and a call every few weeks. I missed the times where she'd be my singing coach and play the piano accompaniment. I aspire to one day become successful enough on Broadway for her to come see me perform...

Soon I arrived at my destination and have long since finished my coffee. The place was a low rise white building with huge glass windows from the 2nd to the 4th floor.

A large sign 'WHIT CALM YOGA' hung on top of the double door entrance.

I entered the studio— still feeling a bit gloomy— and was surprised to find it homey and rustic instead of the usual modern studios that litter the city. "Welcome to Whit Calm Yoga, I'm Mildred. Are you here for the morning class at 8, dear?" A chirpy raven-haired woman who looked to be on her mid 50's greeted from behind the reception. She was wearing a bomber jacket that had their logo on the front and a huge smile on her face.

"Hi! Yes, I have a pass. My name's Bella" I greeted with a small smile while she gave me a locker card and had me sign some papers since it was my first time here. She was so friendly and accommodating and two more ladies with the bomber jacket greeted me the same way. This place must be a good place to work if they're so happy this morning!

"Here's your card and Yoga+ will be held at studio A on the 3rd floor. Enjoy your Yoga session this morning, dear. Mrs. Whitlock who's one of the owners here will be teaching. You'd be surprised on how she can change your mood." She gave me a knowing smile and a wink. Was my solemn mood that obvious?

I gave the woman a smile and proceeded walk across the room to the women's lockers. I noticed the place had a freestyle area with some weights and a lounge with an assortment of teas. Smiling to myself on how calm the atmosphere here is, I wished the class goes well and I'd make this a regular thing.

After changing out of my shoes and putting on slippers, I headed to the main studio with my Yoga Mat and a small towel. I was wearing a black sports bra and some yoga pants which I had for ages. I settled into a spot by the corner of the room, waiting for class to begin.

There were a couple of people who came before me, but I figured the studio won't be able to accommodate too many visitors. Rosalie mentioned that they only took in about 15 people per class. They had 12 classes a day though which were held across the 4 studios in the building; classes ranged from beginner to more skilled ones. They even had specialised classes and heated sessions as well.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm Alice Whitlock. Everyone settle into their mats and we'll begin with our breathing exercises….."

I focused on the sound of the instructor's voice, a twinkling yet light pitch. The class began and we were guided through a series of standing yoga poses and stretches that were challenging yet

rewarding. For introducing me to this class, I'll bake Rosalie her favorite 'ESME' cupcakes.

We finished off after about an hour and everyone packed up once Alice concluded. I felt energized and calm at the same time. Almost forgetting my agent and I's 'break up'.

Almost…

As I was rolling my mat, I saw Alice come over to my spot with a huge smile on her face and a knowing grin. "You must be Bella Swan! I'm Alice! I have a feeling we'll be best friends! Did you enjoy the class?" Her once calm demure can now be compared to an energizer bunny. She was bouncing with energy and excitement was radiating off her.

"Yeah it was really relaxing. Thanks for that." I replied as I continued rolling my mat. This girl is crazy forward because once I was done talking, she took my hand, my mat (not to mention hers as well) and led me out of the room and to the lounge— she babbled so fast I could only make out some words..

"….So yeah let's go have lunch and then shopping, and then lets meet up with my cousin Ed—"

"Uhhh Alice, I'm sorry but I have a show this afternoon down at the Laura Pels Theater. Some other time ok?" I cut her off not wanting her to make anymore plans that wouldn't follow through… at least for today anyway.

Even though she's really pushy, I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of time with her.

"Oh, my bad! I was just sooo excited to meet you. I had a dream about having morning tea with a gorgeous brunette with a killer bod. Lo and behold its you!" She exclaimed as we settled into one of the lounge chairs.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. First of, I was definitely not gorgeous. I guess in some way I could amount to pretty but never gorgeous or 'stunning'— as Rose would often put it. I had brown hair that came to my waist (which was always up in a pony tail), brown eyes, a petite yet curvy built and a slightly below average height. I guess hours and hours of dance rehearsals helped me have this body but other than that I'm what you call average.

Now, Rose was a different story altogether. She was 5 feet 8 inches of pure hotness. That, blue eyes and blonde hair made a killer combination that all the boys literally drool over. I would never recall the number of times she had rejected someone… or had to kick their asses for being too pushy….

