The Right Swan: Edward LS

Chapter 9

Toni's P.O.V.

Monday morning was of great surprise. It was lighter outside than before, a bit clearer, somehow. I jumped out of bed and carefully walked to the window. My eyes grew in size and I smiled widely. A fine layer of snow covered the yard, the top of the Chevy, and the road. All the rain from yesterday had frozen solid, coating the pine needle trees in beautiful patterns and making the driveway slick and deadly. I was in awe at how majestic everything looked. The only downside was the driveway. No doubt, Bella and I would have trouble getting to the truck.

I stepped away from the window and got ready for school. I slipped on my skinny jeans and rolled my ankle a couple of times to gauge the pain. Although I still had to be cautious with my concussion, it wasn't mandatory to wear my ankle brace anymore. However, I felt a small bolt of pain shoot through my ankle, so I decided to wear it for a little while longer. Carefully, I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen where I knew Bella would be waiting for me. When she caught sight of me, she put her bowl in the sink grabbed the car keys, and left the room. I rolled my eyes and followed after her.l

Miraculously, I made it down the icy driveway with ease while it took Bella every ounce of her concentration to make it. She slipped and managed to cling onto the side mirror to save herself from falling. I nearly fell over from laughing so hard. That, in turn, earned me one of the meanest glares Bella could conjure up.

On the way to school, the truck had no problem with the black ice that covered the roads. Ella still drove very slowly, causing me to become impatient. The welcome sign came into view and I jumped out of the car as soon as Bella parked. Out of curiosity, I inspected the tires and noticed thin chains crisscrossed in diamond shapes enveloping the tires.

Thank you, dad.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a certain silver Volvo. The Cullens stood next to their car like models, like they were perfect. I knew the truth, though. No one was perfect. They were hiding something behind the facade they were selling. Sitting with them at lunch made me realize how unnatural their movements were. Every movement seemed like it was timed with precision. Even some of the comments. It was like they rehearsed what they were going to do and what they were going to say.

Edward was the only one I was unsure about. I hadn't talked to him that much and his siblings didn't talk about him. He was standing on the driver's side and was staring in my direction. From across the lot, I couldn't see what kind of expression was on his face, but it was like he was concentrating on something hard. Alice, who was standing next to a certain history fanatic, was waving me over frantically. I shook my head and smiled slightly before I turned to Bella and told her of my plans.

"I'm going to say hi to the Cullens, so I won't be able to help you cross the parking lot," I said with a smirk as I recalled her morning fall.

Bella scowled at me and said, "I don't need-"

A loud, high-pitched screeching noise interrupted what she was saying. I looked to see a dark blue van skidding wildly across the lot. The projected target was the back corner of the Chevy, right where a frozen Bella was standing. I panicked and adrenaline rushed through my veins. I had to save Bella. Dad would be heartbroken to lose a daughter and the guilt of not doing anything would eat away at my conscience.

I ran towards Bella and managed to push her some feet back. Just as I pushed Bella, I felt something hard hit me. I fell and my head cracked against the icy blacktop. Something solid and cold pinned me to the ground as I struggled to remain conscious. I opened my eyes and saw the van curl around the end of the truck and meet two long, white hands. The van, which had a large dent decorating it, shuddered to a stop a foot from my face. At the same time, something gripped me underneath and swung my legs around until they hit the car. My ankle was engulfed in pain and I cried out. The van settled and glass popped onto the asphalt where my legs had been a second ago.