saccharine |edward cullen

10| ricochet

10| ricochet

It was early in the morning. Lux was overly tired and not prepared for the school day. She wished to just stay home, avoid the slick roads and crowded parking lot. Her mom was already downstairs, drinking coffee from a white mug as she looked through her laptop. She went to the toaster, pulling two slides of wheat bread out from it's package before popping it in. Lorena looked up to her daughter, setting her mug back down, wiping her lips with a napkin, "Luke called."

"What did he want?" Lux sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear as she pulled butter out waiting for her bread to pop out. Her mom shrugged, "Wanted to know how you were doing. It was last night you were already asleep so I didn't want to wake you up."

"Oh," Lux grabbed the butter knife pulling her toast out of the toaster and applying a layer of butter over them. Lorena rolled her eyes, "I still think he's the best mistake you've had."

"Thanks," Lux turned away, taking a bite out of her bread reaching for her keys. Lux's mom had a way of pointing out negative things in Lux's life and trying to make them good. For instance, the ex boyfriend. Lux wasn't one to date nonstop, but Luke was her first official boyfriend. It wasn't that they had a bad fall out, on the contrary it was a decent break up. He was a senior, and their argument about him staring college and her moving away were the cause of their downfall. He didn't want to try long distance and she was going to force him to.

The roads were slick, her step out of her car were slow and cautious. She held onto the door handle tightly, regretting not having purchase any shoes that were actually built for this climate. It was cold too, her thin jacket did little to keep her warm and a wind was beginning to pick up. Using her car for support, she opened the backseat and reached for her backpack. To her right, a few cars down she could spot Bella. From the corner of her eye she found Edward Cullen standing near his car with his family.

Her shoulders stiffened, a loud screeching sound catching her ears not too far. There was no time to react, no time to turn and find the source of screeching, her back fell smack against the icy blacktop, something heavy lay on top of her as cold hands lefts her arms flying to the black van that was hurling toward her hitting the back of the car. She was frozen in spot, the person above her moving her like a ragged doll and away from the van. His outstretched hands created a large dent in the car, her eyes squinting to keep from seeing anything else. "Hey," his voice was low but loud and clear over the shouts of her name, "Are you alright?"

Her hand flew to the back of her hand, not answering as she attempted to sit up making him move off her. "How did you get over here so fast?" Lux asked just above a whisper. His face dropped, looking down at their positions as footsteps were heard coming quickly. She looked to her car, no surprise her Chevy Malibu wouldn't survive that tiny bump. The back end was crushed, badly near the tail light.

"Get Tyler out of the van!"

Lux didn't bother, not even when she was rushed to the hospital despite the small scratches on her hands from when she gripped the pavement. Tyler was next to her, looking much worse, shouting his apologies.

"Lux I'm so sorry!" Tyler repeated, Lux only smiled attempting to reassure him that she was just fine.

Lux felt off, not in the 'I just got into a car crash technically and might have a concussion' off but in the 'Am I going crazy or is Edward Cullen the Flash/Hulk?' She had seen him clear across. She was certain of it, it had been when she'd looked to Bella. That is when she'd noticed him standing across near the staircase that led to the entrance of the school. So how was it that he managed to be right next to her in time to push her down? To push the damn van?

"What's the verdict?" Edward asked walking straight in, effortlessly and on his own will instead of being dragged in. Lux opened her mouth to speak, to ask him again how'd he get there so fast but she feared she'd be turned away or worse made to seem crazy.

Suddenly, a young doctor walked in. Lux's mouth stayed opened, eyes lifting for a moment. He was blond and handsomer than anyone she'd ever seen. He was pale with circles under his eyes. "So Miss Ames," the doctor said, she read the name tag quick. Dr. Cullen. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Lux answered plainly. She didn't feel any pain, except the pain that came with being stuck in the hospital for absolutely no reason. When she meant she didn't want to go to school today, this was definitely not what she had in mind.

"Let's see," Dr. Cullen looked at the x-ray sheets the nurse had taken earlier, "Well everything seems fine..."

It took too long before she was able to leave. She was supposed to go home and rest, something she wasn't completely appalled to. She stood at reception, signing herself out, the cold presence next to her immediately gave her chills. Despite the crowded waiting room of students—friends and strangers—waiting for her, the one to sign her out was no where to be seen. "Is your mom on her way?" Edward asked. Lux resisted the urge to roll her eyes, not at him but because of the thought of her mom being here anytime soon.

"No."

"Then how will you get home?" Edward asked. He looked around for a moment, "I can take you, your car is still stuck at the parking lot."

"How did you do it?" Lux asked stepping away from the reception desk. Edward was close behind, paying close attention to her whispered voice. "Do what?" Edward asked through gritted teeth.

"The van was going to crush us both and it didn't..." Lux looked away, as if she'd find the answers elsewhere, which might've been the case considering his cold tone. "You think I lifted a van off you? Nobody will believe that y'know?"

"I wasn't going to tell anybody—" "Then why does it matter?" Edward's voice went up for a moment, "Can't you just thank me and be over it?"

"Thank you," Lux turned away, looking for Bella or Mike somewhere, or even just someone she knew that could possibly drive her home. Mike had gone to check on Tyler and Bella was on the phone with Charlie. She'd have to wait a few until either could.

"Let me give you a ride—" "I'd rather you didn't," Lux answered coldly. Edward was taken back by her tone. He had no right to be surprised by her harsh tone as if he hadn't just given her the same one, yet apart of him was concerned by it. He didn't want her to hate him. She just couldn't know the truth. He was ready to fight his case, build some quick and awful excuse as to how he did it but nothing came to mind.

He would be too late anyway. Mike Newton was the first she saw who was free. She'd already walked off to him, asking for a ride which he'd happily obliged—not without looking to Edward with a smirk that is.

Hope Cullen isn't trying to butter Lux up. She gets into an accident and all of a sudden he's all worried for her? Wasn't he ready to kill her last week? Everyone saw his freak moment anyway. And why have his dad check on her?

Edward's hands clenched slightly, letting his eyes close for a second trying to recollect himself. He was beginning to dislike the Newton kid more and more each day.

::.