Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight.

Bella's POV

My first day of senior year. One more year until I'm freed from this town, my parents, and everything else I pray that I can leave behind. And until then I'll just grin and bear it and get through.

This is what I told myself as I got ready for school this morning. As I sorted through my closet, I decided on something simple. A pair of dark blue distressed skinny jeans, a short sleeved pink, white, and blue three-quarter floral shirt that displayed my tan, toned stomach and back dimples, and a pair of white vans. I let my wild, curly dark auburn hair down, where it reached mid-back, and applied light eye-liner and mascara to my bright green eyes.

I sighed. I, personally, am never satisfied with what I see in the mirror. My lips are too full. My brow too defined. My thighs too fat. My hips too wide. Not good enough. Her voice rings in my head. I shake my head quickly as if to physically eject her words.

Once I'm done criticizing my appearance, I decide this is as good as I'm going to get.

I turn away from the mirror, grab my white iPhone 5 off of the charger and my keys off of my dresser and slowly walk downstairs. As I reach the bottom of the stairs I spot my father passed out on the couch, presumably from his heavy drinking the night before and my step-mother nowhere to be found.

I scoff. No surprise there.

I make my way into the kitchen for a quick breakfast, but as I search through the refrigerator and cabinets it turns out mommy dearest forgot to go shopping.

"Great" I mutter. I grudgingly grab an apple and a bottle of water, deciding that this will have to be my breakfast. I quickly check the time and decide that now would be a good time to leave for school, considering the fact that its 7:30 and school begins at 8:00, giving me 30 minutes to drive there and visit the main office for my schedule.

I make my way out to my car, a silver and black Audi R8 that I received for my 18th birthday a week ago, and hop inside. The car was a gift from my parents. Never being around, being pretty shitty parents, and being pretty well-off were all strong contributing factors.

I grab my tan cargo jacket from the passenger seat, quickly slip it on and head off to school. On my way there I can't help but wonder what this year will be like.

Hopefully not as lonely as last year, I think sadly. I moved here at the start of last school year with my father and his new wife, Courtney. My father's company, a huge electronics manufacturing company, relocated. Due to the fact that Renee, my mother, divorced dad 4 years ago due to his drinking problem and moved to Florida, I automatically relocated too by default. Being as well off as we are, we had a house built on land that my dad bought, our cars shipped in, and a gate installed around our property. Throughout the weeks when this was going on it was a pretty big gossip topic around Forks, considering how small the town is. A big business man, his gorgeous blonde wife, and his teenage daughter. How interesting, I think sarcastically. When I began to attend Forks High School that's when I began to notice how hard it would be to make friends. Everyone was either intimidated, jealous, hated me or just wanted to get in my pants. Sounds fun, right? Long story short it was a long, lonely year.

As I pulled into the student parking lot, I noticed everyone hanging around outside, like they usually do before the bell rang. I got out of my car and began to walk towards the school. As I make my way to the office I pass a group of jocks, among them is Jasper Hale. He slyly winks at me while smirking that creepy smirk that I've grown to hate. He has been trying to get with me since I moved here and refuses to take 'no' for an answer. Asshole, I think as I roll my eyes and continue towards my destination. His friends laugh and yell 'Ohhhh' obnoxiously loud.

I enter the office expecting to see Mrs. Cope sitting at her desk, but instead it's completely empty.

"Fucking A" I mutter as I plop myself into a chair in the waiting area, prepared to wait.

Twenty-fucking-minutes, the first period bell, and an angry Bella later, I'm still waiting. While looking around the office as if the solution will suddenly appear on the walls, my eyes land on the door to the principal's office.

Eh, what the hell? I think as I make my way towards there door.

Our principal, Dr. Tillman, is an old, wrinkly, round man. He wears glasses, too- small suits, and these nasty red suspenders. He's known for his booming voice and intimidating nature, so naturally I'm hesitant to knock on his office door.

I knock timidly, expecting to hear his booming voice telling me to enter, but to my surprise that's not what I get, at all.

