A/N: Some Quick Facts About This Fic:
Chapters: 37
Ship(s): Bella x Rosalie. AlicexJasper, EdwardxTanya, EsmexCarlisle, RosaliexVictoria and LeahxJacob.
Rated: T for sexual themes, mild language and mild fantasy violence.
Notes: This is essentially a drastic rewrite of the Twilight Saga with BellaxRosalie as the central ship and Bella as a half-Quileute. I loosely follow the plot of the books with these changes, and I try my best to keep everyone IC. Anyway, thank you for clicking and I hope you enjoy the show.

CHERCHEZ LA FEMME

I thought that love was just a word
They sang about in songs I heard
It took your kisses to reveal
That I was wrong, and love is real
"La Vie En Rose" - Edith Piaf

CHAPTER ONE

ROSALIE

The evening before Bella Swan moved to Forks was dull and routine. Little did I know, by the next morning my life would never be dull or routine again.

Sitting in the Cullen Mansion, halfway through the sunset, I scowled at Edward and Tanya making out on the sofa beside me. Alice and Jasper were no better, over in the corner whispering about something inane. The mateless Emmett lumbered around outside doing yard work without any decent reason and I sat alone with a book on my lap and a sour expression on my inhumanly beautiful face.

Esme came up behind me. I sensed her presence, although she stepped lightly.

"Rosalie, dear," she said in that sweet tone I could never refuse, "would you mind going into town to pick up a movie for Family Night?"

"Of course," I said, nodding once in her direction. I tossed my book onto the sofa and grabbed my jacket—for the sake of appearances only; I had no need for coats—before striding out the door.

I walked towards my shimmering red Mustang. Then someone grabbed my shoulder. My first, fast impulse was to grab him by the arm and twist. Emmett. Unsurprisingly, Emmett.

"Jeez, Rose, lighten up a bit," he said as I released him. He nodded towards the Mustang. "I'm up for a car ride."

"Are you the family golden retriever?" I teased, a small smile sneaking onto my lips.

"I'm happy to accept that title," said Emmett with a grin.

"Get in," I said, opening my car's slick, cold door and sitting down. He followed.

Emmett was my closest companion in my coven. I often felt like a round peg in a square hole when it came to my family, as much as I loved them all unconditionally. He fit that description too, and so we meshed as best friends. Or as close to best friends as I got with someone.

At first, we did not get along well. I saved his life after he was mauled by a bear because he reminded me of a life I would never have. He took that as a romantic interest. I didn't feel that way. Not in the slightest. He got over his bruised ego surprisingly quickly. Vampires tend to cling to grudges for an unhealthy amount of time, so it was another thing I liked about him.

We went to the video store. Forks still had one. That was unsurprising to me. I knew just how fast technology moved; it felt like a blink of an eye to me and I was still amazed by my own phone. I knew these kinds of places were out of business thanks to Netflix, but, many families in Forks did what mine did, and so this place remained intact and open.

"Okay," said Emmett as he stepped inside, "I'm thinking Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

"It'll make me thirsty," I replied, smirking.

"Is horror out of the question then?" Emmett feigned being crestfallen. "What kind of creatures of the night are we if we don't watch horror movies?"

"What about an old horror movie? Would that satisfy your very disturbing cravings?" I asked, walking down the classics section. I always did. My family loved to linger on the past.

I picked up my own personal favorite. Emmett huffed.

"King Kong is not a horror movie," he complained.

"Yes, it is. At least it was when it came out," I sharply said, shooting him a stern glance. "And Esme told me I could pick the movie."

"I bet she just told you to pick up the movie," Emmett gruffly retorted.

"Pick up, pick, same thing," I chimed, fastening my grip on the case and striding up to the front counter. A boy I went to school with was texting at the register and I had half a mind to slap the cell phone from his greasy hand. Instead, I politely purred, "We would like to check this out."

"Y-yes, ma'am," he suddenly stammered, dropping his phone.

I squinted at the strange, jumpy creature. Emmett chortled.

On our way out, I hissed, "What was so funny?"

Under his breath, Emmett joked, "I think you almost made that guy pee his pants."

"I was being very cordial," I coolly insisted.

Emmett waved a hand, dismissing my firm statement. "Rose cordial is not normal cordial."

"That's it. No talking on the ride home."

He gave a lopsided grin as he asked, "Was that cordial too?"

