CHAPTER NINE
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i. loss of breath !

— BY THE TIME MONDAY ROLLED AROUND ANTHONY WAS ECSTATIC TO GET TO SCHOOL. Which is something he didn't find himself thinking very often. What would be the reason?

Why, the Cullens of course.

And, yet again, he desperately wanted to get away from his sister.

However, he was slapped by a sweaty and disgusting heat flash.

Running a fever, he'd felt extremely under the weather that Monday, so Charlie made him stay home and tried to call in to work sick to stay with him.

Anthony insisted Charlie just go to, knowing his father needed the pay check and that he'd much rather be there.

So Tony stayed in bed, texting Alice back and forth all day. He even got a selfie of the Cullen clan (minus Edward) as an afternoon greeting. The Swan Boy quickly saved the photo to his camera roll.

He watched out his window, with two fans pointed at him as sheets of rain covered the ground, the cold air solidifying it into ice.

He watched out his open bedroom door when Bella came home and rushed into her room.

He simply watched when Bella whisked past again, deciding to go grocery shopping. A likely excuse to use when you don't want to be in the house.

He watched when Emmett's Jeep pulled up in the driveway, popping out a cheery looking Alice with an amused Jasper trailing behind.

They'd brought him some of Esme's homemade soup. Once the motherly woman heard her kid's friend wasn't feeling well, she jumped on the opportunity to cook.

Alice had jumped on the opportunity to bring it to him and Jasper just jumped on the opportunity to see Tony again.

Tony really didn't want Jasper to see him in such a sickly state, but it was really nice to see him. Especially when the first thing Jasper did, was put a cold hand to the sick boy's forehead, which was a welcome relief.

He'd sat up, leaned against the headboard as Alice placed the container of soup on his bedside table then climbed over beside him, leaning against the wall. Jasper took up the computer chair and rolled it closer to the bed.

They chatted for ages. Well, Alice chatted while Tony and Jasper smiled and nodded along or pitched in here and there.

Then they left, and Anthony finished off the soup before falling asleep.

Surprisingly, he slept without any issues and he'd sweat out the fever by morning. Heat flashes happened often with him but they always just came and went, weakening his systems and making him green and then leaving the next day.

Sometimes he wishes it'd last longer, just so it didn't seem like he called in sick for the hell of it.

Then other times, he's leaning over the toilet thinking, maybe not.

Nevertheless, Tuesday was beginning to look nice.

He woke up, did a regular morning routine and grabbed the container Alice and Jasper had used to bring the soup to him. He'd washed it and stuffed it into his bag to bring back to the Cullens. Then, he sat on the front step to wait for Charlie.

Charlie had decided, since ice was beginning to show up outside, that he should change the truck's tires and put on some winter ones for his kids.

As Charlie finally pulled into the driveway, Isabella opened the front door and walked down the steps.

Anthony watched as his younger sister slipped on a sheet of ice at the bottom of the steps, being her regular clumsy self.

Where Tony kept sitting on the steps in boredom, Charlie raced to get out of the truck.

"You alright?" Their father reached down to tug Isabella up by the arm.

"Yeah, I'm good." Bella waved him off. "Ice really doesn't help the uncoordinated." She chuckled dryly, brushing some hair out of her face with her huge knitted mitts.

She was used to warmer weather, so she was bundled up as much as possible. Tony only wore jeans, a T shirt and an unbuttoned button up. He preferred the cold.

Charlie nodded as Anthony stood.

"Yeah. That's why I had some new tires put on the truck." He stated, "old ones were getting pretty bald."

He looked up as Anthony came up next to him.

"Well, I'll probably be late for dinner. I gotta head down to Mason County, a security guard at Grisham Mill got attacked by some kind of animal." Charlie finished, approaching his police cruiser.

"An animal?" Bella asked.

"You're not in Phoenix anymore, Bells." Charlie stated. Anthony snickered quietly at his father. "Anyway, figured I'd give a hand."

"Be careful." The brunette woman called.

"Always am."

"Don't work yourself too hard, Dad." Tony smiled. Charlie nodded with a slight frown.

"You too, kid. Take it easy today okay?"

"Yeah, Dad."

After that, all Swans hopped into their respective vehicles.

Sometimes Tony hated that he had to share a car ride with Bella every weekday, but they made it to school without another argument which was a bonus.

He met up with Alice and Jasper, like every morning, handing them their container which they put in the Jeep. Tony also nodded to Emmett and Rosalie as they passed him and, to his surprise, Edward got out of his shiny metallic Volvo.

"Hey man, where you been?" Tony greeted as the Bronze haired boy approached the three.

Edward smiled awkwardly, "Just some family stuff."

Anthony nodded knowingly, understanding that being a foster kid must have a few family issues.

They spoke for a few more minutes before Edward bid them goodbye, saying he'd see them at lunch.

Alice had latched onto Tony's arm. In the week since he met her, Tony knew she was a very affectionate person and didn't mind it at all. After yesterday, he'd hug any Cullen just for the welcomed chilly feeling.

— LUNCH WAS AS FUN AS ALWAYS. Rosalie, Emmett and Anthony flirted back and forth for the sole reason that it was incredibly amusing to them.

Jasper sat in his seat quietly, observing his family and trying to ignore the fact that he was in a room with a hundred some-odd people, all with incredibly perverse or depressed feelings.

It was so difficult to discern what were his emotions, and what were others.

Then he felt a weight against his shoulder and when he looked down there was Anthony in all his glory, trying to stop his tearful laughter at Emmett's terrible pick up line.

