His Lucky Girl

Chapter 1:

Same town. Same house. New school.

Bella gazed through her bedroom window at the forest. It was just so impossibly green here. After living the last ten years in Arizona where flat, dry, brown scenery was customary it almost felt suffocating to be completely surrounded by trees. It had been years since Bella had been back in Forks, Washington, but she wasn't surprised to see that things hadn't changed all that much.

The same dreary trees lined the neighborhood, the same families inhabited their street, and her father still lived in the same house she was born in. The paint peeling off the siding was the same, the appliances in the kitchen, and even the curtains that hung in Bella's room.

It helped a bit that some things were new like the full size bed occupying the same space her old crib used to sit. A desk replaced the changing table and the bookshelf was now full of Bella's personal favorites instead of nursery rhyme books. There was also an older model truck parked in the driveway that Bella's dad bought for her to drive herself to school.

What should have felt comforting and familiar only increased the anxiety Bella was feeling. She was used to flying under the radar in the huge high school in Phoenix and was dreading being put under the microscope at this new school. Being the center of attention always made Bella uncomfortable and since school had technically started two weeks ago it only made everything worse.

"Bells!"

Startled, Bella grabbed her backpack off the desk by her bedroom door and rushed down the stairs to meet Charlie.

Her father was a stern-looking man. All harsh lines and a gruff demeanor. Dark hair and eyes that mirrored her own, a downturned mouth framed with a mustache, and a tendency towards social awkwardness. He stood by the front door in his uniform waiting for Bella.

"Hey I filled up the tank in your truck. Do you remember the way to the school?"

It was nice how thoughtful Charlie was. To make sure that not only Bella had a vehicle she could drive herself in, but that it was ready for the ten minute drive to the school. She smiled up at him and gave him a one armed hug as she grabbed the keys from the hook by the door.

"Yeah, thanks Dad. What time will you be home? So I know when to start dinner?" Bella shrugged on her jacket with a bit of difficulty over the cast over her left arm as Charlie pulled on his own.

"Don't worry about me. I can just reheat something. I should be home by six, but if I'm gonna be late, I'll call you." He pressed a kiss to the side of Bella's head and shuffled out to the police cruiser by the street.

The drive to the school was short, too short, almost as if the universe was just as anxious as Bella to get today over with. Starting a new school was always nerve wracking, but the combination of the small town, her father being the chief of police, and that the rest of the students have probably been hearing about her arrival for weeks now were amplifying Bella's unease.

Bella managed to avoid the students in the parking lot and walked past an unusually shiny silver Volvo on her way to the office. The secretary, Ms. Cope, was nice enough. She had a packet ready for Bella at the front desk complete with her schedule, a map, and locker information.

Her first class was Trigonometry which was thankfully just the next building over from the office. It wasn't hard to find and since the bell rang right as Bella walked in so most of the students hadn't seen her choose a seat near the back. Her anonymity was short lived though when the curly-haired brunette next to her leaned forward into her personal space.

"OH Hi! You're Isabella Swan! It's just so nice to meet you. You're so much paler than I thought you'd be. I'm Jessica Stanley. I think that we're just going to be like the best of friends by the end of the day. I can help you catch up to speed, we should get together during lunch." Jessica was pretty, with hazel eyes and a wide white smile. She managed her little speech in only one breath and didn't wait for a response before turning her attention to the teacher who was already jumping into the lecture for the day.

Bella let out a deep breath as she watched Mr. Mason write equations on the board.

It was going to be a very long day.

Call me Bella.

Yeah Phoenix is sunny all year round.

I like to read.

Bella, please.

No, I broke my arm over summer.

Thank you, but I don't wear makeup.

I prefer Bella.

I didn't really spend enough time outside to tan.

Phoenix is in Arizona.

There's really no trees there.

Please call me Bella.

It's not that I don't like Isabella, I just prefer Bella.

I can take notes just fine, I'm right handed.

Just Bella, thank you.

By lunch hour Bella was exhausted. It seemed that in every class there were students who wanted to know everything they could think of about her in the short minutes they had. Bella had to clarify that she indeed moved from sunny Arizona, no she wasn't tan, no she didn't need tutoring or help taking notes, and every single person called her Isabella. She was so flustered and overwhelmed that when Jessica locked arms with her and dragged her through the crowd to her lunch table that Bella didn't even bother to argue.

Jessica was chatty. She filled the space with conversation and her thoughts barely left her mouth before she had changed direction. Jessica was happy to spill the gossip to Bella about nearly everyone who walked past. Who was dating, who had recently broken up, who was cool, and who wasn't. It wasn't hard to figure out that Jessica enjoyed talking about other people which was both good and bad in Bella's eyes. On one hand Jessica could tell her more about the student body than anyone else, but on the other hand also couldn't be trusted with any information to be secret.

Bella mostly ignored what Jessica had to say, she didn't know any names and faces together so had no reference for the useless information. Until the last group of students walked through the door.