"I'm serious," I snapped, prying my car door open.

Emmett kept chuckling like a buffoon as he got in beside me.

[X]

In our pristine living room, the Cullen Coven gathered on the sofa and in various chairs. Tanya cuddled with Edward, Emmett reclined on a solitary armchair, Carlisle had his arm around Esme, I sat on the edge of the couch and Jasper waited for Alice while she grabbed the movie disc and popped it into the player.

"I love this one!" she gushed with a gleeful grin. And she dramatically added in a surprisingly good Humphrey Bogart impression, "No, no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast! Oh! That's just so romantic!"

Edward asked, sounding genuinely concerned for her sanity, "A monkey and a human is romantic to you?

"I think he's an ape," chirped Alice, standing up and grabbing the remote. "And it's the fact that he loves her but could kill her and then it's his love for her that kills him or something. I don't know. It's a good movie and Rose has fabulous taste!"

Carlisle ended the discussion by saying, "Yes, she does."

[X]

The next day at school, I heard endless gossip about Bella Swan. Everyone already was talking about the daughter of Chief Swan's flighty ex for weeks and I did just want people to get bored of her and move on from the droll topic. Hopefully this was the worse before it got better.

I did not have any classes with her until my last before lunch. Art.

Gracefully gliding down the aisle between the five paint-stained tables, I took my seat in the back and resigned myself to another day of making stupid masks. The two boys who always sit across from me took their seats, blathering on and on obnoxiously about some camping trip. I glanced up and got a good look at the new girl. Then I smelled her.

I could not at first dissect the scent, but I could see a frightening vision in my mind. My teeth digging into her jugular, draining her of every drop of that very sweet…

Self-control, self-control, self-control. Carlisle and Edward taught me how to keep my head, even in a situation like this.

Then the bitch fell on her face, and rose to her feet. She studied me from afar and her lips parted. I was used to that gaze but this one made me shiver. It looked less like lust and more like adulation. At last, the sweet-smelling girl strode towards her seat.

The one beside me. No, no, no.

She stumbled over and sat down beside me. I tried to ignore her, licking my lips. Why was I licking my lips? I could not let myself even think about devouring her.

Awkwardly, the girl cleared her throat. "I'm—I'm Bella."

"I know," I coldly said, trying to make it clear that she ought to keep her distance. "Everyone knows."

"Oh." Bella blushed bright red. I lost myself briefly in the rush of that sickeningly sweet and enticing blood.

I stood up and went to get my half-finished masquerade mask while the teacher went over the project with the new girl.

[X]

At lunch, my pseudo-siblings asked me what was wrong countless times and I tried to brush them off. Edward, of course, spoiled everything the moment he sat down.

"The new girl," he said and I scowled. "She smells like wet dog."

I angrily gasped out, "She smells like…"

"To you, she smells like a lapse in judgment," Edward explained. My nostrils flared and Emmett grimaced. I knew what he did to the person who attracted him like Bella attracted me. "She's a weird one. She makes me uneasy."

Alice shrugged. "She does need a new haircut and maybe some new clothes, but other than the whole make-over thing, she's probably perfectly nice."

Tanya simply said, "And smells like a dog."

I looked over at Bella Swan. She sat with the only person who gave her the time of day, over in the tiny flare of sunlight at the corner table. I glowered at her, taking care not to bare my teeth but get the message through.

Stay. Away. From. Me.

"What is she thinking, Edward?" I demanded, fixing my eyes on him.

He focused on Bella for a moment, and then faintly recoiled. An aghast expression crossed his face for a flicker of a second before he composed himself and said, "I don't know."

I clenched my fists until my perfect nails fiercely dug into my diamond-hard skin.

Bella Swan was bad news.

[X]

Despite my discomfort over the new girl and her scent, it was not until I got home that I let the depth of my anger and fear show. I punched a dent in the wall, making everyone jump, and then as Esme began to greet us, I stormed up the stairs. Esme, of course, followed me, while everyone else knew to leave me be when my temper spiked. She loved me, and I consoled myself with that fact.

"Rose," she gently said, knocking on my open door. "What happened today?"

"The new girl," I said, feeling myself begin to shake. I did not know vampires even could tremble like this. "Chief Swan's daughter… she smells like… I could hardly… I thought I'd just sink my teeth into her right there in the Art Room! And then everyone else says she smells like a dog and Edward can't hear her thoughts and I hate her! I hate her!"

