So, this is my first attempt at FanFiction... Let's see if anyone likes it!
I will update as often as possible, but I do teach high school and we don't get out until June 23rd then I'm going away to Germany and Greece for a couple weeks. On top of that, I'm taking classes towards my masters, so I'll be a little busy until mid-July. After that I plan to write non-stop! lol
Also, I will try to put links up on my profile for Bella's outfits, cause I like to play with clothes!
Summary: Edward isn't interested in the girls of Forks; they are two-dimensional, only caring about popularity and themselves. He is looking for someone with substance. Bella, a well traveled, intelligent girl, wise beyond her years, moves to town with Charlie. What starts out as a great friendship could lead to lifelong happiness. Slightly OOC, AH, AU, Cannon Couples, M for future chapters.
Chapter 1 – Bella's Arrival
BPOV
So, the summer before my senior year in high school had to be the best by far. I know Renee and Phil were trying to spend a little more time with me before I got shipped off to live in Forks, Washington with my father, Charlie, but when you're in Paris, France, who would really want to hang out with their parents?
Phil had recently been offered a position with the Philadelphia Phillies as their first base coach, and Renee would be traveling with him and the team. I know she's going to have a blast and I don't want to hold her back, so I understand them wanting me to live with Charlie. There was no way I was going to stay in Phoenix by myself. There were a few things I was going to need to give up, though. One of them being my friends. My school is by no means small, but I knew almost everyone there. I like to think that I'm not limited to one certain clique, but that I can travel through all social circles. I got along with everyone and everyone got along with me. I was going to miss that. I was going to be the 'new girl' at a super tiny school in the middle of nowhere.
That's another thing that bothers me: a super tiny school in the middle of nowhere. In Phoenix I had attended a very prestigious private school where I was enrolled in all honors classes. What is this new school going to have to offer me? We shall see.
Anyway, I had just boarded my flight from Paris to Seattle, Washington alone. Mom and Phil would be catching another flight straight to Philadelphia. As I sat back and relaxed into my first class seat, I started to remember what a great time I'd had. Breakfast with Renee and Phil at the hotel each morning, a different museum each day, all the notable attractions. And don't let me forget the attractive men.
I met Tristan at the entrance to the Louvre. He walked around with me all afternoon sharing his knowledge of the paintings and sculptures. He was attending University as an art major. And he was gorgeous; tall, dark skin, dark hair, bright eyes. He took me to diner after the museum and we walked the streets of Paris until it got late. When he walked me back to my hotel, he asked if he could see me again. I met up with him a few more times throughout the summer. He showed me all the unknown galleries and hidden secrets.
I met Adrien while wandering around the Arc De Triumph. He turned out to be an architecture major. He showed me all the amazing structures around the city. He took me to Notre Dame and showed me the different arches and columns and explained the history behind them. He was smart and confident, which was a major turn on.
I met Julien at La Tour Eiffel. I had made the journey to the top and was looking out in the direction of Arizona, when he approached me. He was my favorite of the three. I spent more time with him than the other two. He took me to lunch at all the cute little street corner cafés, and to dinner at fancy restaurants, and to different shows in the evening. It was a dream. And of the three of them, he was definitely the best kisser. He was soft, and sweet, and he held me close, cupping my cheek. I could spend the entire eighteen hour flight thinking about his kisses and remembering the feeling of them. I made sure to exchange contact info with Julien before we said our last goodbye. We planned to stay in contact with each other through e-mail and text.
My arrival in Seattle was uneventful. I grabbed my bags from the turnstile, and met Charlie out front. The ride back to Forks was quiet. Charlie had asked me if I enjoyed myself in Paris and how my flight was, but I was so exhausted from the trip that I slept most of the way home.
When we arrived at the house, it was just as I had remembered it. Nothing much changes around here. Sometimes thats a good thing; no surprises. Other times, it gets extremely boring. Charlie helped me bring my bags upstairs to my old room. I noticed that Charlie had gone ahead and unpacked for me. We had shipped a few things up before we left for Paris. Charlie had set up my queen size bed, and had put my collection of books up on the shelves. I'd have to go through them later and put them in order. I noticed, on my desk sat the MacBook Air Phil had purchased for me before we left along with my iHome docking station. I immediately pulled out my iPhone and docked it to charge. If you hadn't noticed, I love Apple with a passion. I think Phil actually bought stock in the company.
"So, Bella, I'll leave you to get settled. I'm sure you're still tired from the flight. If you're hungry, you know where the kitchen is." Charlie said as he slowly made his way out of my room.
