Chapter Six

Edward walked me to biology. He tried to carry my book bag, but I shrugged the gesture off as silly. I tried not to notice the disappointment in his eyes.

We reached the classroom before anyone else, and I watched idly as Mr. Banner readied a television set at the front of the room. Apparently, we'd be watching a movie today. I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

A loud bang had me jumping out of my seat a second later, my heart racing. I whimpered as I remembered what was coming for me today. What my dreams had shown me. But then, Edward was there, taking my chin between his fingertips and turning my head until my vision was filled with nothing but him.

"You are alright, Isabella," he murmured, placing his free hand on my back in an almost-embrace. "Nothing will hurt you. Not while I'm around."

A tear made its way from my eye, and he caught it with his thumb before it could complete it's journey down my cheek.

"But you don't know," I whispered, suddenly desperate for the first time in my life to tell someone all my secrets. "Something's coming... something's going to happen..."

"We'll face it together," he replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Together," I echoed, watching him watching me.

Lights were switched off and a video was started. Edward took my hand in his, entwining our fingers on top of the table. For a while, I watched our joined hands as I should have been watching the movie, marveling at how seamlessly they seemed to fit together, how at home my smaller palm felt pressed against his larger one. Suddenly, the rushing feeling was back in my chest, threatening to overtake me.

"We're alright," Edward whispered in my ear. "I promise."

I took extra time getting dressed after gym, pulling my school clothes on slowly and playing with my hair in the mirror as though it was important to me. Ten minutes after the final bell had rung, Ms. Waters came out of her office and politely asked me to leave so she could lock up. So much for killing time.

I walked to the Arts Building to drop off the books I wouldn't need tonight. My locker opened easily today, and I wondered if someone had replaced it. The metal around the edges was no longer bent out of shape, the hinges were no longer squeaking. But there were still impressions from my knuckles on the front... so maybe I was imagining things.

It occurred to me as I walked as slowly as possible across campus that I should have asked Charlie for a ride today. Or walked to school, maybe. I tried the door to the school library, but it was locked with a note in the window. There was a staff meeting going on inside. No students allowed.

The campus was quiet at this point. A few boys that I recognized to be seniors were kicking a ball around on the school's damp soccer field, but there was no other movement. Even the wind seemed to be waiting for something. I squared my shoulders, digging my keys out and holding them firmly in my hand. There would be no fumbling near my car. I would get to it quickly and leave the school in one piece. No screaming tires. No skidding SUVs. I would defeat the dream.

There were only a few people in the parking lot when I got there, and there wasn't an SUV in sight. I breathed a little easier, stepping off the curb and onto the asphalt, walking quickly towards where my Beetle was parked in the back of the lot. I payed careful attention to each parked car and it's proximity to me. There was a smoke grey Mercedes parked close to the school. But it was behind me now, so I wrote it off and moved on. There was a beat-up red Civic to my right. No driver. I was safe. I walked faster now. A blue Toyota. A brown Suzuki. No drivers, no people, no threats. I was almost there. I started to jog. A black mini-van. But there were kids around it. I recognized Mike and Jessica as I moved past it. I heard an engine start. But it was far away. And I was almost to my car. And I hadn't dreamed about that car anyway. Still, I took off in a full run. Just to be safe.

My foot hit a puddle and suddenly I was on my back just feet from my car. Maybe this was fate getting back at me, making me fall. I clenched my fists, damp from the wet ground and trying to ignore the pain radiating from my ankle... but ultimately, I was alright. I was alive. I wasn't seriously injured. My keys must have flown from my hands during the fall, though, because I couldn't find them anymore. I went to stand, to look for them, but my ankle refused to cooperate and I found myself on my back again. And that's when I heard it.

The sound of the engine getting closer had me looking around. It was the black van. I could see a boy I had met yesterday at lunch, Tyler, my brain supplied, behind the wheel. He didn't seem to be going fast enough to hydroplane, so I wasn't panicking just yet, but memories of the sound I'd heard the night before had me struggling once more to get up, hopping over to the bumper of my car. But I still didn't have my keys... and then it happened.

A dog came out of nowhere and walked into the center of the parking lot. Tyler saw it and slammed on the brakes, swerving to avoid hitting it. And there was the sound. I watched in slow motion as the van began to slide towards my car. I tried to jump away, but my ankle protested and I wound up on the ground instead. And the screeching noise, it was everywhere, chasing me. I looked up in time to see the van's fender about to slam into the passenger side of my car. The passenger side of my car where I was lying, helpless, and in the direct path of one of the out-of-control tires. I closed my eyes. I waited for the inevitable. And then everything went black.

I dreamed about cold, strong arms and whispered promises. There was copper hair and pale skin, but the images lacked clarity, the words lacked definition. I felt myself being lifted from the ground, and felt wind rushing through my hair as my body seemed to travel through space at an impossible clip. I dreamed about soft leather under my skin and a roaring fire in the corner. And then I woke up.