Esme set her hand on mine.

"There are humans like that for all of us. I don't know about Edward's gift or the scent everyone else felt, but, for you, she's a temptation that you must face," said Esme, now patting my hand. "But you won't face it alone. You can stay home as long as you need. It's okay."

"It is not okay," I snarled, before regretting it. I did not mean to snap at her. "How could that be okay? She dares come to this town and—and—and she's cute. She fell right on her face and made it look cute." I bared my fangs. Esme locked eyes with me.

Esme hugged me, but it felt hollow.

"You want to be alone, don't you?" said Esme. "I'll call the school tomorrow and tell them you're sick, so, just try to relax."

"I will," I begrudgingly said.

She slowly left my room.

I crumbled from rage.

BELLA

I gazed out of the car window as my mother drove me to the airport. My chestnut hair billowed in the dry wind as I squinted at the cloudless blue sky and the blurry scenery. A folded parka sat on my lap, out of place in the sweltering Phoenix weather. I was about to board a plane and go to the cold, rainy, overcast Olympic Peninsula in Northern Washington.

My dad, Charlie, lived in Forks. My mom escaped that small town and I was the accessory she smuggled out with her. Not that I didn't love my mom, love living with her, love Arizona. I did. Never was I a fan of the perpetually overcast Forks where I spent every summer up until eighth grade (at which time I insisted Charlie take me somewhere sunny with him). Not that I didn't love my dad, love visiting him, love our vacations to California together. I did.

I grew up torn between the starkly contrasting worlds of my parents and, for the first time, I chose to live with my father permanently instead of seeing him for one month a year out of twelve. It would be nice to get to know Charlie better, since we seemed to slip away further and further as time crept by. I tried to keep that in mind whenever I began to visualize the thick, impenetrable mist over the evergreen trees and the dreary grey skies.

We pulled up at the airport, I unbuckled my seatbelt, and I stepped out of my mom's car.

"Bella, there's still time to get back in and turn around," she said, her brow knit. She always hated goodbyes. I guess I did too, since I was tearing up and I hardly ever showed emotion.

"I made my mind up," I said, yet again. It felt like a mantra at this point, but no matter how much I got used to it, it never made me feel better about leaving my mom behind.

She reluctantly left the car and wrapped her arms so tightly around me I thought I would suffocate from the sheer force. And she said into my ear, "You can come home whenever you want."

"I know," I said, flashing a smile I hoped was reassuring. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Bella." She blinked back tears and I felt my throat constrict with emotion.

After bidding my mother goodbye a few more times, I walked into the airport and began to wait in line for the flight to SeaTac. I took inventory of my bag. My whole life fit into a camping backpack, and I didn't know if that was sad or not. In it were the clothes I wore most, the classic novels I could never part with, a few DVDs, a sparse few trinkets my mom insisted on me keeping, my paints and my camera for my watercolor and photography. I took up artsy hobbies since I had nowhere near the safe amount of hand-eye coordination for sports. I had a small purse as a carry-on with my headphones in it and my phone safely in the back-left pocket of my soft, worn jeans.

I had seventeen years of life tucked into one bag.

Maybe there was something poetic about that. I didn't know.

[X]

After two long flights, I landed in Port Angeles. It was, predictably, raining. I put the hood of my sweatshirt up and skittered out into the rain, straining to keep the backpack on. Charlie was hard to miss; he showed up in a police cruiser. At least he wasn't a prisoner in the back of it; he was Police Chief Swan of Forks, Washington.

He got out and helped me slide the backpack into the cruiser, and then I slumped in the passenger seat. Charlie awkwardly made a few noises as he got in, shut his door and twisted his key in the ignition. Then we began our drive, which I knew would have a lot of uncomfortable silences.

We exchanged a bit of small talk about Arizona and how my mom was doing, then launched into a pure-housekeeping conversation about a Chevy truck waiting for my use, and I waited an acceptable amount of time before I put my headphones in and started listening to my lengthy Spotify playlist of classic rock songs.

As we drove, I realized I never got over how green everything was here. It was kind of impressive, and looked like an alien planet compared to Arizona.

Eventually, we arrived at Charlie's house. He never moved out of the only one I ever knew, the one he bought when he married my mom. My room never changed either. He replaced a crib with a bed and added a desk once I needed one. Same blue walls, same yellow lace curtains. I kind of loved the familiarity, and I really loved the new truck in the driveway.

