Hey everyone! This is a story I've been writing for a while, and I've decided to share it. I hope everyone likes it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters and things associated with it; it's all SM's. I own this storyline however, so that's something. Alright *deep breath* Here goes!

Chapter 1- The Day It Started

I woke up and sat in the cold, damp room, my hands and feet tied, a blindfold over my eyes totally blocking my vision from everything around me. Behind me was a cold, wet pole, and I could feel the moisture from the ground seeping in through my jeans. I shivered as I heard the sounds of low whispers and feet shuffling around.

My stomach turned, my breath catching in fear and my heart starting to pound at the sound of footsteps coming closer to me.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," a leering voice said as it leaned closer to me and unfamiliar hands came to untie the blindfold from my eyes "Just a little bit longer and it'll all be over..."

I stifled a cry as I kept my eyes squeezed closed and asked myself the same question over and over again: Why is this happening to me?

It all started the day that I got involved with Edward Cullen.

~*TEM*~

It was mid-September in the second week of my senior year at school. That day had been an unfortunate day for me. I had woken up late and had to rush to get ready and rush to school, driving my little blue Beetle for all she was worth. I had perfect attendance; I couldn't afford to be late. It was when I got to school, though, that the real problems began.

I pulled up, parking my car hurriedly in my assigned parking spot, running up the sidewalk leading to the entrance of the school. I paid no attention to the largeness of the red brick building, or to the immaculately groomed large green lawn. My mind was focused only on getting to class on time. I got to the entrance, where Preston High School was written in elaborate, fancy script, and opened the door. I quickly walked down the hallway, hearing my mom's voice in my head. You can't be late to school, Bella.

I followed the hallway down to the end of the building, and rounded the corner to head for the elevators when I suddenly bumped into a solid figure. I fell, hearing the person grunt and curse from the impact, and all of my papers spilled out of my back pack. I looked up, and almost gasped aloud at the sight before me.

Standing there towering over me was a masculine, handsome boy. He was wearing the trademark dark blue and red school uniform with the top two buttons on his white button-down shirt open, revealing a thin gold chain hanging from his neck. An earring glistened in his left ear, and he had immaculate white sneakers on with his slightly baggy school pants. His thick, shiny hair was a color I'd never seen before- it was bronze, like a shiny new pinny- and lightly gelled into some slightly mussed style that went well with his pale skin. He had a straight, long nose that led down to surprisingly full, soft-looking pink lips, framed by a sharp, angular jaw. But it was his eyes that caught my attention then. They were narrow and wary-looking, an intense green color that was looking down at me in annoyance. All in all, he was handsome, but intimidating.

"Are you done staring?" he said, making me jump in fear. His voice was unbelievably deep, feeling like it vibrated in me to the core.

"I…I-I'm sorry," I stuttered out, still staring up at him.

"Next time watch where the fuck you're going," he said shortly, glaring at me and then stepping around me, sauntering down the hall.

I released my breath, willing my heart to slow down, and looked back at him walking down the hall, trying to place who he was. He was so rude! Even if I had bumped into him, he should have taken half of the responsibility and at least helped me pick up my papers! Just then, the bell rang, jolting me back to reality.

"Crap!" I muttered under my breath, scrambling to pick up my papers and stuffing them in my backpack, when I noticed something lying on the ground that hadn't been there before. I picked it up, wondering what it was. It was something hard wrapped in a white handkerchief. I flipped it over, noticing two initials embroidered on the smooth fabric. EC. I looked up, about to call the mysterious boy, but he had already gone out of sight.

Sighing, I put it in my pocket, then got up to make my way to class. Just my luck.

~*TEM*~

I sat in my desk in the large, airy classroom, trying to catch my breath. Everyone was looking at me in surprise; after all, I was never late to class. I was the school nerd.

Yes, that's me, Isabella Swan. I'm "that girl". I had always been the smartest in my class, ever since third grade. School had never been an issue for me, something I could be thankful for when it came to college since we weren't exactly dripping in money. However, with that came drawbacks. No one would talk to me, except for the doting teachers and principal. When it was time for academic awards or something having to do with representing the school, everyone paid attention to me; however, for the most part, I stayed in the background. I watched as others dated, went out and had fun, and skipped class; for me, no boys ever expressed interest in me, I had no one to have fun with, and I had perfect attendance. I wasn't ugly, but I wasn't the prettiest girl- my best features were my long, slightly wavy mahogany hair, full lips, and wide dark brown eyes. I wasn't skinny and I wasn't curvy; just somewhere in the middle. All in all, I was pretty much the definition of average. Average looks, average income, average town. I lived alone, just me and my mom Renee, and truthfully I was fine with it. I just focused my attention on school and getting the best grades I could.