"Thanks, Dad. I think I might just catch up on some sleep, but I'll talk to you in the morning." I said with a slight yawn.
"Sure thing, Bells." Charlie moved to leave and then turned back. "Bella, I forgot to mention that your car arrived safely. It looks kinda fancy for this area, so I parked it in the garage to keep it out of the elements."
"Thank you. I really appreciate that." And I did! If you thought I loved Apple, you won't believe the amount of love I've got for my car. Phil wanted to butter me up when he first married my mom. He bought me this unbelievably beautiful piece of machinery. I am the proud owner of a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti 6-speed. She's a beauty. Dark blue metallic paint job, though they have some fancy name for it called 'Blu Tour De France,' and the interior is light gray leather they like to call 'Grigio Scuro,' whatever that means. Phil thought of every detail even down to the yellow calipers to match. That car is my baby.
"Well, sleep good. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."
"Thanks, Dad. For everything."
Charlie made his way downstairs as I closed the door to my room. I made myself busy, quickly unpacking and separating my clothes into clean and needs-to-be-washed. I made sure to get a quick shower before I got comfortable in bed. The mattress was perfectly comfortable and I loved the feel of the purple silk sheets on my legs. I curled up on my side, pulling the warm comforter around me and fell into a peaceful sleep full of Paris memories.
I had been in Forks for about a week now, and had spent most of my time in my room or relaxing in the backyard with a book. Renee had e-mailed me every day looking for an update. What could I tell her? I did nothing... again. Julien had also sent me an e-mail telling me about the classes he would be taking in the fall. He expressed how dull and lifeless Paris felt without me. What a charmer! Paris could never be dull or lifeless or a combination of the two. He asked me to keep in touch and let him know what my new life is like. I responded to both Renee and Julien; Renee's message being short and sweet, telling her that I'm happy and everything is wonderful; Julien's message being a little more truthful in my analysis of small town life. In Phoenix I had become accustomed to a full social calendar, and while I didn't mind the extra time I had to devote to my books, I did miss having people to talk to.
It was a Friday afternoon when Charlie informed me that his friend Billy would be coming over to watch the Mariners game that night, and his son Jacob would be joining him. I was excited for the social interaction, and even more excited that there would actually be someone my age to converse with. After a quick inspection of the refrigerator, I decided that I would need to go grocery shopping for something to make for the game tonight. I informed Charlie that I was heading out the the store, asking him if he needed anything while I was there.
As I navigated the streets of Forks, I realized just how much I missed driving my baby. Shifting gears, listening to her purr, feeling the tight curves of the road. She was sex on wheels; sleek, and fast, and just perfection. I arrived at the grocery store much too soon and had to leave her for about an hour to take care of the shopping.
I meandered through the aisles up and back, picking up random items that I knew I liked. I stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables, all my necessary toiletries, snack foods for the guys to munch on during the game, and other random items I would need to make dinner for the rest of the week. When I finally approached the checkout, I noticed it was just as deserted as the rest of the store. There were two girls manning the registers. One with curly brown hair, and the other with poker straight blond hair. They both gave me welcoming smiles as I entered the brunette's lane. I smiled back politely and began to empty the contents of my cart onto the conveyor belt.
"You must be new around here." The brunette spoke as she began scanning each item. "I would have remembered you." The blond wondered over the the end of the belt and began bagging my groceries.
"Yeah, I just moved here about a week ago. I'm Bella, by the way."
"Cool, cool. I'm Jessica," said the brunette, "and this is Lauren." She motioned to the blond at the end of the counter. "So," she continued. "Do you, like, have any brothers or sisters?" She asked with a sly smile.
"Um, no. Only child. I just moved in with my dad, Charlie Swan." I hedged, wanting to see how much they had already heard. It was a small town, I'm sure news travels pretty fast around here.
Recognition swept over their faces. I knew it. "Oh! Yeah! My mom told me you were moving here." Lauren said. "Chief Swan said you were on vacation in Paris?"
"No way! Paris? That must have been so cool!" Jessica added.
"It was fuckin' amazing." I reminisced, thinking of Julien.
"Looks like someone saw more than a few of the famous sites." Lauren stated suggestively as I blushed.
"Maybe a few. Nothing permanent, they were all a bit older. I'm keeping in touch with one. He's so insightful. Told me I could talk to him about anything." I said, knowing I had that dreamy lilt in my voice as a smile spread across my face.
