The Green Feeling Contest
Story title: Traditions Change, Hearts Break
Summary: Rosalie's world is shattered when her two best friends begin dating. She, the one who bound them together, is now the one falling apart. AH
Word Count: 5,103
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight
Traditions Change, Hearts Break
She was my best friend, and had been since anyone could remember. We started off sharing a bassinet, then progressed to playing Barbies and dress ups, and now going shopping and swooning over cute guys, with countless sleepovers all throughout.
But as much as I loved Alice, my real best friend, who I told all my secrets unreservedly to, was my older twin brother, Jasper. We understood what each other was feeling, if it was about the death of our parents, or opposite sex, where we would give advice to each other. Jazz was simply a guy best friend who knew my family issues, and knew me just as well as I knew myself. Alice knew that Jazz and I were close, probably attributing it to the fact that we only had each other left in the world, besides our foster parents. Anyways, Alice, as a foster kid herself, she was close to her little brother Edward. Jasper knew we had a good sibling relationship, but I don't think he fully understood how much he meant to me.
My balance between the two people I trusted most in the world though, shattered in the summer before junior year. Jasper and I didn't hang out within the same crowds at school, though of course he knew my best friend was Alice, and I knew his was Emmett. But somehow, during the summer our two groups merged and something so infinitesimal changed, but I could tell there was still something there.
Jasper, Emmett and Edward had all played in the football team the previous year, while Alice, Edward's girl Bella, and I tried out for the cheerleading squad by Bella's persuasion. Bella was new, and she wanted to fit in, and figured cheerleading was the way to do it, and had to rope us in as well.
That was the beginning of my Jasper and Alice filled summer. Practices were held all throughout the summer, and after each one all the jocks and cheerleaders would hang out after practice, my two best friends spending more and more time in each other's company.
:-:-:
It was the Friday night before the start of school, and Alice was staying at mine again. Bella was out with Edward on a date, so it was just Alice and me. We had done the whole start of school makeovers, watched about a zillion chick flicks, and now the topic was onto boys yet again. We were both single, but had crushes on numerous boys now and then, and there was nothing like good boy talk between girls.
This summer, Alice had been particularly boy crazy, and had a crush on pretty much every boy in the football team, save about five of them. Her brother Edward, my brother Jasper, Emmett and two other guys, Trent and James, who were good at football sure, but had the mental capacity and maturity of a three year old.
Our foster parents, Carlisle and Esme were out, but Jasper was home, in his room drawing and listening to music, or whatever he did. We had a heart-to-heart again last night, while I was in my room watching Gossip Girl. He came in looking for a fine liner, and that led to us talking about the new school year, his bitch of an ex who hated me, and eventually broke up with because of me over the summer, and somehow that brought up Alice. I had mentioned that she would staying over again the next night, something ordinary, which I told him out of courtesy, but his reaction was far from ordinary. He kept going on and on about the good qualities of Alice, and when I looked at him questioningly, he mumbled something and got up to leave the room.
Just in the doorway, he looked back at me, and remarked casually, "You know, I don't have a problem if you like Emmett," and fled.
I was still pondering over this remark and we started talking about boys with Alice. I had gotten to know Emmett better over this past summer and could see why Jazz was friends with him, but he was a bit of a goof, and I wasn't really that interested in him anyway. Alice was chatting away in my ear, but I wasn't paying attention. So Jazz doesn't mind if I date his best friend? Not that I would really, but why was he telling me this now? Was he seeking my permission to ask Alice out, in a round-a-bout way?
Zoning back to what Alice was saying, I caught the word 'Jasper'. She was talking about how nice he was, what a good brother, how responsible, fit, strong, and then she looked over to me to see if I was paying attention. Clicking her fingers in front of my face, she laughed.
"Rose!" she exclaimed, giggling.
"Huh?" I replied intelligently.
"You weren't paying attention to what I was saying, were you," she continued, laughing.
