The Name's Alex

Chapter Five

BANG

Instead of feeling the cold metal of the van plowing into him, the cold pavement with and equally cold arm against Alex's back is all he feels. Opening his eyes hesitantly, a feeling of shock overwhelms him at the sight of bright amber eyes staring back at him with worry.

"Wha...." Alex barely whispers, his heart pounding in his chest as he struggles to breath.

It's only then does he notice the van stopped behind Edward. Still numb and noticing the ringing in his ears, Alex stares at Edward's other hand placed against the side of the van.

A massive dent right under it.

Unable to process past the current of conflicting emotions and the constantly ringing, he watches Edward remove his hand from the van. Feels him gently settling Alex back propped against the car behind him. The cold from Edward's hand, the only grounding thing for Alex at that moment, disappearing from his arm as he turns and hurriedly walks away. Staring in a trance, Alex watches Edward's disappearing back among the crowd of bodies making their way over to him.

"ALEX!"

Like a rubber band snapping, Alex suddenly hears the once muffled concerned yells much clearer. Faces of students crowd around him as they reach out to check on me and the driver. Adjusting against the car behind him, Alex lets out a slight hiss at the pain from where Edward's arm was behind his back. Suddenly the slight pressure in his chest grows, breathing becoming difficult.

'It's the shock.'

"Alex!" Alex hears Tom's voice among the crowded murmurs around him.

"Tom?" He tries to get up, only to be pushed down by one of the few people who managed to kneel next to him.

"Sit back down, you shouldn't be moving yet." A blond teen says as another kid next to him talks to an ambulance with instructions. "You," he points to a random teen, "go check on the driver, make sure he's ok and if he's in any pain. But don't move him."

"Alex!" Hearing Tom's voice again, Alex darts his eyes around, unable to see past the crowd. "Excuse me, please move he's my brother."

"Tom?" Alex calls out, watching as his brother pushes through the crowd of students and finally falls by his side.

"You idiot! Are you crazy, you could've gotten killed!" Tom scolds, but the tears streaming down his face and the tight grasp on Alex's hand show how scared he was.

"He was just worried about you, we all were. Are you okay?" He looks up to see Emmett standing next to Alice with matching concerned looks on their faces.

"I'm fine, but my back kinda hurt." Alex mutters, exhaustion seeping in when he suddenly looks up frantically. "What about Edward? Is he okay, does he need an ambulance too?"

Everyone gives him a confused look, but Alex catches Alice and Emmett tense slightly. It's barely noticeable, a jaw clenching and arms stiffening.

"It was just you, man." Says the blond kid who was in charge, a worried look on his face.. "You were the only one standing here, from what I recall."

"Al," Alex looks to his brother, a concerned look on his face that pulls at his heart, "What do you remember?"

"I ... I wanted to cut across the parking lot so I could get picked up, there weren't a lot of cars. I just .... started walking and the next thing I know I hear the van coming at me..." Alex stares at the van that's beat up in front of him. Something impossible had happened, no doubt about it. But who would believe him? No one would, they'd think he had a concussion or something. "... so, I closed my eyes and the next thing I know I'm here."