Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns the landscape of Twilight and all contained therein. I am just a tourist. Don't sue me.
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Breaking Trinity
Prologue
I've known Jessica Stanley since I was three years old. We used to be next door neighbors, playing in the patch of land between soggy lawns while our mothers were on their porches, talking over our heads.
When my mom and dad split up, I was uprooted from rainy Forks, Washington and relocated to sun-baked Phoenix, Arizona. I would return to the land of little illumination to visit Charlie, my father, during the summers and the occasional holiday. Jessica and I would re-forge our friendship every year, seemingly immune to the effects of long distances.
When our summers dropped down from two months to two weeks at a clip due to burgeoning teen-aged angst and parental resentment, Jess and I made up for it with a devout letter writing campaign. That kind of friendship, with all of its non face-to-face time, seemed perfect and priceless. Both of us skipped over all of the cat-claws and hissing that comes with estrogen overloaded-individual-identity establishment.
I am proud to say, we never were the best-friend-necklace-that-come-together-to-form-a-heart people. No, Jess and I had carte-blanche to be ourselves with the freedom to tell each other anything we wanted without reservation. It didn't even lose its translation when pen and paper switched to E-Mail and instant messenger.
Jess and I shared it all, every gruesome detail. First love, first kiss, first base and homeruns; we never had to worry that one of us was wagging a finger behind the other's back. We could be as raunchy as we dared or as spiritual as we wanted. Nothing was holding us back.
So when I digitally told Jess that I was moving back to Forks, the virtual smilies and cap-lock replies through AIM became a cyber-girl scream fest. Alright, maybe we were just a little Cosmo sometimes. But the connection was still there, even if hers was broadband and mine was dial-up.
It might have been the best thing in the world that Renee, my mother, had finally remarried. I was officially off of the lean-on-me list. I didn't have to be a parent to my single parent anymore. I could finally start being me.
Just Bella.
Other than nuptial-induced-Renee-bliss, my mother wanted to go on the road with her Little Leaguer. Sorry, that was mean. Phil was just so much younger than my mom, but still a great guy. He pitched minor-league and was offered some potential work down in Jacksonville, Florida. Phil was going to have to travel…a lot. I knew in my gut that Renee wanted to be at his side.
That wasn't the only reason for what happened next, but it was the most advantageous one to work with.
I suggested to Renee (in my last official-mock-parenting-role) that I should move in with my dad, the Chief of Police in Forks. The stability factor alone was a winning argument. Add in the guilty desire of my mom wanting to travel with her new husband, and the bases were loaded.
A swing. A Hit. Out of the Park.
But in the shadows of it all, the chance to escape Arizona had something to do with a guy, the girl he cheated on me with and a chance to start over. He could fuck, I could be free and a desert would separate me from my jaded past. Maybe it wasn't too late to have hope for the future.
Renee cried when I boarded the plane. I texted Jess before take-off.
I said good-bye to responsible Bella and I laughed when I watched the reply message that buzzed to life over the screen of my cell phone.
Watch out, Forks. Bad-Bella-Swan is coming to town. XOXOX Jess
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A/N: I bow before the goddess of Brits23, author of this glorious Twific: Show and Don't Tell. Brit has endured countless revisions and an end less source of inspiration. Brit- You ARE perfection.
Dedicated to: Matthew, my mate, my inspiration, my Edward.
Do you want more? Feed me blood. Aka reviews :P