"No," I told her honestly, and relayed what Jazz told me last night about not having a problem if Emmett and I were to date.
"Aww, that's so sweet!" she cooed. "He doesn't mind at all if his best friend was to date his sister," she added, with extra emphasis on a few key words.
I was confused at first as to why she did this, but then I connected the dots.
"You like Jasper!" I squealed, excited for her.
She hit me with a pillow and hissed at me. "Keep your voice down Rose; would you like to tell the aliens on the moon now, after the whole world knows?"
I laughed. "Don't worry, Jazz always has his iPod in. But it's true then?" I asked, fishing for information.
She squealed as well, louder than me, and buried her head in the pillow she was still holding.
I laughing, taking her embarrassment as confirmation.
"So you're not mad?" She asked me, peeking her head up.
"No, why would I be?" I asked, shocked.
"I don't know actually," she mumbled sheepishly.
"No, I don't mind at all if my best friend was to date my brother." I said evilly, throwing her words back at her.
She beamed. "Now, to figure out if he likes me," she frowned.
I hit her back with my pillow. "Of course he likes you douche, why else do you think he gave his 'permission' for Emmett and me? But seriously, did you like a new boy from the football team each week of the summer?" I asked her, wishing she really wasn't that fickle.
She laughed again, hitting me. "Now who's the douche?" she asked, hitting me repeatedly. "I only said that in case you didn't like me liking Jazz. I know how close the two of you are, and if, if, we ever go out, I won't take your brother away from you. I promise." She said earnestly.
I smiled. "I know silly, Jasper will have a girlfriend who likes me, and I will finally like one of his girls, who will treat him well."
"Good!" she beamed again. "So now we have my relationships figured out, how about yours? So yes to Emmett or not?" she asked me devilishly.
I hit her with my pillow again and snuggled deep under the covers. "One day maybe, but right now, I'm as happy as I could be. I have my best friend, right here," and I tickled Alice under the covers, "my loving brother Jasper, and they are going to make the best couple ever. I'm as happy as a clam," I remarked, hugging Alice tightly, and with the end of A Walk to Remember playing in the background, we fell asleep.
:-:-:
We spent the next day together with Jasper and Edward as well in Jazz and mine tree house in the backyard as per tradition, and then I went across the road to stay at hers, something that we had done for our entire schooling years. Jasper, Alice Edward and I had a strange before school tradition, actually between the four of us, we had many different traditions. Friday night Alice would stay at mine, and then the Hale and Cullen kids would hang out together in the Hale's tree house. Edward would stay with Jazz, and I would go sleep at Alice's on Saturday, and on Sunday it was purely sibling to sibling time.
The first week of our junior started, and it was hectic as usual, catching up with the friends we sort of liked but not enough to see them over the holidays, finding out who got a new look, changing our timetables so that we would be in classes with friends, and that sort of thing. The only bit of normalcy was our regular cheerleading practices we had twice a week.
The end of the week couldn't come fast enough, and I spent Friday night at Alice's, gossiping over what we hadn't managed to touch over our daily lunchtime gossip. Besides, Jasper had asked her after practice one day if she wanted to 'hang out' and 'catch a movie' with him on Saturday, his words, not mine. So we had to plan outfits, and possible scenarios for everything could happen, just in case.
After picking out outfits for every situation possible, I started on scenarios.
"So, you're meeting him at two, right?" I asked her.
Alice nodded her confirmation.
"Where?" I demanded.
"He's coming over to get me here, I think, and then driving into town." she replied.
I nodded, pleased with Jasper's choice.
"So," I began, "When he rings the bell, don't answer immediately, and let him stew for awhile. Then…" I launched into a detailed step-by-step explanation.
After I began on the scenario that if Jasper came over dressed in casual clothes and he couldn't drive her into town and had to ride in on a llama, Alice stopped me, laughing.
"Chill!" she told me. "Even I'm not that nervous, it's Jasper! It's not like an actual date yet though."
"But you want it to be, don't you?" I teased her.
