"Time waits for no one."

Chapter 5:

Time isn't linear… time is… God, I wish I knew. Exhilaration ran through my veins and my body felt alive—free. Before, I had believed I had been living. However, I hadn't understood what living truly was until I had learned to fly. After that first leap, time had felt meaningless… yet, more impactful at the same time. I couldn't describe the way the world felt.

In a way, it was similar to when the clock turned back, and an hour was lost or gained. One moment, you were moving toward one hour and the next moment, the clock had jumped back. In a way, it felt like that when I leapt. Although, that was the only familiarity there was. Everything else was foreign; my world had become completely unfamiliar. I felt like I was moving through the universe—entering and exiting realities.

My last leap brought me back to him. Standing before me, Edward looked surprised. I had never showed up to his class room before but today, I wanted things to be different. Before I went to my literature class, I had to see him. I was afraid he wouldn't be here—I was afraid I somehow leapt too far.

"Bella? You skip the gym this morning? I never see you on campus this early," he remarked as a smile tugged on his lips.

"Yeah," I replied as I awkwardly caught my breath.

I had run from my dorm. The two miles had felt good, despite the soreness in my back caused by the many falls I had the night before. Or was that technically tonight? I knew I should keep better track—I didn't want time to escape me.

"I thought I would catch up with you. Maybe get breakfast or something, I don't know," I continued with a shrug of my shoulders as I reached down and adjusted my cross-body bag.

"Sounds good… and unlike you," he replied, raising his brow.

"How so?" I asked as he passed me by, heading toward the dining hall.

"Well, your mind always seems as if it's a thousand miles away. It's strange to see you so… present." He looked at me for a long moment before he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just rambling. What did you want to do? We can do whatever you want."

"Breakfast? I don't know… there's this coffee house I thought we could go to."

He rose a brow at this before he smirked. "Strange," he replied as we started to walk toward the edge of campus. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to go there later today. I'm down for it now, though."

I grinned, happy to feel this particular day run more smoothly. Imagine all the things I can fix…. Little things… moments when I felt embarrassed… words I wanted to take back… I can change anything I want to… anything at all. Exhilaration ran through my veins, awakening my entire body. I can do anything. Whenever I leap, I can change anything.

"What are you smiling about?" Edward asked as we paused at a cross-walk.

"I don't know. I just feel good today, I guess. I slept in for once and got all my work down last night"—thanks to my little secret—"so I'm not as stressed."

"Not stressed? Bella Swan, I don't believe it," he teased, although, his eyes were serious.

"I'm not stressed—not today."

The walk to the coffee shop was spent in a comfortable silence. It was a beautiful day; so beautiful, I wanted to soak up every second of it. The wind was restless, and the sun poured down on us, causing my skin to tingle. Sounds of chatter surrounded us and, in my mind, the strings of sentences became one pleasant blur. Words didn't need to pass between Edward and me—just being near him made me feel happy and warm. So warm… I could feel the heat from his body tickle my skin just like the sun. I could live in this moment forever… Perhaps, I really could. I could come back to this point at any time, couldn't I? Or, is that not how this time-travel thing works?

"Jesus, Bella! Pay attention!" Edward spit out as he threw his hand in front of me, causing my steps to halt.

I collided into his shoulder, eyes widening as a car zoomed by us. Blinking, I focused my thoughts, cursing myself for being too focused on the man next to me. I hadn't heard the car coming; I hadn't noticed we had reached a cross-walk. Suddenly, my eyes widened in shock as I took in the sight of the coffee shop across the street from where I stood. This is the place… this is the place I died. Would I ever be able to look at this spot the same way again…? Would memories of being splattered on the ground always plague me?

"Look, I'm sorry I yelled. You just freaked me the fuck out, okay?"

Shaking my head, I looked away from the spot and turned my attention to Edward.

"Sorry," I replied, dropping my gaze. "I was just lost in thought."

The crosswalk sign turned on and Edward took my hand, holding it tightly as we traversed across the street. With a perplexed gaze, he led me into the coffee shop, nodding his head toward a table for me to take while he headed to the barista to order our drinks. Black coffee for him and a green tea for me. I sat down and watched him. The gazes he shot me hadn't escaped my notice. He looked at me as if he was seeing a different girl entirely. It made me uneasy. Was I truly acting so different?

Edward reached our table with drinks before my mind could form an answer. As he sat down, I found he was back to his normal, carefree self. His inquisitive look was gone, replaced with a relaxed smile.

"Green tea… I don't know how you like that crap so much."

"Crap? It's not crap. Besides, I'm trying to be healthier—you know, quit with those chocolate mochas."

"See, Bella, you're changing before my eyes," he teased. "Look at you, coming to see me… eating healthier… waking up early… What have you done with my friend?"

I straightened my back and met his gaze. "I just changed a little… for the better." I smiled at him and although he seemed hesitant, he smiled in return. "Why don't we skip today. We can just hang out—you and me."

"Skip our classes? Are you feeling okay? It's usually me who suggests this sort of thing."

"Well, today, I'll suggest it. Time waits for no one."

He smiled at this before taking a sip of his drink.

Hours ticked by like minutes as we stayed secluded in our small corner of the coffee shop. We talked about everything… we talked about nothing. It felt like how we had been when we had very first met. When we had first become friends, we met up like this frequently and talked nonstop. For a moment, I felt like I had traveled back in time without having to leap.

"You should be like this more often." Edward paused for a moment, shaking his head. "I should be like this more often. We've both been so stressed. I know you want to succeed, but you have to live a little, too."

"I know." I took the last sip of my fourth cup of tea. "But we can't all be as smart as you, Ed."

He grimaced, causing me to giggle.

"You know I hate when you call me that."

"And that's why I do it."

"It's getting late in the afternoon. We should do something fun for the rest of our day off. We could go to a museum or see a movie… I don't know. This was your idea. You pick an activity."

"Well, I was thinking we could—"

"Wait! Wait! Stop!"

A woman screamed from the street. My gaze darted toward the window and my eyes widened at the scene outside. Outside the calm coffee shop was horror—horror beyond anything I had ever seen. My heart grew heavy in my chest, beating wildly as I rose from my seat. My chair fell to the ground with a loud crash as I pushed away from the table, nearly tripping into Edward as I darted toward the front door. The screams were making my head spin and time seemed to slow as I rushed out of the coffee house. Time hadn't truly slowed, though; I just felt like my legs couldn't move fast enough. My body was failing me. I knew I wouldn't be able to get to him in time.

As a little boy wandered out into the street, moving toward his hat lost in the middle of the crosswalk, I screamed for him. I screamed along with the other screams, as if my voice alone could will the car to stop. It was all happening too fast… far too fast for me to think. Just as my feet lifted off the ground, the car crashed into the boy, causing him to fly, too.

A/N: Thanks for sticking with me! I hope all of you are liking the story so far! I'm so sorry I've been horrible at replying to reviews, but I do read each and every one! If there's something you want to talk to me about, involving this story or otherwise, please feel free to message me on facebook! Since I always have my phone on me, I'm better at replying to those messages.

See you soon!