It was a group of five perfectly pretty students. They sat at a table in the back by the door facing Bella's direction so she had a good view of them. Unlike the rest of the students who were pink-cheeked from the chill, they looked perfectly at ease in the cold. They were all pale and their eyes were dark, but that's where the similarities ended.

"Oh, and there's the Cullens and the Hales." Jessica leaned closer to Bella to whisper behind her hand. "They're like super weird. They were adopted by this young, cute doctor and his wife so they're all like siblings, but some of them are dating."

Bella pulled her gaze from the table to look at Jessica. She raised her eyebrows to encourage Jessica to continue.

"First there's the Hales, Rosalie and Jasper. They're the blond ones. They're seniors and twins. Rosalie is like the prettiest girl on campus, but won't give anyone but Emmett the time of day. And Jasper always looks just so uncomfortable and he's dating Alice. The rest are Cullens. Emmett is a senior too, he's the big guy next to Rosalie. His little sister Alice is in our grade next to Jasper and the guy on the end is Edward. He's crazy hot, but none of the girls here are pretty enough for him"

Bella turned back to watch the other table and put the names with the students. She could clearly see Rosalie and Emmett, they were speaking to one another and he had his arm draped over her shoulders. Jasper did indeed look like he would rather be anywhere else and his hand on the table was his only movement. His hand was held by two of Alice's and his thumb was tracing little circles on her. Edward was leaning back in his chair as he played with the apple on the table. He tilted his head off to the side and Bella could have sworn they locked eyes before he turned back to his siblings.

"Oh."

Bella was struck by how handsome he was. His bronze colored hair was tousled like he often ran his hands through it. He had a strong jaw and features that look sculpted from marble. At this distance Bella couldn't clearly see the color of his eyes, but she assumed they'd be as striking as the rest of his face. The sweater he was wearing was a perfect fit to his form and Bella felt some unfamiliar butterflies invading her stomach.

The bell rang and Bella let one of Jessica's friends, Angela, lead her to the next class on her schedule. They didn't have the same placement classes like her old school and so Bella was being forced to retake Biology. Bella got stopped by a boy in the hall, but she didn't know his name and she got to class just after the bell rang.

The class turned to look at Bella as she approached the teacher. She could feel the blush on her cheeks rise as she pulled out her schedule. Everyone was looking at her, she knew it and she was afraid to look at them and show off her clumsy side. Bella absolutely hated being the center of attention.

"You're in the last row, I've only got one empty seat left." He gestured toward the class before turning back to his desk.

Bella kept her eyes on the floor until she neared the empty seat. When she looked up she locked eyes with her labmate none other than the impossibly handsome Edward Cullen. Her foot caught on something and she stumbled forward, grasping at the table and bringing her face within inches of his. Bella barely had a moment to catch a breath before she saw it.

His dark honey eyes, an absurdly beautiful shade of gold. Replaced immediately with black.

In just the blink of an eye it changed, so quickly Bella wasn't sure if she imagined the gold before. What she didn't imagine was the way his body tensed. Where his arms had been relaxed now they were locked in position and his body was still like a stone. Like the perfect statue she had imagined during lunch. Instead of the bored look he held earlier his face looked angry and strained.

Oh God, he already hates me. No. He's fine. He's not mad. He's fine. He's fine. He's fine.

By the end of the mantra Bella stood beside him to get to her chair. The butterflies now felt like bats and Bella was uncomfortably aware of how close he was to her. She avoided looking at him even though she felt him turn his chair toward her. If she did, she would have seen several emotions quickly pass over his face. Before she could sit Edward was gathering his belongings and rushed himself to the front of the class. He had barely spoken to the teacher before he was gone.

Bella sat dumbstruck.

What on earth just happened?

Bella wandered outside after gym class. Thankfully she was able to sit out today, but was expected to participate tomorrow. As if she didn't get enough bruises on her own without the help of organized sports. With a sigh she trekked through the drizzle to her truck out in the lot. Other students were rushing to keep out of the rain, but it felt good to Bella.

She stopped mid way through the parking lot and lifted her face to the sky. The rain was coming down softly and it dampened all the sounds to a minimum. In that moment Bella felt like her life was put on a brief pause. It didn't matter that her socks were getting wet or that she looked strange to the other students outside. She could practically feel all of the anxiety of the day wash off of her with every drop.

With a deep breath she opened her eyes and continued off to where she had parked. Bella let her eyes wander to the Volvo as she passed, the engine idling so she knew it was occupied, but the windows were so tinted that she couldn't see who was inside.

Once safely strapped into her vehicle Bella sighed. At least the first day was through and hopefully some of the students would spread the word about Bella so by tomorrow she wouldn't be answering the same dozen of questions again. It was probably safe to hang around Jessica since she seemed more than willing to talk and have most of the attention on herself.

