A/N:
So I live in a pretend world (aka A/U) wherein Jasper has yet to join
the Cullen family. Everything that happened between Edward and Bella
happened, with the exception of Jasper trying to eat Bella on her
birthday…ya know, cause he wasn't there. I think we all know by
now that Edward was more worried about his own desire to devour his
girlfriend than a family member's. And I'm also going to ignore
that whole, strange Bella having a half-breed baby. Also, for my own
nefarious purposes, I'm making Alice a grade below Edward and
Bella. I think you'll be okay with it, once you read my story…so
I'm not even going to apologize. And with that, read on, my
lovelies! Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is
intended. This is for fun, not for profit. Yada, yada, yada.
(APOV)
Love is overrated. I know, you're all
thinking: What!? But Alice you're so cheerful. Alice you did so
much for Edward and Bella. You believed in their love when they
didn't. Alice all you ever talk about is finding true love. Okay,
well maybe you aren't thinking that, because you don't know me,
but that is definitely what my family would say. Even Edward. Boy
thinks he knows everything just because he can hear people's
thoughts. News flash people…I believed in my visions…not their
love. Honestly, Edward spied on her while she was sleeping. She
thinks she isn't good enough. He makes all their decisions. Can
you really sit there and tell me that's a healthy relationship? If
I hadn't seen them happy together in the future, I never would have
helped that train wreck along. And sure, I'll give you Carlisle
and Esme and Emmett and Rosalie as examples of love, but please also
consider all the shit they went through before they ended up
together. I have been through enough in my life to never want that
kind of pain, even if I end up happy. Not to mention, I'm not sure
any guy would want to take on my screwed up mental state. Believe
me, I know it's messed up that I don't tell my family how I
really feel. It's crazy that I have managed to shove my true
feeling into a tiny box in the back of my mind that even Edward can't
reach. He only thinks I'm hiding something when I start reciting
the alphabet in foreign languages, or when I sing Britney Spears.
Think again buddy. I just tell my family that I see myself happy in
the future with some mysterious guy. It keeps them from bugging me
about being lonely. And let us be hypothetical for a moment. Say I
meet some great guy who wants to be a therapist for eternity, why
would he waste his time on me? Beautiful I ain't. Whatever
freak-show I belonged to before becoming a vampire had cut my hair
into this ridiculous style that everyone describes as pixie-like.
Yeah, like I wanted to be eternally compared to a fairy. Puh-lease.
Add to that my too small nose and huge eyes, it was like I won the
look-like-a-child-forever lottery. Sure, I look cute to humans, they
don't know that I'm not 17 and I won't ever grow out of this
look. To another vampire I would look ridiculous, they aren't
dazzled by me. They aren't limited by human vision.
Don't
take my rant the wrong way, I love my family. I am perfectly fine
with that kind of love. After all, it's not like I need them to
survive. If didn't like them so much, I'd leave.
But it does
kind of suck that I have to be the youngest. It helps us stay in
each town longer if I pretend to be a grade younger than Edward…but
it also means I get stuck going to school by myself for a year.
Fantastic, right? So now here I am, waiting for school to start,
while Bella and Edward are off on their honeymoon, and Rosalie and
Emmett traipse around the globe.
Oh yeah, did I mention there is a new vampire in town? Carlisle sits me down last night and tells me to be welcoming, as there is a new family in the area, and one of them will be going to school with me. Whatever. I don't need anyone new in my world, and if he's a vampire, he'll certainly be able to fend for himself. It is curious that he didn't show up in my visions. One would think I would see him interacting with my family at some point. Although I've always had trouble seeing my own future, I usually don't have that problem with anyone else. Unless you count the wolves, which is irrelevant as they are of a different species.
