Dedication:For Packy on her birthday. You're a beautiful and precious soul. I'll always be happy you were born.

So, for your birthday, darling girl, I'm going to attempt to break you. But only because you like it. ;)

A/N: I would be remiss if I didn't mention a little known member of our Twi family. I don't actually know anyone else who knew JosieSwan. This sweet soul disappeared without a trace five years ago. I never have been able to find out what happened to her.

Josie was the one who put this story in my head. She also had a fic by the same name in her docs about a school shooting. The idea stuck with me, obviously, so wherever you are, thank you.

~Prologue~

They were all stories that hadn't really started yet. Prologues in progress.

Leah Clearwater—senior. Badass volleyball player looking at a full ride to some university across the country. She had a boyfriend a few years older than her already living in New York. After growing up in the backwoods nowhere town of Forks, she wanted to be a city girl.

Bitch always did think she was better than everyone else. She talks to people like they're stupid. Goddamn dyke. I'm doing Sam a favor.

Seth Clearwater—freshman. Leah's brother. He was already showing promise on the basketball court. He hadn't thought too much about the future, except that maybe he wanted to work with kids. He liked kids. He'd always wanted his mother and stepfather to have a few.

Everyone thinks Seth is sweet, but he's just as big of a bitch as his sister. Fucking show off. And he's disgusting. I saw him with Jacob Black under the bleachers. Fucking asshole winked at me. Makes my skin crawl.

Mike Newton—senior. His father wanted him to take over the store after he graduated from college with a business degree. Mike was going along with it for the time being, but he'd been talking lately about how maybe he wanted to be a lawyer. He liked the idea of wearing a suit to work.

Fucking jock. He thinks it's funny, bumping me in the hallways. He and his stupid friends always laugh. They're going to know what's funny soon.

Angela Weber—junior. Shy. Quiet. She had such a pretty smile, hidden most of the time behind a camera. She was just coming out of her shell, learning that maybe her overbearing, pastor father didn't know what was best for her. Maybe she could travel the world with her camera. Wildlife photography, maybe, but she liked people too much for that.

She was mine until he came along. We were alike. We belonged together. Then she thought she was better than me.

Edward Cullen—senior. He didn't know what he wanted to be yet, but every door was open to him. He was smart and athletic. He played the piano and the guitar. He'd been accepted to five different schools, but maybe he was going to travel for a year. He could if he wanted to. He hadn't decided yet.

Fuck Edward Cullen. Fuck. Him. He could have had anyone. Why did he take her?

Five shiny lives tangled up together. Best friends. Given another year, nothing would be the same. Given another year, maybe none of them would be able to recognize the others. They would be scattered to the wind by the end of the semester, after all. Given time, anything could have happened.

Except, for most of them, time was up.

A/N: Many thanks to MoH, Jess, Betsy, Iris, Eleanor, and Mina for all their help as usual.

This should be short. (Mina…) I'm going to guestimate 10 chapters just in case. Chapter 1 will be up later today.

Happy birthday, Packy!