"Of course I do, Jasper's the greatest guy ever!" she laughed.
"I know," I told her wryly. "He's my brother."
:-:-:
I came home earlier than usual from Alice's the next day, wanting to see where Jazz's head was at, and whether I could give Alice a couple of tips.
I knocked on his door, and hearing him grunt approval from within, I opened it and leant against the doorframe. He was sitting on his bed, staring spacey out the window.
"Nervous?" I asked him.
He glared at me. "I know what you're doing, you're trying to see where I am to tell Alice," He accused of me.
I held my hands up. "Guilty," I grinned. I plonked down on the floor next to him. "She's my best friend, and you're what? Only my favourite brother," I teased him.
He shoved me playfully, and grinned. "I'm your only brother." He said.
"I know," I smiled.
He dropped down to the floor and sat next to me, putting his arm around my shoulder. "Hey, thanks for being so cool about me liking Alice," He smiled and got a goofy look on his face when he mentioned Alice. "Anyway, don't worry; you'll still be my favourite sister, whatever happens."
I stood up, mock offended. "I'm your only sister!" I yelped in an outraged tone.
He winked. "I know," and he pushed me out of his room, claiming he had to get ready.
I spent the next few hours reading over chapters in my History textbook, but it all went over my head. I was preoccupied thinking about what this, Alice and Jazz together as a couple, would affect me. Would they become a lovesick couple who would make others nauseous with all their loving, and ignore all others around them? Would I, the one who bound the two of them together, just as suddenly become the third wheel? Or the second wheel on a unicycle, but whatever.
All my worrisome thoughts flew from my mind is I heard tyres screech down our street, and the unmistakable purr of Jasper's car engine, the one I fixed up myself last summer. I ran to the window, and saw Jasper walk Alice up to her front door. I knew that it was a private moment for them, but I couldn't help being excited for Alice. They hugged, and as they pulled away, Jasper leaned back in and kissed her on the cheek. I smiled. It was the perfect scenario for Alice that I had planned out last night.
I retreated back into my room, happy for Alice. I was expecting the 'ohmigoshhhh, he's the perfect one!' call from Alice any moment now, like she did after any somewhat successful first date, and I settled down on my bed with a car manual to wait.
The call never came. I read through the whole entire manual so thoroughly that I knew the complete specifics of the car, down to the last sparkplug and I could take the engine apart and put it together again blindfolded. I read it for so long that I had to get out of bed and turn on the lights, night had already fallen. Why hadn't Alice called? Even if Jasper was a horrible date, which I was sure he wasn't judging by the expression on her face as he left her.
I left my room to scrimmage up some food, since our parents were out yet again. Passing Jasper's door, I went to knock, but I heard his voice talking to someone inside, and I paused, wondering who he was talking to.
He laughed, obviously in a joyful mood. "So that's what you think of me, is it now Ali-cat?" He said playfully.
I froze outside his door. So that was why she hadn't called me yet, she was talking to Jazz. And Jazz already had made up a cutesy nickname for her. They were dating now, obviously. I left them to their own devices, and made my way to the kitchen, making myself a sandwich, not bothering to make Jazz one as well. If he was hungry, he could get off the phone and make one himself, or at least not talk to Alice for five seconds and ask me to make one for him, which I would have gladly done for him, if he bothered asking.
I went back to my bedroom slowly, dreading the fact that I would actually have to do my homework now I wasn't waiting for Alice to call me. The other phone extension was simply sitting there on the couch, and I was extremely tempted to pick it up and see what they were saying that was so riveting that they would completely forget me, but I stopped myself. It wouldn't be right, no matter how they acted.
I fell asleep that night, to the sound on Jasper laughing, and through the window, I could still see Alice's bedroom light on.
:-:-:
The first Sunday after school started, the Hale family went out for Sunday brunch. Another one of our traditions, to talk about the first week of school, but today, something changed. As we all piled in Carlisle's car, I noticed Jasper wasn't in yet.
