AN: Thank you for reading my story! First thing to adresse; Here at the start of the story POV will change quite at bit between different characters, to get a better understanding of how the last few years have been. Later on it will mostly be from Bella and Edwards POV. Secondly; I'm not american, so my understanding of how college is set up i mostly from what I read, or see on TV etc. Therefor there may be things that are not 100% correct lol. Okay, now back to the story

Bella POV

I stalked down the corridor and out of the exit, with Amber by my side. I spotted a bench set away from the crowded entrance, slung my bag over the table and sat down, laying my forehead on the table. I was tired, hungover and embarrassed, both from last night and from the lesson.

"I can't believe I was late for our first class of this semester! Mr. Jenson already can't stand me," I groaned.

"I told you a back-to-school party the day before classes were to start, was a bad idea," Amber said glaring at me. Amber was one of my good friends and hall mates. She was very serious about her academic studies, as she wanted to become a psychiatrist. Not that I wasn't also invested in my academic performance, but I seriously needed my breaks from the constant studying, that was college. I had never been much of a party-goer before, but after I started drinking in my freshman year, I got out alot more. I just found social events easier to be at when inebriated. But mornings like these, made me seriously reconsider my drinking habits. I grabbed my bag, and dug out a couple of painkillers. They couldn't help with the nausea, but were usually pretty good at alleviating my headaches.

"Do you have anything to drink with these," I said, indicating the painkillers.

"No, but I was going to go get a coffee from the cafeteria. You want one too?" Amber said standing up.

"Yes, please! You are my angel Amber," I said smiling gratefully at my friend. She just chuckled and walked away. I dug out earphones and an MP3 player from my flannel's pocket, put on my favorite Nirvana album and leaned back on the bench, hoping to get a quick power-nap before our next lesson. I had started listening to music again these last two years in college. The trick was to not listen to anything about love or anything that he used to listen to. So rock music from the last couple of decades was safe, and I had grown to really love it.

Alice POV

I spotted Jasper and Emmett leaning against the wall by a tree, and ran towards them in my excitement.

"Where is she?! Have you talked to her? How is she?" I almost yelled when I came up beside them.

"Sshh love, relax," Jasper said calmly putting his arm around me. "We haven't spoken to her yet, we wanted to talk to you and Rosalie first."

"Well, where is Rose then? Did you call her?" I asked just as I spotted Rosalie walking towards us.

"So, why did you feel the need to meet another place, then we agreed upon?" said Rose, taking Emmett's hand.

"It's Bella! She's here in New York, in our anthropology class," Emmett said excitedly, as Rose's face grew annoyed.

"What?! Why didn't you tell us before we came here, Alice?" Rosalie said angrily.

"I didn't know! I haven't had any visions of Bella since we left Forks. You know I promised Edward I wouldn't," I said defensively. I saw a few glimpses of Bella the first few months after we had left, but nothing concrete, and not even the slightest glimpse these last two and a half years. I wasn't attuned to her and her decisions anymore, and hadn't been in a while. I had lately thought about her more and more. I severely regretted going along with Edward's plan three years ago. He was barely living and functioning as a person anymore, and it was not getting better. Maybe this was a sign for him to go back to Bella. But if she was happy and content, I doubted that Edward would ever contact her again.

"Where is she, anyway?" I asked, trying to pick up her scent, but it was intermingled with so many other humans it was hard picking up on.

"She's sitting over there, napping..?" Jasper said and pointed to a girl at the other side of the courtyard. She was sitting with closed eyes and earphones on, alone at a bench set. I could feel a tug in my stomach seeing my old best friend. I wanted so bad to run to and hug her, but I stayed put, looking her over. Mostly she looked like herself, same pale face, same long brown, but she looked tired and thinner than the last time i saw her. She was wearing black jeans, torn at the knees, a turtleneck and a flannel over it, as a jacket. Her hair was an absolute mess, sticking out from every direction, as if it hadn't even been brushed, and black eyeliner was smushed around her eyes, making her look even more tired.

"She looks exhausted," I said worriedly.

Emmett chuckled and said "Yeah, she was also late for class. Apparently she went home with a guy last night, after a few too many beers, and overslept this morning."

"Really? That doesn't sound like our Bella," I said, widening my eyes.

Rosalie huffed, "There is no our Bella. We haven't seen her in years, maybe she is used to sleeping around."

At that moment a couple of other college students joined Bella at the table, and put a cup of coffee in front of her. She took it gratefully and flushed down a couple of pills, before removing her earphones.

"I heard you didn't make it home last night, Bells. Was it someone we know you stayed at?" the boy at the table said, chuckling and poking Bella's side.

"No, I don't think so, he graduated college some time ago. You know I don't see college aged guys anymore," Bella said blushing and fished out a packet of cigarettes, before lighting one.

"Yeah, after Bella here ended up in a group assignment with someone, she couldn't remember having slept with a few months earlier," the blonde girl said teasing.

"Uhh, don't remind me," Bella groaned around her cigarette. "I have very purposely blocked that incident, but you keep bringing it up."

"I just think it's impressive that you didn't realize who he was for weeks, until he asked you if you wanted another hookup, to celebrate just having turned in your group assignment," the blond chuckled and the guy with them roared with laughter.

"Only you could get into those kinds of situations, Bells," the guy said grinning, while slipping a cigarette out of Bella's pack and lighting it.

"Oh, shut up Cody, or that will be the last smoke you will ever get from me," Bella said, slapping the guy next to her on the shoulder.

"Hey hey, easy now tiger, or you won't get your gift," Cody teased, and started rummaging through his bag.

"Gift? What gift? Why would you get me a gift?" Bella said, sounding confused.

"Well, because it's your birthday this month and you really need to change your shirt. You stink of bar and sex," Cody laughed, throwing a piece of clothing at Bella. "I didn't wrap it, since I know by now that annoys you."

Jasper looked guilty besides me, at that piece of information. I squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile, before turning my attention back to Bella and her friends.

Bella looked as annoyed, as she had those years earlier, by the thought of a gift, before unfolding the shirt and smiling. It was a large, band t-shirt with the Red Hot Chili Peppers logo on the front.

"Okay, this is a pretty awesome shirt! Thank you," Bella said, giving the boy next to her a sideways hug. Cody looked lovingly down at Bella and said, "I'm glad you like it! I would have given it to you sometime next week, but thought you could use something clean now."

"Eh yeah, I think I'll wait with putting it on until I have a clean shirt to wear under it," Bella said looking down slightly uncomfortable. The blond girl reached over the table and took Bella's hand, and said, "No one except for you notices your scars, Bells. You don't have to always cover your chest and neck."

"That's not true, Amber! People always stare and ask about them… I just don't want to deal with it," Bella said quietly.

"I get that, but hiding them is not going to make them go away. Best to get it over with, as soon as possible. They are a lot less prominent than they were a couple of years ago," Amber said gently.

"And isn't it better that people see them before you are naked in their bed?" Cody said, winking.

"Fine! Fine, I get it. Just, cover me while I change," Bella said, taking off her flannel and turtleneck, before pulling the new t-shirt over her head.

"Happy?" grumbled Bella, grabbing another cigarette and taking a sip of her coffee.

I gasped looking at Bella, and felt the others' shock besides me too. Going from her neck and down her chest were, what looked like, reddish claw marks from a large animal. But those scars weren't what had made us freeze up.

"Is that..?" Rosalie said, her eyes bulging.

At the top of Bella's neck was an oval scar that shimmered slightly in the sun.

"It can't be!" exclaimed Emmett loudly drawing stares from the courtyard.

"Oh, but it is," Jasper said quietly. "My question is how?"