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Summary- Tormented in high school by her peers; Bella flees to Jacksonville, Florida. A phone call from her mother two years later, sends her home. No one recognizes her. She meets up with an old friend, and gains a new one. She wants retribution against those who hurt her. And she'll stop at nothing to get revenge.

o0o0o0o - Chapter One - Back To Hell - o0o0o0o

"Flight seven-ninety-two is now boarding at gate four."

The screeching sound of the announcers voice was wreaking havoc on my already pounding head. I closed my eyes one last time to pull myself together, and to try and gain just a little more strength to go through with this new nightmare.

"Are you sure you have everything you need?"

Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes.

"Yea. I think so." I replied.

"You know… if anything happens… if you want to come back… our door is always open."

The sincerity in his voice eased a little of my discomfort towards the whole situation, and I smiled.

"Thanks, Uncle Phil." I said, as I finally stood and reached for my carry on bag. "Well, I should probably get going."

"Call us when you get there." He said, walking towards me with his arms extended. When he closed the distance, he wrapped them lightly around my shoulders. "Your aunt will have my ass if you don't." He said, chuckling.

"I will." I sighed, into his shoulder. "I'll miss you both."

"Awe, Sweetie. We'll miss you too." He replied, pulling away.

I wiped the stray tear that managed to free itself from my burning eyes. This was so much harder than I thought it would be.

"Bye." I whispered, as I turned and walked towards the gate that was announced.

"Bella!"

"Yea?" I said, turning quickly.

"I'm proud of you."

I gave him a weak smile, turned, and made my way towards the contraption that would undoubtedly, bring me back to hell.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Swan!"

The thunderous voice came from the entrance of the cafeteria, and I tensed almost immediately. I didn't turn. I pretended I didn't hear. The sound of laughing, caused an immediate shudder to run down my spine. Something was going to happen.

"Deaf now too, Swan?"

The voice was coming closer. Closing my eyes, I willed it to go away. My disgusting tray of cafeteria food, clattered when he slammed his hands down onto the table in front of me.

"I don't like being ignored." He said, a slight growl to his voice.

I learned a long time ago, it was never a good idea to look into his eyes. So keeping them down, I stuttered a response. "W… wh… wha… what?"

I fidgeted in my seat, shredding the napkin that had found purchase in my hands, waiting for him to respond.

"Wait a second!" He said, suddenly. I took a chance and looked up shortly, to try and read his face. Nothing. I shouldn't have been surprised. "Are you wearing makeup?"

Mom decided this morning that I needed a new look to help gain friends. I didn't care. But she was relentless in her argument and I finally gave in too her demands. She spend an hour creating the new Izzy Swan. I only wish now that I didn't back down to her so quickly.

I didn't answer. Hell, it was a rhetorical question.

"That's just rich." He said, laughing. "Jared! Quil! Get over here. Look at the new Izzy Swan!" His loud voice carried through the small, silent cafeteria.

"Please don't." I whispered. I knew what was coming. It's happened on an almost daily basis, since I was ten.

"Excuse me?" He replied. "Did you say something?"

"Please." I tried again.

Quil and Jared showed up moments later. Both of them took a seat directly in front of me. Their stares were common and un-nerving.

"What up, Paul?" Quil replied, as he stretched his legs and kicked me under the table.

Flinching, I began running scenarios through my head. How do I make a quick escape and remain intact?"

"Izzy here's decided to try and become something better looking on the eye." Paul said, nodding his towards me.

"It's a shame it'll never work though." Jared quipped up quickly.

My eyes began to burn. I would not cry in front of them, though. Crying only made them more cruel and determined.

"I agree, Jared." Paul smirked back to him. "By the way Swan… what are you doing here?" He asked, as he returned his attention back to me.

"And eating too!" Quil said, cutting in. "I thought we all decided she would skip lunch for the rest of the year. Wouldn't want you to break a chair again, would we?" He said, laughing.

I was again reminded of the time that Jacob kicked the chair out from under me in math, last year.

"Oh, lunch is here!" Embry said excitedly, as he sat down beside me. His elbow jutted out and hit me in the arm on his way down. That'll bruise later. Another bruise. Great!

He reached in front of me and grabbed my tray of food, and placed it in front of himself.

"Meat loaf, Swan? Really?" He eyed the tray with a look of disgust on his face. "Screw it. If I eat it fast, then maybe I won't taste it much." He said, as he began shoveling my untouched lunch into his mouth.

"Why are you here, Swan?" Paul said again, as he finally lowered himself into a seat.

