What If It Hadn't Been Biology Class?

I saw an interview recently where Stephenie Meyer was talking about the alternatives to the storyline as she was writing and the different ways the story could have gone. I was instantly intrigued about the 'what ifs' she had considered. I mean....there were 'what ifs'??? Were these 'what ifs' just little ideas that she considered to get to certain plot points? Or BIG ideas? Did she consider some of the same things we've considered, and when I say we I mean all the different scenarios that have been played out in fanfiction?

She didn't elaborate in the interview, but if I could sit down and talk to her I would rake her over the coals grill her about everything she had considered because as I attempt to do my own writing I do know how hard it is to get a story to work out. Sometimes the ending eludes me or sometimes just the arc of storylines, the getting there part, really baffles me. There is so much choice when you write, endless possibilities and all, and sometimes the choices are very hard to make.

I have a couple of what ifs to throw out there.

What if it hadn't been an empty seat in biology class that brought Edward and Bella so close together in high school?

Miduhnight Sun

I had one sanctuary in this perguatory of high school. It wasn't a challenge, but it was amusing, if only to me. Of course, Rosalie couldn't fathom why I would want to involve myself with the humans at school. But maybe because when she didn't have school she had Emmett to amuse her.

I couldn't play sports amongst the humans. None of us could. Carlisle wouldn't allow it, fearing a sense of competitiveness would overtake our control over our abilities and we would end up hurting the humans with an overaggressive throw of a football or kick of a soccer ball. Still, there was one game that involved no human contact and no physical force, and that was the game I chose to play. Playing it at home with my family was okay, but given Alice's visions, we often deadlocked with no clear winners. But with teenage human opponents, I could secretly taunt them. I'd read their mind and pretend I was making one move strategically then act as though I was changing my mind. Was it fair? I suppose not, but it just seemed to entertain me --filled just a slight amount of the vast spare time I had. I would allow myself to be a school's reigning champion for a couple of months during the school year and then tell the teacher who ran the club that I needed to devote more time to my schoolwork, walking away before I received any major recognition within the community. I certainly never let it get to the point that I needed to pose for the school paper or community news.

At Forks High School, it was no real surprise to me that Mr. Banner was the teacher assigned to facilitate the club. He liked to think he was cool with his jokes in biology class and how well he connected with his students with his enthusiasm over saving the Earth but at heart, he was a full out nerd.

It was 3:30 pm on a Thursday and Mr. Banner had assigned game partners telling me that he would like to try beating me today and that I was going to play the winner amongst the rest of the players that afternoon.

A slight clearing of a throat was heard at the door. Mr. Banner jumped up, excusing himself from the game, knocking a few pieces over onto the board which I grasped quickly without anyone realizing.

"Ahh, Ms. Swan. So glad you could join our little group."

I hadn't lifted my head up from the board, but there was that sense of void again that I had picked up earlier in the cafeteria.

"What level would you classify yourself as, beginner, intermediate, or expert?" Mr. Banner asked.

"Ummm, I don't know. Maybe intermediate. I've been playing since I was about six."

Mr. Banner's thoughts were always so clear. And right now, he was intrigued that this small fragile-looking girl had been playing that long and hoped it meant she was more of an advanced intermediate.

He even hoped she could beat me.

"I'll play her," I offered up.

With that all heads in the room whipped around to look at me, but I acted like I didn't notice.

This girl's blood was calling to me. It was sweeter than anything I had ever come across in my existence, but my desire to play a game 'fair and square' once and for all was greater. I beat the monster down. This girl wasn't my prey. She was my opponent, and not killing her was going to test my control but watching her make her moves...playing her ....now that was going to test my skills at this game. 

She sat across the table from me, and I resisted outstretching my hand across the board.

"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen. You're Bella?" I didn't wait for a response. "Sorry I didn't have a chance to meet you earlier today. I'm set up to be white and you can be red. Ladies first?"  Before she had a chance to tell me her name I pushed the timer.

It was the most unreal game of chess I had ever played. I had no idea what moves she would make, and it was finally a challenge for me. Oh she was good, too. She was too smart for the four-move checkmate and she chose her moves strategically, carefully.

It was a quiet game. And in my head, as I reveled in the rush of playing a game without a single inkling as to what my opponent's next move would be, I silently bet her, "If I win, I'll take her to dinner in celebration. If she wins, I'll take her to dinner to celebrate that I didn't kill her." The game lasted longer than the chess club met for, so I watched as most of the students filtered out. They were curious as to who was going to win, most of them happily thinking I had finally met my match.

"Checkmate," she called and I mused over what Bella Swan would order at the restaurant I'd take her to for dinner.

"Rematch tomorrow?" I smiled.

Here's another what-if I came up with as a result of watching Twilight recently and being freaked out by the earthquake the other day.

I was super freaked out by the earthquake, which was all of two scary minutes of my life, while Bella survived that whole crazy James deal in the ballet studio like it was nothing. So what if that James episode had been such a dose of crazy reality to Bella that when Edward said to her 'Bella you gotta go to Jacksonville' she agreed, just feeling like she needed to get away? What if her fight or flight instinct had neon lighted and flashed 'flight, flight' over her head and her instinct was to return to some normalcy with her mom, just try to forget about the whole horrific experience and everything related to it?

So let's say for argument's sake that Bella had gone back to Jacksonville with Renee. How do you imagine things would have played out for Bella and Edward? How would she have left it?

You don't have to write in the form of a fanfiction, but describe what the events would be in the comments!!!!! Love to hear your thoughts!!!

(Has anyone ever read a good fic where Bella does go to Jacksonville? I have never read one. I've read a lot of alt  stories but not based on this particular scenario.)

Would love to hear your what if scenario in the comments.

~kiTT