A/N: Hi all- some of you know me from Crescent Moon, which is near completion. I decided I needed a rest and decided to write a completely out of this world fic. What I came up with was a short fic (roughly 7 chapters) of well, craziness. This is A/H, and it takes place somewhere much sunnier than Forks, Washington. I wanna give a HUGE shout out to my beta, EndlesslyWaiting- you are freaking AMAZING and I would be NOWHERE without you. Thanks for being amazing! And without further ado!

Chapter One- Successful

I threw my bag over my shoulder and gave the small house one last glance. It was drizzling outside and my hair was starting to frizz. I exhaled loudly and called out to Charlie.

"Dad! Come on! We're going to be late!" I yelled before walking towards the police cruiser. I hated riding around in the cruiser, but there was no way my truck would make the journey to Seattle. I walked over to the old Chevy and gave her a final pat on the hood thinking back on the fond memories I had of it.

I heard someone clearing their throat behind me and turned around to see my best friend. At 6'4, Jake easily towered over me, and his long, sinewy muscles were covered in taut, russet colored skin. To top it all off, he was never fully clothed. Over the years, I had gotten used to seeing him this way, so his half naked body didn't even register on my radar anymore.

"Jake! What are you doing here!?" I exclaimed as I ran over to him to throw my arms around his neck. We had already said our goodbyes, so I didn't figure there was much else to say. As I hugged him, I inhaled his earthy, musky scent. This would be the last hug I would give him for a long time. His arms wrapped around me and I felt his lips on my hair. He inhaled deeply before talking.

"Bella," he started. He voice was soft, raspy. Defeated. "Do you have to go?"

I scowled, "Yes Jake, and you know why… I can't be here if he's going to be here. I need to get out on my own for a while."

"Yeah, but do you have to go all the way to Texas? I mean, can't you go to Oregon or something?" He whined. We had already had this discussion, but he apparently wasn't ready to give up quite yet.

I groaned. "Jake, I need to go somewhere sunny. The constant rain and clouds are eating me up inside."

"So go to California!" he yelled.

I took a step back and took a deep breath. Calmly, I gave Jake the same speech I had given everyone about my move. "I have to go to Texas. This is me being selfish Jake, I'm sorry. I have to do this. I've got to do this on my own. Please, understand that. You know I love you- that's never going to change, ever. But I've become too dependent on you and the others. I need to be my own person. I'll be back, I promise."

His brown, almost black, eyes met my own chocolate brown ones in a stare that would have frightened me had it not been Jake. I knew he was angry, but he would never hurt me. I boldly stepped forward and grabbed his hand. "Come on Jake, we've been over this. I'll call you when I get settled. Maybe you can come visit, okay?"

The idea of visiting seemed to brighten his mood, if only slightly. He gave me a nod and pulled me into his huge, warm chest, hugging me tightly. I heard the front door slam and I knew it was Charlie.

He spoke softly, knowing he couldn't change my mind. "Just… be careful okay? Call me. I'll miss you Bells. A lot." He squeezed even tighter and I squealed.

"Jake! Can't. Breathe!" I choked out.

He quickly released, "Oh. Sorry."

I stood up on my tip toes and kissed his unshaven cheek. "I'll see you later, okay? No goodbyes. Goodbye is too final. We'll see each other again, I promise."

Jake nodded again and flashed me a brilliant, white smile before turning to Charlie. "Can't say I didn't try." He shrugged his shoulders, gave me one last smile, and trotted over to where his Rabbit was sitting down on the road.

I turned towards Charlie and scowled at him, "Dad! I can't believe you roped him into trying to make me stay!"

Charlie looked at me sheepishly, "Oh, come on Bells! I had to try!" He strode passed me, ruffled my hair and climbed into his cruiser. I shot him a death glare and stomped over to the passenger side of the car and got inside. It was going to be a long, quiet ride to Seattle.

I pulled the seat belt on, kicked off my Chucks, and pulled my knees up into my chest. It was typical of me to sit like this in the car. It was more comfortable and I could soak up my own warmth. The one good thing about going anywhere with Charlie was that I knew I would have time to think, as he wasn't much of a talker. I guess that's something I got from him.

Charlie pulled out of the drive and headed towards the interstate. When we left the town of Forks, I let out an exhaled breath. I had done it. I had left Forks. Charlie wasn't happy about me leaving, but he understood. Sort of. He understood the need for me to get a good education. He understood my need to become my own person. But he didn't understand why I needed to go all the way to Texas to do it.

