APOV


I stared out at the rain as my cousin Bella drove us to school. We usually rode in silence, or just talked about school stuff, but today she broke the silence.

"Edward's brother Emmett is throwing a party tonight. You wanna come?" Bella asked. She knew I didn't like large crowds. I shook my head no. "Come on Addi." she pleaded, using my childhood nickname.

"Fine." I gave in quickly. I never could say no to Bella. She was my favorite relative. We walked up to the school, where Bella quickly walked me to my class and then left to go to hers. I had just moved to Forks, Washington a few weeks ago and was still getting used to everything. I didn't want to move, and I would've stayed in that damn psych ward forever, but they said I was 'getting better' and 'recovering' so I needed to be away from the hospital. Thankfully, I got to choose who I went to live with, and of course, I chose Bella and Uncle Charlie.

I went through the motions of a normal school day, at least, normal for me. Bella walked met me at the end of all my classes and walked me to my next one. When school was over, we went home.
Uncle Charlie's police cruiser was parked outside meaning he was home early. I hoped that nothing was wrong. When we walked through the door we were greeted with the sound of a baseball game on the TV. Nothing was wrong, he just took off early to watch the game. I smiled to myself in relief.

"Hey Dad." Bella called.

"Hey Uncle Charlie." I greeted him. He turned around on the couch for about half a second and muttered a hello to us. We laughed and headed into the kitchen, for me to do homework at the table while Bella made dinner. She was done cooking in about an hour and I helped set the table, like usual. Charlie tore himself away from the game to come and eat with us. We were having breakfast for dinner. Eggs, bacon, and potatoes. Most likely because Bella predicted that neither me or her would be awake in time for breakfast tomorrow. Charlie didn't get the hint. He just sat down and started eating.

"How was your day?" He asked me. I somewhat wished he wouldn't have, but he did this everyday, just to make sure that I was still being a 'good girl'.

"Normal. Just like every other day here." I replied lamely, stabbing a piece of bacon with my fork and bringing it to my mouth.

"How bout you Bells?" he asked Bella.

"Oh, my day was fine. Edward invited a few people over tonight and I was wondering if Addi and I could go?" Bella half asked. Uncle Charlie looked at me, and I nodded feigning enthusiasm.

"Sure, but be home by midnight." Charlie said in his cop voice. I laughed a little at the change in his voice and Bella smiled. She nodded and we finished the meal in silence. When it was finally 8 o'clock, Bella and I headed out to the Cullen's house. I had never been there before, in fact, I hadn't been anywhere in Forks except the school and Bella's house, so I was nervous. When I came back to the present, Bella was parking her old Chevy near the Cullen's very large house. There were so many cars, I wasn't surprised, just worried. A boy, I assumed it was Edward, Bella's boyfriend, appeared next to the car and opened the door for her. I jumped out of my side and walked around the car to stand with Bella. I saw Edward give her a quick kiss before turning his attention to me.

"Edward," Bella started, moving closer to me, "this is my cousin Addison." He stood a little closer to me and smiled.

"Hello Addison, I'm Edward." He greeted me sweetly. I smiled wide, and felt just a little bit calmer because I knew Bella would have him watch for me during the party. "Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arms. Bella took his left and I took his right comfortably. More comfortable than I had been with anyone other than Bella in Forks so far. I decided this night was going to be a success. When we got into the house however, my mind changed. There were so many people. Edward let go of Bella and me and whispered something to her before disappearing into the crowd. I got a little nervous. Bella sensed this and grabbed my hand, pulling me through the crowd. She pulled me through the crowd obviously trying to find someone to stick me with so she could go and be with Edward. I didn't blame her, if I had a boyfriend, I would rather spend time with him than my 'crazy cousin'. Before I knew what was going on, she was being pulled one direction and I was being pulled another. We got separated and I got scared. I had to find a way to get away from all these people before it turned into a full-scale panic attack. I ran up the stairs that were also filled with people and pulled open the first unlocked door I came to. I shut the door behind me and stood with my back on the door and my eyes shut, breathing deep.

"Can I help you?" a soft, somewhat annoyed male voice asked. It startled me. I kept my eyes shut tightly.

"Too many people." I stammered quietly, still not looking at him.

"Why did you come then?" he asked softly. He sounded sweet, and yet, hard and angry.

"My cousin made me." I said in a rush.

"Well, you shouldn't have let her take you." he said sounding a little more annoyed than before. "Are you just going to stand there?"

"Uh.." I didn't know how to answer. Finally, I opened my eyes. I was looking at a stunningly beautiful, practically indescribable boy around my age, and he stared back with sweet honey-golden eyes. My legs gave out and I was sitting on the floor. He laughed a small laugh.

