I dedicate this chapter to jansails(2 reviews from you! Please stick around, haha!)

Also, this story will not feature ANY new characters. All of the characters in this story will remain characters who were featured or mentioned in the Twilight Books/Movies.

P.S- I was slightly conflicted when writing the end of this chapter, but decided against moving certain events to later chapters, because I feel as though it was essential for moving to more of a plot later on in the story.

So, without further ado, I give you chapter four! And remember, reviews are ALWAYS welcome (unless it's hate. Then, keep that negative shit to yourself)

I spent the rest of the night with Angela, talking with her, pouring over old magazines in her attic and doing math homework, before I managed to tear myself out of her arms and start back home.

Before I left, Angela hugged me again for what seemed like the 20th time. "You have to hang out with me again. There's only, like 4 months until graduation, and I want to spend more time with you before I leave."

I smiled and gave Angela a peck on the cheek. "Yeah, yeah of course!" And then I hugged her, tightly, burying my face in her thick brown hair. "Shit, I'm gonna miss you so much."

She gave me a squeeze. "I'm gonna miss you, too, Bells."

We just stood there for a moment, hugging, before I pulled apart, my mind racing, face flushed with heat, a warning sign that I was about to cry.

Did it really have to be like that? Was it really going to be me staying, then, here, while everyone else moved on. Hasn't my goal all these years been to get out of this town, far away from all of... all of this? For years, I've told myself that one day, I'd leave. Ever since I've known Angela, when we were younger, I told her countless times how we would go to college together, someone far, far away from all of this nothingness.

Empty promises, then?

I couldn't take it anymore, the thought of all those years talking about leaving being nothing more than dreams on my part, the dreams of a silly little girl. Immediately, I break apart from Angela's hand that was gripping mine, and began to walk to my truck. Angela shouts my name. "Bella!"

"I'll call you later, Angela," I said, hopping into my truck and jamming the key in the ignition. I'm trying so hard to blink back tears of pain.

I need a drink. I need a drink, fast.

Once I'm out of Angela's driveway, I quickly make a U-turn and turn down the narrow, winding street, the opposite direction from the usual route I usually take home. But I'm not going home, at least not now, anyways.

I make way over to the other side of town, where I always go to pick up Charlie's booze, and cruise down a dark, dimly lit street.

It's getting late, so around this time of night, you begin to see stragglers- drug addicts, teenagers looking to have a good time- and I'm sure that I look out of place here, because it's a small town where everyone knows where everyone lives, and I'm careful to keep my hair down over my eyes and my windows up to keep anyone from seeing my face. The sheriff's daughter being caught on this side of town wouldn't exactly help my dad's reputation.

After a few more minutes of cruising, I slow down and slowly turn into the sparsely filled lot of a shoddy bar. The windows have pictures of half naked models plastered on them and a few younger-looking people are outside, taking slow dregs from their cigarettes.

I hopped out of my truck and stuffed my hands into my pockets. There's a pudgy bouncer standing outside, but he pays me no mind, instead opting to talk to a thin blond with green eyes. I slipped past them both and into the bar.

It smells like beer. Beer and sweat and there's this nearly overwhelming scent of cigarettes. It's slightly crowded, so I bump into a few people on my way to the bar. A boy with curly brown hair bumps into me and his sweaty palms rub against my thigh. He grinned crookedly. "Sorry there," he said, leaning in. "Hey, do I know you?"

"Nope," I said, and quickly pushed past him, quickly making my way through the crowd to lose him.

Finally, I made it to the bar. A bald man with about twenty tattoos approaches me, smiling. "What do you want?"

I dig around in my pocket for my wallet and lay a five on the bar. "Two beers... please." He raised an eyebrow.

"You sure you allowed to be drinkin', sweetheart?"

I pursed my lips. "I can take my money back if you're gonna be like that."

He shakes his head and takes my five, disappearing behind two double doors before coming back and setting two ice-cold beers down in front of me. "Enjoy."

I pop it open and chug three mouthfuls before I slam it back on the counter, my throat burning, eyes watering. That's vile.

I can understand the appeal though. Well, at least to Charlie. The bitter taste is overshadowed by the fuzzy feeling I get. In the crowd dancing I can see Jessica, dancing with Mike, kissing and grinding on each other. I see a boy in the back, yelling at a girl, shoving her. A trio of men are arguing with each other, screaming and shouting and pushing.

I'm leant back against the counter, enjoying the cool surface against my skin, taking long swig from my beer can, when I feel a hand close over my thigh.

"Funny seeing you here, Bella..."

My eyes shot open and when they do, I'm staring face to face with a boy with green eyes and messy, bronze hair. "Ed... Ed-"

He grabbed the beer can out of my hand and chuckled. "What are you doing here?"

I swallowed, resisting the urge to snatched back my can of beer, and jutted my chin out, trying my hardest to look at least a little sober. "Drinking."

He nods, a smirk still gracing his face. "Here?" He shakes his head, leaning over me. "Expected better from you, little girl."

I flushed. "I am not a child!" I pushed him, but in the process lost my balance. He grabbed my elbow and pulls me up so I'm leaning against him. I can feel the rumbling in his chest as he laughed.

"Shit, I just can't handle you this drunk, Bella," he laughed.

"Let me go!"

"Why, so you can fall flat on your face?" He sat me in a bar stool, still close to me, his warm breath fanning my face. He smelled like cigarettes and burning wood. "I think I like you better like this..."

I could smell the alcohol on him, too, and maybe something sweet, something fruity. His long, nimble fingers ghosted on my thigh and he's staring at me, green eyes twinkling. "Why are you here?"

