daybreak || minsung

Chapter 5

When I woke up, something was off.

I sat up in my bed and squinted out the window. I noticed there wasn't a foggy film obscuring my view. The grey-green light of living in a forest was still there, but so much brighter, glowing.

So I rushed to the window, and swore louder than I should have when I saw the blanket of snow on the lawn and road. There wasn't an inch of ground showing, save for a few Bird Footprints and the driveway under my truck.

Charlie had left for work before I got downstairs. It was like I had my own house sometimes. I didn't feel lonely; it gave me time to hum and putter and talk to myself.

I threw down a handful of cereal, and then chugged milk straight from the carton. I choked, but recovered quickly. I was excited to get to school. I could have said it was because of the educational opportunities it presented, or even that I was looking forward to seeing my new bevy of friends for their rich personalities — but that would be lying. I was going to see Jisung Han again, and the thought sent a shiver up my spine. Because he was a mystery wrapped in a charming enigma, but also because it was very, very, very, incredibly stupid of me.

I should be avoiding him, like the rest of my problems. He was hiding something — why lie about his eyes? Not to mention his reaction toward me that first day...

But there was something so magnetic about him. I'd said more consecutive words to him than I had to anyone else in Forks, probably anybody ever (except my mom).There was also something very confusing about him — an alienness I couldn't quite place. In one corner of my brain, I saw him cringing away from me like I terrified him. In the other, he was laughing with me the day earlier. The images didn't make sense together.

I almost died trying to get to my truck. I dropped my keys, and when I bent down to pick them up, I hit my head on the side mirror. I fell backward. I had to keep from swearing; Charlie's elderly neighbours and their grandchildren witnessed the whole production. Clearly, today was going to be something.

My truck seemed to have no problem on the icy roads, but I still drove carefully. Nothing more embarrassing than being the new kid in town and plowing right into Pop's barber shop and out the other side.

I pulled into the parking lot at school, and the first thing I saw was Jisung. He was leaning on the hood of his Volvo, and he hadn't seemed to notice me yet, so I let myself stare. He looked frustratingly perfect in an ashy button-up shirt, jeans, and a heavy royal-blue jacket. Pretty diamond earrings dangled almost to his shoulders, and his hair was parted to the side. His siblings milled about, too, but they didn't have the same draw that he did. I had to tear my eyes away from him to park.

I'd been driving too slowly. Everyone was already heading toward their classes, and the parking lot was nearly empty of people. Before I got out, I checked my hair in the rear view mirror. I stopped and growled. Why the hell did I care if my hair looked nice all of a sudden?

As I closed my door, something silver caught my eye. I walked around the side of my truck and crouched down by my back tires. There were little criss-crossed chains covering the rubber — snow chains. Charlie must have woken up early to put them on. The backs of my eyes prickled, but I shook my head and willed the tears away. 

I heard a deafening crunch from behind me. I automatically turned to the noise, and I saw a huge grey van — tires locked, skidding across the icy gravel toward me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself.

Something cold hit me, and not from the direction I was expecting. It shoved me around so my back was against my truck, and my skull clanked on the tailgate.