Chapter 1-

"Bella" whispered a soft voice in my ear

I ignored it and snuggled deeper into my blanket

"Bellaaaa" the same voice giggled now louder

I opened my one eye and took a look at the person currently sitting on my bed with her arms crossed around her torso and a stern expression on her face.

"Yes Hazel" I managed to speak out

"I want banana nutella crepes" said my five year old half sister pouting

"Where's mom?"

"She had to run to the clinic"

"And dad?"

She rolled her eyes "At the station but he otherwise can't cook"

"Yeah true that" I said nodding my head

"Why don't you ask Leah?"

She rolled her eyes again "She is sleeping"

"So even I was sleeping?"

"She gets angry and shouts if you wake her up" she said giggling

I thought for a few seconds "Yeah sorry that was my mistake for even suggesting it"

"What about Sethy?"

"He starts cuddling you and falls asleep again"

I laughed with her "Okay come on I will make you your banana nutella crepes"

She gave me a huge smile and pulled me out of bed

I walked with her to the kitchen of our five bedroom house on the Quileute reservation, La Push.

"You sure you want crepes not cereal or pop tarts?"

She shook her head and sat on one of the bar stools

I nodded my head and starting removing the ingredients for the crepes. Hazel Swan was my half sister and the daughter of Charlie Swan and Sue Swan nee Clearwater. My Parents Charlie and Renee had divorced when I was 4 after which Renee had hightailed out of Forks citing that she was only 20 and did not want the responsibility of being a single mother. Charlie had been glad to look after me. I had not seen Renee since that day though she did send me postcards once in a while of her living in Hawaii with her boyfriend. Charlie had a few reliable friends just down the road in La Push twenty minutes from where we lived in Forks and they had been a huge part of my childhood.

Sue Clearwater and Harry Clearwater were one of his friends. Their daughter Leah was my age and son Seth was four years younger than us. When Leah and I were seven and Seth was three, Harry had been in a car accident that had claimed his life and long story short Charlie and Sue had fallen in love while Charlie helped Sue get back on her feet. Two years later they were married and Charlie and I were on our way to live in La Push and I had two step siblings.

Leah had been difficult to live with, in the start and wanted nothing to do with me but in the months that followed she warmed up and became like a real sister to me. Today after eight years of living together in the same house she was not only my elder sister (by a few months) but also my best friend and confidante.

Seth was always the happy go lucky kid and was just happy to have two more people in his family. He had no memory of his father and readily accepted and loved Charlie when he stepped into that role. Though I never expressed it as much as Leah, I was equally protective of him and would skin anyone alive who tried to harm him.

Hazel Swan had joined our family five years ago three years after Charlie and Sue's marriage and was the baby of our family. All of us were overprotective of the kid.

"Morning Swan" said an annoying voice pulling me out of reverie

"What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like? Having breakfast" he said raising his eyebrows and sitting next to Hazel

"Why? Don't you have a house of your own?"

He sighed "Really this again?" "Haze, is your sister slow in the mornings?" he asked Hazel who was giggling

"Paul" I chided him

"Oh come on Swan, we are neighbors and you need to be kinder to your neighbors. Haven't you heard 'love thy neighbor'?"

I rolled my eyes "Shut up Paul"

Haze covered her mouth with her hand and I realized my mistake. Yikes.

"Sorry Hazel" "But seriously Paul, why are you here and how did you even enter? The door was locked"

"Charlie leaves the key under the doormat. So predictable and he is the freaking chief of police of Forks"

"Okay fine I get how you entered now tell me the why part of the question?"

"You are coming with me to Port Angeles today"

"What no"

"Come on please. I need advice on girl shopping and no one will come with me"

"Yeah there is a reason for that"

Paul Lahote was my neighbor since the past eight years and I shared a love-hate relationship with him. I love the guy but I also hate his guts as he annoys the shit out of me. Paul was one of the most reliable and fiercely loyal people I knew but he was also annoying and interfering. In short we were sort of friends that hated one another but still spent time with each other.

"Please Bella. I will owe you" he said

"Why do you need to go to Port Angeles though?"

I will kill him if he says it is for his latest conquest.

"It is mom's birthday in a few days and I don't know what to buy her"

Okay that is sweet. I would have totally backed out if he said it was for one of his conquests but I could not say no for this. Plus I really liked Amy Lahote. She always took my side when Paul and I fought.

"Fine but you owe me one and you are taking me bowling"

"Nope" he said shaking his head "Not happening"

"Please Paul" I said in a pleading voice

"Why don't you go with Leah?"

I rolled my eyes "She and Sam are joined by the hip and I don't want to be a third wheel"

He took a deep breath "Okay fine" "Now let me eat my breakfast in peace" he said eating another crepe.

Wait. That was my breakfast. Guess I will just eat something on the way.

"Good morning uninvited guest" said my sister entering the kitchen and looking at Paul before kissing me on the cheek.

"Good morning moody Bitch" he said "You woke up early? It is only eleven thirty"

"It is summer break" she said giving him a glare and sitting opposite him with her plate

"So why are you here again?" she asked him

"Bella and I are going to Port Angeles today"

"Oh really" she said looking at me in a teasing manner

Not what you think Leah

"Paul wanted to buy something for Amy's birthday" I said stepping in

"Oh" she said leaving the topic for now

"Good morning my beautiful sisters" said Seth entering the kitchen and kissing me, Leah and Hazel on the cheek "Hey Paul wassup"

Paul said a 'hey' before they both started talking about the baseball game tonight and Leah pulled me aside into the living room.

"What is it Leah?"

