AH/AU: Bella Swan is an 18 year old normal teenage girl. She's been hurt in the past by family, friends and of course boys. She can't even remember the last time she was truly happy. But what happens when at college she meets the handsome player Edward Cullen who also has a dark past?

Disclaimer for the whole thing: Stephenie Meyer owns everything.

Broken Promises: Chapter One - A Fresh New Start.

'You'll never be good for anything.. I'm ashamed to call you my daughter.. You'll always be alone.. I wouldn't want to spend my time with someone like you.. you're not good or pretty enough to get a boyfriend.'

I lay in bed at 4:00AM still awake, thinking of all the things that have happened to me in my eighteen years as a living human being. As I heard my mother shouting at my father, I blocked all of the negative emotion by turning on my iPod. Safe music to my ears.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Isabella Swan, but anyone who has ever known me knows to call me Bella. I live with my parents Renee and Charlie Swan. God knows why they haven't gotten a divorce yet; I know they'd be much happier, myself included. My mother has abused me physically and verbally ever since I can remember. My father just abuses me verbally, he threatens to hit me but never does. To say that I had the perfect life - that has got to be the biggest lie I have ever heard. Tomorrow I start my first day at College, I leave in three hours to catch the plane to Chicago. We all live in Forks. I cannot begin to express my relief and excitement to finally be getting away from here. It's been on my mind since I was eight years old. Friends? What a laugh. I have none. Friends leave, they break promises. They betray you, stab you in the back. I can't reallu trust anyone to be my friend, just knowing that they're going to spread lies about me or end up calling me vicious names. I haven't had a best friend since I was seven years old, when we still lived in Phoenix, Arizona. Then we moved to Forks, Washington. And I was friendless. I sometimes wonder if I never moved, would I have friends or would it be the same. And boys? Let's not go there. I've been used, cheated on. Every single possible worst form you can imagine (apart from rape), it's been done to me.

But now, at college, I'm hoping to make a fresh start. Live by myself in solitude. A new way of living, a new life. I couldn't honestly wait.

I woke up to the sound of banging on the door.

"Wake up! Wake up you lazy bitch! Get dressed NOW!"

Ugh, mother. Who could forget the sound of her dragon-like voice, the way she screeched. I heard her complaining to my dad as she went down the stairs.

I looked at the clock, It was 5:00AM. I had only gone to sleep for a few minutes, I didn't have to leave until 7AM, but yet she has to push it.

"What the hell did you wake her up for? At least let her sleep, she has plenty of time."

"Plenty of time? Plenty of time? Plenty of time?! You know what she's like! She doesn't know her ass from her suitcase! The girl is a cheap dumb ass."

"Now, now. There's no need to get like that. She's traveled more than you have and she you know more responsible than that."

"Oh, yeah, that's right, both of you assholes stick together. Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you."

I sighed and pressed my face into my pillow. That? Oh, that was nothing. She's just being a drama queen over nothing.

I was on the plane now.

In the car, there were random arguments about my father's speed. And my mother offered me a sweet and I said no because anything I eat at this time in the morning makes me feel sick, and of course, she went all psycho on me and called me ungrateful.

At the gate, we said our goodbyes and my mother just gave me an evil look, while I just rolled my eyes and went on to board the plane.

I sighed contently, feeling relief for the first time in my life.

I barely paying attention when I noticed a boy with reddish-brown hair sat next to the old woman who was beside me. He was astonishingly beautiful.

Halfway through the flight, they were talking, but I just stared out the window. I didn't figure I would be a very interesting person to talk to or he would think I'm a freak or something that people usually think.

I put my arm against the window, letting my head rest there, not realizing my sleeve stretched down.

I was looking out the window and I looked away and caught his eyes and he was staring straight at my arm. I looked back at my arm and realized my sleeve was way past my wrists, revealing my cuts.

He gave me a look of sympathy while I just rolled it back down.

I arrived at my dorm room, after getting my keys from the office, trying to unlock the door, but I couldn't seem to unlock it properly.

I kicked the wall. Stupid door. Stupid key. Why did this always have to happen to me?

Then, a pixie like girl with short black spiky hair danced to me. "Hi!" She exclaimed. "Are you Isabella Swan?"

I smiled shyly. "Yes, but call me Bella."

"Alrighty Bella! Are you having trouble with your key?"

I nodded.

"That's okay, I had the same problem too! My boyfriend Jasper had to show me how to use it. Here." She took the key from me, pushed it in, twisted it twice, took it out and twisted again. And voila, it opened.

The little pixie giggled. "I'm Alice by the way. Alice Cullen! You're sharing the room with my brother Edward!" She shook my hand and smiled happily.

As we stepped inside, she pulled me closer, whispering in my ear, "Be careful, he's a player, so try not to fall for him because you seem like a nice enough girl. Okay?"

"Errr. Okay?" was my only response. Like I was going to date any guy, let alone a player.

"Good!" She hugged my tightly.

This Alice chick seemed nice and bubbly. Just the kind of girls that seem all nice and friendly to your face and back stab you.

The door opened then. And like a bat out of hell, walked in the reddish-brown haired, gorgeous boy from the plane.

"Edward!" Alice practically shouted. "This is your roommate, Bella! Bella, this is my loveable brother Edward!"

He stared at me peculiarly and then settled for a smiley and offered his hand. "Nice to meet you, Bella."

"You too, Edward."

He took my hand and brought the plan up to his soft lips and kissed it.

I gasped and he just chuckled.

Alice didn't seem too very happy with her brother.

"Edward.." she warned.

Edward looked at Alice with an innocently look. "What? I just can't believe me extreme good fortune when I find this beautiful girl in my room and she happens to my roommate! What luck!" He exclaimed whilst grinning his pearly whites.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to my bed and sat down.

A phone rang and Alice answered it.

"Hello? Yes.. okay. I'm coming! Don't let her anywhere near Jasper!"

She hung up.

"Hey guys, I gotta go. Jasper needs me. Want to come and meet him, Bella?"

"Um, no thanks. I'm exhausted. Maybe some other time."

"Edward?"

"I think I'm going to hang here with Bella for a while."

Alice looked worried but I gave her a reassuring smile, I wouldn't let him get to me.

The door closed behind her and then Edward came over to me, putting a hand on my arm and smiled.

"Looks like it's just you and me for a while Bella."