Bella

  The parking lot erupted around me, kids screaming and crying. Somebody pried the door open on the other side of the van from where I stood trapped in between the two vehicles. The driver of the van crawled out, holding a hand to his bleeding forehead. He slumped to the ground and leaned against the wheel of the van, but seemed alert and coherent. Then the student body converged on me, firing questions all at once.

  “Bella!” “Are you okay?” “Are you hurt?” “Can you get out?”

  “I’m fine!” I held up my hands to stop the onslaught and show that I still retained my motor skills. I was evaluating my metal prison when the ambulance arrived. A paramedic jumped out and ran over to me.

  “Whoa there, just hold still, we’re going to get you out in a jiffy!” He hopped over the hood of the car the van had smashed into and started examining my head. “Any tenderness there?”

  “No, I’m fine,” I repeated to him. He shined a light into my eyes and tested my reflexes.

  “You’re right,” he agreed, sounding amazed. “There’s not a scratch on you.” I tried to look at the scene from an outside perspective, noticing shards of glass all around and the van next to me with its Edie-sized dent in the side, and realized how impossible it was for me to be standing here.

  “The van just missed me,” I lied lamely. He considered my words for a moment with narrowed eyes.

  “I think we should still take you to the hospital. You could have internal bleeding or head trauma.”

  I was struggling to come up with a viable excuse to get out of being dragged to the hospital when my dad’s cruiser pulled up, lights flashing. Seeing me standing there in between the two wrecked vehicles sent him into a panic.

  “Bella! Are you alright? What happened?” he shouted.

  “It’s okay Dad, I’m not hurt.” I glared at the EMT when I said this.

  The two men helped lift me out over the parked car and away from the wreckage. Charlie was looking at me like I would break apart right there.

  “Stop it, I’m fine!” I rolled my eyes at him.

  “She doesn’t appear to have any injuries, but-“ the medic started.

  “But I am pretty shaken up, Dad. I really just want to go home,” I told my father pointedly.

  “I don’t know, Bells, if you have a concussion or something… we should at least get some x-rays.”

  “Nothing’s broken, I promise! Please, let’s just go.” The last thing I wanted was to be subjected to an inquiry about the accident at the hospital. Charlie looked at the EMT questioningly. He shrugged.

  “I can’t require you to bring her in, and she doesn’t have a single obvious injury.” The concerned look was back in his eyes and I knew I had to get out of there before he started asking more questions.

  “Great, so it’s settled.” I climbed into the cruiser to prevent any further discussion. Charlie got in on the driver’s side and started the car, still looking at me with huge brown eyes full of concern. I stubbornly buckled my seatbelt and stared out the windshield.

  It wasn’t long before I realized we weren’t heading home.

  “Where are we going?” I demanded. Charlie didn’t need to answer, because at that moment we arrived at Forks Community Hospital. “This is completely ridiculous, I’m fine!”

  “I’ll believe that when Dr. Cullen confirms it.”

  “Dr….Cullen?”

  “Yeah, he’s the best doctor we’ve ever had. This town is lucky to have him. Well, lucky his wife wanted to live in a small town, that is.”

  “Are there many Cullens here in Forks?” I asked tentatively.

  “Just the Doc and his wife.”

  “Do they, uh, have any kids?” There was no way it was a coincidence.

  “Yeah, five teenagers!” Charlie answered. “All adopted. You probably have a few of them in your classes. There’s Rosalie and Jasper, the twins. Emmett, Alice, and…what is the last girl’s name?”

  “Edie?” I ventured, though I already knew the answer.

  “That’s it, Edie. Great family, the kids are all very polite. I was a bit skeptical when they moved down here, all those adopted teenagers. But we’ve never had a bit of trouble with any of them.”

  I sat back against my seat, mind whirling. I was about to meet the adoptive father of my inexplicable rescuer. Now I would really have to be careful what I said. Definitely not my strong suit.

  Something was nagging at my mind as Charlie walked me into the hospital. Something about the Cullen family. I mulled it over during the long wait in the waiting room. Finally they called my name, and I was shown into a little room with a typical exam bed covered in crackly paper. Then Dr. Cullen entered the room, and something clicked.

