Disclaimer: This story contains elements that could be sensitive to some readers, including issues pertaining drugs, domestic violence, abadonment, ect.

It starts out like any other day. I get up early, before everyone else. I put on my tennis shoes and drive until I hit sand. The beach is always the best place to run.

I get out of my car just as the sun starts to creep up over the horizon, casting an orange glow across the water. I start stretching while I have a quick cigarette. I know, ironic right? Guy gets up early to go running and has a pre-work out smoke. Seems a little counterproductive, but it's what I do. My foster dad is a doctor and hates the fact that I smoke, so I try to do it as little as often when I'm around the house. Otherwise he'd be on my ass about it all day. "Edward, you smell like smoke….Do you have any idea what that's doing to your lungs?...Don't you care that you're hurting everyone around you?"

I take one last drag and flick it down on the ground before starting off. I run down the beach, just close enough for the waves to barely touch my feet. It is completely deserted, just how I like it. I'm not much of a people person. I have friends, it's not like I'm one of those kids that always sit alone at lunch. But I've always felt so claustrophobic around people. Like I can't breathe.

Part of it stems from my childhood, bouncing around from house to house, never truly feeling secure or settled. And part of it is the whole clusterfuck of high school. Everyone is screwing everyone else, literally and figuratively. The jocks are just as insecure as the nerds and the popular girls sit around talking about everything they ate that day. Nobody is real. Nobody. Not even me. I play through the motions, pretend to fit in. What a joke.

It was all coming to an end soon, but not soon enough for me. I have two countdowns. One until I graduate high school. And another when I turn 18 and am no longer considered a ward of the state.

I turn the corner and slow to a walk, trying to catch my breath. I pace around in circles, attempting to clear my head. It's never an easy task.

I glance down and notice a single shoe lying idly by the edge of the water. It's not unusual to spot things out of place on the beach, but something about this feels different.

I bend down and pick it up. Definitely a chick's sneaker. Or a guy with the smallest feet I've ever seen.

There are large indentations in the sand, leading towards the edge of the forest. Almost like something or someone was dragged or pulled through it. My breath hitches in my throat when I see another shoe, identical to the first one, nestled just inside the trees.

"Shit…" I whisper. I look around the still deserted beach and slowly start towards the trees. "Hello?" I call out. "Is anyone there?"

I peer into the dark forest and look around. I don't see anyone. Maybe the shoes are just the remnants of someone's midnight swim. It wouldn't be the first time.

I take a few more steps into the woods and that's when I see her. Curled up on the ground, pale as all hell and sopping wet.

"Hey," I bend down and shake her. She doesn't move. "Hey are you okay?" I brush her clingy brown hair away from her face and freeze. Behind her pallid skin and blue lips she's beautiful. My heart almost aches seeing her like this. I have no idea who she is, but she is definitely not okay.

"Okay Edward….think," I mumble to myself. I lean down, placing my ear next to her mouth to see if she's breathing. I hear slow, raspy, shallow breaths escaping her lips. I don't know if I should move her or what the hell to do, so I run back to my car to call Carlisle.

"Hello?" He answers.

"Carlisle," I say, trying to hide the panic in my voice.

"Edward? What's wrong?"

"I found…a girl. In the woods by First Beach. I think she was in the water and she isn't moving or talking and I don't know…I don't know what to do."

"Okay is she breathing?"

"Yes. She's really pale."

"I'm on my way. I'll call an ambulance to meet me there. Now listen very carefully Edward, if she was in the water there's a very good chance she has hypothermia. I need to you take off any wet clothes she's wearing, do you still have that blanket in your car?"

"Yes."

"Okay I want you to wrap her in that. Don't be alarmed if she starts shivering, it's the body's way of warming up. It's a good thing. I'll be there as soon as possible."

I hang up and grab the blanket from my trunk before running back to the girl. She's in the same position as before, not moved an inch. I lean down and feel along her clothes. They're all soaked. I hesitate momentarily, wondering if I could really just strip this girl down in the middle of the woods. I shake my head and lift her slightly off the ground as I pull her shirt over her head. I lay the blanket down underneath her and sit her back down. My fingers fumble with the button on her jeans. It would have been funny if the situation were different. I've never had any problem getting into a girl's pants before now.

"Damnit," I mutter, finally getting the button. I unzip them the rest of the way and tug them down her hips and off of her legs. I carefully wrap the blanket around her and was going to set her back down, but something stops me.

"H…hold-d-d-d…m-m-m-e." She mumbles, almost incoherent as her teeth start to chatter. Her eyes are still closed and half of me wonders if she has any idea where she is or who I am.

"Okay," I whisper, pulling her towards me. She rests her head against my chest as I wrap my arms around her. "Okay," I repeat. Her body eventually starts shivering, just like Carlisle had said. I only hold her tighter, hoping that they will be here soon. I rest my chin on top of her head and look around.

"Edward!" Carlisle's voice echoes.

"Carlisle!" I yell back. "Over here!"

I finally see him, along with a couple of EMT workers, step into sight.

"There!" Carlisle starts running towards us. He bends down and starts assessing her immediately.

