Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

-The Dare-

"Bella! Bella, wait for me!" Jacob yelled as his best friend and playmate, Bella, ran from him. There was nothing better than a game of hide and seek on a late summer evening. Summer was the best time ever for Bella and Jacob. During the summer they got to stay outside and play even longer because it wouldn't get dark until almost bed time! Plus, summer meant no school. Bella and Jake never got enough of playing in the woods that surrounded their homes. Summer vacation was a thing of beauty to kids everywhere.

Bella Swan and Jacob Black had known one another their whole lives, all nine years of them. Bella was always like a sister to Jacob. She loved doing all the really cool stuff the boys did: Playing in the dirt, catching grasshoppers, building forts and climbing trees. Basically all the fun things the other girls in their school never wanted to do because they were afraid of getting dirt under their nails or touching bugs. Bella would always be the first one to try anything no matter how scary it seemed. Bella was, as Jacob would tell you, the bravest person he knew. But often times Bella's bravery would lead her into more trouble than either she or Jacob could get out of.

There was a time the older kids in La Push, a group of native boys, dared Bella to climb the tallest tree in the forest. Bella, never one to back down from a dare, did just that. But just as little Bella reached the mid-way point of the beautiful Cedar, she slipped on a wet branch and fell out of the tree, breaking her leg in the process. Bella, Jacob, and the pack of rowdy boys all got in trouble when Bella's father, Chief Charlie Swan found out about the dare. He told them that Bella shouldn't be doing the same stunts they did. That it was up to them all to look after Bella as if she were a sister among all the boys.

Little did they know how soon they would learn that Bella Swan's stubborn streak, and dare-devil ways would change all their lives forever.

(eight years later)

"Come on Jake. Stop being a wuss about this. I promise nothing bad will happen."

The pretty brown eyed girl said to her friend in hopes of swaying him. Seventeen year old Bella was trying to convince Jacob Black that taking his father's truck in the middle of the night was nothing like stealing. "Borrowing, Jake. Say it with me now, borrowing it."

Jacob eyed the petite girl who stood before him with a light shining in her eyes. Mischievous little thing that she was- Bella lived for the thrills and freedom that came from pulling stunts just like this one. And Jacob, he just lived to see her happy and thriving .. even if it got him in more trouble than he was comfortable with. Fact was, 6'5" Jacob Black was being bossed around by 5'2" inch Isabella Swan. He'd never live it down.

"Bella, I'm pretty sure my dad won't see it as 'borrowing' when we get caught! And we will get caught." Bella sticking out her bottom lip, gave Jake the eyes. The same puppy dog eyes that always had him giving in. "Oh no. Not this time Bells. Those pretty big brown eyes won't work on me. Nope. We are not going! I mean it this time." Jacob said putting his rather large foot down (metaphorically speaking.)

(Later at Forks' police department)

"I'm really sorry Chief Swan. We didn't mean to make everyone worry. Taking dad's truck without asking was a really stupid move." Jacob said while giving his best friend, and partner in crime the eye. Bella was just happy they got as far as they did. They were able to get to Seattle and almost half way back before the truck, that had been reported as stolen, was pulled over. Billy Black wasn't happy. Causing a man to be late for work never did wonders for his mood. So Jake did what he always does; he took full blame. Of course everyone knew of Bella's thirst for adventure, and of Jake's natural reaction of protecting her. They were two peas in a trouble-making pod.

"It's alright Jake, I know you're sorry." Chief gave his unruly daughter a hard stare. But the look was missed by a non-concerned Bella. "Hey dad, you guys got any doughnuts around here? I mean, this is a police station." Charlie Swan's face was turning purple, Bella could only guess as her father finally really looked at her since she had been brought in by the Chief's best deputy Mark, that Charlie was just now seeing the eye brow piercing Bella had went to Seattle for.

"What in God's name is that!" He yelled while pointing at her face. Bella thought the color he was turning couldn't be healthy for him. Also, there was a killer vein in the old man's forehead that looked ready to burst.