I looked away. At first, I don't want to tell him, but then I sighed, then looked at him and shrugged. "I'm kind of in the middle of a crisis right now. School... college, really.

He threw his head back and let out a few laugh. "Now you see why I gave up on that a long time ago."

My eyes widened. "You don't go to school?"

He shrugged. "Who needs school when I can have so much more fun here?"

I snorted. "And what fun is that?"

He leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear. "Picking up pretty drunk girls in bars."

I shuddered and I could feel him grinning against my ear. His long fingers gripped my thigh. "You shouldn't be here, Bella..."

This was dangerous, me being here, drunk, with no one to drive me home. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

"You know, Bella, I can be a very good distraction during the worst of times," Edward purred.

I pushed myself onto my feet, gripping the edge of the car to balance myself. "I'm fine. I just need to go home, that's all."

He snorted, grabbing my arm. "You're drunk."

I pulled my arm back, shoving him. "I am fine."

I pushed past bystanders, Edward following close on my heels. I made my way outside, into parking lot, where I could see Jessica and Mike stumbling towards Tyler's van, Tyler leaning against it, lighting a cigarette.

"Bella... Bella calm down-"

"Leave me alone!" I shouted. Immediately, Jessica's attention shifts from Mike's neck to me, but I'm too drunk to attempt to hide myself.

Edward grabbed me, roughly pulling me back so I was pressed against the building. "Are you crazy?"

I tried to knee him in the groin but he kicked my leg back down. He shook his head. "Where are your keys?" I remained defiant and he let out an indignant growl. He reached into my pockets and I struggled. Finally, he pulled out the rusted keys to my truck and his eyes scanned the parking lot. "Which car?" I didn't answer.

"I don't need you to drive-"

Edward squeezed my arm, gritting his teeth. "Unless you wanna end up being a permanent mark on the fucking street, I suggest you point out which car it is to me."

I bit my lip, angry, then gestured towards the old, beat up pickup in the lot.

Edward dragged me to my car ad Jessica's eyes followed me, and eventually Mike and Tyler were looking at me, too.

Edward opened the passenger door first and slid me inside. Then, he climbed in the driver's seat. "Wow. This is... shitty."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, whatever."

Edward chuckled, then pulled out of the parking lot. I leaned back in my seat and snuggled down into the worn leather, curling up into a ball, my eyes drooping.

"You'll have to tell me wear you live, Bella," Edward said.

So for the next 15 minutes or so, he weaved through traffic as I walked him through the different roads and exits to take so we could get back into Forks. Through my haze of drunkenness, I stared at his face, from his thick, dark eyebrows, to his full lips and sharp jaw. I looked at his fingers, long and nimble, gripping the steering wheel. And I just loved to stare at the mess that was his hair and the way he would get frustrated and push it out of his face.

Beautiful.

But you could still see the deep circles underneath his eyes from years of drug abuse, and the lack of color in his skin.

"You just gonna stare at me or are you gonna say something?"

I stayed quiet, too tired to shoot back at him with a smart remark, and rested my head against the cool glass of my window.

"I know what it's like," Edward said quietly. "Having to give up so much for people, losing people." He turned towards me for a moment. "It's not worth it?"

I shook my head. He sighed. "Why do you even bother?"

I turned to him. "What?"

He snorted. "Caring about people?"

I don't answer.

So, we ride in silence, occasionally stopping at a red light, moving through winding streets, before Edward pulls a few blocks down the street from my house. "Home sweet home, Bella."

"How are you gonna get home?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Friends. I could always call a cab if they bail on me."

We sat there and raindrops began dotting my windshield. I watched Edward run his fingers through his hair and his tongue shoot out to moisten his lips. His eyes flickered towards me and a crooked smirk graced his face. "What?"

Then, without thinking, I lean in, pecking him on the mouth once, pulling back, my face hot and red. I'm surprised by my actions, and I'm sure Edward is, too. "I-I'm sorry. I was trying to say thank-"

He cuts me off, leaning in too fast for me to register, and gently presses his lips against mine, a hand reaching up to brush stray strands of hair from my face. His fingers are cool and rough, but his movements are slow, gentle, and when he pulls away, he's grinning, eyes lidded.

"You're welcome."

The rain is falling harder by now, and, after just sitting in my seat, staring, still drowsy from the alcohol in my system, I smiled.

He sat back in his seat, closing his eyes. "You and me Bella... you..." he shook his head. "I'll see you around, strange girl."

Then, he zips up his hoodie and hops out of the driver side, disappearing down the block into a slowly growing mist.

After watching him disappear, I managed to get my truck into my garage without crashing into anything, and tried my best to find my way to my room, stumbling slightly, trying to swallow down all of the alcohol that was trying to make its way back up.

After finding my room and flopping down onto the bed, I listened to the light snoring of Renee and Charlie and the room next to mine, my lips still burning from where Edward had pressed his lips against mine.

See you around, strange girl...

I dreamt for the first time in months, all about him.

All about Edward.

As I said before, I was slightly unsure about having both Bella and Edward kiss in this chapter, but decided to keep it in and not wait until later chapters. Anyways, now I can REALLY start getting this show on the road.

So, don't forget to review, because reading your reviews gets me all happy inside. (Also, sorry about the length of the chapter, kind of wanted to split it uo, kind of didn't).

And to all of you who DID review, I really appreciate it. Like, ALOT. So keep reviewing and give me as much constructive criticism, haha.

Until next time, guys!

- Fajitafeminist