If I'm being honest, I don't really know why I chose Houston, Texas. It was a few weeks before high school graduation when I was looking at a map of the US. I had closed my eyes, spun around in a couple of circles and put my finger to the map. When I opened my eyes, my finger was sitting on Houston, Texas. At that moment, I decided that's where I was going. He was so set on going to college at Dartmouth. I snickered to myself at that idea. Like I would ever want to go to Dartmouth! But that was something he never considered - what I wanted. It was always what he wanted, what he thought was the best, what he thought would benefit us the best. He never took what I wanted into consideration. Finally, I got fed up with it. I got fed up with his pushy, protective nature. I got fed up with his constant phone calls and texts, asking me where I was at, and who I was with. I wasn't a five year old who needed constant babysitting. When I ended things with Edward Cullen, nobody saw it coming. Nobody but me. I may have gotten my quietness from my father, but I got my mother's free spirit. I was a bird who didn't want to be caged. I wanted to fly- I wanted to be my own damn bird. I was ready to be my own person. And I couldn't do that with Edward Cullen on my back.

I had spent all four years of high school with him. As soon as I moved to Forks my freshman year, he had caught my eye, and apparently I had caught his. He asked me to the Homecoming dance and from there, we were the "it" couple. Edward was popular due to his older siblings, Emmett and Jasper. Emmett was a junior when we were freshman and he dated the most beautiful and popular girl at school, Rosalie Hale. Jasper was a sophomore and he dated my best friend, Alice. She was the same age as me, and we became fast friends after Edward and I were considered a "thing". Emmett, the star football player, and Rose, the star gymnast, had gone off to college at UW, and Jasper headed off to UO, with Alice following this fall. Edward had made our plans to go to Dartmouth- he would go into medicine and I would do English. He had it all planned out.

Over the four years, our relationship had its ups and downs. We had fights and took "breaks" from each other. During my sophomore year, we got into a huge fight about his underage drinking with Emmett up at UW. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, it was more that I didn't like him drinking. My dad is the police chief. We got into a huge screaming match with each other and ended up taking a break. It was during this time that I met Jake. Jake lived down in La Push, and our dads were best friends. It only seemed natural for us to become friends. He was a freshman, but he went to school on the reservation. I had gone over to his place one night with Charlie (even though I whined and complained about it), and I met Jake. Tall, skinny, lanky, and a smile to brighten any ones day, he instantly became my own bit of sunshine. We developed a very tight and affectionate relationship, but we were never any more than best friends. I knew he loved me and I loved him. That was it. There was no blurring of the lines- we were best friends, that was all. Edward however, seemed to disagree and felt that there was something more to the friendship. He was jealous, and would try to tell me that I couldn't see Jake. This, of course, would piss me off, which would in turn piss Jake off, and basically because of that, the two hated each other. Honestly, it was nice. Whenever I felt like bitching about Edward, I knew I could go to Jake and he would listen and put his own two cents in to it. He was constantly telling me that I could do better, that I could be with someone who would do everything in his power to make me happy, that and someone who wouldn't control my life. But I didn't believe him… And so, over four years- Edward and I stuck together, through the ups and downs. Until finally I ended it.

I felt like he was suffocating me- telling me what to do and who I would do it with. So, the same day I chose to go to Houston, I drove over to his place and ended things. For good. And damn him if he didn't cry. Edward Cullen actually cried. He came across as such a hard ass, but underneath it all, he was a pansy. He begged me to change my mind, he swore he'd change. But I was done with him. I gave him back all the expensive jewelery his daddy's money had bought, all the t-shirts he had given me, and everything else I could to rid myself of him. I left him crying in his bedroom. When I left his house, I had never felt freer in my life. I got in my truck, rolled the windows down, flipped on my iPod, and started singing the first song that had popped up.

Successful by Drake.

I loved that song, and I love Drake. He is… amazing. He has this smooth as honey voice and the way the words just flow off his tongue makes me wonder what else he can do with it. I giggled to myself at the thought of actually meeting Drake. Like that would ever happen right?

Bringing myself back to reality, I caught a glimpse at a highway sign. 100 miles to Seattle and Charlie still hadn't spoken a single word. He just drove. His hands at ten and two, his eyes straight ahead.

I figured I should break the silence. It was only a 100 miles, right?

"Dad."

He grunted back.

I smiled, "You know I'll be back at Christmas, right?"

He grunted again.

"At least, I think I will. I'll try really hard. I'll definitely be home for summer. I'm going to come back, Dad."