"Oh. Yeah," Bella reached up touching the small bar. "Surprise! Doesn't it look amazing dad? And where are the bloody doughnuts? What self-respecting police station doesn't have doughnuts? That's like Harry Potter without his glasses and wand!" Deputy Mark could no longer hold it back, he doubled over laughing. He was brought up short though when looking into Chief Swan's angry face

"Shut up, Mark! Bella! You and I will be talking about this later." Bella still wanted to ask if they had anything to eat, but felt it was no longer safe to push her luck.

Billy, who had watched the whole scene go down, was getting ready to leave the police station with a somber Jake in tow. Bella tried to help Jake.

"Billy, please don't be too hard on Jake. It was all my idea to take the joy ride. I didn't mean any harm."

The older man looked right at Bella when speaking, his deep voice carrying with it a depressing tone- "I know that, Bella. Truly I do. But that's the thing isn't it? You never mean for anything bad to happen. But your wild ways are going to catch up to you someday little fox. I just don't want my boy to get caught with you."

The trip home left Bella with a lot of time to think on things. She felt awful about Billy and her own father being upset. She never wanted that. Sure her 'wild' ways, as Billy had called them, sometimes caused a stir, but living in a small, boring town like Forks, you had to make your own fun. What did they expect from her? Then she thought about how Jake had always been there for her, how he would always keep her safe and happy. He was like her own personal sun in the rainy town. She never wanted to cause him pain. Never wanted to see the day her 'personal sun' was eclipsed by her troubled ways.

As she crawled into her bed that night, Bella drifted off to sleep thinking about what Billy had said: "Your wild ways are going to catch up to you someday little fox" He had always called her a little fox for her "Curious and clever ways"

/-/

The next morning found a tired Bella, she had slept terrible the night before. Nightmares about shadows, red eyes, and wild things that crept, had her waking up in a cold sweat all through the night. She tried calling Jake that morning, all she got was the answering machine. Which was odd because there was always someone over at the Blacks' place.

Bella tried for two days to get intouch with her friend, only to be met with the answering machine every single time. She knew that if Billy had his way, Jake wouldn't be picking up the phone any time soon. Something didn't sit right in Bella's gut. She felt that two days worth of avoiding her calls was a bit much and decided to go see Jake in person. Surely Billy wouldn't turn her away when she was standing on his door step?

Pulling up to the little red home of her best friend, Bella noticed Billy was sitting on the steps of the front porch. Suddenly she was very nervous. The look upon the older man's face spoke volumes.

Bella looked up to the gray sky as a large gust of wind blew her hair in her eyes. Then she looked into the cloudy eyes of Jake's father, even more unsettled than the clouds he appeared to be. It looked as though a storm was brewing, and in more ways than one.

"Hey Billy, how are you today?" Bella smiled, trying to force her nervousness down. Billy Black got up from the step and made his way down to Bella before she could get closer.

"Good Morning to you, Bella" The quiet tone of his voice made Bella's gut twist with fear. The only other sound to be heard was the gravel under their shifting feet.

"Where's Jake?" She thought maybe if she got right to it, they could move past this weird vibe going on.

"Jake isn't here right now. In fact, Jake won't be here for the rest of the summer." Bella felt like someone had kicked her in the gut. "Why? What do you mean won't be back this summer? Billy, where is he?" She felt tears forming in her eyes. Bella wasn't a cryer. She didn't cry often, but when she did, it was like the flood gates had opened.

"Bella, now just simmer down," Said the old man, holding his hands up in way a one might to calm someone down. "you only have yourself to blame. Always getting into trouble, causing the police, your own father no less, all this stress and worry. I sent Jacob to his mom's house in California. Where he can be with his sisters and help his mom out more around her place."