Sitting across Alice didn't seem to help my low self-image one bit. She must've stood at 4 feet 10 inches but what she lacked in height, she made up with the pixie jet black hair and the lean body of a yoga expert. She had green eyes which seemed oddly familiar…

"So Bella, tell me about yourself" She had her eyes on me as she sipped her tea. We talked for some time— I mentioned how I moved to New York last year and how lucky I was that the apartment I lived in came with a full bedroom and bathroom, was in Hell's kitchen and had cheap rent because the old lady who owned the building grew fond of me. She talked non-stop about her husband named Jasper and how he was a psychiatrist and also taught some yoga classes a couple times a week. She owned a fashion house on top of having part ownership of the Yoga studio.

MAW or Mary Alice Whitlock was a start up that made fashion forward athletic wear, casual dress, and evening gowns. She hired Rosalie some months ago and was her in-house model as of the moment. They hit it off and have been friends ever since. I then realized that Alice was the woman Rosalie always goes shopping with (she tries to drag we into it but I always decline because duh I'm me). I guess between Alice and Rosalie, it'll be hard to steer clear their excursions.

And then the topic of my job eventually came….

"Not sure if Rose told you about my small role in theater but I play Agatha in Basic Mandy. I play the shy best friend who never really says anything— but I do get to sing a song so that's a plus. Its ending in 2 weeks and I've yet to receive calls from the auditions I've been going to for the past month. Its hard finding a stable job as a newbie theater actress. That and my good-for-nothing agent quit on me this morning." I started, looking down at my warm cup of jasmine tea. As you may have guessed, I'm a very quiet person, something that baffles a few people when I mention my theater career. It was nice opening up to Alice, she seems like a genuine person.

"You'll figure it out, Bella. You already got a role off-Broadway. You're so nice and stunning, Rose always mentions how dedicated you are as well. Plus, we all have to start somewhere. You could only imagine how much work we had to do to get this studio up and running. Doesn't hurt that my cousin is our financial partner but there's so much competition..."

We continued to talk and next thing you know I've received a message from the director that our daily meeting has been moved to 12 PM from 1 pm— and its already a little past 11 AM!

"Oh shoot! I have to get going. I've had fun in your class, Alice. Thanks for the tea and for cheering me up." I gave her a warm hug. Grandma Swan always reminded me to hug people like you mean it.

"Aww of course, Bella! I'll see you tomorrow for lunch ok? I'll DM you!" Yes, we've already set the next time we'll meet and have added each other on social media. I really liked Alice. She seems to be a breath of fresh air in my depressing world.

I left Whit Calm Yoga and hurriedly walked home to change and get my work bag which contained my dancing shoes, long sleeved leotard, and shorts. I made a quick sandwich for lunch to eat along the way. After arriving at the theater with minutes to spare, I greeted my cast mates and took my seat on stage where we usually gathered.

Our meeting at the theater were just about some mistakes our director noticed from the previous day's show. He mentioned about auditions being made for a musical to be released in a couple of months. They were a lot of people who auditioned but the director (A very peculiar Broadway Veteran by the name of Eleazar), haven't cast the main roles yet. We got the info on where the auditions will be held, and where to download the audition script. Please let this be it!

Rehearsals wrapped up, with Jane Volturi— who stars as Mandy being her usual bitchy self— without much fanfare. Jane was the star of the show but the whole cast and crew hated her guts. She's a Diva and overall bitch. She's the theater actress who literally had to get her Daddy to bribe casting directors for a spot. I'm never one to accuse anybody but I've worked with this person for almost 4 months and she's a real pain in the ass.

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That evening, I made myself chicken parmesan. Mom can't cook to save her life and don't even get me started on Charlie. I pretty much fed myself as a child and did the grocery shopping too.

While I had the chicken baking in the oven, I figured I'd make ESME cupcakes for Rose and some for Alice. I gathered all the ingredients and started measuring. I call them ESME cupcakes because I never want to forget the woman who taught me how to make them. She's a sweet woman who lived next door from Charlie's house in Forks. Esme has always been kind to me from the weekends I've spent at my dad's…. she really treated me like her own, even after her son Edward left for college back when I was 14 years old.

Edward.

Sigh

I could close my eyes and flashback to my younger years like it all happened yesterday.

I can't begin to describe how much I've longed to be able to spend time with him again. For the longest time before that blissful week I spent with him, I thought he hated my guts. He wouldn't talk to me or even look at me. But I was proven wrong once I got to know him better. Edward was sweet and an overall good-natured person.