"I don't know." I whispered, as I reached down to grab my bag. I touched nothing but floor. Where was my bag?

"Look at what we have here." Came a crackling voice from behind me. Leah.

I turned slowly to try and give her my best glare.

"Ha! That's kind of amusing, Swan." She said, noticing the look I gave her. Holding the bag with one hand, she reached over my shoulder to the tray of food that was practically gone, and grabbed the carton of milk.

"Hey! I was going to drink that." Embry said, as he tried to grab it back from her.

"Can it, Embry." She said, glaring back at him.

He visibly slouched back a bit, but then perked back up at whatever Leah was doing behind me. Laughter erupted from everyone in the cafeteria as Leah poured the almost full container of chocolate milk into my backpack. I began to shiver slightly as the cold seeped through my clothes.

"Guys, leave her alone." Came the voice of my best and only friend, from the left.

"Oh, Angela." Paul said, shaking his head. "She brings this on herself."

"How?" She demanded. "What has she ever done to you?"

She turned her attention to me, after she was satisfied with the glare she gave the rest of the group.

"Come on, Bella."

"She shouldn't have been here in the first place, Angela." Jared snapped. "The pale-face needs to be outside. That's where animals belong." He continued, reaching over to grab the last bit of food off my, I mean Embry's, tray.

"Let's just go, Angela." I said, finally standing. Leah shoved my , now destroyed, backpack into my arms.

Angela turned her sad eyes towards me. "Yea, lets."

We quickly, together, brushed past Leah and made our way to the closest exit, which just happened to be outside.

"I'm sorry, Izzy." Angela said, as we perched against the wall to avoid as much of the rain as possible.

"It's not your fault, Ange… Please don't apologize for them."

"Someone needs too." She replied. Her sad eyes were burning into mine.

She maneuvered herself quickly and gave me a brief hug, to lend me whatever support she could.

"I think I'm going to go through with dad's idea." I finally managed to say as I looked down at my hands.

"Jacksonville?" She said. The sadness was invading her voice.

"Yea."

"I wish you wouldn't leave." She said, after a long moment. The disappointment was evident in her tone. "I'd miss you something fierce." She continued, as she turned to smile at me.

"I'll miss you to, Angela." I said, pulling her in again for another hug. "But we can still call, text, email…" I tried to lessen the intensity of the conversation.

"Yea… I guess." She sighed, heavily. Grabbing her bag and hoisting it on to her shoulder she said, " I need to go to the library quick to check on this book for our science essay… you coming?"

"I think I'm going to stay here. Enjoy a few minutes of peace." I said, looking out towards the forest that extended from the back of the school.

"Okay, I'll see you in gym?" She asked, nervously.

"Yea. Later Angela."

She sighed and then turned and quickly made her way towards the outside entrance to the library, and then disappeared silently through the door.

I stood there for a moment contemplating the decisions that needed to be made. Dad said that I could go stay with my aunt and uncle in Jacksonville for a while too, as he put it, "get away from the bullshit." I've been mulling over it for the last week or so, and the decision was becoming clearer and clearer every passing day. My personal hell was surely going to drown me if I continued on like this. The depths of which I was plummeting were going to pull me under and there would be no option of resurfacing. I needed to do this.

"Is that smoke?" Came a deep voice from beside me. I got so lost in my own head that I didn't even hear him approach. As always, I didn't answer. There was no reason to bait him. "Thinking can get you into trouble, Swan." He said, after the clear sign was lit, that I wasn't going to respond.

I pulled the strap of my bag higher up onto my shoulder, and began to turn.

"Don't trip." He yelled, with a small hint of amusement in his tone.

I didn't register what he said until I started falling. Somehow, the lace to my sneaker became untied and he stepped on the offending string. When I moved my foot to begin walking, it was pinned back and the result was a face plant into the mud. Putting my hands in front of myself, I pushed up slowly.

"Miss Swan, Mr. Lahote, is there a problem out here?" The principle said, as he walked up to the disturbing scene. I didn't get a chance to respond, as Paul jumped in to talk to him.

"Not at all Mr. Lawson. Izzy here tripped over her shoe lace and fell… I was just helping her up." He reached down and grabbed my arm roughly, and dragged me back up to a standing position.

"Miss. Swan?" He asked, turning to look at me.

"Yea… Sorry." I said, as I tried to brush the mud from the dress my mother made me put on this morning.

"You should be more careful. Your clumsiness is only going to cause future incidents. Thank Mr. Lahote here, and then move back into the building please. The bell's about to ring." He said after a short pause.