"Hey Mom," I called, from the backseat, "Where's Jazz?" I asked. "Did you want me to get him from his room?"
She laughed, and pointed towards the Cullen's house, where Alice and Jazz were emerging from.
"Alice is coming?" I asked her shocked. Dad was not yet out of the house, so it was just the two of us in the car. So much for not trying to take my brother away from me.
"Yes, didn't Jazz tell you dear?" she asked me, twisting around to see my face, surprised that I didn't know.
"Musta slipped from my mind," I mumbled, and slumped down into my seat.
The side door opened, and Alice bound in and settled beside me. "Hey Rose!" she smiled cheerfully. "Hi Esme!" she added, talking to my mum.
Jazz slipped in beside Alice, and didn't even look at me as Carlisle came out and drove us to the restaurant. We reached Cecconi's, and went to our table, with the waiter seeing now there were five of us, set another spot, obviously realising an extra guest last minute decision.
Our parents sat on one side of the table, and Jazz sat opposite Carlisle, like usual. I was about to go sit next to Jazz, opposite our mother, and leave Alice the spot at the head of the table, when Jasper stood and pulled out the chair for Alice, gesturing for her to sit.
Alice saw I had moved to sit there though, and inclined her head, meaning for me to sit there. My heart ached. Jazz obviously wanted Alice there, not me, so I shook my head and cheerfully said, "Even though you're pretty much like family, you're still the guest here, and Jazz's girlfriend. I'm fine here," and plonked myself down at the head.
She smiled tentatively at me, and took the seat. Jasper immediately put his arm around her seat, and I sat there, shooting daggers at Jasper. What, so I was like invisible to him now that he had a girlfriend?
The rest of the meal continued in the same fashion, looking smooth and easy-going, but tension was there underlying the atmosphere. My parents were the only sane ones there, Jazz wasn't talking to me, Alice was chipper and happy, that bitch probably not realising she had crashed our brunch, even if Jazz had invited her. Me? I was hurt that Jazz wasn't talking to me, and that Alice was at our family brunch. Never, ever, did anyone else come to brunch with us on the first Sunday after school started.
If it was any other day, the three of us would have been fooling around, acting crazy, but not today. Today was a strange, awfully tense day. The ride home wasn't any better, and as soon as we pulled back into our driveway, Jazz walked Alice home, and stayed there until late that night.
School the next morning wasn't any better. I didn't know what was wrong, and I mentally promised myself Alice and I would talk it out as we walked to school that morning. We could have driven, yes, but the weather was so nice, and we liked the freshness of morning before being cooped in school all day.
I went out the door, wanting to resolve our fight, if it even could be classified as that, before I realised Jazz's car was already in her driveway. He reversed and sped down the street, the two of them not seeing me there gaping at them.
Sighing, I began the long trudge to school. I could have driven, but I wanted to wallow in my thoughts for awhile. The walk was longer without a friend to chat with on the way, I realised.
I went through the first four periods of the day not really picking up on anything, just waiting for lunch, where Alice and I would always eat together. We could talk then, and surely, they didn't see me this morning, or else they would have stopped, or something.
I came from across the campus, cutting through the car park, to quickly reach my locker, only to see Alice in Jazz's car, heading out for lunch. I froze again, not wanting to believe what I was seeing. First, she crashes on my family's brunch, monopolises Jasper, ditches me for him this morning, and now again? Why, that was what I wanted to know.
I slinked into the cafeteria, to the jock and cheerleader table where I spied Bella, Edward and that goofball Emmett. They all were good friends, and wouldn't mind my company, unlike Alice.
Emmett, of course, saw me coming first. "Rose, baby!" He bellowed.
I glared at him, and took a seat down next to Bella. "Firstly, my name is Rosalie, to you, not Rose. Only my friends call me Rose. And I'm not a baby, I'm sixteen."
The guys cheered at my successful dismissal of Emmett, and laughed.