"So is it a date?" she asked me with a hopeful look on her face

"What no" "Paul and I don't like one another in that way"

She rolled her eyes "Both of you are the most clueless people on this planet, anyone can see the chemistry between you both except the two of you. Heck even a person as clueless as dad knows that you both are going to end up together"

"Paul and me together, no way"

"Wait for it sis" she said laughing before leaving the room leaving me alone with my thoughts. Paul and me, like that is ever going to happen.

I ignored these ridiculous thoughts and went upstairs to brush my teeth and take a quick shower. I could hear Paul and Leah bickering in the living room. I hope they don't tear each other's head off.

Twenty minutes later I was ready to go to Port Angeles with Paul.

"Hey you ready to leave?" I asked Paul

"Yeah let's go. I need to go your sister's driving me insane"

"You need brains to go insane Paul and sorry to say but you have none" Leah said smirking at him

He just showed her the finger and walked out of the house while I followed him telling my brother and sisters that I would be back in the evening.

I walked outside and sat in Paul's black Chevy truck.

He started driving and soon we were on our way to Port Angeles

"Music?" I asked him and he shrugged

"Play whatever, I don't mind"

I nodded my head and switched on the radio humming mindlessly to the song playing.

Paul and I had had a very different start to our 'friendship'. I had been a very subservient under confident introvert when I lived in Forks. My books were my only friends. I was shy and was content in hiding from the world. When I had moved to La Push High to continue my studies from here, on the very first day itself I had been bullied and made fun of. At that time Leah had wanted nothing to do with me and had stood by watching me cry in the corridors as the bullies tore my favorite book. At that time my savior had been Paul who had threatened my bullies holding them by the collar, saying that going against me meant going against him. After that day I was never bullied in my entire school life. Even after all these years I still had no idea why he had done that for a complete stranger while everyone else stood and watched the show. Leah had been the catalyst in getting me my confidence and after she warmed up to me I took a 360 degree turn from the girl who stuttered while talking to a girl who could confidently stand in front of an entire class and talk.

"You want to stop for breakfast?" he asked me

"You just ate Paul"

"Yeah but I am hungry again and you did not eat anything"

I smiled and nodded my head "Sure thanks"

After grabbing breakfast through the drive -thru we were back on our way to Port Angeles.

He parked the truck in the parking lot of the mall before we got out and started searching for a gift for Amy.

"So what are you looking for?" I asked him

"I don't know. What will she like?" "That is why I asked you to come with me"

I gave out a sigh "Fine let's see some jewellery"

Thirty minutes later we left the shop with a dove pendant in our bags.

"So what now?" he asked me

"Can we go to the bookstore?"

"This was not a part of the deal Swan" he said shaking his head

"Well deal with it. I was the only one willing to come with you so I get to reap the benefits"

Even though Paul would never admit it Paul did not have any friends who were girls. I was the only one. The others were either ex girlfriends or his latest conquests.

"Fine, lead the way"

The next few hours passed by quickly, after buying a few books and a pair of jeans for Paul we stopped by for lunch before going to the bowling Alley and playing a few rounds.

Finally at 5 pm Paul dropped me home.

I opened the door with my spare key to see my entire family sitting in the living room.

"Hey dad, mom" I said

"Bella, Leah told us you were in Port Angeles with Paul" said mom

"Yeah he wanted to buy something for Amy" I said going into my room to drop the bags before going back to the living room.

Leah and Sam were sitting on the loveseat while Seth sat opposite them with Haze in his lap.

"Hey Sam"

Samuel Uley and Leah had been dating since the past two years. They were as serious about one another as could be and had made plans of getting married as soon as Leah and I graduated next year. Sam had graduated this year and was currently working as a mechanic in la Push.

"Hey Bella" he said in his calm no expression involved voice

"So Sam how is work going?" asked Charlie

"It is going good Chief. Dowling has a lot of clients as the only auto shop in town"

"That is good but are you sure you don't want to go to college or maybe go see the world before you get married?" asked Charlie looking at Leah and Sam

"We are sure dad. Both of us want this" said Leah with a firm expression on her face

Charlie nodded his head

"So how is Allison?" asked Sue changing the subject "I have not seen her in a while"

"Yeah mom's in New York these days" said Sam "She wanted to visit but is busy with work"

Allison Uley was a news reporter for Fox news and lived in Seattle often travelling to other places for work. As far as I knew she had not come to La Push to visit in close to six months.

We made random conversation for a while before setting the table for dinner.

"Bells can I talk to you in your room?" asked Leah before we sat for dinner

"Sure" I nodded my head and walked to my room and she followed

"So how was the date?" she asked in a teasing manner

"Lee it was just two friends hanging out" I said rolling my eyes

"Seriously nothing happen?"

"Nope sorry to disappoint you"

"I thought maybe finally he got some sense and was going to ask you out" "But he is as dumb as you"

"Leah we are just friends and will always remain just friends"

"You know Sam and I kissed on the first date itself" she said lying down on my bed

"Yeah I remember, you had come running into my room to announce it"

"What do you think of Sam, Bells?"

I looked at her for a few minutes "Why this question Leah?"

She shrugged "Just"

"He is a genuinely nice guy and you both are perfect for one another"

"But?" she asked raising her eyebrow

"I find him too intense and serious like I have never seen the guy smile. Hear me out it is not a bad thing. Just not my type"

"I know your type is Paul" she said with a smirk

I threw a pillow at her "No my type is guys who I can laugh with and have a fun time with"

"Like Paul" she said laughing

"Yes I mean no" I said as she kept laughing

"Bella, Leah" shouted mom from the living room

"Coming mom" I shouted as I followed Leah back to the living room

Leah was talking rubbish. Paul and I have a completely platonic relationship and will never have anything more.