It was an uneventful drive home in the constant drizzle. Bella arrived to a dark, empty house and started on the homework she was assigned that day. It was mostly stuff she had touched on in Phoenix and so it wasn't hard to complete.

The silence of the house was almost deafening. It was a vast difference from how Bella lived with her mother. There had always been some music playing throughout the house, whether or not anyone was around to listen to it. Music had been one of Renee's favorite things even though she had never learned to play any of the instruments she acquired.

Renee was a free spirit that didn't really like to be tied down. She was a whirlwind of a mother who constantly changed her mind, her hobbies, and her interests. It was Bella who made sure that bills were paid, appointments were made, and groceries were stocked in the house. She often felt like a parent to her mother, but loved her in spite of that. Renee had always told Bella she was born middle aged and just gained more wisdom every year.

It was Renee who took Bella out to concerts, encouraged her to stay out late, and told her to indulge in all the things children should. At this moment Bella was missing her mother more than anything.

When her mother married Phil last year Bella knew that she wanted them to have time to themselves. It wasn't the reason she chose to spend the last of her high school life with her Dad, but it appeased the questions she was asked. She had promised her mother that she would call, text, and email so that's what she did.

Bella may have sounded a little more excited in the email she sent, but her mother would never know. If Renee thought that Bella was having doubts about living in Washington she would insist that Charlie send her back on the first available flight and that just couldn't happen.

It would be hours before Charlie would be home so Bella set an alarm on her phone and put her headphones in. Hoping to either take a nap or to doze off until it was time to make dinner. She planned on spaghetti since it was the only complete meal she could make with the ingredients in the house. How on earth Charlie survived this long was beyond her. Bella determined that she would be going to the grocery store some time this week to replenish the cabinets and hopefully find something green Charlie would eat.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Neither Bella nor her father were much conversationalists. Charlie browsed the paper while Bella read one of her well-worn books. It was a comfortable silence where they didn't feel required to fill the space with anything. Not that there was much to say about either of their days, at least until Bella's thoughts wandered to Biology class.

Bella chewed her lip in thought before looking over to her dad. "So, you know the Cullens?" She watched his face carefully before she continued. "Some of the kids were talking about them today. I've got Edward in my class." Bella's voice drifted off almost asking a question, but as if it weren't complete.

"What were they saying now? I hate how closed minded the people of this town can be. I thought they were going to be trouble when they moved here too and yet I haven't heard anything but good things about them. They stay out of trouble and apparently do well in school." Charlie huffed. "That Doctor Cullen is a wonder for the hospital and we're so lucky to have him here at all."

Bella nodded quietly as she pushed the food around on her plate. This was the most that she heard her father speak at one time since she'd been here. "So I shouldn't be worried about him or anything?" Charlie looked up at Bella sharply.

"Did he say something to you?"

"No. No, nothing like that. I just got the impression that he didn't like me so much, but he never spoke to me. I didn't even get a chance to introduce myself." Not that he probably didn't already know who I am.

Charlie's gaze softened, but his voice was still hard. "You tell me if any of these boys say or do anything alright? Not that we have a bad bunch, they just get a little rowdy sometimes. I've had to break up a fair amount of parties, but nothing serious."

"Yeah no problem Dad." Bella smiled at him and turned back to her book, showing him that the conversation was over. Charlie didn't seem to be bothered by it and let himself focus on the sport section again.

Bella finished her dinner and cleaned up the kitchen while Charlie settled himself on the couch. The sound of a baseball game drifted through the house as she loaded the dishwasher. The thing was ancient, but still ran alright as long as the door was wedged shut properly. She wandered up to her room and slumped herself down onto her bed.

One day down. Back at it again tomorrow.

Bella got herself ready for bed, but her mind kept drifting to the bronze-haired boy. There was something odd about that family. It wasn't just that they were absurdly beautiful, but they had all been so graceful in their movements. Even Edward who had moved so quickly to leave the classroom had looked like he was gliding across the floor. There was also that thing with his eyes. Bella had been so absolutely sure that they had been such a beautiful gold color before they turned black so completely.

Although she had a feeling, Bella couldn't be completely sure that it was because of her that Edward ditched class.

Just stop thinking about him. It's pointless. Not like you could date him. Or anyone.

She had resigned herself to being alone. It wasn't fair and it wasn't safe for someone else to be involved with her. Some part of Bella also thought that she didn't deserve to be happy and that being alone was penance for the things she had done.

Bella rubbed absentmindedly under the cast on her arm and pushed her guilty thoughts out of her mind. She couldn't wait until she didn't have to wear the thing anymore, but she was the only one who knew that it was just a useless prop.

With a sigh she fell back onto her pillows and rolled over to look out her window. The moon was barely peeking out through the clouds, but with her light on Bella couldn't enjoy it.

Bella glanced over to the light switch by the door with a sad look. She had already used her gift once today, what was the harm in doing so once more?

The light is off.

A soft click and the entire room was thrust into darkness with only a timid glow coming from the window.