Hey, readers! I recently decided to rewrite this story, because as I was reading through the old one, I was highly dissatisfied with my writing. I honestly think I can do better, so I am going to give it my best. I am going to leave the old story up, so please feel free to read it and tell me if my writing has improved or deteriorated in my absence. Any type of criticism is welcome!
Chapter 1
Stepping out into the crisp, cold air, a young brunet wrinkled her nose in disapproval of the freezing weather. Isabella Swan loathed the cold. After spending nearly her entire life in the overly-warm state of Arizona, she wasn't accustomed the delicate snowflakes that drifted through the skies and biting wind that cut through the the thickest jacket she owned as if she wore nothing at all.
She hugged her arms closer to her body in an attempt to preserve even the smallest amount of body heat, a scowl twisting her features. She shuddered; though, not from the icy air this time. No, this was a shudder of horror that was well earned. All across the ground lay small puddles from the frequent rain of Forks, Washington, frozen solid and threatening. If there was anything Bella abhorred more than the cold in general, it was ice. One of the brunet's defining traits was her ability to trip over thin air, and ice was the arch-enemy of clumsiness. The chances of her being maimed this cold winter morning were not in her favor, it seemed.
With a loud sigh she started making baby steps toward her rusty old Chevy, determined to make it to school with time to spare, which would undoubtedly be spent catching up on her neglected Trigonometry homework. 'Great! If the ice wasn't bad enough, now I have to worry about unfinished Trig papers...' She grumbled to herself as she shoved the key into the ignition and twisted it roughly. She took it slow on the short ride to Forks High School, not wanting to take any chances on the treacherously icy roads.
She pulled into her parking spot carefully and sat back with a relieved sigh. She had made it through the weather without any problems at all, even with her extreme lack of coordination. Bella shrugged it off with a chuckle, chalking it up to pure dumb luck. Stepping out of the cab with unsure and overly careful footing, she turned her head when a glinting of silver caught her eye. The brunet shuffled closer to her back tire and peered curiously at the metal chains crisscrossing in the grooves of the rubber. A smile tugged at her lips and she made a mental note to thank Charlie later, for he was the only one who would've made such a gesture and said nothing.
Bella was so caught up in her gratitude to Charlie, she didn't notice the hulking blue van speeding straight toward her left taillight. If she had, she would have also realized that she was the only thing standing between the two vehicles. The brunet didn't even realize something was amiss until the squeal of tires and smell of burning rubber wrenched her from her moment of appreciation. The entire world seemed to move in slow motion the moment her mocha eyes raised to meet the object that would surely end her life in the next few moments. She stood frozen, ice filled her veins and fear crippled her legs. She had the fleeting thought of, 'Isn't that Tyler Crowley's van? Tyler Crowley's van is going to kill me.' when she felt a hard impact coming not from the van-which was almost upon her, though not quite- but from her left side.
Everything happened far too fast for her mind to process and the next she knew, she was reclined against the tire of her truck, the moisture from the asphalt seeping into her jeans. Whipping her head to the left she found her face mere inches from a toned chest, her temple throbbing at the sudden movement. In the same instant she realized there was a strong arm around her waist, keeping the rest of her body from slumping onto the damp ground.
The eyes of her savior met hers in a flash of deep ambrosia, though they were indiscernible as night. She let out a surprised, albeit baffled, gasp she realized who her rescuer was. None other than Edward Cullen, the boy who had been nothing but cold to her since her arrival. Before she had a chance to blurt all the questions running through her mind, the commotion of fellow students and the shrill cry of an ambulance brought them both back to the present. The EMTs and a handful of teachers had managed to move the van enough for the teens to squeeze through. Edward hesitated for a split second before his eyes shifted toward the crowd of people and he gently lifted the obviously confused girl from the pavement, guiding her to the waiting ambulance.
As they were walking, Edward leaned down and whispered in her ear, his voice rough with worry. "Bella, are you alright?"
She did a mental once-over before replying with a small nod. "Yeah. I'm fine."
He gave a curt nod in response and, after handing her to an EMT, headed to the front of the ambulance and began speaking with the driver; he hopped in the passenger side of the cab a few moments later.
Bella groaned at being ushered into the back of the ambulance. She had assured everyone around her that she was perfectly fine and vehemently denied the need for a trip to the hospital, but in the end, she just gave up and allowed them to load her up in the back.
Bella sighed heavily as she sat on the exam table, the harsh fluorescent lights doing nothing for the pounding in her head. She had been waiting in the stark white room for what felt like hours, and the smell was finally starting to get to her. It was a smell that haunted all hospitals and permeated even the deepest recesses of her mind. She was contemplating what exactly the smell might be when the door finally swung open to reveal her doctor.
When he entered, he was studying his clip board, flipping between pages with thin, nimble fingers. Bella eyed him in awe. He was easily the most beautiful man she had ever had the pleasure of laying her eyes on. His honey-blonde hair was perfectly styled with a few strands hanging loose, perfectly framing his chiseled jaw. Even beneath the lab coat, it was easy to tell he was nicely toned. She shifted nervously studying her shoes intently, waiting for him to do or say something.
"So, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?" The brunets heart stuttered at the silky tones of his voice, almost forgetting that he had made an inquiry.
She lifted her head prepared to dish out the same answer she had given everyone else who had asked, but when her eyes locked with his, her heart stopped altogether.
Please, please, please R&R to tell me what you think!