"Okay, okay I've got one," Tony calmed himself down enough to speak and sat forward, still giggling slightly. "Is your name Ariel? Because I think we mermaid for each other."

Even Rosalie and Edward chuckled heavily at that one.

Jasper focused on Anthony and his feeling of happiness and content.

Then, the blond forgot about everyone else in the cafeteria.

— AFTER BIOLOGY, ANTHONY AND JASPER DECIDED TO HANG OUT IN THE LIBRARY FOR THEIR FINAL PERIOD. Since neither of them had a phys ed class, they figured they might as well wait out the period together.

"I still can't believe you put in the effort to win that stupid thing." Tony shook his head in disbelief with a small laugh,

Jasper held up the gold coloured onion that he'd gotten in their biology class. Tony was his partner, and tried to convince him to just forget about it because he doubted either of them wanted the prize.

Yet, here Jasper was, carrying an onion in his left hand.

"Aw dude look at the that." Tony was looking sadly at a shelf of comic books.

"Dude?"

"Shut up, its a reflex."

"Okay I'll bite, what's wrong? It's just some books?" Jasper asked, glancing at the boy's face and then at the shelf.

"They only have like- 2 Batman comics. This library is a disgrace." Anthony rolled his eyes before approaching the shelf, Jasper following after him.

"Oh nope- wait." Tony sat down in front of the shelf, looking through the comics. "They have three Batman's but they also have a Spider-Man so I'll let it slide."

"You like Spider-Man?"

"Uh, do you like breathing?"

Jasper chuckled at that as if it was some inside joke, nodding slightly.

"Here," Tony grabbed the Spider-Man comic out and found some arm chairs near the back of the library. Sitting down, Anthony gestured for Jasper to sit down next to him. Which he did, setting his bag and the onion on the ground next to them.

Then, Anthony held up the comic for him to see and began reading it.

Jasper wasn't entirely sure what was going on with Spider-Man half the time, but Anthony was so animated about it that it was a really enjoyable thing to witness, and to Jasper's own surprise he kept paying attention until the thing was finished.

Then Anthony spent a few moments explaining what happened in easier terms, finally looking at Jasper to gauge a reaction.

"It was good." Jasper nodded.

Tony looked slightly offended, "just good?"

"Great." Jasper corrected.

"Good." The Swan boy smiled before looking at the clock on the wall. "Shit, this lasted longer than I thought. We'll have to pick this up another time."

Anthony rushed to put the comic back where he found it, then grabbed Jasper by the wrist to tug him along, going to find Alice.

At some point, Tony's fingers slid down Jasper's wrist to hold his hand, which is something Anthony didn't notice but Jasper certainly did.

"You're very quiet." Anthony pointed out as they approached the gym's doors, slowing down to a walk.

Jasper looked up in surprise, before replying.

"I just don't have anything to say."

"Everyone has something to say, you just have to be confident enough to speak up." Anthony dismissed, seeing Alice exit the gym and wave at the two.

Anthony went to wave back before realizing both of his hands were occupied, his right with his oxygen tank, and his left had firmly grasped Jasper's hand. Tony let go.

"Sorry." He looked away awkwardly.

"It's fine." Jasper smiled, kind of wishing he could grab Tony's hand again.

When Alice joined them with an umbrella over her head, greeting them both with a hug, they didn't say much as they made their way to the parking lot. Though Tony did ask how her gym class went.

"Same as always." She replied at they came upon Edward's silver Volvo. Edward joined them after a moment and talked with them, though he kept glancing at something across the lot.

When Anthony looked, he saw his sister leaned up against her truck looking though her bag with headphones in.

"Do you want this?" Jasper leaned in towards Tony, going to hand him the onion.

"You're the one that wanted to win it!"

"Doesn't mean I actually wanted it." Jasper laughed.

Anthony rolled his eyes lightheartedly and pushed the onion into him.

"You're in Mr Molina's class?" Edward glanced at them with an amused look on his eyes.

"Yeah," Alice smiled. "I sit right behind them."

They were well aware of that fact. Jasper and Tony could almost always feel Alice's stare on them.

"As if we didn't know." Anthony chuckled, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

"I observe!"

"Sure you do."

Their laughing was cut short when a loud screech of wheels against asphalt, wheels against ice and the sound of metal on metal met their ears.

Looking up, they saw Tyler Crowley's Van pushed up against Bella's truck. People were moving wildly, calling an ambulance and Anthony felt his blood run cold.

"Oh my god, Bells."

As fast as he could, he tugged his oxygen tank with him and rushed toward the accident, pushing people out of his way, calling his sister's name.

He couldn't find her, there were too many people in the way. Though he could see Edward hop out from between the van and the truck and for a moment Tony wondered how he'd gotten there so fast.

Feeling the incoming panic attack, Tony was trying to get his breathing underway or he'd have a bunch of new unrelated problems on his hands.

"Bella!" He couldn't find her. "Bella!" There were too many people. "Bella!"

He could feel the oxygen tank stop working as he heaved as many breaths as possible, which was another mistake. His lungs were being overworked and he could feel his body shutting down little by little.

Cursing at himself, he kept moving.

"Bella!" Anthony called, his vision going blurry as an ambulance burst into the parking lot and the crowd began to disperse.

"Tony?" Isabella saw her brother, barely keeping himself standing, and rushed forward. Alice quickly joined them.

"Tony, you're gonna be fine okay? You'll be okay." Alice had one of his arms over her shoulder and was tugging him to the ambulance with Bella behind them, carrying his oxygen tank as if in a trance.

Alice's voice sounded far away as she tried to reassure him.

And that was the last thing he could remember before he blacked out.

author's note

I can't stop writing this 😂