A light yet stern feminine voice yells, "Come in."

I open the door and I'm greeted by an average height, gorgeous woman with caramel hair, electric blue eyes and a warm smile. She's wearing a stylish navy business woman suit with black 5 inch stilettos, which I immediately recognize. Hmm, I think, Chanel, classy. My eyes scan her desk and land on a name plate with the name Esme Cullen engraved into it. Is she substituting for Dr. Tillman? I wonder.

"Hi sweetheart, may I help you?" says Mrs. Cullen, smiling warmly at me.

"Umm, hi. I'm Isabella Swan, there's no one in the front office and I need my schedule so..." I wander off.

"Oh! I'm so sorry sweetheart. Mrs. Cope is taking a sick day today." She says while making her way towards her desk, presumably to print out my schedule. "Your name again sweetheart?" she says while halting her typing and looking up to make eye contact with me while smiling warmly.

"Isabella." I say. "Swan." I add quickly after she continued to stare at me expectantly with an amused smile on her face.

"Nice to meet you, Isabella. I'm Esme Cullen, your new principal." She says while standing and moving to the printer while it begins to print. She hands me my schedule and I reach out and take it and scan over it. AP Statistics, AP Psychology, Physical Education, AP Literature, and two student aiding periods, in that order. Not bad.

"Thank you." I say to Mrs. Cullen, while making my way towards the door.

"You're welcome, Isabella." She says and quickly adds, "Come back and inform me who you'll be student aiding for by the end of tomorrow, dear."

"Okay." I reply with a small smile as I shut her office door and head to first period.

As I arrive to my first period AP Statistics class I can feel the dread slowly rising. One, I'm absolutely horrible at Math. Two, I hate walking into a full classroom late, it's painfully awkward. Everyone turns to see whose entering and then I just feel like they're judging all hell out of me. My outfit, my hair, my face, my walk, and maybe even my ass.

I take a deep breath and enter the classroom. The first thing I notice is that this isn't the AP Stat. teacher that I thought I'd have. I thought I'd have Mr. Willis, the AP Stat. teacher from last year. But no. This woman definitely wasn't Mr. Willis.

The woman at the front of the classroom was extremely gorgeous, almost painfully so. She was tan, and tall, around 5'11 with the black 3 inch Dolce & Gabbana heels she was sporting. Long shiny dirty blonde hair hung to her mid-back. She was wearing dark skinny jeans, a black blazer and a white shirt underneath. How the hell can an outfit so simple look so amazing on her? I thought incredulously. She had electric blue eyes, perfectly sculpted eyebrows, full lips, long, thick lashes, and a beauty mark above her top lip. This woman was stunning. Literally.

"You're late." She stated bluntly without looking at me. "Wait outside."

Seriously? I thought, extremely annoyed considering how my morning was going. I rolled my eyes, huffed loudly, and turned on my heel dramatically before walking out of the classroom and letting the door swing shut behind me.

A few moments later the door opened and out stepped the teacher. She gently closed the door behind her and turned towards me, raising an eyebrow and smirking at my annoyed expression.

"Hello. I'm Ms. Hale." She said still smirking at my expression. I took a deep breath and smiled shyly at her. For some reason she was making me extremely nervous. She was intimidating, I'd give her that.

"Hi. I'm, um, Isabella. Swan." I said shyly.

"Hello, Isabella. Is there a reason you're late to my class?" she asks.

"I was in the office getting my schedule." I answer quickly.

"Hmm." Is all she says before turning and entering the class, beckoning for me to follow. I take the first seat I see, which happens to be in the front, directly in front of her desk. Great, I think sarcastically, I guess I can always move next class.

"Now" she states while walking around her desk and having a seat "where you're sitting will be your assigned seat for the rest of the school year, so I suggest you get used to it." She says with a smirk.

Fuuuuuuuck. I whine to myself.

I make it through all my classes fine after Ms. Hale's class and finally its lunch time. I buy my lunch, which consist of a water and a Caesar salad, and locate an empty table in the corner of the lunchroom.

