The Twilight Saga Twist

Chapter 7. Phenomenon

When I opened my eyes in the morning, something was different. I didn’t get a glimpse last night as usual. These few days, actually, I hadn’t gotten any.

It was light. It was still in the gray-green light of a cloudy day in the forest, but it was clearer somehow. I realized there was no fog veiling my window.

I jumped up to look outside, and then groaned in horror.

A fine layer of snow covered the yard, and whitened the road. All the rain from frozen solid coated the needles on the trees in fantastic, gorgeous patterns, and making the driveway a deadly slick. It was rather pretty but what I hate about the snow is that, it would be really slippery and I had enough troubles not falling down when the ground was dry; it might be safer to go back to bed now. Vampires weren’t perfect in everything. We had clumsy moments too.

Lisa had left for work before I got downstairs. In a lot of ways, living with Lisa was like having my own place, though it feels lonely around here.

I threw down a quick bowl of cereal and some orange juice from the carton. I felt excited to go to school, and it was stupid of me to be so. To be honest with myself, I knew I was eager to school because I would see Edward Cullen. Really, really stupid of me.

I should be avoiding him entirely after my brainless and embarrassing babbling yesterday. And I was quite anxious he would return to his old self. I decided I would tell him about what he was at the right time, for fear he might be back to his rude self or something.

I concentrated to make it down the icy brick driveway alive. I almost lost my balance when I finally got to the car, but I managed to cling to the side mirror and save myself. I was probably the most ungraceful vampire in this world.

Driving to school, I distracted myself from thinking about Edward Cullen. I tried to search for the future but it was hazy and unclear. That was weird. Something unexpected was coming.

When I got out of my car at school, something silver caught my eye, and I walked to the back of the car – carefully holding the side for support – to examine my tires. There were thin chains crisscrossed in diamond shapes around them. Bless Lisa for putting snow chains on my car.

I was standing by the back corner of the truck, struggling to fight back the sudden wave of emotion the snow chains had brought, when I heard a sound.

It was a high-pitched screech, and it was fast becoming painfully loud. I looked up to see Tyler Crowley’s van skidding, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, spinning the back corner of my truck, and I was standing between them. I saw Edward Cullen standing for cars down from me, staring at me in horror. I knew what was going to happen. This was my blur and hazy vision just now.

Just before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit me, hard but not from the direction I was expecting. My head cracked against the icy blacktop, and I felt something solid and cold pinning me to the ground. I was lying on the pavement behind the tan car I’d parked next to. Edward Cullen was pinning me to the ground, while the van still coming. It had curled gratingly around the end of the car and, still spinning and sliding, was about to collide with me again.

Out of adrenaline rush, I shot out my hands protectively in front of me, knowing I could stop the van with my strength. Edward’s two long, white hands were also shot out in front of me, and together with him, I realized we had stopped the van. It shuddered to a stop a foot from my face, our large hands fitted providentially into a deep dent in the side of the van’s body.

But the van was going to squash my feet, so I kicked it up slightly and when it raised a little, one of Edward’s hand gripped under its body and his other dragged me, swinging my legs around like a rag doll’s, till they hit the tire of the tan car. A groaning metallic thud hurt my ears and the van settled glass popping, onto the asphalt - exactly where, a second ago, my legs had been.

It was absolutely silent for a long time, as Edward Cullen’s amber eyes stared to mine, with shock and an unbelievable look, I stared back too, and I knew, from my reflection in his eyes, my eyes had turned black. His face was an inch away from me. Then, I could hear more than one person shouting my name.

He leaned back a little and asked, with a low, frantic voice, “Bella? Are you alright?”

I couldn’t speak, so I just nodded. He saw my extraordinary strength, as I stopped the van and kicked it with no trace of difficulty in doing so, and also, the sudden change of color in my eyes. He must be suspicious. He should be. But now, it wasn’t the right time for the truth – about me, and what I knew about him.

I tried to sit up, and realised he was holding me against the side of his body in an iron grasp.

“Be careful,” he warned as he struggled, his eyes still on mine. “I think you hit your head pretty hard.”

I looked down, avoiding his stare. Of course I wouldn’t feel any pain, though I did feel my head hit something, but I felt no pain. “I don’t feel anything, I’m fine.” My voice was strange and hoarse. I cleared my throat.

I could feel his confused frown and eyes on me, but I tried my best not to look at him.

And then they found us, a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces, shouting at each other, shouting at us.

“Don’t move,” someone instructed.

“Get Tyler out of the van!” someone else shouted.

There was flurry of activity around us. I tried to get up but Edward’s cold hand pushed my shoulder down.

“Just stay put from now.”

I sighed, frustratingly. I wanted to go away from him. But I knew he was going to ask questions, and I did not need to search the future for that.

Is this the right time to tell him? Or should I wait a little longer?