Bella turned to me, and smiled. "Hey Rose, where's Alice?"
I shrugged non-committedly. "Pretty sure she's with Jazz now," I said off-handedly.
She nodded knowingly. "Yeah, they're a couple now, aren't they?"
I nodded. "Wait, how'd you know?" I asked her surprised. They only went out, as friends, on Saturday.
She shrugged. "She texted me Saturday afternoon,"
"Ohkay," I said, and let it drop.
:-:-:
I knew better to wait for Alice to walk home tonight, knowing that she would be with Jasper. But tonight, I was going to try and break through Jazz. Our parents were going away on business, again, and we had to say goodbye to them tonight, so he couldn't hide out at Alice's again.
I got home and farewelled my parents for the next week, and caught Jasper before he shot out the door, right after he heard our parent's car leave.
"Jazz?" I asked him tentatively.
"Yeah Rose?" he asked impatiently, pulling on his shoes, hopping on one foot.
I was shocked by his harsh tone. "I just wanted to know how your day was," I began, but he interrupted me.
"Fine," he said, and pushed past me to get out the door.
I let out the breath that I had been holding. "." I finished quickly before I lost my nerve.
He looked at me blankly.
I elaborated. "Y'know, the whole 'let's not speak to Rose' thing that's been happening?" I said.
"Okay, sorry, didn't mean it, gotta go to Alice's now, we'll talk later tonight," he rushed.
And with that, he was out the door, leaving me alone in the house, with no parents, best friend, or brother.
I waited that night to talk to Jazz, but he was talking on the phone to Alice already, and the look on his face told me I couldn't interrupt. I was so lonely, and lost, and jealous! I knew I should be happy for Jazz and Alice that they were happy together, but it hurt. All the things Jazz and I had done together, all the traditions our family had, all of them gone, changed, with the arrival of Alice as Jazz's girlfriend. I didn't resent her though, I knew she wasn't doing it to spite me; she was just doing it for her happiness.
They were my best friends, and in one awful stroke of luck, I had lost them to each other.
:-:-:
The next few weeks at school, I sat with the jocks and cheerleaders at lunch again. I felt so lonely, sitting there in a crowd of boisterous people. Edward, Emmett and Bella would occasionally talk to me, but I wasn't exactly the most fun person there. The feeling of loneliness was only intensified at I saw Alice and Jazz sitting at our usual table, looking very much the couple in love. I hadn't managed to have a deep conversation with them since they got together, and I wasn't expecting one soon.
I slipped away from the table early, glad to do something, even if it meant going to class. I had just left the cafeteria and was on the way to my locker, and I heard footsteps behind me, and saw it was Emmett.
"So, what do you think out our best friends getting together, hey? Think that we could do same?" He asked me, putting an arm around my shoulders.
I twisted out of his reach, and stared him down. "If they're happy, then good for them. More people need to be happy in this world." I said, not looking at him.
"People like you?" he asked me kindly, grabbing me by the elbow and spinning me to face him.
I shrugged, not wanting him to see what effect his comments had on me. I wasn't happy, that was true, when I had been so content barely a month ago. But at the expense of my unhappiness and jealously here, there were two more people that were happier now.
"Rose, you miss them," He said gently, and that was too much. My parents had been delayed overseas, and apart from a short stint a week ago where they came home for a couple of days, they had to leave again. Jazz had Alice, Alice had Jazz, and I had no-one to confide in, apart from Emmett, the most unserious person you could ever find.
I buried my face in my hands, and he put his arm back around me, and I let him, leading me to the doorway of an unused classroom, where we sat, and I poured my heart out to him.
He mainly listened, which was all I wanted. I told him everything, shedding ears all throughout, about my jealousy of Jazz and Alice, that he had found a new favourite girl Alice, and replaced me without a second glance. I missed our heart-to-hearts with him, his understanding, and steadiness that always had been a constant presence in my life, and had disappeared as quickly as a summer breeze. I missed having a girl to talk to and be crazy with. Bella was great sure, I assured him, but she also had Edward. Alice knew me, Jazz knew me, and they knew what I was like.