I hid the scowl that was surly working its way to my lips, and then turned towards Paul. The satisfied smirk across his face irritated me. In that moment my decision was final. I knew what I needed… no had… to do. Grabbing my backpack, I threw it over my shoulder. With one more glance to the principle and then to Paul I responded. "Thank you." I turned on my heel and then marched towards the parking lot, to the right of the building.

"Miss. Swan, that is not the way to class." Mr. Lawson called, when he realized I was indeed moving in the wrong direction. But I didn't care. My decision was final.

A soft nudge on my shoulder woke me. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep.

"Miss, sorry to wake you, but we'll be landing shortly. I need you to put your seat into the upright position and fasten your belt, please."

I wiped the sleep from my eyes and then placed my seat into its rightful position, just as the attendant turned and proceeded down the isle. The dream left me reeling. I hadn't dreamt about them in such a long time. They were unwelcome and left a sense of unease deep within.

I hated that even after two years, they still got to me. That they still affected me as much as they did. I tried to leave that piece of me behind, but eventually the old me reared its head and tried to break through the barrier I had carefully tried to erect.

The moment my mother called me, caused a whole new strand of emotions to break through. The most dominated though… anger. I was pissed. I was perfectly content in the new life I had created for myself in Jacksonville. I may not have had many friends, because making them proved difficult with my past constantly coming between the people around me and myself, but I had changed.

My Aunt Joy and Uncle Phil, helped me to realize that I didn't have to be that person anymore. That I didn't have to be that weak soul that people walked all over to make them feel better about themselves. So, I did what I had to do to change. Upon my arrival to Jacksonville, I started a new routine. Running helped me to clear my mind. I left all my doubts and insecurities on the pavement behind me.

My aunt helped to boost my self esteem by taking me to a salon every other weekend. Her rule, "If you feel good about yourself, then no one's comments can bring you down," helped.

Money was never an issue in the household. My uncle ran his own firm, and in return the rewards from it were substantial. My aunt had her own interior design company, which also provided income. They weren't 'rich' by any means, but they were well off.

When I first arrived, my aunt decided to take me under her wing, so to speak. I started working part time under her, and earned a significant amount of money. They only issue I had? They wouldn't let me buy anything with it. It was an almost constant argument. Actually, it was the only thing we ever argued about. They couldn't have children themselves, so they took their time with me, as their chance to provide everything they could for a child. It irritated me, but in the end they always won. So everything I've ever made over the last two years, was saved. I could never repay them for what they gave to me. For what they taught me. As cliché as it is, they were the bright light at the end of the dark tunnel of the life that I had.

When mom called last week, asking me to come home because she needed help in the diner that her and Sue were opening, I was ready to scream. I left that life behind because I didn't want it anymore. I love my parents. I always will. But sometimes, you have to sacrifice some things in order to be happy. The relationship with my parents was always strained… at best. I never understood why they never sided with me on anything.

My uncle pulled me aside after, I not so nicely, told my mother, Renee, that I would have to think about it and call her back. He asked me why I was so upset. And I explained everything as best as an eighteen year old could. He knew about everything I went through here. They were easy to talk too. When he told me that he thought I should go, I just about had a panic attack. My old insecurities reared their ugly head and I asked if they were tired of me already. When he explained that it was better to face the bullshit that happened and to get the answers to the questions I've been harboring for so long, I knew he was right.

So here I was. Sitting on this plane, that just landed in Seattle Washington. I was in no rush. With the recent anger surfacing, I'm sure that I'd smack someone who would accidentally bump into me on their exit. All I needed was to call my father at a police station because I was arrested for assault. So I waited. When the passengers were finally thinned down enough, I reached into my pocket and sent a quick text to Angela, on the phone I retrieved.

Just landed. Gate two. Will be at baggage claim shortly - xx Bella

Her text came almost immediately.

See you soon - xx Ange

Placing the phone back into my pocket, I reached up and grabbed my carry on bag from the compartment above the seat. Turning, I made my way for the exit.

My last thought before stepping over the threshold… I really hope I don't regret this.

Author's Note - I decided to clean up the original Returning To My Past. When I started, I ended up adding a lot more then what was originally there. The original can still be found under my profile, for the time being. It will be removed as soon as I have all of the new chapters posted here. I've gotten a ton done, and my sole focus has been on re-working this. I hope it meets up to your expectations, and you enjoy it as much as you did the original. Reviews are nice... but not necessary for me to post. Enjoy - Christina - aka - l3liss