When we got out, I saw two people leaning against the red vehicle. I recognized them almost immediately as I stepped out of my dad's car. Jacob and Billy Black.

"You guys are late," says Billy, a twinkle in his eyes. I noticed he was in a wheelchair now, but it did not make him look any less fierce, especially next to his son—the boy I used to consider a brother—who reminded me of a teddy bear.

"Traffic," said Charlie, one of his famous one-word responses.

"How is your mother?" asked Billy and I shrugged.

"Good. She's got a new guy and he plays baseball," I explained, uncertain how much more I should divulge. I knew he dated my mom before Charlie did, and she was visiting him in La Push when she met my dad and got pregnant. She married Charlie and they lived in Forks until I was a few months old. My mom begged Charlie to go with her, but he had to stay with my grandparents and take care of them, so they divorced.

"Good for Renee," said Billy, and he did not mention her again. "Jake, help Bella take her stuff inside."

Charlie added, "Don't close the door. Me and Billy'll be in in a minute."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't have to worry about me and Jake. That'd be like kissing my brother."

Jacob laughed as he helped me with my hulking backpack.

We caught up as we walked up the stairs and he set it down on the bed that was a part of my childhood. Despite how dark it always was every day and the rain trickling down the windows, I was adopting a more pleasant disposition about living in Forks.

"Will I see you at school tomorrow?" I abruptly asked, hoping I could have at least one friend.

"I go to school on the Reservation," he replied with a shrug.

"Oh." I blushed, humiliated.

"But I'll see you around and stuff," Jacob hastily said, rubbing his neck. "Our dads watch the game some weekends and I could always come with him."

"That'd be cool," I said, nodding.

The afternoon and evening retained that level of awkwardness, and after Jacob and Billy left I unpacked and settled in.

No other choice.

[X]

I cried myself to sleep my first night in Forks. The homesickness hit me the hardest, unfamiliar smells, the sound of rain, the memories of my mother in my mind. Then I started getting myself worked up about the fact that I couldn't find friends even at a huge high school of three thousand students back in Phoenix. How would I find any friends in a town with such a miniscule population? People would have had their tight-knit groups formed before they were even born.

When I woke up, I felt even worse. My skin was sticky with sweat and I felt the chills that accompany a fever. My throat hurt and I had a splitting headache. Yet, I could not afford to be sick on my first day. I got up and poured a huge mug of the coffee Charlie brewed.

"You look sick," my dad said and I shook my head.

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just nervous."

He stood up, set down the newspaper and set his palm on my forehead. Quickly, he pulled it back.

"You have a fever, Bells," he said and I shook my head.

"It's really nothing. Low grade," I said, which I thought was true.

"If you don't feel good, just give me a call and I'll pick you up. Nobody will mind," said Charlie and I nodded.

"Thanks, dad."

We returned to our respective morning routines.

After he left for the police station, I lingered for a few minutes and then put on my raincoat. I slung my bag over my shoulder and got into my new truck. At least it was dry inside, albeit cold and a bit muggy like all of the air in Forks. I said a silent prayer in my head for this old truck to start and, thankfully, it did without any trouble.

The school looked… folksy. I didn't have a better word for it. It was kind of picturesque, a place I'd almost like to paint as I would the gorgeous mountains. My school back home resembled a prison with its chain link fences and metal detectors. This place was more like an abnormally large bed and breakfast.

When I walked inside, I saw that even the lockers were made out of wood. Weird. I took off of my coat, grateful for the warm, dry air, and walked into the office. It reminded me of something out of the 70's, and had ugly padded folding chairs for students to wait in.

"Can I help you?" asked a ginger receptionist.

"I'm Isabella Swan," I said, giving a nod I felt was superfluous.

"Oh. We've all been waiting for you," she said, which was, to say the least, harrowing.

Everybody did know my dad, and everybody knew about his flighty ex-wife. I was that daughter she absconded with, I guess. It didn't help that I doubted there had been a new arrival to town in years. No wonder everyone was talking about me.

She gave me a map and a schedule and directed me towards Building 3. I put my raincoat back on, steeled myself, and walked back outside, heading through the sea of students that had arrived within the short time I was waiting for the papers.

I studied the map and found the right building, walking inside and then locating my locker. Wood. Again. Weird. But, homey as the design was, I struggled with the lock. Ugh.

