Back to the Start
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start
Running in circles, coming up tails
Heads on a science apart
The Scientist-Coldplay
Accident
To Bella's surprise her truck seemed to have no problem with the black ice that covered the roads. Still, she drove cautiously, though, not wanting to carve a path of destruction through Main Street.
When she got out of the truck at school, she saw why she had so little trouble. Something silver caught her eye, and she walked around the back of the old Chevy-carefully holding the side for support so she didn't slip-to examine her tires. There were thin chains crisscrossed in diamond shapes around them. Charlie must have gotten up early to put snow chains on the truck. Bella's throat suddenly felt tight. She was so used to being the one caring for others, it made her emotional to have someone do the same for her. It was a thoughtful gesture. She would make sure to make him a special meal tonight in thanks.
Bella was still standing by the back corner of the truck, struggling to fight back the wave of emotion the snow chains had brought on, when she heard someone calling her name. She glanced up, thinking it was one of her friends, only to find it was someone completely unexpected.
"Jacob?" She said in surprise.
Jacob Black went to school on the reservation, making Bella wonder what he was doing here. He was the only son of one of Charlie's oldest friends. He was also the one who had fixed up her truck, retuning the engine when Charlie bought it off Billy. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet colored, his eyes dark, deep set above the high planes of his cheekbones. He still had just a hint of childish roundness left around his chin. Altogether a very pretty face.
"What are you doing here?" She asked when he finally reached her side.
"Just passing through." Jacob answered with a wide grin.
"Really?" Bella was disbelieving. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"
Jacob held up a paper bag that he had in his hand. "I'm not skipping. I've got special permission for my absence so I could pick up my dad's meds."
"Oh." Bella said, feeling guilty for asking. "I'm sorry."
Billy Black was wheelchair bound now after suffering nerve damage from complications from his diabetes. Jacob was his main carer, with all the responsibilities that came with it, right down to the medication that kept his father alive.
Jacob didn't seem affected by her slip up. He was such a perpetually happy person, nothing seemed to faze him. He kicked at one of the tires on the truck. "Good idea-the snow chains."
"Yeah." Bella felt herself getting quite emotional again. "Charlie's idea."
"Cool."
"Yeah, cool."
Jacob kicked the tire again, like he was nervous about something. It was like he was building up the courage to say what he had come to say. "Hey, I was wondering…." He hesitated, shyly ducking his head.
"About?" Bella encouraged him.
"Well, your old man is coming over on Saturday to watch the game with my old man. So, I was wondering, you know, whether you might like to come too."
"To watch the game?"
Jacob's head jerked up at her veiled sarcasm. "No, just to hang out and stuff."
Bella gazed at him, seeing the anxiety in his dark eyes, clearly bracing himself for rejection. She liked Jacob Black. He was easy company. And, anyway, it wasn't like she had anything else to do that day, she had all of Sunday to catch up on her chores and any homework.
"Yeah, it sounds like fun."
Jacob's answering smile was radiant, lighting up his entire face with warmth and joy. Bella felt almost blinded by it. She found herself smiling back at him.
Suddenly, she heard an odd sound, like a high-pitched screech, and it was fast becoming painfully loud. Both she and Jacob looked up at the same time, startled.
Bella saw several things simultaneously. Nothing was moving in slow motion, the way it does in the movies. Instead, the adrenaline rush seemed to make her brain work much faster, and she was able to absorb in clear detail several things at once.
Edward Cullen was standing four cars down from her and Jacob, staring at her in horror. His face stood out from a sea of faces, all frozen in the same mask of shock. 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 of the parking lot. It was going to hit the back corner of her truck, and she and Jacob were standing between them.
Bella didn't even have time to close her eyes. Just before she heard the sickening crunch of the van folding around the back of the old Chevy, she felt Jacob's hands spanning her waist, he seemed to lift her easily, throwing her in the Chevy's truck bed, before leaping up lightening fast and joining her. He pushed her down, pinning her down with his own body, acting like a human shield. The van continued to skid alarmingly, still spinning and sliding, slamming into the back of the truck, making the old iron monster rock like a ship on the crest of a wave.
A low oath from nearby made Bella gasp. She was still pinned beneath Jacob, but she could see Edward Cullen's face peering down at her like an avenging angel.
"Bella? Are you alright?" He asked frantically.
Bella couldn't find the will to answer. She tore her gaze away from his to look at the boy slowly pushing himself away from her.
Jacob sat up, looking completely dazed. "What the hell just happened?" He mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.
Bella shook her head, trying to clear it. Her left ear was ringing, a consequence of hitting that side of her head on the truck bed when Jacob threw her in.
"Bella, are you alright?" Edward asked again.
Bella ignored him, focusing her bleary gaze on Jacob. His quick thinking had saved both their lives. "I knew there was a reason I loved this old monster so much." She smiled at Jacob sheepishly. "Thanks for saving me. I owe you one."
Jacob was still rubbing the back of his neck as if it pained him. "I'll hold you to that."
Before Bella could say anything further, a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces appeared, shouting at them, shouting at each other. Edward Cullen was edged to one side as they swarmed the truck.
"Don't move." Someone instructed.
"Get Tyler out of the van!" Someone else shouted. There was a flurry of activity around them, causing more chaos and confusion.
Bella could hear the sirens now. The emergency services were on their way. She just hoped her father hadn't been alerted. She didn't fancy having to deal with Charlie's meltdown.
"You okay?" She asked Jacob.
"Are you?" He countered.
"Yes!" They both said together, their combined laughter sounding a little hysterical after their near-death experience.
"I guess we're going to be taking a trip to the ER." Bella grimaced. The thought of going to yet another hospital soured her mood. She was no stranger to the place, as Charlie's insurance bills proved. She had an innate ability to fall flat on her face at any given opportunity, which meant many trips there during her lifetime.
"It will all be good." Jacob teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"Good?" Bella questioned sarcastically. "How do you figure that?"
"Well, you'll have me for company. That's got to be a win, win." He flashed her another one of his big grins, making her smile despite herself.
It took six EMT's and two teachers-Mr. Varner and Coach Clapp-to shift the van far enough away from them to bring the stretchers in. Jacob vehemently refused his, and Bella tried to do the same, but Edward Cullen appeared out of the crowd and insisted that he had seen her hit her head and that she probably had a concussion. She glared at the traitor, wondering why he was sticking his nose in. She almost died of humiliation when they put on a neck brace. It looked like the entire school was there, watching soberly as they loaded her into the back of the ambulance. Jacob got to ride in the front. It was so unfair.
And to top it all off, Chief Swan arrived before they could get Bella safely away.
"Bella!" He yelled in panic when he recognized her on the stretcher.
"I'm fine, Dad." Bella sighed. "There's nothing wrong with me."
From the front seat of the ambulance, she heard Jacob chuckle, and she narrowed her eyes. She might re-think that whole gratitude for saving her life thing if he dared to tease her after all this humiliation was over.
Bella fumed silently on the way to the hospital, as naturally, the ambulance got a police escort courtesy of her father. She didn't think she was ever going to live the embarrassment down.
A/N-thanks for reading!