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Fighter: A Twilight Saga Fanfiction

Preface

Love. A simple word with numerous meanings.

I've heard plenty of folks say "I love you" to each other or something similar to that effect. But what exactly does that look and feel like? Everyone, whether intentionally or unintentionally, has said or done something that has hurt someone they profess to love at some point in their lives. Those that claim otherwise are clearly lying.

Is it okay to cause harm to someone you claim to love? For the longest time, I thought such behavior was acceptable. Both my ex-boyfriend and I did. But it's not okay. Absolutely not. There is a term for this, and it is called abuse. Teen dating violence or domestic violence are other terms for this.

Abuse, whether sexual, physical, emotional, or mental, is more widespread than you may believe. Abuse occurs across all races, faiths, and age groups. Domestic violence occurs in both heterosexual and same-sex couples. One of the most popular misunderstandings about abuse is that it is simple for a victim to leave their abuser, so if he or she does stay, it implies that he or she enjoys the violence or is misrepresenting how awful it is.

That is simply not the case.

Here is the harsh truth. Many victims are unable to leave abusive relationships due to fear, a lack of safe options, and an inability to sustain economically. Threats of harm, including death, to the victim and/or loved ones (including children), keep many abused women and men in abusive relationships. The most hazardous period for a victim is when he or she attempts to leave the relationship or when the abuser learns of his or her plans to leave.

Take, for example, Amy Carnevale, a fourteen-year-old girl who was murdered by her sixteen-year-old ex-boyfriend in 1991. Those who knew her described Amy as sweet, kind, thoughtful, with an upbeat and positive attitude and the ability to see goodness in every person she encountered.

She was a pretty and friendly cheerleader that fell hard and quick for Jamie Fuller, the bad boy jock at their high school. According to eyewitnesses, their turbulent relationship was passionate and intense, but toxic. Jamie was frequently spotted violently grabbing Amy's arm or blocking her way when she attempted to escape. Friends of the couple heard Jamie make threats against Amy's life in the days leading up to her death. They heard but ignored them as spur of the moment remarks. Despite having witnessed what Jamie was capable of, they didn't believe him.

Does this sound familiar? It ought to.

According to statistics, one in every three young people has a friend or peer who has been physically assaulted in their relationship. 62% of youth aged eleven to fourteen who have been in a relationship report knowing friends who have been verbally abused. One in every three homicides in girls aged eleven to eighteen are committed by an intimate partner.

Now I'll answer my own question. What does love actually look and feel like?

First and foremost, love is open. Love should not be used to dictate to another person the laws of their behavior. Love does not need people to shrink in order to help others feel more at ease. Second, love is just. It is not possible to trade love. Love does not bargain or set boundaries. No one who truly loves you would wish to control your behavior, what you can and cannot have, and what you should and should not do to make someone else feel good. And lastly, being in love does not require you to give up your hobbies, friends, passions, or individual tastes in life.

Love should not be about giving things up; rather, it should be about further improving yourself and your life. Love should inspire each individual to become more and more of who they already are.

This took some time for me to figure out. Here's another thing. My parents set an example of love for me, even if I was too obstinate to admit it at the time. They kept a situation that was already dire from becoming worse by sending me away to live with my uncle out of state.

If I hadn't gone to Forks, I could have easily become another statistic.

I know this preface is a lot longer than Bella's in the canon Twilight books, and it does focus on heavy subject matter. True to my word, I wanted to be as accurate and emphatic as possible when speaking about this through the voice of my OC. This was done deliberately to show the difference between Alanis and Bella.

Please, don't be afraid to share what you think in the comment section.