"Well, I guess you're not standing anymore, but that's not what I meant." he said with a little smile. I didn't understand at first, but then I remembered that he said, 'are you just going to stand there'. I tried to smile, but I was still a little too nervous. He looked straight into my eyes. "Would you like a chair?" he asked pointing to a black leather chair in a corner of the room. I wasn't sure if I could stand up and I didn't want to embarrass myself by falling down right in front of him. He laughed a little when I didn't answer him. He got off the bed and walked over to me, offering a hand to help me up. I took it, his hand was ice cold, and stood up. I staggered and he caught me around the waist, letting my hand go quickly. He pulled me over to the chair, his arm firmly around my waist the whole time, a big smile on his face. He set me down and went back to his bed. I just sat there, watching him read a book, for who knows how long. Finally he spoke.

"What is your name?" he asked, not even looking up from the book.

"Addison, but most people call me Addi." I said nervously.

"Addi." he repeated, looking up at me. "I'm Jasper." He looked back down at the book. Once again, all I did was watch him read until finally he broke the silence.

"Did anyone see you come in here?" he asked sharply. The edge in his voice caught me off guard.

"I don't think so." I stammered.

"Good." he said quickly, still sharply. I took offense at that tone, but instead of getting angry, my eyes started to tear up. Before I could stop it, I was crying. Soon, I wasn't just crying, I was sobbing. Jasper was sitting on the edge of the chair and had his arm around my shoulders. "Don't cry." he shushed soothingly. I suddenly felt very calm and stopped crying. He was on his bed reading again before I was finished wiping the remaining tears from my cheeks. I was amazed at how quickly he calmed me down. Sometimes I used to cry for hours, but he stopped me in a matter of minutes. I started staring at him again. I just watched him for what felt like hours when I decided to talk.

"Do you know what time it is?" I asked cautiously.

"Half past midnight." He said. Then I panicked. I was supposed to be home by midnight. What if Bella already left? I thought to myself. Jasper must have read my expression. "What's wrong?" he asked, walking toward me.

"I was supposed to be home by midnight!" I said in a panicked voice. Jasper sat on the edge of the chair again and rubbed my shoulder soothingly. I calmed down a little.

"What would happen to you, were you not to make it home strictly at midnight?" he asked calmly. I didn't trust my voice, but he asked, so I had to answer.

"Uncle Charlie could come and bust up the party, ground me, or even send me back to Texas." I said. He seemed to recognize the name Charlie. Maybe he knew my uncle. He was the Chief of Police here in Forks. I didn't even mean to say the last part about Texas, but looking into Jasper's eyes made me blurt out just what I was thinking.

"Charlie?" he asked. "As in, Charlie Swan?" I nodded and he seemed to relax a little more. "So you are Bella's cousin." he said, smiling again. I didn't understand why he wasn't more worried about the Chief of Police coming into this house to get his crazy niece back home. "I've heard a little about you." I was worried. What did Bella tell Edward? More importantly, what did Edward tell his family?
"What have you heard?" I asked worriedly. Same as before, I was calmed almost the instant I became the slightest bit uneasy.

"Nothing really. Just that you moved here from Texas and that you had a traumatic experience there." he said. I could feel what was coming. "What more is there?" he asked. I didn't want to answer. I looked into his eyes and felt an odd, foreign emotion. It felt like, nerves, but somewhat like the feeling you get when you develop a crush on someone. I smiled a little and Jasper took his arm off of my shoulder, looking just a tiny bit embarrassed. I wondered why. He hadn't done anything to embarrass himself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." he said quietly, nervously.

"It's okay." I said, touching his arm. "I don't even talk to Bella about it." When I said her name I remember the whole problem of being past my curfew. I grew panicked again. Jasper could somehow sense this and snaked his arm around my waist, calming me and pulling me up from the chair. He knew why I was upset.

"The party has ended for the most part." He said, reassuring me as we walked slowly to the door. "No one will notice us." I didn't understand why he wouldn't want anyone to see him with me. He was probably lying about how much he knew about me and didn't want to be seen with Bella's crazy cousin. We walked out the door and to my surprise, he was right. There were only a few people still there and they were absorbed in there own thing so they wouldn't notice us. Jasper took me through the living room to the kitchen where Bella sat, looking worried.

"See, I told you she was still here." Edward said, rubbing Bella's back soothingly. Jasper let me go right before Bella jumped up and enveloped me in a tight embrace. Then she pulled away and looked at Jasper questioningly.

"She ran into my room, trying to escape the party." he said to her. "She claimed you made her come." At that, Edward looked at Bella disapprovingly.

"I thought it would be good for her." Bella said sheepishly. Edward pulled her aside and whispered something low into her ear that I didn't hear.

"Well, I didn't know." Bella answered his whisper a little louder. I looked at Jasper, but he was paying close attention to Bella and Edward's quiet conversation. "Okay, okay." Bella finished.

