Edward? She questioned him in her mind before the thought could reach her lips. She blinked, and just as soon as he appeared, he had vanished. Bella arose hastily yet cautiously. Maybe I should consider therapy, she wondered, pondering if her sudden arrival at Forks had triggered a long-dormant mental illness. Slowly, she rose, her feet clumsily stumbling over one another as the pain in her outer thighs stung. Was it all a daydream? It had to be, she reasoned. There was no other logical explanation. It had to be the stress. Bella breathed a sigh of relief, unknowingly mitigating much of the anxiety she was keeping within.
Flopping onto her bed, the confusion and anxiety that someone had seen her at her most vulnerable subsided. He wasn't in here, she reasoned. How could he be? People aren't ghosts, they can't vanish like apparitions and appear at will. Bella winced as her toes dug into the sheet of her mattress, feeling a tinge of pain at her thigh, which before gave her relief. Shame began to fill her. She had given into the temporary distraction self-mutilation had given her and was left with what would soon be ugly scars that proved her weakness. Bella groaned in disgust and disappointment. She never wanted to hurt herself, but she felt as if she had no other choice. Every day, she promised she wouldn't do it again, but like the predictability of the sun rising, she always relinquished.
Tears began to well in her eyes and stream down her cheeks. Ironically the shame she felt made her feel the need to hurt herself again. She might have if she hadn't been interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and slamming shut. "Bella!" Charlie's deep voice called to her. "Here," Bella managed to croak out just loud enough that Charlie could understand her. Bella sat up in bed, slowly wiping away her tears from her flushed face and fixing her hair in a manner that she deemed presentable. She got up, found sweats that were large enough to where the fabric wouldn't irritate her raw skin, and made her way downstairs to greet Charlie. Part of her felt grateful, as the interaction with her father was a temporary means of distraction from her inner turmoil. A larger part was nervous that she would reveal how delicate her emotional state was. Renee had never noticed Bella's issues, but Charlie was another story.
As soon as Bella opened her bedroom door, she began her performance. All she had to do was cosplay as a regular teenage girl until after dinner, then she could retreat to her room to her misery. "Charlie," Bella greeted him as she went down the last few steps, smiling as earnestly as she could manage without it looking too cartoony. "Bella," Charlie said her name with a grin, "how was your day?" "Great," she lied. Unfortunately a secret as shameful as Bella's lying had to become an integral part of her life. "Sorry about not having dinner ready," she said honestly. Bella had intended to have at least started dinner before her father's arrival. "Oh no no," Charlie shrugged off Bella's concern with a chuckle and hand wave. "It's your first day. Don't worry about dinner. Hey, why don't you and me go get a bite? The diner downtown has a cherry cobbler that will blow your mind," exclaimed Charlie excitedly. Bella smiled, she loved how simple Charlie was. Something as uncomplicated as a good cherry cobbler could make his day. If only she were as easy to satisfy. "Sure Dad" she uttered. Charlie beamed, it was a rarity for Bella to call her father by anything other than his first name, but his sweet nature had struck Bella with affection she knew she had to reciprocate. She did feel better now that she was with Charlie in all honesty. "But you're buying," Bella said jokingly.
Dinner at the diner went well. For the first time in a long time, Bella hadn't thought about her insecurities or struggles and simply enjoyed the moment with her father. "There she is," Charlie exclaimed as the waitress brought out two pieces of the best-alleged cobbler in the state. "Officer," the waitress acknowledged him with a nod before placing both dishes in front of them and promptly leaving. Charlie smiled and just before he dug in, their dessert was interrupted by the voice of a familiar young man. "Bella!" The pimply teenager exclaimed in surprise. "Mike! Bella responded in shock. She had never been approached by another peer outside of school unless for malicious purposes, but Mike looked genuinely happy to see her. "W-Whats up?" Bella stuttered. She was unsure how social interactions outside of school were supposed to go but she was curious as to why Mike wanted to speak with her. "Oh nothing", Mike replied, flushed. He lowered his eyes from hers to stare at the tiled floor in embarrassment. Bella wondered if he felt shame about appearing so excited to see her. "It's just I was thinking of you!" Mike started before quickly stammering. "N-not like in a weird way or whatever but it's just that my parents have this shop and they're looking for some new hires. They've pretty much exhausted every option in town and I just thought because you're like new you might. You might... well..." He trailed off. "Well, that's a great idea!" Charlie boomed excitedly. "She would love to!"