Bella felt herself shaking with rage. How dare Billy send Jake off like he was some mutt he didn't want anymore! Did he really think this would work? That a life-long friendship would just go up in smoke because Jake was gone for the summer? Bella was pissed to be sure, but more so she was hurt by Billy's actions. Bella had known the Black family all her life. Charlie and Billy had been the best of friends since long before she and Jake were born. So why was Billy treated her like the enemy now? Things didn't add up.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You sent him off to a woman who walked out on him when he was a baby and never looked back? Jake's whole life is here in La Push! His friends, his bike, the cliffs and.." She was cut off by the old man-

"And you? Bella look, Jake was becoming more wreckless looking out for you, keeping up with you. You two need time apart. I'm just looking out for my son. He needs to focus this coming year. He has to if he wants to get into a good college and become the man I know he can be. But he won't do that if he is always trailing after you, where you go, and getting caught up in all your nonsense!" Billy said while shaking his head.

Bella, being angry, hurt, and shocked, left that place that had been a second home to her, and she didn't look back. Tears flowed, for sure. But her eyes remained forward.

/-/

He was gone. Her best friend was gone for the whole summer. Just sent off to live a new life, in a new place. To make new friends. She hadn't even gotten to tell him goodbye. The fact Jake hadn't called her yet spoke volumes. Bella was heartbroken because of what Billy did. She even opened up to her father, something she had never done before. But it was of no use because Charlie was taking Billy's side on this one. Being fed up with his daughter's behavior, he felt Bella needed to learn a few lessons. Chief was upset because Bella seemed to only think about herself and what she wanted. Bella's bad behavior had made Charlie the laughing stock of the small town. Chief Swan's own daughter was the town trouble-maker! The boys down at the station had a good laugh at Charlie Swan's tiny, cute as a button daughter keeping him on his toes. But Charlie Swan was worried too. Bella seemed so reckless. He was worried something would happen to her. The Chief wasn't a man of many words, but he loved his daughter deeply, would do anything to protect her. He would do anything to keep her safe.. even from herself.

Bella started calling Jake every night before Bed. After finally getting over being pissed at Bella for helping in pushing his dad's hand, sending him off, Jake became his normal self. They would talk for a few hours about their summer, what California was like, and how Jake was becoming quite the sufer. To which Bella made fun of him for. Asking him if he would come back sounding like someone from the O.C. Even though they missed each other a lot, they were starting to get into a groove of being apart. And that worried Bella more than anything.

"Jake, do you not even miss me or La Push at all?" She finally asked one rainy, friday night alone. Jake was getting ready to head out to a big party. Bella was feeling left out and lonely. "Bells, come on. Of course I miss you all! But I kind of have to make the best of it you know? I mean, summer can't last forever, right? Just be cool, relax and I'll be back before you know it!"

Bella moved on that summer without her Jake. The first few weeks were the hardest. Being J's side kick was all she knew. She started hanging out with the older boys in La Push. Even though Jake told Bella to be careful, that the older boys were players and into much heavier things than Bella was. That they could get into more trouble than even Bella could handle. She told him to stop worrying, she knew what she was doing. Jake still felt weird about it all. He just hoped the other boys on the rez would keep their word to not only Chief Swan, but the promise they made to Jake when he left: to watch out for his thrill-seeking best friend, to not allow her to hurt herself.

[Three months later]

Jake never came back to Washington that fall. He decided to spend his final year of school in Cali with his new friends and new girlfriend, Vanessa. Bella pretended to take the news well. But what Jake didn't know was after hanging up the phone, she spent the next few days crying her eyes out. But like anything else when you're young, your heart moves on fast and heals. While Bella and Jake still talked, it was becoming few and far between. Jake fell in love with not only California, it's sunny skies, waves and beaches, but also his girlfriend. They even made plans to attend the same college. It was like his whole life fell into place there. Leaving Bella all alone if not for the La Push crew. The same group of older boys Jake worried about his best friend getting in too deep with. Jake knew the stories, the rumors and the dares the boys lived on. He tried to talk to Bella about it, but she would shut him down. Jacob just hoped that the boys would watch after Bella and not turn into a pack of hungry wolves around her.