"She started shivering a few minutes ago. That's a good thing right?" I ask.

"Yes, it's a good thing." Carlisle reaches under the blanket and takes her wrist, I assume to check her pulse. "Slow but still there. Has she said anything?"

I shake my head and look down, thinking that her stuttered words are probably not that relevant.

"Okay, we need to get her to the hospital. Boys!" He waves the EMTs over. They carry a board with them, which I assume was to carry her. They lay the board down beside us and I lean over to lay her down.

"She won't let go Carlisle…" I try gently shaking her off, but her fingers are clasped onto my shirt.

"Okay…" He says. "Can you carry her back?"

"Yeah." I nod and struggle to stand up. Once I'm sturdy it's easy as pie. I maneuver my way over the rocks and logs, making my way back to the parking lot.

"We'll drive her, meet us at the hospital." Carlisle waves to the EMTs and opens the back seat of his car for me. I slip inside and adjust her body across my lap.

The drive to the hospital is void of any conversation. When we get there I carry her inside and Carlisle leads me to a bed. I sit down with her and glance down at her fingers. They are still grasping at my shirt, holding on for dear life. I wonder if she'll ever let go.

We sit there for a while as the nurses and doctor's work around me, checking her vitals and shit. I eventually feel her fingers start to loosen, her hand sliding lazily down to her lap. She starts mumbling a little bit, but I can't understand a damn word she's saying.

"Okay, Edward, see if you can lay her down now," Carlisle says. I get up and gently lay her on the bed with little effort. I step back and run my fingers through my hair.

"Thanks, Edward. Emmett is on his way to pick you up." He pats my shoulder and I step outside of the room.

Emmett's Jeep pulls up outside a few minutes later and I hop in. "What the fuck happened?" He asks.

"Not my typical morning run to say the least."

"Mom's freaking the hell out. Just be prepared." He's the only one that calls her Mom. Of course he's been with them since he was five years old, so I guess it makes sense. " I dropped Jasper off down at the beach to get your car."

We drive home and Esme...or Mom as Emmett calls her, is standing out on the porch, pacing back and forth.

"Honey, are you okay?" She asks as soon as I get out of the car.

"I'm fine, Esme. I just want to go back to sleep." What I really want is a fucking cigarette. I'm a nervous wreck and I need something to calm my nerves. I dart upstairs and to the bathroom, cracking the window a little bit as I pull out my cigarettes, all too anxious to have one. I sigh as I take a drag and tell myself to relax.

I rub my hand across my forehead, trying to shake off this morning. I don't know how long I've been sitting here, but it's long enough to smoke three cigarettes. I'm not that much of a chain smoker but this shit's intense.

I choke when I hear Esme outside.

"Edward, are you okay?" She knocks on the door. She's a kind woman, always welcoming and warm. I wish my own mother could have been like that. Not some cold, heartless bitch that chose drugs over her own son.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, blowing the rest of my smoke out. I throw the cigarette outside and close the window before spraying some air freshener. I know she knows anyway, but I still want to cover my tracks.

"Carlisle?" Esme says, answering the blaring phone as I dart from the bathroom to my room. It's not even late afternoon yet, but it's not too early to go to bed, especially after the day I just had. "How is she?"

I close the door and lay down on my bed, throwing the covers over me and willing sleep to find me. I can barely hear Esme talking out in the hallway.

"Oh!" She gasps. "That's so terrible. Nothing?" I close my eyes and slowly fall asleep, her voice just a soft whisper in the background. "Well that's nice of him to take her in, you know we don't have anymore room..."

A/N: Welcome to Something For the Rest of Us! This author's note will be longer than usual, but I figure it's best to include general info all in one place so please stick with me.

Find me on:

Facebook- Mandy Leigh

Twitter - MandyLeigh010 (FF)

AmandaLeigh1123 (RL)

Chapters will be posted a few times a week, although I don't have a set schedule. All chapters will be between 1000-2000 words roughly.

Reviews are very much appreciated, but not expected :)

Thank you to Joey WitchyVampGirl Masen for her help and consultation for topics covering the social work field. Also huge thank you to my pre-readers ImHereToReview and BonesyBabe who led me back from the ledge of posting this story before I was finished with it.

Please keep in mind that this is fiction, not a news report. As an author, I have created a world and characters of fiction that I hope you can love, laugh, and cry with and although I strive to make it realistic, it is fiction. All publicly recognized characters and settings belong to S.M. but I have worked incredibly hard in developing this plot so please do not steal, or repost without my permission.

Disclaimer: If you're looking for a story loaded with smut, this is not it. This is not to say there will not be sexual situations, but this is so far from being that kind of story that I refused to just add smut in for the sake of having it.

Last, but certainly not least, my playlist for this story:

Pardon Me by Incubus, Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran, Jump into the Fog by the Wombats, Lazy Eye by the Silversun Pickups, Bloodstream by Stateless, Go Your Own Way by Lissie, Little Things by One Direction, It's Time by the Imagine Dragons and Epiphany by Staind.

I'm so happy to share this with you and I hope you enjoy the story! Thank you for reading!

M