  “Nice to meet you Ms. Swan,” he began with a friendly smile. “I’m Dr. Cullen.” His face was angelic, pure alabaster skin and perfect blonde hair. None of his facial features matched any of his adopted children, but I would have recognized him as their father anyway. I realized now that that was what had been bothering me. The Cullens were not related, and yet they all looked the same. Different hair and eye colors, but same clear, pale skin, same inhuman beauty, same flawless appearance. It was as if they had all been styled the same way, for a high fashion runway show or a Lexus commercial. No one was that beautiful in real life. And yet there he stood right in front of me.

  “Now what seems to be the problem?” he asked genially.

  “Nothing!” I replied too quickly. He chuckled.

  “Chief Swan tells me you were in an accident?”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “Not really. I mean, yes, there was an accident, and I was sort of in it, but I’m not hurt at all.” I could hear myself babbling nervously, hoping against hope he wouldn’t ask me what had happened.

  “I’m glad to hear that you weren’t hurt,” he replied. “Now let’s just make sure you don’t have any injuries. Sometimes shock can make you feel like nothing’s wrong. Better to be sure.”

  I nodded. My instincts were screaming at me in opposition. I wanted to trust him immediately; something about him made me feel safe. But I also knew that there was something about Edie. Something…not human. And this doctor, no matter how comforting he seemed, was probably in on it.

  While my mind raced, he completed his general exam: testing my reflexes, shining a light in my eyes, ears, and throat, and listening to my heart. I was sure it was racing faster than my thoughts. His hands were colder than ice on my forehead as he felt gingerly for bruises or swelling.

  “Well, I don’t see any signs of injury,” he concluded. I heaved a sigh of relief. He made a note on his clipboard as he walked to the door. “If you feel light-headed or weak, make sure you come right back in to see me. Looks like you were very lucky.” He opened the door and took a step outside.

  “Lucky Edie was in an altruistic mood today,” I muttered under my breath after he was out of earshot. It was then I realized my grave mistake. Doctor Cullen’s hand froze on the doorknob just before closing the door. Everything seemed to freeze around me as well. I held my breath, waiting to see what he would do.

  He opened the door enough to look back at me. His penetrating glare held me immobile for what felt like an eternity. Then he smiled again.

  “I’ll let your father know I’m discharging you. Go home and get some rest, Bella.” And with that, he was gone.

  I waited a few minutes after he left to calm my nerves. When the panic subsided, I exited the exam room into the hallway, consumed with worry that I was getting involved with something beyond my realm of knowledge. There was no denying it now- the Cullen family was different. But as to what exactly they were, I didn’t even have a guess. Scary faces in the mirror, extraordinary speed and strength, super-human hearing. Individually, these things were intimidating enough. Put them all together...what exactly was I dealing with here?

  I was so lost in thought that when I rounded the corner and saw the back of Dr. Cullen’s head, the surprise set my heart to hammering again. I gasped when he turned to look at me, and I spotted Edie on the other side of him. I slowly took a step backwards, but before I could turn and go the other direction, Dr. Cullen was suddenly standing in front of me. He was still smiling, but I was beginning to notice that the smile was hard and did not reach his eyes. It looked more like a habit he had perfected to put people at ease. It wasn’t working.

  “Um…” I stammered. “I was just looking for my dad.”

  “He’s just through here, in the waiting room.” Dr. Cullen gestured past Edie to a set of double doors. I tried to gauge the distance, wondering if I were to make a run for it would I get past Edie before one of them could grab me? I instantly realized that would be impossible. Even if I were the best runner in town–and that was a far cry from the truth–I would never make it. I decided to take the opposite approach and stay still, like a deer who has sensed a predator.

  Edie and her father exchanged a look that was inscrutable to me. Then Edie took a small step forward and tilted her head to look at me. “Bella, may I speak to you for a moment?”

  I was still rooted to the spot, unsure where this was headed. I felt trapped between the mysterious doctor and the even more enigmatic Edie. My silence was only broken when Dr. Cullen excused himself and turned back down the hallway from where I’d come.

