I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in my chest made me gasp. The nurse rushed to my side and gently pushed me back to the bed. "Easy there, Ms. Meadows. You have some broken ribs and a concussion. You were in a car accident on your way to visit your uncle in Forks. A deer ran into the road and you swerved to avoid it. You hit a tree and your car flipped over. You're lucky to be alive." She explained, checking my vitals on a monitor. She sounded nice, but also kind of worried. I guess I looked pretty bad.
I blinked, trying to process what she said. A car accident? A deer? An uncle in Forks? None of this sounded familiar to me. It sounded like something out of a movie, or a book. A book I knew very well. I didn't have an uncle in Forks, or anywhere else for that matter. I was an only child, and both of my parents were too. I lived with my family in Paris, Texas. Not Paris, France. Paris, Texas. I had never been to Washington in my life, I mean sure I've read about it but still. And I certainly didn't own a car. I couldn't even drive. I was only 16, and I had failed my driver's test twice. Yeah, I know. Don't judge me.
"Are you sure you have the right person?" I asked, hoping this was all a mistake. Maybe they mixed up my records with someone else's. Maybe I was dreaming, or in a coma, or something. Maybe this was some kind of prank, or a hidden camera show. Maybe Ashton Kutcher was going to pop out any minute and tell me I was punk'd. Yeah, right. I wish.
The nurse smiled sympathetically and handed me a clipboard with some papers on it. "This is your ID, Ms. Meadows. It has your name, your photo, and your address in Forks. You also have a driver's license and a car registration. And this is your uncle's contact information. He's been notified of your accident and he's on his way to see you. He's very worried about you." She said, pointing to the papers. She sounded sincere, but also kind of confused. I guess she didn't understand why I was acting so weird.
I looked at the papers, feeling a surge of panic. The photo on the ID was me, and so was the name. The address was in Forks, not Paris. The driver's license and the car registration matched the ID. And the uncle's name was Charlie Swan, there's no way. This was not my life. This was not my identity. This was not my reality. This was Twilight.
As I had this realization, the one and only Dr. Cullen walked in, looking calm, collected, and kind. He looked similar to how he does in the movies, but about ten times better. His pale skin was flawless, his golden eyes were mesmerizing, and his blonde hair was perfectly groomed. He wore a white coat over a blue shirt and black pants, and he moved with grace and confidence. He smiled at me, revealing his perfect teeth. He was gorgeous, stunning, and hot. Like, really hot.
"Well, Ms. Meadows, it's quite the predicament you've gotten yourself into, but you should be able to go home with your uncle once he arrives." His voice was so smooth it was like listening to silk, I was so distracted that I hardly realized what he'd said. Thankfully, I snapped out of it before I made a fool of myself. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I met his gaze. He seemed to notice my reaction, and his smile widened slightly. He walked over to my bed and checked my chart. He asked me some routine questions about my pain level, my memory, and my appetite. He was very professional and friendly, but I couldn't help feeling nervous and flustered around him. He was, after all, the most handsome man I had ever seen, so far anyway. And he was also a vampire.
I was trying desperately to not start fangirling and asking him a million pointless questions, which would not only let him know that I knew what he was, but it would also be very embarrassing for me. I wanted to know everything about him and his family, how they lived, what they're favorite animals were, how they hunted, how they felt, what they thought. But I knew I couldn't. I knew I had to act normal, or at least as normal as I could in this bizarre situation. So I tried my best to look like any other teenager and act like I was bored out of my mind, though that couldn't be further from the truth. I pretended to yawn, to fidget, to look at the clock. I avoided his gaze. I answered his questions with monosyllables, and asked none of my own. I hoped he would think I was just a rude and ungrateful patient, and not a crazy and obsessed fan. But I knew he could see right through me. He was a vampire, after all.
Wow, this was not what I expected at all. I mean, I knew he was a vampire, but I didn't think it would bother me so much. I always imagined that if I ever met the Cullens, which seemed like a fantasy until now, I would be cool and calm like Bella. I would act like it was no big deal that they were bloodsucking creatures of the night. I would be brave and curious and fascinated by them. Boy, was I wrong. My heart was pounding like crazy, not only because I was thrilled to be in the same room as a Cullen, but also because I was scared. I was scared of what he could do to me if he wanted to. I was scared of his strength, his speed, his thirst. He could snap my neck, or drain my blood, or turn me into one of them. I guess I do have some sense of self-preservation unlike Bella, who seemed to have none. She was so reckless and naive and clueless. And I guess I do have some common sense unlike Bella, who seemed to have none. She was so stubborn and irrational and blind. This'll be interesting, to say the least.