The room was not mine. The room was not anywhere I'd been before. But it felt familiar, and I felt inexplicably safe. The walls of the room were almost entirely glass, large, unadorned panels which gave view to a lush forest outside them. The walls that weren't windows were painted a soft, dove grey, and one was filled with dozens of floating shelves supporting what looked to be a rather formidable vinyl collection. I turned my head, trying to take in more of my surroundings, and heard the tell-tale squeak of a leather sofa as my body shifted. I ran my fingers over it, realizing that this was the leather I had dreamed about just moments ago, and I concentrated my hearing, noticing the tell-tale popping sound of a fire from somewhere on the wall behind my head. I had found my sofa and I had found my fire. Now... what else had happened?

I pushed myself up from the couch, planning on taking further inventory of my surroundings, but a dizzy spell sent me right back down again.

"Slowly, Isabella," a familiar voice called quietly from behind me. "Slowly."

"Edward," I whispered, almost against my will. "Edward?"

"You hit your head," he explained, settling himself on the far arm of the couch. "I brought you here so Carlisle could look at you. He assures me you're fine, but-"

"Carlisle?"

"My father. He's a doctor. I called him when I found you in the parking lot, and he suggested I bring you here so he could-"

"The school parking lot," I repeated, slowly lifting my eyes to meet his.

"Yes. You slipped and-"

"There was a puddle," I murmured to myself. "I needed to get to my car, but there was a puddle, and..."

Slowly, as though they had been buried deep within the ocean of my mind, the memories surfaced. The dream and the panic. The feel of the pavement as I slipped. The sound of the car as it approached me. The squeal of the breaks, the smell of burning rubber as the vehicle swerved to avoid the animal in its path. As the vehicle swerved towards me instead...

"The car," I mumbled, suddenly panicked. "Oh god. The car. It was going to hit me. I couldn't avoid it. I tried so hard. But it had to hit me. It had to. It hit me. It hit me. I'm dead."

I jerked myself into a ball, ignoring the dizziness that threatened to overtake me, giving in to the sobs that ripped through my body with surprising force. I was dead. I was dead and this was the afterlife. And Edward was here...

"Edward, the car," I wailed, suddenly throwing myself at him, my arms wrapping around his hard torso as he flinched in surprise. "Were you there? I didn't see you, but you're here now. I'm so sorry, Edward. If I had just told you about my dream, you could have saved yourself. I'm so sorry. So sorry. Please forgive me, Edward. Please go back. You can't be dead. You can't be dead..."

"Isabella, you're not dead. Shhh. Quiet now, Isabella, you need to listen to me. Please listen, baby. Please. Calm now, Isabella. You need to be calm. Can you calm down for me? Please, baby. Please calm down."

He was running his fingers through my hair. His hands felt cold against my scalp, soothing my overheated body as I struggled to rein in my panic. We sat there for an age, him calming me with his voice and hands, me fighting against my emotions. It took forever for me to quiet down, and his patience was unending.

"Alright now?" he asked when I was finally calm, tipping my chin up and searching my face.

"Tell me what happened?" I asked quietly.

"I was walking to my car when I saw you across the way. You slipped and fell onto your back, hitting your head. I was so worried, Isabella. I ran over to you, called your name, but you were out cold. When you wouldn't respond, I brought you here and called my father. I was so worried. Carlisle says you're alright, though. Just some bumps and bruises. He says your ankle may be sore for a few days, and you should take it easy, but overall you're fine. You're fine, Isabella. I promise you."

He had met my eyes through the whole explanation. His tone had been sincere. His words had made perfect sense. I remembered slipping. I remembered my ankle hurting. I wanted to accept his explanation. It would have been easier to accept his explanation. But I knew myself, I knew my dreams, and I knew what I remembered. Edward was lying.

"Why?" I whispered, my eyes filling with more tears.

"Why what, Isabella?" he asked, tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear.

"Why are you lying to me?"

If I hadn't been watching for it, I wouldn't have seen it happened. But it was there. That flicker of surprise and fear in his eyes before he schooled his expression into one of confusion.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'd never lie to you."

"You're doing it now," I persisted, rising shakily to my feet before him. He reached out to touch me again, but I ducked away from the contact. "You're lying to me, Edward. Just tell me the truth."

"Isabella," he began warningly, but I cut him off.

"No!" I snapped, taking a step backwards, away from him. "Don't cover one lie with another. Don't tell me you're being honest when you're not. Don't lie to me!"

He watched me incredulously, his hands balling into fists. He opened his mouth to speak again, but I shook my head.

"I saw it, Edward. I saw it twice. I got hit by a car today. I tried to avoid it, but it happened anyway, like I knew that it would. Like it always does. It happened, Edward, so tell me how I'm standing here. Tell me how I'm here!" I screamed, my voice becoming shriller by the minute.

"Isabella," he began again, taking a cautious step towards me, "nothing-"

"Edward," a bell-like voice called out from behind me, "leave us for a moment, please."

We both turned, though I seemed to be the only one startled by the intrusion. Edward looked like he was about to argue, but seemed to think better of it, offering me a sad smile before crossing the room and walking out the door.

"Sit down, Bella," Alice said to me, closing the door behind her brother. "We need to talk."

A/N: Feedback is appreciated.