𝐈𝐊𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐈 :: paul lahote

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄.

FLEUR LOCKLEAR PERPETUALLY FELT OUT OF PLACE. The instability caused by her parent's divorce and the necessity of alternating between households each week hindered her ability to form lasting friendships. To the residents of Forks, she was perceived as too Native American, while to those in La Push, she appeared too white.

This cultural dissonance left her in a state of perpetual liminality, never fully embraced by either community. As she navigated her adolescence, Fleur grappled with her identity, feeling the weight of societal expectations and prejudices. Her dual heritage, rather than being a source of pride, became a point of contention and confusion.

At school, Fleur often found herself isolated, her unique background setting her apart from her peers. The challenges of fitting in were compounded by the subtle yet pervasive discrimination she encountered in both Forks and La Push. Teachers and classmates alike seemed unsure of how to categorize her, leaving her to navigate a complex social landscape independently.

Despite these difficulties, Fleur possessed a resilience born from her struggles. She found solace in the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, where the forests and rivers offered a sense of peace and belonging that the people around her did not. It was in these moments of solitude that she felt most connected to her roots, drawing strength from the land that her ancestors had cherished.

Her friendships were few, with her father being her only true companion. However, he lived in La Push, and due to the shared custody arrangement, she only saw him two weeks per month. Fleur found solace in her solitude, immersing herself in fictional characters that alleviated her persistent loneliness.

She vividly remembered the day when Bella Swan, at the age of four, knocked on her bedroom door at her mother's house. Her mother had evidently allowed Bella in. The girl, as shy as Fleur, stood there with her pale cheeks tinged with pink and her small fingers fidgeting with a flower. Bella's dark brown hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, and her white dress was marred with grass stains and dirt. They sat in silence for a while until Bella finally summoned the courage to speak.

"My dad said I should make friends," she said, her voice small and barely above a whisper.

"Do you want to be friends?" Bella asked, extending the flower she held. Despite missing a few petals, the flower was striking with its white and red pattern, unlike anything Fleur had seen before. Accepting the flower, Fleur offered Bella a shy smile.

"Sure."

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FOR YEARS, BELLA SWAN HAD BEEN FLEUR LOCKLEAR'S ONLY FRIEND IN FORKS. However, their friendship abruptly ended when Bella unexpectedly disappeared. Fleur was devastated when Chief Charlie Swan, Bella's father, informed her that Bella had moved permanently to live with her mother.

Fleur missed Bella terribly, but as the years passed and she began high school, Bella became nothing more than a distant memory. Fleur gradually emerged from her shell, making friends at Forks High School, though none could be considered her best friend as Bella once had been. Fleur was still, even in high school and even with her friends, perpetually out of place.

Unexpectedly, midway through Fleur Locklear's junior year of high school, Bella Swan returned. The light in the room opposite Fleur's flickered to life once more, prompting Fleur to waste no time crossing the large tree branch separating their houses and knock on Bella's window.

Their reunion was heartfelt, and the girls quickly rekindled their bond as if they had never been apart. They spent every day together until the day they journeyed to Port Angeles with Jessica Stanley and Angela Weber to shop for their friends' prom dresses. During the outing, Fleur briefly lost sight of Bella. True to Bella's unpredictable nature, she reappeared with none other than Edward Cullen.

Fleur found Edward peculiar but chose not to voice her observations or opinions to Bella, recognizing her friend's evident happiness in her burgeoning relationship with him.

Fleur perceived Edward Cullen as slightly unusual but ultimately pleasant and gentlemanly. She was taken aback when she learned from a distraught Charlie Swan that Bella planned to leave Forks because she felt trapped. Once again, Fleur found herself heartbroken, consoling Charlie while struggling to grasp what had prompted Bella's sudden departure.

Just days after Bella left, Fleur received a distressing call from the hospital, alongside Charlie, informing them that Bella Swan had been admitted due to injuries sustained from falling down some stairs.

Fleur had witnessed such explanations for injuries far too often, having seen her father endure them due to her mother's abuse one too many times. Her perception of Edward Cullen shifted dramatically upon hearing about Bella's injuries, and she vowed to harbour a deep resentment towards him for the remainder of their relationship—though Bella Swan adamantly refused to end it.

The Cullen boy had repeatedly sworn that he would never harm Bella Swan, professing that she was the love of his life. However, Fleur remained sceptical—after all, those were the same assurances her mother had given her father, while the yelling and insults never ceased.

Despite her evident disdain, Fleur endeavoured to swallow her pride and avoid him as much as possible at school, even when she noticed him sneaking into Bella's room at night—a behaviour she found disturbingly creepy but chose not to address once again.

In the end, Edward Cullen's assurances proved hollow. One fateful day after school, a panicked Charlie Swan appeared at Fleur's front door, his brow glistening with sweat as he relayed the news of Bella's disappearance. Fear gripped their hearts, reminiscent of events from just a few months prior.

Against Chief Swan's objections, Fleur dashed into the woods where she had last seen Bella with Edward earlier that day. Fleur could have easily lost her way if not for her familiarity with the woods, where she had often sought refuge from her mother's anger.

She nearly lost sight of Bella until she spotted the bright yellow raincoat Bella had worn earlier at school. Just moments after finding her, Sam Uley from La Push appeared. Fleur knew Sam Uley, as well as his friends Paul Lahote and Jared Cameron, from her visits to La Push every other week. It took a few minutes for Sam to convince Fleur  that he was there to help, not harm them. Eventually, Fleur allowed Sam to carry Bella in his arms.

That night marked a pivotal moment in Fleur Locklear's journey.