Chapter Three - Goodbyes, Falling, and Righteous Fury

“True friends stab you in the front.” ~ Oscar Wilde


Chapter Three: Teary Goodbyes, Falling, and Righteous Fury

BPOV

Charlie had still insisted on driving with me, but it was a nice to spend so much time with him before we were separated, especially since it had been such a long drive. Going across the top of the US took a great deal of time, but it was nice to see how diverse the landscapes were. We went from Washington to Idaho, into Montana, then Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Man it was a long trip. From there it was on to Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, into Vermont, and finally, yes finally to New Hampshire. That’s a lot of scenery to take in on one trip. Charlie decided he would just fly home to Forks from here. Everything was set in place. He would help me unpack, we’d grab a bite to eat, and then he’d fly home and have Sue pick him up at the airport. Simple, right? This was going to be easier than I thought. Then I saw the sign: Welcome to Dartmouth.

I wasn’t sure what to feel when we pulled onto campus. I was used to the green. You can’t live in Forks, Washington and not get used to how green everything was. I was prepared for that. What I wasn’t prepared for was the gut-wrenching fear that overwhelmed me when we got there. Suddenly I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to be some 3000 miles away from Charlie. I didn’t know anyone here. What if I didn’t like them? Oh God, what if they didn’t like me? What the hell was I thinking? Everywhere we looked were families going about the actions of getting their children settled in. But it wasn’t anything like back home. These children were all beautiful and rich. Nothing like me. I was only here because of some stupid scholarship. I didn’t fit in with these people.

Ivy League Swan? Who the hell was I kidding? I was never going to be anything more than some small-town girl from East Bumfuck, Nowhere. My little pep talk I had given myself before leaving seemed silly now. Loneliness threatened to engulf me. Charlie was just going to leave me here. With these… these… Stepford Children! The bastard. I thought he loved me! Now I come to find out that he’d willingly dump his daughter, states and states away, with no one. He was leaving me alone.

We pulled up to Russell Sage Hall. This was going to be my dorm. My own personal hell. Up there, on the fourth floor, in room 408 I was going to be trapped. And since I was just the kind of lucky girl that only I can be, I had copped a triple room. Yeah, triple... meaning three people in one room. So not only was I the poor kid, I was the poor kid that had to deal with two new roommates. God didn’t like me enough to have me deal with meeting only one new person at a time… he had to throw me with two of them. Aren’t I just the lucky one? My dark thoughts consumed me as I looked around. Of course I had pulled my old beater of a truck right into a spot next to a shiny, silver Volvo. The differences were staggering. I felt sick to my stomach. I was truly afraid.

Charlie must have been lost in his own thoughts because we hadn’t spoken since we got here. We stepped out of the truck and quietly started unpacking. I already had my key, so it was just a matter of lugging everything up there. It really wasn’t a lot to start with, so it would only take a couple trips. I grabbed my suitcase and my duffel bag and started inside. Taking the steps all the way to the fourth floor might prove to be hazardous for me, but what could I do about it now? I walked up and rounded the corner, looking for room 408. It was at the end of the hallway, with a blind corner. I was surely going to make an ass out of myself at some point or another. I trudged down the hall slowly, wary of what I was going to find once I got there. Fortunately for me, it was empty, but it looked like I was the last of the three of us to arrive. Two beds were already claimed, as well as most of the closet space, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t have many clothes and a bed was a bed, to me. When Charlie and I had finished unloading the truck, my roommates still hadn’t arrived. We decided to head somewhere to get food since his flight was in a couple hours.

“You gonna be okay here, Bells?” Charlie looked so sad and I immediately felt bad for the horrible thoughts I had earlier. He wasn’t really a bastard. But I was still scared.

“Of course, Charlie, I’ll be great!” Sure it was fake enthusiasm, but I didn’t want him to know just how frightened I really was.

“You sure?” He was starting to worry me. If he kept asking me that, I might just jump in his arms and beg him to take me back home.

“What is it?” I had to keep it cool. If I didn’t pull this off, Charlie would be miserable, and it wasn’t necessary for us both to feel that way.

“It’s just…” There was a long pause.

“It’s just what?” Still he hadn’t said anything; he just continued to stare at the same checkered tablecloth in front of him. For a minute, I didn’t think he was going to say anything, but…

“It’s just that I’m gonna miss you.” It was whispered, but I could hear the emotion behind it. I felt tears welling up in my eyes and desperately tried to blink them away.

“I’ll miss you too.” My voice broke, causing me to stop. Fresh tears started and tracked down my face before I could wipe them away. Aw hell, if he kept this up I was going to be sobbing soon.