However, today, I found my mind going back to that mysterious boy I had seen earlier. I hadn't seen anyone like him in our whole school, or in all of Elizabeth City really. It was a small town off of the coast of North Carolina and everyone knew each other at some point or another; why didn't I know him? And that handkerchief…how would I return it if I didn't know who he was? For some reason, I didn't feel like I could turn it in to the lost and found. But I couldn't just hold onto it either. All I had to go by were the initials EC. Not much of a help when I didn't know anyone with those initials.

I waited until class was over, then turned to the girl sitting next to me. She was daintily beautiful with short black hair cut into a bob and wide gray eyes, and she was extremely short. "Excuse me?" I said, waiting for her to turn from her back pack.

"Yes?" she asked, a slightly surprised look on her face. I guess she was surprised I was talking to her.

"Do you know anyone with these initials?" I asked, bringing the handkerchief from my pocket. As soon as she saw it, the girl's eyes widened and she stepped back, almost as if it was infected.

"N…no, I don't know anyone by those initials," she said, not meeting my eyes as she turned back around to finish packing her back pack.

I could feel that she was holding something back from me, and her reaction was suspicious. "Are you sure?" I pressed.

She finished packing her back pack, turning back to me and smiling congenially. "I'm sorry, but I really don't," she said, walking quickly out of the classroom.

I stood there for a moment, puzzled over her reaction, before I shrugged and put the handkerchief back in my pocket. I walked out of the classroom, heading to the elevators for my second class.

~*TEM*~

The rest of the morning passed with no luck. I gave up and forgot about the handkerchief in my third class. No one would tell me who the person with the initials with EC was; they all insisted that they didn't know and left quickly. I felt like some students were looking at me strangely and whispering when I walked down the hallway, but I didn't know why.

I sat down at the lunch table, blowing out a breath of frustration. All around me, students were talking and eating their lunches. The lunchroom was large and spacious and white, with a buffet-style lunch booth. The main dish for the day was stromboli, one of my favorites, but I wasn't eating it with my usual relish.

I scanned the lunchroom, looking for a sign of any shiny copper hair, but there wasn't a trace of it. Defeated, I resigned myself to forget about it and eat my lunch. I would just take the handkerchief to the lost and found and ask them to look for someone with the initials EC.

I took my favorite novel, Pride and Prejudice- I was a major Austen junkie- out of my back pack, opening it and reading where I had left off, immersing myself in it as I ate my stromboli. I was so immersed that I almost didn't notice the sudden change of atmosphere in the cafeteria. It had gotten considerably quieter, and I looked up to see everyone looking at me.

What is it? Something on my face? I asked myself, my hand going up to my face automatically. Behind me, I heard someone clear their throat, and I froze a little, turning around slowly. There he was, standing behind me, looking down at me with a fierce green gaze, his arms crossed.

"Who….?" I asked, swallowing as I felt my heart speed up for some reason.

"I'm…Edward Cullen," he said, his voice as deep as that morning. It seemed deeper, almost as if it was reverberating, in the hushed silence in the cafeteria. My mind instantly made the connection. EC. "I believe you have something of mine," he went on to say, an expectant look on his face.

I gulped and nodded, reaching my hand down to my pocket. I felt my heart flop when it met nothing but the stiffness of my uniform skirt. My eyes widened as I patted my hands around me, looking around on the floor and seat beside me. I was panicking in my mind. I had it. I know I had it. It was here this morning. Damn it, not another case of clumsiness striking again!

"It... It's not here. I can't…" I said, looking back up at him, my heart pounding.

My mouth went dry and my hands started to shake as his intense eyes darkened and sparked, and I felt the air around us tense. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as Edward looked down at me, an angry frown coming onto his face and into his eyes as he quietly said, "What the hell do you mean, you don't have it?"

"I, um... I-I'm sorry… I definitely had it," I said, looking down and picking up my back pack. Where had it gone? I had it that morning. I definitely had it. I emptied it out. Nothing.

Edward took a deep breath, looking around him. I looked around too, realizing I had tuned everyone but him out. Everyone was looking, some with curiosity, others with fear, and most with a mixture of both. I looked back up at him, wondering what he was going to do.

After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Pack your stuff up and come with me," in a low voice.

"Huh?" I asked, my mind still frozen from the shock of having lost the handkerchief.

"Stuff. Up. Follow," he said, walking forward and picking up my papers and bookbag, shoving the papers inside. "Let's go. Now." His jaw clenched and his eyes blazed as he turned and walked away without a second glance, leaving me gaping in his wake.

It was then that I knew it; I was completely and utterly fucked.

So... First chapter! What do you think? Keep going? Stop now?

Please let me know!