His eyes shifted from the road to me then back to the road again.

I slowly reached over and put my hand on top of his and gave him a little squeeze for assurance. "I'll call you. And email you. And… we can Skype!" Charlie had recently gotten a new computer with his work bonus. He said he wanted to be able to email me and look up things that were going down in Houston.

He squeezed my hand back and humphed, "Bella. What in the hell is Skype?"

I laughed, "It's this program on the computer. We need to get your computer a webcam and mine already has one … But we can talk to each other, kind of like on the phone. Only we get to see each other!"

He gave me a small, crooked grin. "I guess I'll need to look into a webcam. And this Scope thing."

"Skype Dad, it's called Skype." I giggled.

"Right… I'll have Jake help me." He said gruffly.

"Probably a good idea Dad." I took my hand back and laid it in my lap and went back to looking out the window.

I heard him exhale loudly and then he started to speak, "I'm sorry for being a pain Bella. I'm just scared I'm going to lose you." He eyes left the road briefly, looking at me. Sadly he added, "Just like I lost your mother."

I knew that was why he was freaking out about me leaving. Renee had walked out on Charlie when I was just a year old. She said she couldn't take Forks any longer and left, never to come back. I came back when I was fifteen because she got remarried to a guy named Phil. They wanted to travel and I didn't want to be in the way. So I went to live with my Dad. It was one of the best decisions I had ever made.

"Aw Dad, come on! You know I'll be back." I answered.

His voice rose, "I can't help it Bella! Your mom left, and well, I just figured you were running away like she did."

"You think I'm running away?" I asked incredulously. I couldn't believe that he thought I running away!

"Well, aren't you? You could have gone to school at UW or something. Why Texas?" He asked.

I was getting fed up with everyone questioning me as to why I had to go to Texas. "It's just something I need to do Dad. I need to prove to myself that I can do this. That I can live without everything here in Forks."

"Without me, you mean." He murmured.

"No!" I exclaimed. "Moving to Forks was one of the best things I've ever done. I loved living with you, Dad. I loved getting to know you, cooking for you, being your daughter. Now, I just need to do it for myself. I've spent the last four years dependent on those around me; you, Jake, Edward… I need to know that I can depend on myself. Now is the time to do it." I said finally. "Besides, U of T has an awesome Literature program, and the education program is the top in the US. You know what this will mean for my future."

He sighed again, but nodded, "Alright. I can't say I'm happy about it. But, alright. Just ... maybe we can scope a few times a week or something?"

"Skype Dad, its called Skype!" I laughed.

"Skype, scope, whatever!" He laughed along with me and we talked about the things I planned on doing once I got to Houston. I's been saving money from the past five or so birthdays and Christmas's, so that I had enough for household furnishing and rent for several months. I had already called a realtor and I would be seeing her once I arrived about several apartments I had viewed online. Until I found my apartment, I would be staying at a hotel. Charlie insisted on paying for the hotel room, but I wasn't complaining. I had luckily received a full-ride scholarship for U of T, so I didn't have to worry about tuition or books. I decided to live off-campus, again pushing for the idea of "being my own person". I didn't want to become dependent on anyone but myself. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want friends. I couldn't wait to get to Houston and meet new people, and maybe a roommate.

Before I knew it, we were pulling into the airport. Charlie parked the cruiser and helped me with my bags. I only had a few bags, as I didn't have many belongings. I wasn't exactly a materialistic person. Plus, I was moving to Texas - I wouldn't be needing my winter clothes that much! Two suitcases, one military duffle bag, and a book bag and I was ready to get my ticket. Charlie grabbed my heavy suitcases and pulled them up to the United kiosk. I plugged in my information, got my tickets, and checked my bags - and paid an extra $50 for the military duffle too.

I gave Charlie a huge hug and kissed his scruffy cheek. "I'll let you know when I land. Don't forget about the webcam and to download Skype! Oh, I made a few casseroles for you, they're in the freezer!"

He rolled his eyes and kissed my forehead, "You are a godsend, my beautiful, amazing daughter. Be careful, and I'll talk to you soon."

"Love you Dad."

"Love you too, baby."

I watched as he walked out of airport towards the cruiser and I walked in the opposite direction towards security. I dropped my book bag on onto the conveyor, took my shoes and belt off, and pulled my laptop out of the bag. I walked through the metal detector, put my stuff back on and looked at my ticket.