“I know you have to grow up, Bells. And I know that you need to spread your wings and fly, but damn if I don’t miss my little girl.” Yep. Here came the waterworks, but Charlie kept going, like if he didn’t say it now he wouldn’t be able to get it out. “A part of me will always be looking out the window for my baby girl with the scraped up knees. Then again, you came home with scraped up knees last week.” Watery laughter broke through the sobs.

“Ha, ha Charlie.” I was still sniffling and tears were still streaming down my face. “It’s not my fault that dog’s leash got wrapped up around my ankles. If that lady had been watching where she was going I would have made it home unscathed.”

“But would have made it through the rest of the day?” I reached over and smacked his arm playfully.

“Not funny old man.”

“And here I thought it was.” He was still chuckling softly. Damn, I was going to miss Charlie.

“Nope. Not a bit.” I stuck my tongue out at him.

The rest of the evening passed quietly, Charlie and I shared a few more memories before it was time to head to the airport. He made arrangements for a cab to pick him up and I sat with him until it was time for him to go. I told myself I wouldn’t do this to him, but as he was climbing into the cab I ran at him full force, throwing my arms around his neck while fresh tears fell. “I’m going to miss you so much, Daddy.”

If Charlie was alarmed by my reaction, he didn’t let on that he was. He just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, “I’ll miss you too, baby.” He pulled back and kissed my forehead. “But it’s time for you to go and make me proud. I love you, Isabella. Always have, always will. Renee would be so proud of you if she were still here.” I could hear the tears in his voice, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him again. I knew I would see grief and heartache. Just as I knew that part of him felt like he was losing me like he had lost her. “She would have been so proud. My little Bella, it’s your time.” And with that, he climbed into the back of the cab and was whisked away.

“Bye Daddy.” I whispered quietly to the retreating taillights. Now I really was alone. I walked back to my car slowly, not really wanting to go back and face whatever was waiting for me back at my dorm, but I didn’t know where anything was, so I didn’t have any other option.

I pulled back into the lot and parked in that same spot, right next to the Volvo. As I got out, I admired the car’s sleek sexiness. That’s some car. I thought to myself. I walked back into the building and made my way up the staircase, not really paying attention to my surroundings, which is always dangerous for me. I was thinking about Charlie and how I was going to get through this ordeal. I still felt overwhelmed and was certain I wasn’t going to fit in. But after everything tonight with Charlie, I felt that I had to at least give it a shot. I’d do it for Charlie, and Renee.

As I was rounding the corner on a landing, contemplating where life had brought me, I ran smack into a solid wall of flesh. “Ooomph!” I teetered for a minute before falling on my butt, tripping the guy I had run into. I felt the heat as the blush raced across my face. He had landed across my body and was trying not to put all of his weight on me.

“What the hell?” I felt the same way. I knew better than to daydream while I was on stairs. Or walking. It was completely my fault.

“My bad,” I replied quietly. “I am so sor…” I trailed off as I gazed into a pair of dazzling green eyes.

“Hey, you okay?” He sounded a little panicked and I wondered if I was drooling or something.

“Hmm? Oh! Yes, s-sure. I… I’m f-fine.” Oh. My. God. Now I was stuttering. Could my day get any worse?

He shook his head at me in disgust. “Jesus Christ. Just watch where you’re going, okay?” He shoved himself up and held out a hand for me. I slowly put my hand in his as he none to gently pulled me to my feet. I felt a tingle in my hand and pulled it away quickly once I was up. “Next time you’re rounding the corner, you might want to try checking your blind spots before you come barreling around.” He chuckled a little, but I wasn’t sure if he was laughing at me or the situation. I decided to just brush it off. Well, try to at least.

“Yeah sure… of course. Um… well, I’m really sorry. Again. You know.” My heart was racing. Why didn’t I just stop talking? My brain was thinking to stop, but my mouth wasn’t getting the message. It just kept yapping away, like there was some sort of short circuit. “Hmm… I think… know I need to, umm… I have to go.”

He just had a smirk on his face. I turned and ran full speed up the rest of the stairs and onto my floor. I was tearing down the hall at a furious pace, only stumbling once or twice before I pulled up short right in front of my door. I could hear voices on the other side, so I stopped to compose myself before using my key. But before I could even get the key in the hole, one of the voices caught my attention.

“I mean seriously, Alice. Just look at her luggage. Can you believe they actually roomed us with some poor nobody from Bumfuck.” My earlier thoughts haunted me, but when she said it I didn’t feel fear and apprehension. No, when I heard whoever the hell was on the other side of the door, I was filled with righteous anger. Who in the hell did she think she was?