I told Emmett about all of my crazy traditions, he laughed heartily, knowing how fixated I was about them, considering he was part of some of them. For instance, after we won our first game, the whole team would go out and celebrate, but this year, Alice and Jazz weren't there, preferring to spend with each other instead. I was angry, that they would dismiss what I cared for so easily.
"It's not fair!" I told him, coming to the end of my rant.
"Then why don't you tell the two of them how you feel?" he asked rationally. "I'm sure that they would include you in some things I you asked,"
"I tried." I muttered forlornly. "I was the odd one out, the most awkward experience ever, and I didn't bother again. Hanging out with Alice alone, well it was all about Jasper, or we didn't have anything to talk about at all. Besides, they enjoy each other's company more than my own, so I don't exactly want to burden them."
He smiled sadly. "You could never be a burden Rose, and I'm sorry you feel that way."
My heart felt lighter at his reassurance, and getting it all off my chest. "Calling me Rose now, are we?" I asked him grinning. I was sick of all these solemn, depressing thoughts.
He grinned back. "After all I listened to you go on about? Okay maybe not friend, counsellor, life-coach, psychologist?"
I smiled, and got up stretching. We had spent the rest of lunch and school in that doorway. "Thanks for being such a good friend now Emmett," I said awkwardly.
He too got up. "I'm not all brawn you know, I do have some gray matter up here," he laughed, rapping me on the head with his knuckles.
We walked back in silence to my locker, where he pulled in a hug, which I returned, safe in his embrace. He left me making his way to his own locker, but before he turned the corner, he called out.
"Rose?"
"Yeah?" I answered.
"The thing is, you can always make new traditions," he said, and walked on.
I mulled over his words as I walked home, and went upstairs into my house. Jazz's car was in our driveway for once, not over at Alice's for a change. I dumped my schoolbag down the bedroom floor, lay down on my bed and thought. If things were to sort of resemble normalcy ever again, I had to go talk to Jazz.
I rapped twice on his door, ready to sort things out with him, but when I poked my head in, I saw Alice was there chatting to him. I closed the door back again gently, before they realised I was there. In the past, Alice would drop by to see me unannounced, and it was normal. Whenever Alice came over to see Jasper though, she would pop her head in and say hi to me, but there was no hi today, and that hurt.
I was going to go back in there, and yell and scream and shout, but it wouldn't be any use. Instead, I picked up the phone, and called Emmett. We chatted on for hours, about the most trivial things, and just about we were going to hang up, he asked me out. I was shocked.
"I know I can make you happy Rose, you just have to let me try." He persuaded convincingly me.
I nodded slowly, taking in his words. "Yes, I guess you can then," I replied, smiling, and we hung up, on my acceptance of his promise to make me happy.
:-:-:
Emmett was right, he could make me happy. Whenever I felt jealous about Alice and Jazz, he would do something twice as sweet and I would love him all over again for it. Yes, he was the biggest goof, but yes, that was part of his charm.
We were inseparable for the rest of the year, and Alice and Jazz got over each other's company to allow others to spend time with them. We would go on joint dates, Alice, Jazz, Edward, Bella, Emmett and I, which were always fun, and Alice and I grew closer again. But she didn't ever speak of that first few months where she and Jasper were exclusive to the world, and I didn't bring it up.
The next summer, Emmett kept his word, and we created entirely new traditions. Some involved our families, some involved our friends, but the majority of them were just the two of us, and we were happy.
The only thing that saddened me though, the change in the past year was that Jasper and were not the same again. We were just plain siblings now, no heart-to-hearts left for us anymore. He had found a new favourite girl in Alice, and I wasn't needed anymore. Sure, he was still a great brother, standing up for me when I needed, having the occasional fight, but there was no deep connection, and I missed it, even if he didn't and had found Alice to share it with.