"Gate C." I mumbled to myself. I bit my bottom lip as I looked towards the ceiling for direction. I started walking in the towards my gate, making my way through the Seattle airport. I walked about ten minutes before finally finding it. I sat down and pulled out my iPod, plugging my ear buds into my ears.

Drake flowed into my ears and I started to bob my head to "Forever", completely losing myself to the words. I started singing along with his beat, not really paying attention to my surroundings. I barely looked up when I noticed someone was standing in front of me. I figured it was someone waiting to get on the plane like me… Then they started tapping their foot. Out of beat with Drake. I got annoyed.

My face continued staring at my iPod as I mumbled, "Do you mind?"

"Good to see you too, Bella." An angelic voice answered me.

My eyes whipped up to meet two sapphire blue ones and I screamed. "Alice!" I jumped up and threw my arms around her neck. "What? What on earth are you doing here?!" I exclaimed.

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, "What? A girl isn't allowed to help her best friend move into unknown territory?!"

I stared at her, "What?! You mean… You're coming with me?!"

She nodded her head emphatically. "I talked to Charlie about it, and he feels a lot better knowing that I'll be there with you. For a little while at least."

"But what about Jasper?" I asked quickly, my eyes not meeting hers.

She plopped down beside me and sighed, "Oh come on, you know you're more important than Jasper."

I giggled and we did our handshake, "Chicks before dicks baby!" we exclaimed together.

That awarded us some funny looks.

"But really… What about Jasper?" I asked again once we calmed down.

She sighed and started picking her fingers.

"Alice…." I started, fully concerned by her behavior. Usually she was bubbly and enthusiastic, especially when it came to Jasper. They'd been together since she was in sixth grade, made all their plans together and had even started talking about their engagement.

She looked at me exasperatedly, "Can we just… not talk about him right now. Please. When we get to Houston, I'll tell you all about it."

I nodded my head and put my arm around her, pulling her into my body. I gave her one of my ear buds and she put it in, nestling back in under my arm.

"Drake. Why am I not surprised?" She deadpanned.

I laughed, "Hey, I can't help that I have an unhealthy obsession with him. He just… speaks to me, okay?"

She shook her head and started bobbing her head to the beat, taking in his words. "You know. I think you're right… He does speak to me. And his voice is ah-ma-zing." She sounded like a fourteen year old teeny bopper, but I couldn't disagree. His voice was amazing.

Pretty soon we were boarding the plane. Somehow we managed to get seats beside each other, which was ridiculous. All Alice had to do was bat her eyelashes and give the guy a wink and my aisle companion quickly changed tickets and seats with her. Alice was now Alfred Barnaby.

We giggled endlessly about the name until take off. The flight attendant went through the procedures of take off and what not, but I wasn't paying much attention. The pilot did a voice over, explaining that we might hit some turbulence as it was raining outside. It was the perfect Forks, Washington send off. I came in during a rain storm, and now I was leaving in one.

We taxied out to the runway and the pilot accelerated, my head shooting back into the seat. I always loved this part of the flight, feeling as if there was zero gravity. I had the window seat, but Alice was straining her neck in front of me, peering out the window.

"Goodbye Forks, Washington!" She squealed.

I raised an eyebrow, "Goodbye? That's a little definite. How long do you plan on being in Houston with me, Alice?"

She squirmed in her seat, trying to get comfortable and responded nonchalantly, "A while. A month, maybe two. I figured you'd need a roommate."

My mouth dropped open. Alice hasn't been away from Jasper for that long in… well, never!

"A month or two? Ali! What about Jasper?" I questioned.

She looked at me and said, "I thought I said not to talk about him until Houston. We are definitely not in Houston."

Her voice was edgy and it took me off guard. Alice never got stern and serious about anything. "Okay then. We'll talk about it later I guess." I gave her a weary look and turned back to the window.

Alice began wondering out loud if we would have an in flight meal or if we would just get peanuts or crackers. But my mind was elsewhere, staring out into the hazy darkness that was Washington. Rain splattered on the window and I pulled the shade down, disgusted by the weather.

At least in Houston it'll be sunny, I mused. I pulled my iPod back out and scrolled to Drake again and pushed play. Alice had pulled out a couple of fashion magazines and was looking at them way too intensely for my liking. Alice had a thing for dressing me up. It drove me nuts, but I let her because it made her happy. When it came to fashion, I knew what stilettos were, who was important (Oscar de le Renta, Calvin Klein, Donna Karen, Diane von Furstenburg, Armani), and of course, what the latest set of Chuck's looked like.