“Oh come on Rosalie! This is going to be so much fun. I just know it!” The other voice didn’t seem so bad, but it was still frightening, for some unknown reason. I could practically hear its owner bouncing around the room.

“Fun?! You think some charity case is going to know how to have fun?” She snorted there. Actually, she laughed a melodious and menacing laugh, but I’d rather she had snorted. “I’ll just bet she’s some overweight, bookish little nerd who wears big horn rims and wouldn’t know fun if it came and shook his package right under her nose.” I was beyond fury. I was beginning to think I was actually seeing red. Charity case? Well, I’d show her that I wasn’t some fucking charity case. I belonged here. I didn’t get here because my daddy donated a new wing to the school. No, I was here because I had a 4. fucking 0 GPA my entire life. I worked my ass off for that scholarship and damn if I didn’t deserve it.

“Rosalie! Don’t be so crass. You just wait, you’ll see. We’ll all be great friends!” Over my dead body.

“Whatever Alice. I wouldn’t bet on it. And I wouldn’t hold my breath either.” Wow. She really was a bitch. I decided to finally make my presence known before I barged in there and choked the bitch for all it was worth. I swung the door open and immediately knew which one was the bitch. She was tall. And built. Like a goddess.

“Can we help you?” She sneered at me. Like I was nobody. Or nothing. I just shot her one hard look before strolling across the room and opening my suitcase.

“Nope. I think I have everything under control.” I started putting my clothes away and tried to ignore her. The other one, who was a surprisingly small girl with spiky black hair, came bouncing (I knew it!) over to me. She was squealing with excitement and I had to fight the urge to slap my hands over my ears.

“Oh goody! You’re our roommate. My name is Mary Alice Brandon, but everyone calls me Alice.” She was still bouncing on her toes. I was impressed, considering she was wearing some snazzy black boots with a spiked heel. She looked sharp.

“Isabella Swan. But please call me Bella.” I held my hand out to shake her, but she launched herself at me and pulled me into an amazingly strong hug.

“We’re going to be such great friends!” I guess she didn’t know I had already heard this speech, and to be honest, I wasn’t really that interested in hearing it again at the moment. Especially since Blondie was still shooting daggers at me with her eyes.

“I’m not so sure about that Alice.” I gestured towards the bitch with a nod of my head. “Doesn’t look like your friend is too interested in being friends with the likes of me.” I made sure to sneer the word at her, hoping she knew I wasn’t thinking friend when I said it.

“Oh don’t mind Rosalie. She’s just a bitch.” She continued bouncing around me while a snort escaped my lips. Blondie whirled around to me and snarled. Fire burned in her baby blue eyes.

“Excuse me?” I wasn’t sure why she was addressing me since I wasn’t the one that had made the comment, but I assumed she was trying to flaunt her place. Time to knock her down a few notches.

I swaggered over and stood directly in front of her. “You have a problem with me, Barbie?” Her fists curled and I was sure she wanted to use them on me.

“I’m just not interested in being friends with some piece of trash hood rat.”

“Aw. You don’t want to be my friend?” I pushed my lips into a mock pout, immediately enraging her further. “That’s okay. I don’t want to be your friend either. So you can take your opinion, and your problem, and shove them up your ass as far as I’m concerned, because I didn’t come here to make friends. I came here for an education and a degree. And you know what? I. Don’t. Need. You.” I made sure to space out the words carefully, just to make sure I was crystal clear. A bubble of laughter behind me broke my concentration.

“Rosalie! You should see your face!” More hysterical laughter poured out from Alice. “I don’t think anyone has ever had the nerve to put you in your place so succinctly. Or as effectively…” She was still laughing when Rosalie stomped across the room and flung herself very dramatically into a chair. Then she turned to me and something flickered in her eyes before resting on the shirt I had been holding in my hand. “Bella, what is that you’re holding?” I looked down dumbly, trying to gather my wits.

“Um… a shirt?” Why was I questioning it?

“Oh no. This won’t do.” She was shaking her head and going through my things like there was something seriously wrong.

“Alice, what are you doing?”

“Bella, I can’t let you wear these clothes! I mean, seriously, they’re off the rack!” She said it like it was a crime. I was suddenly very scared, but in an entirely different way than I had been before.

“What do you mean? These are my clothes.”

“No. Or they won’t be for long.” Then she squealed again and this time I didn’t suppress the urge. I immediately slapped my hands over my ears to block the noise. “Oh my God, Rosalie! Do you know what this means?” The blonde looked over at Alice with a bored expression and rolled her eyes. “Shopping! I have a blank canvas to work with!” I felt all the blood drain from my face all at once. No, please! Anything but…

Of course I had to get a roommate that loved shopping. I guess I really was in hell after all.