"How romantic." Jessica swooned. "I'll never meet anyone like that around here." She pouted.
"There are some promising ones." Lauren corrected. "They just need to open their eyes and see what's around them." She added cryptically.
"So, anyway, Bella," Jessica returned her attention to me. "What are you doing next weekend? We're getting together with some friends to spend the afternoon at the park, and since you're new here, you should come out with us and meet our friends! That way, when school starts next month you'll already know a few people!"
She sounded so genuine and excited that I had a hard time saying no, so we traded contact information and I agreed to meet them and their friends in the parking lot of the local outdoor outfitter store just down the street from the grocery store.
After I paid, I made my way out to my car again, and carefully packed the groceries in the trunk. Thank god it has one, don't know where I would have put them otherwise! After the car was packed, I headed back to Charlie's house to start on the buffalo wings.
Billy and Jacob showed up at the house around seven, just in time for the game to start. After quick introductions, we gathered in the family room and I brought out all the food, placing it on the coffee table, buffet style.
"So, Bella, you're going to be a senior this year, right?" Billy asked after filling his plate with wings and chips.
"Yep." I answered cheerfully. "What about you, Jacob? What year are you in?" I asked glancing over at the large boy sitting on the love seat.
"I'll be a sophomore this year." He stated with a grin.
"Awesome! Maybe we can carpool or something!" I offered.
"Oh, I don't go to Forks High." Jacob said, sounding a little down. "I go to school on the reservation."
As the game started, Billy and Charlie became engrossed in the television, ignoring the Jacob and I. I was watching the game, while chatting with Jacob. He was a little young, but seemed like a nice enough kid.
During the seventh inning stretch, I wondered into the kitchen to get another beer for Charlie and Billy and to refill mine and Jacobs drinks. Jacob followed me out with some dishes, placing them in the sink.
"If you're not busy next weekend, I got invited to the park with some girls I met." I offered to Jacob. It would be nice to show up with someone I know rather than be all alone with a group of strangers.
"I'd love to, but I can't. I'll be on that over-night fishing weekend with Charlie and my dad." Jacob confessed.
"Awesome! Throw me to the wolves with no protection!" I teased my newest friend.
"They can't be that bad." Jacob began. "Who did you meet?"
"Jessica and Lauren at the grocery store. They didn't mention their friends names, only that they were going as a group."
Jacob scrunched his nose in slight disgust. "Those two are a pair. Watch out for them. They'll be sweet as pie to your face, then turn around and tell all your dirty little secrets to anyone who'll listen." He warned.
"Got it. Don't tell them my secrets. Check."
"They'll probably be with their normal crowd." He continued. "There's another girl, she's nice, and her boyfriend is trustworthy. Watch the other ones."
"Okay... That's gonna be an interesting afternoon." I mused.
Jacob and I made our way back to the game and after the Mariners won 8-2, he and Billy headed out. We said goodnight and I promised to get together with Jacob before school was back in session. Charlie helped me wrap up all the leftover food and clean up the family room before heading up to bed.
The weekend came quickly again. With Charlie at work all day, I found it easy being by myself. I spent my time cleaning, reading, listening to music, and occasionally surfing the Internet. Charlie had procured me the list of summer reading so that I could get ahead before the start of school. I had already read most of the books on the list, so I skimmed through them to brush-up on key ideas. As for the one's I hadn't read yet, I was going to head into Port Angeles some time next week to pick them up.
I woke up Saturday morning to see some rare rays of sun streaming through my window. I was going to hang out with Jessica and Lauren today, and I wanted to make a good impression on their friends. I pulled out a pair of Seven jeans, pulled out one of the new Mariners t-shirts I had picked up with Ichiro's name on the back, and my old pair of red chucks. It was suitable for an outing at the park, right? Comfortable, supports the local team, and I looked cute on the rare chance that Jessica and Lauren's friends were cute. No shorts for me. My legs were white as snow, and I didn't need to be blinding anyone.
We were meeting at eleven o'clock, and it was almost ten-thirty by the time I was dressed and ready to go. Charlie had left before dawn to meet Billy and Jacob, so I had put in a couple loads of laundry since he wasn't around. I grabbed the last load out of the dryer and took it up to my room, dumping it on my bed to sort through it later.
I locked up the house, and got into my car. I took my time plugging in my iPhone and deciding which playlist I wanted to listen to. I didn't want to show up too early. I was hoping at least one of the girls would be there when I arrived so I wouldn't be surrounded by people I didn't know.