I'd been wearing Chuck Taylor's since I was five. I begged my mom to buy me a pair of black and white Chuck's for my birthday and she complied - sort of. Instead of black, they were pink but I dealt with it - sort of. I ended up taking a black magic marker to them and colored over the pink. I absolutely hated pink. My mother knew that, but she still tried to put me in it. Ever since my first set of Chuck's, they were pretty much the only sneakers to grace my feet (other than my running Puma's). Today I was wearing my favorite's- red low tops with no laces. I'm a pretty typical klutz, so if I can take a chance to trip out of my day, I do it. Hence the no laces. My latest addition to my Chuck's family was a pair of All-Star low tops with rainbow print- unfortunately it had pink in the color scheme, but I deal with it because I love the shoes.

I glanced back over at Alice and noticed she was making notes in the magazines. Alice was dedicated to fashion. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Brandon took her to New York every year for the NY Fashion Show. She even had an internship last summer at a clothing boutique. The boutique made custom dresses for their customers and she was able to make several dresses, even a few for the governor's daughter. She received high praise for that. She loved designing and creating clothes, which is why I always wondered why she was going to UO- it definitely did not have a design program. Again, I found myself wondering about her and Jasper.

Several hours later and few repeats of Drake, it was time for landing.

"Hellloooooo Houston!" Alice squealed as the plane made its bumpy landing. She seemed more excited than me.

I shot her a big smile and we made our way to baggage claim. My suitcases and military bag came around and we waited for Alice's Louis Vuitton luggage set to roll around. I shook my head in admonishment when I thought of how much the set had to cost. Probably as much as a year's rent - in a 3 bedroom apartment - with a pool! But she didn't care how much it cost- her parents were loaded. Like, the third richest family on the west coast loaded. I never understood why they settled down in Forks. Alice mentioned something about her parents wanting to give her a regular childhood. I giggled. Right, because every child is decorated in Chanel and Armani at the age of two and has her own Mercedes Benz E550 at sixteen.

We grabbed our luggage (after a several stares from various onlookers), and stumbled towards the door. It was seven in the evening, so the sun was down, but it was still hot. But it was dry - so very, very dry. I smiled again, more to myself than anything, and Alice ran to hail a cab. One came to a screeching halt in front of her and the driver rushed to help us put things in the trunk. Unlike me, Alice was dressed to kill in one of her own creations. A red, low neck dress that came to above her knees, and fit her at just the right areas to give her an hour glass figures. Instead of the typical 5'1, she had grown 4 inches in her favorite Giorgio Armani black leather patent pumps. I glanced down at myself: ragged, holey jeans, black and red band t-shirt, and red Chucks. Yeah, I looked hot, especially next to Alice.

We climbed into the taxi and I told him the address to my hotel. "400 Dallas Street please, the Doubletree Hotel."

"Sure thing, miss." The driver said. Keeping up small talk he spoke again, "First time in Houston?" His voice had a bit of a southern drawl and it was raspy as if he had smoked all his life. He wasn't unattractive, just on the older side. His black hair was starting to grey and recede at the crown, and he had more than a five o'clock shadow.

I pulled my wallet out of my backpack and answered, "Yep."

He looked at me again in through the mirror, "So where'd ya fly in from?"

"Seattle, Washington" Alice answered.

He laughed, "Houston's a far cry away from Seattle. You girls ready for the heat?"

"Yes!" We both exclaimed, falling into a fit of giggles. The rest of the drive was quiet as me and Alice took in the scenery around us. We passed tall buildings lit up like it was Christmas, plenty of bars, and even what looked like a shopping center.

"Oooo! Bella! They have an Armani!" Alice squealed again.

I groaned and the driver laughed. I leaned up and whispered to him, "You have no idea how bad those words are. Don't be surprised if you see me again and I'm wearing the latest and greatest from that store."

Alice pouted, shoving her bottom lip out, and crossed her arms in front of her. "And this is the thanks I get for surprising my best friend and moving to Houston with her!"

Again, the cabby laughed and said, "You girls sound like you have a lot of fun together." He slowed to a stop in front of the Doubletree. "This is you." He looked at the meter. "It'll be $50."

My eyes bulged at the number but Alice quickly pulled out the money from her wallet and gave it to him. She looked at me and said, "You can get the next one, k?"

I just nodded my head and climbed out of the car, still in a state of shock. Thankfully I remembered that Houston has a very well developed city transit program with buses and a subway system. That was definitely the most expensive car ride of my life.

The cabby helped pull our luggage out and we said our goodbyes, and rushed into the front desk.