"Pass me the damn joint, Seth! Man you're hogging it all!" Paul Krowe said while Seth Clearwater coughed his guts up while taking a big hit off the joint. The other boys laughing at him. Bella looked around the circle of La Push boys. The best looking group of guys around. These boys were the popular ones, they were the boys no one messed with. And if you were in their group, you weren't messed with either.

The La Push crew consisted of: Sam Uley, Paul Krowe, Quil Ateara. They were the oldest. Then the younger ones the same age as Bella were: Embry Call and Seth Clearwater.

"Man, that's some strong shit!" Coughed Seth passing the joint back to Paul. Bella had never done drugs before. Not in all the times she had sat in the circle with Jake, his older sisters, Rachel and Leah, and the others. Bella may have been an adrenaline junkie, but she wanted to experience it on its own rush, not with the use of drugs or alcohol. Her own terms. That was one thing her dad had instilled in her that stuck. Life, when seeked out and pushed to its limits, could give you a high that no drug or drink could match.

"Bella, want some?" Asked Paul. He always had a way of making others do anything he wanted them to. All the others but Bella Swan that is. Smiling her innocent smile Bella shook her head. She might hang out with these boys to pass the time, to try and fill the void left by her best friend, but she wasn't about to let her guard down for one second. And she knew getting stoned was most assuredly letting her guard down in the worst way.

"Oh, I see. You're keeping your head clear, keeping your wits about you, huh Swan? That's alright then. More for me." Paul said with a sneer. Something about him made Bella's blood run cold. She could never put her finger on it. Just something about the twenty-one year old made her skin crawl. Jake must've never fully trusted Paul either as he never allowed Bella alone with the boy. Paul had always seemed cold in general but more so towards Bella. It was almost as if he, Paul, was jealous of Bella. And of course Bella knew she was being silly thinking that. What on earth could the leader of this pack of boys have to be jealous of Bella Swan? The only true friend she had was Jake and he was gone now. Gone because of Bella's own selfish, childish actions. Was that the reason for Krowe's hateful attitude towards Bella? But why did Jake's leaving matter so much to Paul when he had a group of boys to worship and follow him?

As Bella was getting ready to head home, twilight was fast approaching, Paul decided to mess with Bella some. "So, Bella now that your little lapdog is gone, not so big and bad now are you?" He said with a hint of venom in his words. The boys laughed, all but Seth, who always did remind Bella of a younger Jacob.

Bella being well, Bella would never back down from someone like Paul. "What the hell does that mean?" She said while standing her ground. Sure Paul Krowe was 6'6" inches tall and had muscle in more places than Bella had ever seen, but he was still just an asshole. A bully.

"What I mean is," Paul took a step closer to Bella while talking in a condesending tone, "now that your safety net known as Jake is gone, you're not so tough with stunts and dares are you? See, I remember a time when you would do just about anything to prove how badass you were. You were always a hellcat little Bella. What happened to your fire? What happened to the gut check moments you used to have? Oh, that's right, it moved to California and has a hot little piece of ass to fuck now!" The boy laughed.

Bella could feel the tears trying to come but she'd be damned if she would give this asshole the pleasure of knowing and seeing that he got to her. Squaring her shoulders, she looked the idiot right in his eyes. "Name it."

Krowe smiled a knowing, wicked grin. Seth spoke up before Paul could respond, "Bella, no way! You can't. You promised Jake no crazy shit. Remember? Besides he'll have all our asses if you get hurt. Plus, your dad will freak the fuck out if you end up with a broken leg again like you did last time you listened to Paul!" Seth said while cutting a cold look at Krowe.

"SETH, SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Paul was in the young boy's face faster than anyone could blink. Something in the tone of his voice, the manner in which he seemed almost giddy to have her do a dare made Bella's body break out in chills. Something told Bella if she were ever in real trouble, Krowe would be the last person to help her.

"You heard Bella. She said to name it. And I will." Paul said turning toward Bella. No one said a thing. They just waited for the dare Paul was thinking up for Bella. Seth kept looking between Bella and Paul. He could tell by Paul's stance and Bella's eyes neither was going to back down.

