I didn't particularly like Trig, but I did not want to sit through algebra or geometry again
Here's my first step into the Twilight fandom. Thanks to Daddys Little Cannibal for agreeing to beta this for me. You should really check out her stories. She's got a little something for every taste in genre.
As always, I don't own the characters nor do I own Twilight. Someone with far more talent than I has claim to that.
I didn't particularly like Trig, but I did not want to sit through algebra or geometry again. So, Trig it was. I sat at my desk with my paper, book and pencils, but my mind wasn't present. I was too worried about Jasper to concentrate on school. We were all trying to push the envelope, so to speak, between feedings in an exercise to try and increase his resistance, but I was afraid we might have gone too far this time. He was truly struggling, but Edward believed he was holding together relatively well. Still, ditching tomorrow for a hunting trip would likely be the better option.
There was an increase in whispers even I couldn't ignore. Looking up I saw that the new girl, Chief Swan's daughter, had walked in. Poor thing. It should have been obvious to everyone that she wasn't comfortable being the center of attention. Good thing I wasn't in the mood to socialize with the new girl. Jasper was more important to me and, considering that the only two vacant seats in the class were on either side of me, she should find sitting next to me a bit better. I returned my concentration towards trying to see if Jasper would continue to behave himself when a delightful, floral fragrance drifted to me. My throat started to burn and I snapped out of my musings to find that Bella had taken her seat. She smelled divine! I was more than able to keep myself in check, of course, but it was a very good thing that Jasper wasn't here. I didn't know if he could have resisted.
She tucked her hair behind her ear, still looking nervous. Her eyes, deep and chocolate brown, flicked over towards me, locking with my gaze for just a second. She was able to look away, but I got pulled into something far different.
Edward, lying on his back in 'his' meadow. His shirt was open and his skin sparkled in the sun. Bella sat near him, gazing at him in wonder. She reached out with one hand to trail her fingers gently over his hand.
Edward pouncing at Bella, knocking her down onto the long sofa in his room and capturing her gently with his arms and legs. He grinned like an idiot, asking her what she thought now. She giggled, telling him that he was a very, scary monster.
Bella sleeping in what must be her bed. Edward was there, holding her in his arms as she rested. He trailed his lips lovingly over her temple.
Bella curled up with Edward on the large sofa in the 'media room' at our house. I was lying with my head in her lap, playing idly with Jasper's hair as we watched something on the television. Edward lifted Bella's hand up to kiss her fingers. His mother's ring glimmered against her translucent skin where it sat on her left hand.
"Miss Cullen!" The teacher's sharp voice brought me out of the vision. I rattled off the answer to his query easily. Predicting the future in math class was a cinch. Predicting people, that was hard, but right now I had the most wonderful glimpse into what could be. I could have shouted! I could have sung! I could have yanked Bella Swan out of her seat and waltzed with her around the room, but I refrained from doing any of these things because it would get another note sent back to Esme about my sometimes erratic behavior and might also scare Bella off my family completely.
She was Edward's! Well, she would be Edward's.
Esme was going to be thrilled!
Class ended and we all started to gather our things. Hopping over the bar connecting the flimsy desk to the back of my chair, and landed close enough that Bella couldn't immediately get out of her seat. "Hi. I'm Alice. Would you like a guide to your next class?"
She looked up at me, mouth slightly agape. I supposed I had moved a bit too quickly, but she'd get over it. She'd have to learn to be quick on her feet if she were going to be a Cullen after all. "Uhm… sure."
I gave her one of my most winning, harmless smiles as I swept up her books and added them to my own. "So, what's next?" She was rummaging for her class schedule as we walked out of the classroom and into the hallway. I snatched it from her hand the second it cleared her bag and looked over the crumpled list. "Spanish. Useful, that. Then lunch. Can't help you much, there. School food is lousy no matter where you are." Or so I was told. The next entry had me smiling again. "You have the same biology class as my brother, Edward. I don't think he has a partner in there, and he's really good at it. You should try to sit with him if you can."
Then it happened again, only this time not as nice.
Edward moving through the class with excessive speed, snapping the necks of the other students and the teacher so that he could take his time draining Bella dry.
Edward following Bella out of class and offering to show her to the next class only so he could lead her away from the school and any potential witnesses.
Edward making his way to Chief Swan's house, knowing he'd still be at work and that Bella would be all alone. Unprotected and helpless…
No! No, no, no, no, no, no! Despair ripped through me as I realized I couldn't possibly let Bella go to class with Edward today. He was too hungry. We all were, really, but something about Bella was going to set him off. If I didn't do something to stop him, my idiot brother was going to ruin everything!
I gave her back her class list. "I'll show you where your Spanish class is, then I'll really have to run. History test today." Getting her to class was easy. Most humans have a natural aversion to us and the crowd parted without trouble. Once I had her safe and sound I made my good-byes and sped through the school to find Jasper. He had gym and was just about to hit the lockers to dress down when I caught up with him, catching him by the elbow. "Still feeling ill?"
"What?" The shadows under his eyes were more pronounced than I would have liked. We really had gone a bit far with this experiment.
"You said you were feeling sick to your stomach, remember?" I put my hand to his forehead as though checking for a fever. A few of the other students glanced our way and walked on. "You feel warm. I think you should have Edward drive you home."
He looked about ready to protest, but he wasn't going to. He'd been with me long enough to know that it's better to just let me have my way than to try and go against me. Reshouldering his bag he followed me to find Edward. I pulled him out of English, another completely unnecessary class but a useful prop all the same. He was also looking a bit too hungry. I supposed that we all were. His brows knitted together as he ran his eyes over Jasper and then to me "What's wrong?"
Verbally I answered, "Jasper's still feeling bad. I think you should take him back home." Mentally I thought something else entirely. You need to leave. Both of you need to go hunt and now.
I let him see only one of the images of him attacking Bella, choosing the one where he was leading her from the school. No blood. No snapped necks. Still close enough to our present location to hammer in how imminent the danger was. I got the results I was looking for. Edward looked as though I had hit him in the gut with Emmett's Jeep.
"You're sure?" His eyes were on Jasper, but the question was meant for me.
"Esme can come get the rest of us when school lets out." I'm dead sure. Go hunt! A lot! You shouldn't be back here until Monday at the earliest.
Yes, Monday would be perfect. That would give me plenty of time to fill in Esme and for Edward to prepare to be in the same room with Bella Swan and still be able to control himself. I wasn't quite certain what was wrong just yet, but somehow I knew not eating Bella was going to be a challenge for him.
On the other hand, eating Bella would be a disaster.
I followed them to the office where Edward charmed the secretary into giving them both a pass for the rest of the day and then to the double doors of the building. I stayed and watched until they were in the Volvo and Edward was driving away. If I needed to breathe I would have let out a pent up breath. In truth, I'd managed to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Jasper really was starting to have trouble holding on and Edward wouldn't murder Bella before he had a chance to realize that he loved her.
Feeling more like my usual, upbeat self, I turned to go back inside and face a history test I could have passed in my sleep. No matter. I had other things to occupy my mind now. After all, I had a wedding to start planning.