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"Someone Else's Star"

Chapter One ~"Bring on the Rain"

(JPOV)

After hearing at least fifteen depressing country song in a row, I turned off the radio and then glared at it. Now I definitely like country music more than the next guy, don't get me wrong, and I know the sad, miserable songs fit my mood lately, but come on already. I was finally starting to feel better about what had happened in my life and then the radio was apparently on a mission to bring me back to the darkness.

I drove for two more hours in silence. Well, not complete silence; it seems that my mind just wouldn't shut up and give me any peace. The last few months played over and over again and I found that it didn't hurt as much to think about the past. The scenery passed by and I barely took notice. Clay turned to grass, cacti and creosote bushes turned to spruce and fir trees. I passed by oil rigs; I passed through cities. I stopped when I need to get gas, when I needed to get food, when I needed to rest and I paid little attention to anything else. It wasn't until I saw a sign that said 'scenic viewing area ahead' that I even realized I was in the mountains. I pulled into the small parking lot and stared at the guardrail that was between the bumper of my truck and what I am assuming was a sharp drop-off. I wasn't really sure though. In order to find out the answer to that question I would have to get out of my truck and actually see what was right in front of me.

Instead of looking ahead at the scenic view, I picked up the black cell phone that had been sitting on the passenger seat next to me. For nearly two months the phone had been off and part of me was curious as to how many messages were waiting for an answer from me. For five minutes I held the phone and stared at the power button. Finally I decided that now was as good of a time as any to try to catch up on my life. At the very least it might provide a different distraction for my thoughts for the rest of my drive.

I pushed the power button, closed my eyes and waited. Two minutes and a lot of bells and tones later I looked at the screen.

274 text messages and 153 voicemails.

The only good thing about those high numbers was that at least they were sorted and I could ignore some of them. I scrolled through the texts and deleted about twenty telling me about parties and games. Another thirty-five were girls hoping that I would want to date them. Fifty were from her and I just couldn't deal with her excuses today. There were even a few from that bastard that she is with now.

I scrolled through the text messages that my closest friends had sent. They were all worried about me, but mostly understanding. They had known where I was and that I would be back before school started.

I deleted all the voicemails that were from anyone but my closest friends and family. I listened to Alice's messages first and they made me realize how much I had missed her the last couple of months. She had left a message each day telling me how much she missed me and what was happening back home. But it wasn't Alice that I knew I needed to call first. No, I needed to call the one person who knew me better than I knew myself sometimes. Pushing talk, I called the one person I had missed the most.

I heard her laugh as she answered the phone, "Why it's Jasper Whitlock, as I live and breathe. What are you doin' callin' lil' ol' me?" I rolled my eyes at the greeting and shook my head even though she couldn't see me. I could picture her batting her eyelashes and pretending to fan herself; and it made me burst out laughing.

Through my laughter, I said, "Rosalie, that is the worst southern accent I have ever heard." I laughed a little more, the response feeling foreign to my body, before I took a deep breath.

I heard Rosalie sigh in relief before she happily said, "It's good to hear you laugh again Jasper. I've really missed you."

With a smile still on my face, I replied, "I've missed you too, Rose. I'm on my way home now."

I could practically see her nodding her head as she said confidently, "I know you are. I know everything you have been doing."

"Grams called you," I groaned. I had figured my friends had been getting regular updates on me or there is no way in hell that they would have stayed out of Texas.

"Of course Grams called me. Why else do you think we weren't down there kicking your ass and then dragging you back home? I knew Grams was taking care of you and that you needed to escape all the things that reminded you of her. But I am glad you are coming home now. You can't let her win. You were always too good for her Jasper and I told her that when I punched her in the face two months ago. I hope Grams helped you realize that you can do much better," Rosalie said seriously.

I let Rose's words repeat through my head a few times before I asked, "I thought Charlotte was your best friend, why would you punch her for me?"

I heard her take a few slow breaths before she said quietly, "You know that saying 'blood is thicker than water'; well, it's true. You're my cousin and I will always stand up for you when you are right. But Jasper, it isn't because we are family that I stood up for you this time. You are my best friend; you always have been and what Charlotte did to you was horrible. I thought she was a good friend; but I have come to realize that she is just a bitch. I know there is someone better out there for you than her."

"Thanks Rose. You didn't happen to get a video of that punch did you?" I asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately no, but Emmett and Edward took pictures of the resulting broken nose and two black eyes for you," Rosalie snickered.

"Well, I will definitely have to see those when I get home. So, what else did I miss this summer?" I listened to Rose for the next ten minutes as she filled me in on life back home and with promises to call her tomorrow I said goodbye.

I tossed my phone back on the seat, got out of my truck and climbed on top of the hood and leaned back against the windshield as I finally looked at the scenic view the signs so proudly proclaimed. There was a river winding through the trees and even some houses that seemed to be dwarfed by the mountains. I looked all around me and I suddenly felt really small. Now, I'm six feet three inches and have a strong, well-defined body; I don't often feel small, unless I'm standing next to Emmett. But right there, at that moment, I felt completely insignificant.

I watched as a rain cloud moved quickly toward me. It moved in a straight line, closer and closer to where I was sitting. The rain fell, soaking the forest, the mountains, and the houses. I was so lost in the movement that I didn't think to get back into my truck. The curtain of rain drenched me in a matter of seconds, but I still didn't move. I had been living the last six years of my life in Forks, Washington, one of the rainiest places in the world and a little rain wasn't going to phase me now. I say, bring on the rain.

To anyone who would have driven by on the road I would have looked crazy, just sitting on the hood of my truck in the rain. Maybe I am crazy, but I felt like I really needed to sit there in the rain. As quickly as the rain approached, it passed on into the mountains behind me. I raised my hands and wiped the water off my face. Then I ran my hands through my hair so it would stop dripping in my eyes.

I leaned forward and took a deep breath and smelled the wet earth. It smelled fresh and clean. The rain had given new life to the rivers, plants and trees and it washed away all the impurities. It was as if it had done the same for me too. I felt completely refreshed and like I could finally let the past go and have a fresh start. I even saw a rainbow; that had to be a good sign right?

I jumped down from the hood, walked back to the cab of the truck and I reached into my bag and got a clean set of clothes. Looking around, I didn't see anyone else so I stripped down on the side of the road and put on the dry clothes. The sun had begun to set and I decided that it was time to get back on the road. Sometimes all you need is a little rain to make you really appreciate the sun.


A/N: "Bring on the Rain" by Jo Dee Messina

I hope you enjoyed the introduction to Jasper. Next will be Bella's POV.

Let me know what you think! Please review!