A/N: Don't read these outtakes until you've read the actual chapters from the story, or they won't make much sense. I've decided to share all of the outtakes here once each summer (within the story) is complete throughout the posting of Nothing Gold Ever Stays.

**These outtakes are NOT beta'd. I write them for fun, to get to know the other characters a little bit better. *wink*

NGES OUTTAKE

CHAPTER 1

...JASPER...

I jumped from the last ladder of our treehouse and planted my sneakers firmly into the ground, then took two galloped leaps to meet Edward and slap his hand with my own.

"Hey man! It's good to see you."

"You too," I replied back after he'd firmly patting my shoulder.

Something was most def up between him and my sister, but I had no idea what to think about that, or how serious it actually was.

At first, I'd figured they'd had a fight a few weeks ago because she was coming to the island with a boyfriend again this summer, but now that I knew her and Jake were no longer together... well, nothing made sense.

"What's up with you and my sister?"

There was no reason to tiptoe.

That's not how any of us functioned here on, Prima.

"I um… I think I should probably talk to her first."

Nope.

That wasn't good enough.

"What did you do? Did you hurt her?"

Because if he did, I'd have to find a way to hurt him back.

He shook his head with a guarded expression taking control of his face, then shifted his weight in front of me after stuffing his hands into his pockets, "It's complicated, Jasper. Alice can fill you in. I told her it was okay. She's waiting for you back at the circle. We went over to your place first, but your mom told us you guys were up here."

I knew exactly what he was doing.

He thought I'd need a bribe in order to leave him here alone with my sister.

"Don't worry. I was already leaving."

"Before you go… how's she been… back home?"

Bella hadn't been herself for the last six months or so, but it didn't feel right to tell him that.

Mostly because her change in behavior had also happened right around the same time she'd started to hang out with Jake Black, so I'd made up my mind to just blamed all of those changes on him.

"She met an asshole. I think he started to rub off on her. Mom says it's normal. Dad says we shouldn't worry. Something about her entering the 'wonder years', and turning into a mirrored image of the people she's choosing to hang out with, blah blah blah."

Edward looked concerned, "He's an asshole?"

"The absolute worst."

It was the God's honest truth.

Jake lived in our complex, three blocks over, so I had to see him often.

I'd heard from more than one person recently that he was going around lying, telling people he'd banged my sister multiple times at a park by our house, and in the back of the theatre at their high school... but I wasn't about to tell Edward that.

I could already sense enough tension brewing.

There was no reason to make things worse when I knew more than likely, Bella would run right back to Jake as soon as we got home.

"Does he treat her good though?"

I shrugged and began to walk away.

Edward reached out and grabbed at my arm to stop me, "Jasper! Tell me! Is he good to her?"

"She likes him. That doesn't mean she should."

There was so much more I wanted to say, but it would only cause drama, and I wasn't looking to jump from the rocks on our first day here for breaking rule number one.

After that, I pulled my arm from his grasp and took off running.

Alice was waiting for me, and I needed to make every hour, of every day, for the next six weeks count, or I'd be kicking myself in the ass for another forty-six weeks when we got back home.