Prologue
I'm Not A Perfect Person
She was standing at the back corner of her truck, pondering the snow chains her father had put on her wheels, fighting back the sudden waves of emotion they had brought on, when she heard an odd sound.
It was a high-pitched screech, and it was fast becoming painfully loud. She looked up startled. She saw several things simultaneously. Nothing was moving in slow motion, like it did in the movies. Instead, the adrenaline rush seemed to make her brain work much faster, and she was able to absorb several things at once.
The young man four cars down, staring in a horrified expression. The crowds of students, staring at her with the same mask of horror. But of more immediate importance was the dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, spinning wildly across the ice on the parking lot. Right toward her. It was going to hit the back corner of her truck, and she was standing between them. Her strangled scream caught in her throat. She didn't have time to close her eyes before the shattering crunch of the van folding on her truck filled her ears and pain shot through her body before blackness took over.
****
"Edward Cullen, I hereby sentence you to 900 hours of community service. You have one year to complete your hours. If you find yourself in the defendant's chair again, your next stop will be the state penitentiary. Court is adjourned."