A girl with bright red hair and a name tag saying "Brittany" checked us in and gave us our room key.

"You're on the eight floor, room 818." She told us quickly and without much enthusiasm in her voice.

We got on the elevator and made it to our room. Two double beds sat beside each other and we had a small bathroom and kitchenette.

Alice grumbled, "We need an apartment. ASAP."

"Ali, how long do you really plan on staying?" I asked again, dropping my luggage. Alice plopped her luggage on her bed and opened up the smaller suitcase, pulling out a white polar bear.

She pulled the polar bear close into her chest and mumbled, "He swore he loved me."

"Of course Jasper loves you, Ali. It's been you and him since forever." I responded quickly, moving to stand next to her.

Her eyes met mine, and they were filled with tears. "Then why did he cheat on me?"

I gasped, completely flabbergasted, and pulled her into my arms. "Oh no! Are you okay??"

She started sobbing in earnest, her frail arms still clutching the bear. She shook her head furiously, "No, I'm not okay, Bella," she choked out.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry." I responded, pulling her tighter. "When did you find out?"

She pulled away from me and ran to the bathroom to grab some tissues, falling onto my bed and curling up into a tiny ball. I moved to sit down beside and start rubbing soothing circles on her back. I waited for her to answer me and slowly she told me.

She sniffled and put her head in my lap. "You remember that he wasn't at my graduation?"

"Mmhmm" I responded. I had thought it was odd, considering that it wasn't just Alice's graduation but his brother's too.

She continued her voice low and sad. "Well, he told me that he had a final to prepare for all weekend, so he couldn't make it home. I didn't think anything of it, and just let it go. We didn't have school the following week, so on Monday I went to Oregon to visit him."

"Okay." I encouraged her softly.

"I knew where he lived from being there so many times before, so I just went straight up to his room. I wanted to surprise him, you know?" Her voice began to waver. "When I knocked on the door, he didn't answer. So I called him. I heard his phone going off in his room. I knew it was his because it was our song for the ringtone." She sniffled again. "I knocked again and I heard someone's feet moving towards the door."

I continued rubbing her back, nodding my head as she spoke.

"I had on his favourite color. I wore the necklace that he bought me. I… I…" then she started breaking down sobbing again.

"Shhh, easy Ali. You're okay, you can do this." I cooed, trying to calm her down.

She took a few calming breaths and spoke again, "When she answered the door, I figured maybe it was his roommate's girlfriend. Then I remembered. Jasper didn't have a roommate. I mean, she was wearing his shirt and his boxers. It didn't make any sense to me. So I called out for him. He came running to the door, in a pair of boxers that I had bought him, but he refused to look me in the eye. I knew then that he was cheating on me. I just turned around and left."

She sat up and faced me, "He ran after me, you know."

I shook my head, "He did?"

She nodded hers, "Yeah. He was yelling at me, trying to make me stop so I would talk to him. But I just kept right on walking to my car, not stopping or anything. I climbed in my car, turned the ignition and sped off, leaving him standing outside in his underwear."

I giggled at the thought of Jasper standing outside in his underwear for all the world to see, but quickly tensed up. "Have you talked to him since then? It's been a week or so, right?"

"No," she shook her head. "I'm done with him, Bella. 'Once a cheater, always a cheater' as my mama would say. That's when I decided to come to Houston with you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." She looked at me, her mouth twitching and her eyes all red.

I just gave her an encouraging smile and pulled her back into my arms. "Alice, I don't care what the reason is. I'm happy that you're here with me. And Jasper can rot in hell!" I exclaimed.

"Three cheers to that!" she responded. "Oh! Speaking of cheers!" She rushed out of my bed and flew to her purse. She pulled out what looked to be two state identification cards and threw them at me. "Here's to a new life in Houston, Texas!"

I looked at the I.D.'s confused. Then I realized. They were fakes. "Ali, I don't even want to know how you got these."

She did a twirl and collapsed on my bed again, "A lady never tells." She answered with a wink.

I started laughing, really laughing, for the first time in months. I grabbed her I.D. and looked at the name, "So Miss Brandi Calhoun. What do you say to putting these to good use?" I asked her suggestively.

She grabbed mine and said, "Well, Miss Katherine Rand, I think that is just a splendid idea!"

And so began our new future together.

A/N: Told you it was a little wacky. I hope I caught your interest, and if not- please don't lose faith! I PROMISE it gets better--- like way better ;) Please, review and let me know what you think! Thanks!

xoxo