Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters.

Bella's POV

True Friendship Leading to Love

A/N: In this story, Seth is seventeen instead of fifteen and he isn't as quiet or innocent as in canon.

I was sitting on the beach after my confrontation with Jacob where he told me he couldn't be my friend anymore, that I didn't belong in his world. It was almost exactly the same thing he told me when he left. Actually, the scenarios themselves were almost exactly the same. Both left me feeling alone and worthless and I was once again sitting in the middle of the rain with no motivation to move. The only real difference was that Jacob hadn't left me in the middle of the woods.

I didn't know how long I was sitting on the beach letting the rain fall on me and listening to the waves crashing, but I felt like it had to be while, as I was completely drenched.

Soon I heard a pair of footsteps. I looked up in hopes of seeing Jacob. I hoped maybe that he'd changed his mind and came back to tell me he was sorry and that we could be friends again. But it wasn't Jacob. It was Seth Clearwater. I remembered him from the night I'd had dinner with his family, the Blacks, and Charlie. He was the youngest of the Clearwaters, but not by much. He was seventeen.

Seth made his way over to me. "Bella Swan? Bella, what are you doing out here?"

I didn't answer him. I couldn't really form words at the moment. I was in too much pain right now. I had both Jacob's and his rejection to deal with and it was really hard. I just wanted to curl up in a ball like last time. It was taking everything in me not to do it.

Seth took of his jacket and bent down to wrap it around me. "Bella, are you okay? Why are you out here in the rain?"

I held his coat around me tightly and shivered. "H…he left me. He doesn't want anything to do with me. J…just like h…him."

Seth stood up and pulled me up with him. I didn't stop him. "Come on, let me drive you home."

"I have my truck," I said emotionlessly as I let him pull me up the beach. Well, actually, I didn't have my truck. That was in Billy's driveway.

"Even so, I think you should come with me. I don't think you're in any shape to drive right now," Seth said. He led me onto the pavement where his car was just a few feet away. He helped me into the passenger seat and then got into the driver's side.

I looked at the car. It was really clean and looked very nice. The seats were made of leather. It was clear that Seth took good care of his car. "I'm going to ruin your seats with how wet I am."

"I'm not worried about that right now. I'm more worried about you. Why were you on the beach in the rain?" Seth asked as he pulled out onto the

"Why were you?" I countered.

Seth sighed. "Billy Black was at our house earlier talking to my dad. I overheard him say that you'd gone to the beach to talk to Jacob and that it wouldn't go well. He said that Jacob was gonna tell you to stay away."

I couldn't help but flinch at Seth's words. The pain of Jake's rejection was really raw right now.

"I guess Billy was telling the truth. Asshole," Seth swore. I figured he was talking about Jacob, not Billy.

"That's what he said. He said we couldn't be friends anymore. He was really mean about. I just don't get why. I don't know what I did wrong. I haven't even seen him since that day he got sick," I said as I tried to understand Jacob's rejection, though I believed it had something to do with Sam.

"He was sick?" Seth asked.

"Yeah. He was really hot and he said he felt strange. Today was the first time I saw him since then and he was with Sam and his gang," I explained.

Seth hissed angrily at the mention of Sam's name. Apparently he wasn't a fan either.

"Did you lose a friend because of Sam too?" I asked.

"Not exactly. Sam Uley is a huge asshole though. He broke my sister's heart," Seth practically growled.

"Sam dated Leah?" I asked. I remembered Leah too from dinner, though I didn't really pay much attention to her. She didn't really bother with anyone the whole night.

"Yeah, for years. She loved him. She talked about them getting married one day. Then the jerk shacks up with our cousin!" Seth said angrily.

I looked at Seth shocked. That was just horrible. No wonder Seth hated Sam. "That's awful."

"Yeah. I think Leah would've been able to handle it if Sam just left her. Sure, it would still hurt, but she'd get over it. It's the fact that it's to be with Emily that's really tearing her up," Seth said.

"The betrayal is greater because it's not just Sam that crossed a line," I said.

"Right. Guys can be jerks. I know that because I am a guy. But Emily is our cousin. She and Leah were so close. I can't understand how she could hurt Leah like that. It gets even worse though. My parents on Sam's side," Seth said.

"What?" I asked in disbelief. I didn't understand how the Clearwaters could possibly side with Sam Uley against their own daughter. What was it about this guy that had everyone so supportive of him?

"Yeah. I asked my dad how he could possibly take Sam's side and all he'd was that it was complicated. Needless to say, things are kind of intense at home right now. It's basically Leah and me against our parents right now," he said.

I shook my head in disbelief. "I don't get it. Why do people fall all over themselves for this creep? Jacob swore he would never join Sam. He said he wanted nothing to do with his little cult. T…then next thing I know, h…he's following him around and wants nothing to do with me."

Seth sighed. "If Jacob dropped you for Uley and his gang, then he's an idiot. He doesn't deserve your friendship."

"He was the only friend I had. He helped me after he left. Now he's gone too," I cried.

Seth pulled the car into my driveway and stopped the car. "Bella, Jacob is a moron. He's not a real friend. Don't give him the satisfaction of thinking he broke you. Forget about Black and move on."

"It's not that easy, Seth," I said.

Seth chuckled. "Yeah, that's what Leah said to me when I said the same to her. You're right, it's not easy, but you can do it. You cannot let him have the kind of power over you that he will have if you drown yourself in misery over him. So here's what you're gonna do, and again, I told Leah the same. You're gonna get up every morning and you're going to live your life. You're gonna pretend that Black's rejection means nothing to you. You'll do that every day until it really does mean nothing."

"Pretend everything's okay?" I asked in disbelief. I didn't even know how to do that.

"That's right. The best way to get back at him is to make it so he doesn't matter," Seth said.

I sighed. "I better get inside. I should probably take a shower and change clothes."

"Of course. Where's your truck. I'll have Leah drive my car here tomorrow and I'll bring it to you," Seth said.

"It's at Billy's, but you don't have to do that," I told him. He'd already done more than enough for me.

"It's no problem. I wanna do anything I can to help you. This way you won't have to see Black at all," Seth said.

"Thanks," I said before removing his coat and pulling my keys out of my own jacket and handing them to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bella."

I nodded and got out of the car.