"So Jasper took care of you?" Edward asked, looking me directly in the eye. His eyes were the same color as Jasper's.

"Yes." I said quietly.

"We better get home before Charlie comes out here." Bella said turning to Edward for a goodbye kiss. I was a little jealous that I wasn't getting one of those. Just then, Jasper wheeled me around and brushed his lips against my cheek sweetly. I tried to hide me goofy grin when he pulled back.

"It was nice meeting you, Addi." He said. I nearly melted when he said my name. His voice was like music. Bella grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the house and into her truck. She pushed it as fast as it would go and before I knew it, we were back at Uncle Charlie's. The light was visible through the curtains in the living room. He had waited up. Bella and I braced ourselves for whatever he was going to throw at us and walked into the house, side by side.

JPOV

Emmett was throwing another party. I hated when he threw parties, because I was stuck in my room the entire time. I was the outcast, the leper. I had been working on my self control. I could be in a room with at least 100 humans and stay for around 2 hours. That was very good. Carlisle had been teaching me more self control because I longed to be more accepted. Of course I would never tell him the true reason behind it. I claimed it was so I would be more comfortable around Bella.

I sat in my bedroom, on the king sized bed I didn't need, reading a novel for probably the hundredth time when a girl ran in my room and shut the door hard behind her. I stared at her, waiting for her to say something, or at least open her eyes. I could feel the fear emanating from her. She was terrified. I wanted to help, but I couldn't seem too forward.

"Can I help you?" I asked, sounding a little more annoyed than I actually was. She shuddered at the sound of my voice.

"Too many people." she whispered. I wanted her to look at me and see that I was no apparent danger, so that she could calm down. Then I wondered why she would come to a high school party if she didn't like to be around people.

"Why did you come then?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound soft and comforting. It came off hard and angry. Of course I wasn't fond of human teenagers running into my room at random, but she was scared and obviously needed comfort, so I tried to push the anger away.

"My cousin made me." she answered. Cousin. I wondered briefly if this was Bella's cousin. They had the same brown hair, except this girl's was straight as a pin, whereas Bella's hair was curled.

"Well, you shouldn't have let her take you." I concluded. I felt bad seeing her standing there, eyes shut tight, looking like she was about to collapse. I wanted to offer her a chair. "Are you just going to stand there?" I asked, once again coming off more harshly than I meant to be.

"Uh..." she stammered. Then it happened. She opened her eyes and then I was staring into the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen in all of my 165 years. She seemed stunned at the sight of me, her eyes growing wide and taking all of me in. Then she collapsed, just as I had feared, but she was so beautiful, I just had to laugh.

"Well, I guess you're not standing anymore, but that's not what I meant." I said with a hopefully comforting smile. She looked like she was trying to smile, but I could feel the nerves flowing from her. I tried to make the room calm, but I just couldn't concentrate on anything but her amazing eyes. "Would you like a chair?" I asked softly, pointing to my favorite black leather chair. She just looked at me, like a deer caught in the headlights. I laughed a little again, and got up to offer her a hand unthinkingly. I helped her up, but she staggered back, so I released her hand and caught her around the waist. I walked her to the chair and set her down, smiling because I was so much in control. I went back to my bed and resumed staring at the pages of the book. I wasn't reading, just trying to think of things to say to the girl. Then I realized I hadn't yet learned her name.

"What is your name?" I asked, not looking into the beautiful eyes.

"Addison, but most people just call me Addi." she said, nervousness once again becoming her primary emotion.

"Addi." I said, looking into her marvelous eyes again. "I'm Jasper." I looked down at the book again and then realized that, if Rosalie had seen Addi come in here, and not come out, she would be furious. "Did anyone see you come in here?" I asked sharply, trying to cut out the edge in my voice.

"I don't think so." she said quietly and nervously. There was almost a hint of pain in her tone.

"Good." I said mostly to myself. Then her emotions changed. First to anger, then quickly to a sort of tormented sadness. Then she was sitting in the chair, sobbing. I felt awful for making her feel that way, so I rushed over to her side and put my arm around her shoulders, quickly calming her. "Don't cry." I said calmly. Soon, she finished crying and I went back to the bed. My self control was amazing me tonight. I smiled to myself, but hid it from her view so she wouldn't think I was laughing at her. She just sat there and stared at me. I kept looking up the slightest bit to stare into her eyes. She never noticed. Then she spoke.

"Do you know what time it is?" she asked in a guarded tone. I looked at the clock on my bedside table.

"Half past midnight." I answered. I could feel her panic. I had to ask, "What's wrong?" I got off the bed and started walking toward her, preparing to calm her again.

"I was supposed to be home by midnight!" she screeched. I sat on the chair again and rubbed her shoulder, calming her.