"I dare you Bella Swan to spend 24 hours alone in the old Masen house. No phone. No company. Just you, a flash light and a video camera to show proof you went through with the dare. Do you accept? Or are you too big of a crybaby to do it?" If ever Bella wanted to hit someone, it was now.

Bella felt like she had been hit in the stomach by a two by four. She knew of the stories about the old Masen property. Where the older couple was brutally killed, only time in Forks' history that a killing took place. No one knew what happened just that a masacre had taken place there and the Masen's only child, a son, Edward Masen, jr. went missing. Rumor had it that Mr. and Mrs. Masen were killed in the middle of the night thrity years ago and that when police went to check upon the missing couple, the house was torn apart and their bedroom looked as though it had been painted in blood. The bodies of Elizabeth and Edward Masen found lying side by side. Their throats had been ripped open. Their seventeen year old son, Edward jr. was never found. No one knew if he had killed his parents and taken off or perhaps was also a victim in the tragic slayings. No body was ever found. Why would someone take his body? No one knew for sure, but everyone talked about it. All through high school many kids went to the old Masen house to see who was brave enough to step foot in the yard. But no one had every been brave enough to even be on the front porch much less inside the house. The home itself gave off a feeling of loneliness. If any house was to be haunted, the old Masen house was most likely. And here Bella had to be there for 24 hours. Alone. In the dark.

Bella didn't really like the idea of this dare. She liked the rush of doing something that could get her in trouble, that tested her physically. This dare was more physcologically testing than anything else. But she wouldn't let Paul see her sweat this. She wouldn't back down.

"Ok. Fine, I'll do it. But not tonight." She said

"And why the hell not tonight? You're really that big of a chicken shit, Bella?" Paul was baiting her.

"Bite me, Paul. No I can't tonight because Charile isn't work double. As in he will be home. You know Charlie, my dad who happens to be the damn chief of police? Idiot." Bella said the last part under her breath.

"Alright. Cool with me. Tomorrow night then." Paul said while walking back to his jeep. But then turned one more time, "Oh, and Bella? Don't forget to bring your hello kitty flashlight!" The group of boys following him doubled over laughing.

Bella's only reply was; "Does that mean you're done borrowing it from me?"

Paul's responce was not verbal, but one single finger in the air.. In which Bella replyed blowing a kiss.

When Bella got home that night she fixed dinner for her and Charlie. The normal everyday things took place. All the while Bella's mind raced as she thought about what tomorrow night would bring. Bella wasn't afraid of much. And she didn't really believe in all the ghost stories the local kids told about the old Masen place. But still she didn't like the idea of having to spend a full night in that nasty spider filled house alone in the dark, out in the woods.. She was brought out of her thoughts when Charlie put his dish in the sink. Bella still needed to make sure her dad was going to be working the double shift tomorrow night or else her dare would never happen. He always did, but she wanted to make sure.

"Hey pops, what do you want me to make for dinner tomorrow night?" Now Bella knew nothing would have raised an eyebrow faster than her asking Charlie if he worked tomorrow night. Parents normally could spot when their kids wanted to do something not allowed. A father who was also a cop made things even harder for Bella.

"Bells, tomorrow is Thursday. You know I always work doubles on Thursdays. And Mark and I grab a bite from the diner." He looked at his daughter with worry.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry I must have forgotten what day it was." Bella said with an added laugh.

" You sure you're feeling ok?" Charlie looked at her like she was crazy.

"Yep. I'm just fine." But deep inside Bella wondered if she was really fine. If so, why did she keep putting herself in these crazy situations? Why couldn't she stop with all these dares? And most importantly, why did this dare worry her so much? Looking out the kitchen window, into the night, Bella wondered what tomorrow night would be like. Alone in a "haunted" house in the woods. Only time would tell..

A/N Second part of story (with Edward) to be posted as soon as I can. Thanks for reading! :)