For the past 10 years of my life he's been a constant thought in my head—the one that kind of pops up at the most random times and places. I never really knew why he became so distant, to me and to everyone really, when he left college. He didn't even say goodbye.

He was gone the day after Jacob came to visit me from La Push. And just when you thought he liked you back.

Hearing Esme and Carlisle say that I missed him by a couple of minutes after I came knocking on their door hurt a lot too. I thought I was going to be sick. In anger maybe? Betrayal? My 14-year-old-self was so confused the I've held a grudge for the rest of the summer.

Though I was hurt by his sudden departure, I eventually made up an excuse that he just had his reasons. Maybe he finally realized that I wasn't worth spending time with so he never bothered sending a note or calling. I tried texting him a couple of times but he never replied. I then found out that he changed his number but I was too shy to ask the Cullens for it.

Thinking about that summer still left a bitter taste in my mouth. I was so young and I thought Edward liked me back. I understood who he was and accepted him just as he accepted me. He treated me like I was a precious Gem and as a young teenager, I loved that.

I've even kept the dancing flower he gave me even after it finally gave out when my mom accidentally spilled her wine on it.

Everyone thought he was a loser, but I honestly never even saw him that way. He starred in my teenage dreams more often than I can count. He had greasy hair but the color compensated that. His eyes, covered by his thick black frames, were the greenest I've ever seen—

It was my favorite part of him. They were so deep and conveyed an emotion I couldn't place at that time.

Esme and Carlisle still invited my dad and I over for dinner as the years passed but when the topic of Edward was brought up, they would look at each other with sad eyes and reply that he was doing good with his Grandpa. I felt a sense of guilt pass between them and I just knew there was more to the story than what meets the eye.

I was startled out of my thoughts by the timer for the chicken. I put a steaming hot chicken parm on a plate and added some salad I prepared earlier. I propped down the couch to watch some Netflix. There's a new movie that came out about a teenager who wrote love letters but kept them in a box. They were then accidentally sent to the 5 people he wrote them to. It was a fun movie and it made me think of my school days not so long ago…

At 14 I entered Port Angeles High, became a cheerleader and joined the choir. I became the president of the drama club after I fell in love with acting. We must've produced a dozen plays at school because I was so engrossed in the whole process. But what really set my dreams in action was when I watched Wicked on tour. I was so amazed by the whole production. I worked a part time job at the library and pinched pennies trying to afford a flight to New York. But Broadway was a dream too out of my reach… or so I thought.

On the summer before my senior year of high school started, Charlie surprised me with a week-long trip to New York City. We saw as much plays and shows (both big and small) as we could during those 7 days. I went home with a new determination and eventually landed myself a scholarship to the University of Washington where I majored in Performing Arts.

College zoomed in faster than I could imagine. I never dated (I don't count going to prom with Tyler as a date), and never really went to parties. I was boring and no one approached me, or I never gave anyone— but my roommate Angela and her boyfriend Ben— the time of day. It must've been all the practice I've done, the singing lessons I've gone to, and the gigs I took to earn extra cash that made time move faster than the speed of lightning.

And now here I am. In New York, longing for a something more..

longing for… Edward…

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THIRD PERSON POV

"Hello. I'm Isabella Swan and I'll be auditioning for the role of Sarah"

The young girl tried her best to convey confidence, but without the arrogance— as some people often mistake for. She had to put her best foot forward now and show them she'll be perfect for the role. And to redeem herself after she almost tripped coming up the stage.

The three judge panel were seemingly bored out of their minds. But once they took a good look at Bella, they sat up and anticipated her performance. They found themselves entranced by her doe-like eyes and soft features, the harsh lights of the stage only reflected the sparkle in her brown eyes even more.

As the young woman started her audition, Eleazar tried to maintain his neutral expression even if was shouting for joy on the inside. After months of finding the perfect actress to play Sarah— A naive young woman who would do anything for the Vampire she loved— they have finally found her. Eleazar couldn't wait to personally interview this lady after the preliminary auditions, and judging from the looks of his colleagues, he was sure they felt the same.

Besides, everyone knew he had a knack for knowing talent when he sees it..

And this Isabella Swan is gonna be a star….

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Author's Note: And thats that! Follow/Favorite and Review please! Will do my best to update soon. Next chapter will be a brief moment shared and more revelations from the past!

Any questions are welcome. Thanks and happy weekend, everyone 3