"Do you need help with that?" asked a voice from behind me.

I jumped and the girl gave an uneasy laugh.

"Yeah," I said, studying the pale girl with brown hair. She had a smile on at least.

"You must be the new girl," she said as soon as I handed her the paper with the combination. "I'm Jessica. And you kind of have to shake these a bit to get them to work. This place is ancient."

I put the heavy bag of textbooks the redheaded receptionist gave me inside of it but kept my preliminary supplies in my backpack. I didn't know what I would need yet. The small actions made my limbs ache and I knew I was coming down with at least a bad cold.

Just my luck.

I held back a sigh, wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and forced myself to ask Jessica, "What class do you have first?"

"English. Mr. Mason," Jessica said, smiling.

Relief washed over me. "I do too."

"Cool. We can sit together," she said, gesturing for me to follow.

I hoped this was the start of something good.

[X]

Students gawked at me all day. Nobody approached me but Jessica. One friend was better than none, so it was exceeding expectations. Only one teacher made me introduce myself and I, of course, tripped over my clunky rainboots on my way back to my desk after stammering through a humiliating introduction.

The morning was a blur until I saw her. She was sitting at the back table in art class, the one I looked forward to the most. Her skin was pallid to the point of translucence like mine, but that was where the similarities ended. She had impossibly perfect blonde hair and thick, dark eyelashes. Her lips were painted red and her posture was impeccable, a rarity in this day and age. She looked like a goddess, and I didn't mean a statue by that. Like a literal goddess from a legend.

Then, some powerful unseen metaphorical force collided with me like a punch in the gut. I was not just looking at someone beautiful. I was looking at someone who was the sole most beautiful thing in all of creation. Gravity shifted. It no longer tethered me to the Earth; it tethered me to her, a stranger, a stranger who wrinkled her nose at the sight of me and averted her eyes. Maybe it was over something else. I hoped it wasn't about me.

I wanted her to want me, or something. It had to be a crush. I did not know if crushes were supposed to be this incredibly strong, like a powerful string pulling me by the navel over to the seat beside her, but there was no other explanation.

She smelled like heaven and looked like an angel. I had to talk to her, know her name, know everything about her and I did not know how because I did not talk to people often.

"I'm—I'm Bella," I said, feeling like a fool. No one had ever made my pulse elevate this way.

"I know," she coldly replied, crushing my aching heart. "Everyone knows."

"Oh." I blushed bright red. Then I noticed her eye color for the first time. They were not as beautiful as the rest of her; they were as black as coal.

Yet, I wanted to gaze into them for eternity. I was sucked into them like they were two black holes, engulfing everything I ever was in their gravitational pull.

Then she edged away from me, stood up and went over to the racks.

I thought I was going to cry, and barely could pay attention as the art teacher explained that we were making masks from clay and then decorating them.

It would be a fun project, were it not for the girl glaring at me and the strange, nonsensical sensation she flooded my blood with.

[X]

Lunch was a welcome reprieve from my agonizing day. Jessica took me to a table in the corner that got a little more of that grey light than the rest of the room. I didn't have much of an appetite but I tried to eat.

I looked up and saw the blonde girl from art class again. She was sitting with a group of other impossibly gorgeous people. Three boys and two other girls, then her. Even though the others were wildly attractive, none of them made me feel the way she did.

"Who's she?" I asked. "We had art together and I never got her name."

After following my line of sight, "The hot, pale blonde one? Rosalie Hale," said Jessica. "And those are her siblings. Edward, Emmett and Tanya are seniors. Rosalie, Alice and Jasper are juniors. They all live with Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife."

"They… don't look really friendly," I said, unable to voice exactly what I felt when I saw Rosalie Hale. It was weird beyond imagining.

"Yeah. They're hot," said Jessica, glossing over my comment about their thorny exteriors for some reason. "It's gross, though," said Jessica. "Edward and Tanya and Alice and Jasper are like with each other. But they're basically siblings."

I couldn't help but look at them, and see how Rosalie Hale glared from afar, her glacially fiery golden eyes fixated on me. She looked vicious, like she wanted to tear my throat out with her teeth or something twice as unsavory.

"So why does Rosalie Hale hate me?" I asked, peeling my gaze away from the glowering goddess.

Jessica laughed at my perplexed expression and answered plainly, "She hates everyone."

That was a fair enough explanation.

At least, I didn't ask for another one.