I feel awkward sitting here all alone surrounded by laughing, happy teenagers, with friends and, loving parents, and an actual life. I'm halfway through my lunch when these thoughts enter my head and suddenly, I'm not so hungry anymore.

I quickly stand and throw away my lunch making my way to the cafeteria doors, tears already filling my eyes.

I find myself in a back stairwell near the gym. My face is wet with tears and at this point I really just want to go home.

Home. I chuckle at the word because that's really not what that place is. Homes are supposed to feel warm, and inviting, and contain people who love you. Unconditionally.

A house is a place to live. Nothing more. The only people in my house are my drunken father and my absent step-mother, neither of which love me. They barely tolerate me. I'm alone. Is someone who cares for me, genuinely, really too much to ask for?

My inner musings are interrupted when I hear heels clicking down the hall, gradually getting louder. I briefly wonder why before I realize they're coming this way, towards me. I quickly get up and wipe my face of any tears the escaped.

Ms. Hale rounds the corner with a folder full of papers in her arms, which she's looking down at with her brow furrowed. She briefly glances up and, upon seeing me, does a double take. She smiles at me but upon closer inspection, a concerned look takes over her face.

"Are you alright, Isabella?" she asks.

"Um, yeah, I-I'm fine." I say while forcing a smile onto my face, though it comes out as more of a grimace.

"You're crying." She points out rather bluntly. "Why?"

"Nothing" I say. "Nothing important." I add quickly when she raises an eyebrow at me as if she knows I'm lying.

"Why aren't you in lunch?" she asks while staring intensely at me.

"I didn't want to sit alone." Which isn't the whole truth but its close enough.

"Where are your friends?" she asks confusedly while looking around as if they'll jump out and yell 'surprise' at any moment. I wish, I think grudgingly.

"Non-existent." I mumble uncomfortably while looking everywhere but her.

She seems to sense my discomfort and begins to walk in the direction she was originally headed while beckoning me with her hand, a sign that I should follow her. I follow her silently through the halls, a few steps behind her. Eventually we end up outside of her classroom. I follow her inside once she unlocks the door and stand there awkwardly while she sits at her desk and starts to get situated.

"You can have a seat, Isabella." She says amusedly. I quickly sit in my usual seat, embarrassed that I'm acting so awkward. I can't help it, she flusters me. "Relax."

"Just Bella, please." I say while smiling softly, trying my best to relax.

"Okay, Bella." She says, putting and emphasis on my name. She stops shuffling papers and looks up at me. "If you want you can spend your lunch periods in here. I don't mind, I could use the company. I have no classes sixth or seventh period."

"Me neither, I have two aiding periods sixth and seventh period." I say.

"Really? Who are you aiding for?" She asks curiously.

"No one as of now." I answer casually. "I haven't really thought about it much to be honest." I answer honestly.

"Would you like to be my student aid? I know I'm not the most exciting teacher but I've been told I'm not half bad." she states playfully, while leaning back in her chair and gazing curiously at me.

"Yeah, sure." I answer with a genuine smile on my face, a rarity for me.

"Great." She says with at a small smile. "I hope I can get to know you a little bit more Bella. You seem like a very nice young lady. Aside from the attitude this morning." She says teasingly.

I gasp dramatically and place my hand over my chest as If I have no idea what she's talking about. She laughs as she walks around to her file cabinet next to the door and starts to sort through.

Just then my phone goes off and the name Courtney appears on the screen. My smile and playfulness instantly fade away as I open the text message.

I won't be home tonight, Isabella. Look after Charlie for me will ya? Xo

Seriously? Great. Just fucking great. I shouldn't have to look after him, he's a grown man. I sigh loudly as I place my phone on the desk and lean my forehead on my hands with my elbows on the desk. Because the more Courtney's gone the more Charlie drinks. The drunker he is the louder he yells. The more hurtful the words.

"Is everything okay?" Ms. Hale asks from her place at the filing cabinet, obviously having heard my rather loud sigh.

"Yeah." I lie unconvincingly. "Everything's fine."

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