  I held my ground, waiting for Edie to explain my miraculous rescue, or her transformation in the bathroom–anything. Finally, she took a step toward me, and it took everything I had not to bolt in the other direction. Edie’s eyes narrowed; apparently she had noticed my muscles tense when she approached.

  “Are you frightened?” she asked quietly.

  I snorted in spite of the seriousness of the question, and the truth of it. It should be obvious: I was terrified. Her brows furrowed, as if my lack of an answer confused her. She looked at me again the same way she had in the foyer of school–was that only this morning?--as if she were concentrating very hard on something and just couldn’t quite figure it out. Finally, the suspense was too much for me.

  “You owe me an explanation,” I blurted. Her eyebrows shot up.

  “I saved your life. I don’t owe you anything.”

  I jumped on the subject now that she’d opened the door. “How did you do it? One minute you were across the parking lot, and the next you were right next to me, blocking a van with your body. You left a dent in the side of it and there’s not a scratch on you!” I could hear how crazy it sounded, so I stopped, grinding my teeth in frustration.

  “No one’s going to believe you, you know.”

  “I’m not going to tell anybody!”

  “Well, then, why does it matter?” Her ochre eyes were blazing.

  “Because I need to know the truth. I need to know–” I wanted to ask her if I was in danger, but bit back the words. I could feel tears building behind my eyes and hated them. I only cried when I was frustrated. If I let them come I would lose any ground I might have gained in this argument. I clamped my mouth shut and waited.

  “Can’t you just thank me and get over it?”

  My eyes widened as I realized I hadn’t even thanked her for saving my life. “Thank you,” I said. “Truly. I know I wouldn’t be standing here right now if you hadn’t done what you did–whatever it was.” She nodded in acceptance. “But I have to ask,” I continued. “Why did you do it?” She considered my question for a moment, her usually composed face suddenly vulnerable and open.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered, and I believed her. Then the moment was gone. “But I do know that you need to stop asking questions, and leave well enough alone. You’re out of your realm here.”

  I knew she was absolutely right. But I also knew that I could never leave it alone, and the riddle would drive me mad. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and shook my head no.

  “Then I hope you get used to it.” Her voice was at its most acerbic.

  “Get used to what?” My eyes flew open again to find her glaring down at me with a ferocious snarl that sent ice shooting through my veins.

  “Disappointment.”

  She was gone before I had even registered the word.

  Edie

  I stormed out of the hospital as quickly as I dared. Who does she think she is? She has no idea what she’s dealing with! This girl seems to be doing everything in her power to dismantle my life. First, she moves here with her delectable blood just to tempt me to make a mistake. Then, she goes and almost gets herself killed, forcing me to save her life! And now…now she is refusing to heed any of my warnings to leave us alone. This is a disaster!

  I paced as I kept up my mental rant. Her stubbornness is infuriating. Why can’t she just be mindless like the rest of the humans? They never ask questions. They never get too close to us. But she, of all people, had to be the one to notice, to really see.

  That last thought stopped me short. Maybe there was something different about her. She was immune to all of our powers, and her blood called to me more strongly than any in the world. This is something we had never once encountered, any of us, for all of the centuries we have existed. I stopped to ponder this new puzzle. It seemed every time I encountered this girl, rather than answers, I only got more questions.

  I ran home, my thoughts swirling around the mystery that was Bella Swan. The exercise helped to dispel much of my anger, and by the time I arrived I was merely irked rather than furious. I stalked past Rose on my way to the stairs, ignoring her rapid-fire questions as I went. After slamming the door to my room, I threw open the balcony door to let in the cool mountain air. I flopped onto the chaise and hit the remote to my stereo. Angry, violent music spilled out, echoing my mood perfectly.

  Unlike last night, my thoughts were not overrun with plans to hunt and kill an innocent. To my chagrin, I was completely consumed by the mystery of Bella. Rosalie would say I was obsessed. I let the loud music pound inside my head until all thoughts of the girl were banished, and I fell into an uneasy sleep.

  That was the first night I dreamt of Bella Swan.