I took a deep, unnecessary breath, and opened the car door. I stepped out into the almost constant mist that hangs over Forks and surreptitiously sniffed the air. Whoever this new vamp was, he hadn't been here yet. Excellent. If I can avoid running into him at all, that would be ideal. I quickly made my way into the building, heading toward my locker. I had come into town last week to get my class schedule and locker combination. I glanced around the hallway, noting the blessed absence of Jessica and Mike. I skipped lightly through the halls to my first class…have to keep up appearances after all. I slid into a seat in the back of the room and pulled out my phone. If Bella was going to leave me for an extended period of time, as my best friend, the least she can do is text with me before class starts.
Son of a bitch…her phone is off. Damn that Edward and his libido. I growled, low in my throat so none of my classmates would hear. I had a bad feeling about today.
Just as the teacher called the class to order, I noticed everyone in the class relax. I mean visibly. They went from uptight and fidgety to laid back and chill in two seconds. I looked down at my hands. Seconds ago they had been clenching the desk so tightly I was worried it might crumble; now they were lax in front of me. Huh. I felt calmer too. Weird.
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(JPOV)
Ridiculous. That's what this is. Why did I ever agree to move? Peter and Charlotte had been all 'We won't go if you don't want to' and made me feel guilty. Definitely one of my least favorite emotions. So now here I was, a sucker to peer pressure, starting my senior year at a different school. Peter and Char had up and decided that they were lonely in Montana and needed to be near another coven. Like I said, ridiculous. It just couldn't wait even another year. 'We have to transfer your transcripts somewhere when we move, otherwise it will look strange,' was Peter's excuse for making me endure one year of school in our new home. That's what I get for hanging out with two vampires who look older than me, even though I have at least a decade on them. People always think Peter is my father, or my older brother…which is the story we're using in Forks. According to Peter, there is a vampire doctor at the local hospital. Yeah, you heard me right. A Vampire. Doctor. I couldn't believe it. Peter, Charlotte and I have been off humans for a while, but I would never place myself in a hospital situation. Too much temptation. But I digress. Evidently, Peter had met with this Carlisle yesterday and he had come home all excited to tell me that I would have one of Carlisle's "daughters" in school with me. Really? Am I supposed to jump for joy? I'm not the one who needed more friends. The less people I have to deal with the better. Feeling every little emotion every person within my range feels is exhausting. Not to mention, if I get emotionally involved with someone, I feel their emotions even more strongly. I bet you understand why I only live with two other vamps, now don't ya?
I had just smiled at Peter and told him I couldn't wait to meet this girl. I know he was disappointed I wasn't as excited as he was, but really. He should know me better than that by now.
I am glad Charlotte will have another female to talk to. She's been stuck with us guys for I lost track of how long. She needs some estrogen in her life.
I walked to the school, sniffing the air as I entered the building. I could tell there was another vampire in the building, but I didn't concern myself with it. I ambled to the office to pick up my schedule and locker information. I could hear the other students whispering about me. It was the same thing I heard at my old school; Wow, he's cute, from the girls, and I wonder if he plays ball from the guys. I didn't let it go to my head. I was a vampire for goodness sake; I'm supposed to be attractive to humans. They don't have the vision necessary to see all my scars. If they could, they'd be telling a different story.
I glanced down at my schedule and the map Mrs. Cope had so helpfully given me. I was passing a classroom on my way to English when I was blown away by emotion. The self-loathing and anger was practically pouring out of the room. I hope to God all that emotion isn't coming from one person. It felt like trouble. I threw a huge wave of calmness towards the room, and sighed when the intensity lessened. I wanted to go into the room and see exactly what had been going on, but I also didn't want to be late to my class. Too late. I shrugged as the bell rang and jogged to my class. Luckily the teacher was still writing things on the board, and I was able to slide into a desk unnoticed by her. Not so unnoticed by the other students, but they were all so curious no one bothered to mention it to the teacher. I grinned at one of the girls sitting next to me and heard her heart skip a beat. Oops. Don't want her getting any ideas. That could be disastrous. I stopped smiling and turned my attention to the front of the room as the teacher started outlining all the books we were to read this semester. Thrilling.