"And what would happen to you, were you not to make it home strictly by midnight?" I asked calmly.

"Uncle Charlie could come and bust up the party, ground me, or even send me back to Texas." she stated sadly. Charlie. This was Bella's cousin.

"Charlie? As in Charlie Swan?" she nodded, and knowing that she was the cousin of my brothers girlfriend made me the slightest bit more relaxed. "So you are Bella's cousin." I smiled at my correct assumption. "I've heard a little about you."

"What have you heard?" she asked me, becoming nervous again. I quickly calmed her. I enjoyed doing that.

"Nothing really. Just that you moved here from Texas and that you had a traumatic experience there." I said. I was concerned with the way she asked so I added, "What more is there?" She looked up into my eyes. Her amazingly lovely eyes stared into mine and then I felt it. It was strange and foreign. It felt like, like I loved her. I must have been giving off that emotion because she smiled and I quickly took my arm off her shoulder, embarrassed that I was telling her I loved her. She looked confused. "I'm sorry," I said, "I shouldn't have asked." She reached out and touched my arm.

"It's okay." she said, slowly rubbing up and down my arm. "I don't even talk to Bella about it." Then panic hit her again. I placed my arm around her waist and helped her up from the chair.
"The party has ended for the most part." I told her. "No one will see us." I opened the door with my free hand and took her out of the room. I walked her down the stairs, keeping a secure hold on her the entire time. We went through the living room to the kitchen, where, just as I predicted, Bella was sitting, worrying.

"See, I told you she was still here." Edward said to Bella, trying to soothe her. Bella jumped from the chair and, just as I let her go, wrapped Addi in a tight hug. Edward looked up at me questioningly, and, when Bella let Addi go, she did the same.

"She ran in my room, trying to escape the party." I said. "She claimed you made her come." I gave Bella a somewhat disapproving look and Edward did the same.

"I thought it would be good for her." she tried to explain. Edward pulled her aside.

"With the kinds of things she was thinking, it was not good for her." Edward whispered so low I doubted Addi could hear him.

"Well, I didn't know." Bella whispered back, a little louder.

"I know he's been working on his self control, but Jasper could have hurt her. That would have been bad for everyone. Do not take her to any more parties, whether they be here or anywhere else." Edward commanded. I got a tiny bit angry at his condescending words.

"Okay, okay." Bella said. They turned back to us.

"So Jasper took care of you?" Edward questioned.

"Yes." Addi stated simply, nervously.

"We better get home before Charlie comes here." Bella said to her. She turned to Edward for a kiss. I was determined to prove my self control to him, so when I was sure he could see, I turned Addi to face me and brushed my lips against her cheek softly, and sweetly. She smelled so good, but I couldn't let that show. I pulled back to see her smiling an amazing grin at me. I smiled widely back.

"It was nice meeting you Addi." I said. She smiled even wider. I laughed a little as Bella pulled her out of the kitchen. Then I turned to an angry and surprised Edward.

"What were you thinking?!" he questioned angrily. I just smiled.

"I have self control too, you know." I said, trying to be condescending.

"Rosalie will not be pleased with this." he said. I shrugged.

"Why do I have to please her?" I asked, getting a little angry. He got to have Bella, which angered Rosalie to no end, but I couldn't have Addi.

"You are not me." he said, a reply to my thoughts. I was about to answer when we were interrupted.

"Who was she?!" Rosalie yelled angrily. I tried to make the room calm, but was interrupted again. "Don't you dare try to calm me down!" she yelled. "Now answer me."

"Addison, Bella's cousin." I answered quietly, not looking at her.

"What was she doing in your room?" she questioned even more angrily.

"She doesn't like large crowds. She just ran in there." I answered.

"You should have kicked her out and locked your door." she said.

"Why?" I asked honestly.

"Because you do not have that level of self control and she is a lunatic!" Rosalie yelled. Then I got angry.

"Do not say that about her." I said through my teeth.

"You know what Edward told us. She likes to see her own blood. She cuts herself up just to watch herself bleed!" Rosalie accused. I flung myself at her. How dare she say those things about Addison?! Edward and Emmett quickly caught me and held me back. I let a low growl escape. Rosalie was offended.

"See what I mean. I insult your little girlfriend and you loose all control." she said decisively.

"Rose." Emmett cautioned.

"I would never hurt Addi." I managed to say. It was the truth.

"That's what you think now, but I'm not letting this continue." Rosalie said.

"What do you plan to do about it?" I asked angrily.

"Either you stop seeing that girl or I call Carlisle and tell him everything." she said. I knew that she meant everything. The party, Addi being in my bedroom for hours, and me kissing her. I was so sad. If I could cry, I would have been at that very moment.

"Fine," I said, quickly running to my room. I locked the door and sat on the bed, putting my hands over my face and letting the tearless sobs escape.