I finally made my way out of the driveway, and drove down the main road towards the store. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that Jessica and Lauren were both there. Thank God! They were standing with another girl and two other guys. All five of them turned to look as I parked my car in a space across from them. One of the boys, a shaggy blond, was staring with his mouth hanging open. My baby has that effect on people. That's why I love you, I thought, stroking the steering wheel.
As I stepped out of the car, Jessica and Lauren both waved me over.
Lauren spoke as soon as I approached. "I didn't even recognize you! That's one hot car!"
"What is it?" Jessica asked.
I smiled as the blond boy answered for me. "It's a Ferrari." He said with reverence.
"That's right." I smiled at him. He was kinda cute in that baby face kind of way.
He extended his hand to me. "I'm Mike." He introduced himself.
"Bella," I said meeting his hand with mine.
"This is Angela and Ben." He said, gesturing to the other two standing with Jessica and Lauren.
They both offered a wave and Angela smiled.
"We're just waiting for the last two more, then we'll head out." Lauren said as another car pulled into the lot.
"Here they are now." Jessica said brightly as an old blue minivan pulled up next to us. I guess Charlie was right, my car is a bit fancy for this area. That should be fun on the first day of school!
The other two boys exited the van and Lauren introduced them as Tyler and Eric.
"I'm totally riding with you, Bella!" Mike announced excitedly.
"Mike, you can't ride with Bella." Jessica whined. "Who will drive your truck?"
Mike looked a little down, but headed back to his Explorer. Jessica jumped in the passenger side of his truck while Lauren and Tyler got in the back. Yeah, Jess definitely has a thing for Mike. I better not show too much interest or I might be out a friend, no matter what Jacob said about them. I headed back to my car, getting ready to follow Mike to the park. Angela and Ben climbed into the back seat and Eric sat in the front.
When we arrived at the park, we found a nice spot in the shade by an open field. The girls set out a few blankets while the boys began tossing a football around. We sat and talked for about an hour while they asked me all about my trip to France and my life back in Phoenix. Ben came back to sit with us while Lauren and Jessica got up to run around with the other guys.
Angela and Ben were awesome people from what I could tell. They had been dating since the ninth grade and were so cute together. We wondered over to the baseball diamond to watch a few other guys playing. They acknowledged us as we took a seat to watch and Ben waved to them. We watched the six guys play a short game of three on three. Afterward, they wondered over to say hello.
"Hey Ben, Angela." One of the guys called over to us.
"Hey guys." Ben greeted them. I noticed a few of their eyes flicker back and forth between Ben and myself. Ben must have noticed as well, because he then introduced me. "Oh, this is Bella. She moved here earlier this month."
They all waved and smiled and I did the same. They introduced themselves as Andrew, Nick, Brent, Chad, Justin, and Kevin. They all joined us on the benches and we fell into easy conversation. I found out that they all played on the high school baseball team and were just having a little casual practice. They were all really cute, and fit. I could see myself dating one of them.
As the day wound down and it started getting a little cool out, we decided to head back to town. I knew Charlie would be home soon and would be looking for something to eat for dinner. I said goodbye to everyone when we got back to the parking lot and exchanged numbers with Angela. School was starting in a week and I made plans to pick up Angela and Ben at her house.
The next week went by uneventfully. I made it into the city on Monday to pick up the books I needed, and spent my afternoons reading. I e-mailed Renee again, telling her about my new friends and how excited I was about starting school on Monday. I also sent a message to Julien. I missed him. I had spent almost two weeks straight with him before leaving Paris. I told him how I was actually nervous about the first day of school and about Angela and Ben. On Wednesday I had gone down to La Push and spent the afternoon with Jacob in his garage playing around with a couple old motorcycles he had acquired.
It was Sunday night and I had just finished dinner with Charlie. I went upstairs, got my shower, and laid out an outfit for the first day. Burberry jeans, an A&F polo and hooded zip-up. Gotta have the Doc's too. As I laid in bed trying to fall asleep, I kept thinking the same thing. Great, tomorrow starts my senior year at Forks High, home of the Spartans. I just hope I can make the best of it until I can get the hell out of this Podunk town.
There you have it! The first chapter or my first story ever. I've got the outline for chapter 2 ready and I'm gonna work on that as soon as I post this. You get to meet Edward next and hear what he did over the summer!
So, let me know what you think! You know what they say, "Reviews are better than insert anything here." I wouldn't know yet, but I hope to find out!
Thanks!
~Hanne