Fireworks

by InsaneGrizzlies

Alice visits her crazy grandma alone for the summer and finds, with her grandma's and Jasper the Jerk's help, that all she needs to be happy is to stop hiding.

What About Alice? Contest

Title: Fireworks

Penname: InsaneGrizzlies

Pairing: Alice/Jasper

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own the anything that is recognizable as belonging to someone else. Trust me, I'm not SM.

Summary: Alice visits her (crazy) grandma alone for the summer and finds, with her grandma's and Jasper the Jerk's help, that all she needs to be happy is to stop hiding.

To see all entries that are part of this contest please visit:

www .fanfiction-challenges .blogspot .com

APOV

My grandma was a nutjob.

Seriously. My family visited her every summer and every time she was doing something absolutely crazy.

When I was five, she had set up a low tightrope in the backyard. She was planning to join the circus.

Two years after that, she was trying to make her own movie. Using the porcelain dolls that lined the shelves of the hutch.

When I was thirteen, she gave me a roll of condoms and a karma sutra book. My mom found out and burned them in the fireplace, despite the triple-digit weather.

My grandmother gave me more and another copy of the book the day we left, hiding them in my suitcase so I didn't find them until I was unpacking at home.

Fifteen, she was convinced her house was haunted and had hired and exorcist to get rid of the "evil ghost" but insisted he leave the "nice, sweet ghost" alone since he hadn't done anything wrong.

My mother would be utterly frazzled by the time we left, the three weeks tearing her own sanity to shreds. My father usually ended up hiding out in their guest room the entire time, only sneaking out at night when nobody was awake. My sister, Cynthia, would spend her entire time out shopping and going to the movies and usually I went with her.

But my dirty little secret?

I adored my grandma and thought she was - as she would say - the "second best thing since the invention of chocolate and peanut butter combined". Because in Grandma's eyes, nothing topped chocolate and peanut butter put together.

In many ways, I felt like I could understand my grandma. People always expected her to act a certain way, in a socially acceptable way, in the stereotypical grandma way. Unlike her, though, I gave in to the pressures of expectations. I wanted to fit in because I hated the feeling of being all alone. I'd had enough of that when I was little, before we moved from our first house. Instead of being me, I decided to be the person people wanted to meet and hang out with.

Grandma didn't do that. As a matter of fact, I think she got a kick out of rocking the boat.

This summer, Cynthia was feeling victorious. She had to take summer school.

Which meant, no Grandma's.

Dad quickly jumped on that excuse, claiming she couldn't be left home alone for three weeks, even if she was sixteen. He went so far as to say that being sixteen meant she needed more supervision than if she were eleven.

Cynthia confided in me, giggling, that he was probably dead on with that accusation.

The lack of companionship for the summer seemed to freak my mom out, even though it was her mother we were going to see. Just days before the two of us were supposed to leave, "something came up" and she had to take a business trip… to Hawaii. Of course, both my parents assured me that there was no reason for me to go alone and Grandma would be fine if I decided to stay home for the summer.

Early Monday morning, the day we'd planned on leaving, I got in my car with my bags and started the two hour drive from Chico down to Lodi, where Grandma lived.

I arrived about nine in the morning in the small and rather dull town of Lodi, California. Where Grandma lived, it was about a dozen blocks to the movie theater and downtown, where the most delicious candy store was. In the other direction, two blocks, was a doughnut place, a Kmart, and a Baskin Robins. Two blocks from her house was an A&W that served delicious ice-cold root beer floats for only a dollar.

It wasn't anything exciting or thrilling or even amazing, but I had to say I did enjoy visiting Grandma.

I stepped out of my car, squinting behind my sunglasses, and slung one of my smaller bags over my shoulder, gripping the other in my hand. I was halfway up the steps when Grandma opened the door and I felt my brows shoot up above the rims of my dark shades.

"Mary Alice! How are you child! I knew you would be here this summer!"

Grandma was only a few inches taller than me, because apparently shortness ran on Mom's side of the family. Neither she nor Cynthia had gotten the gene, but I had. Grandma had once said it was because we were the same. Mom had looked like she'd been about to faint.

Her curly long hair was pure white. Not a hint of gray, silver, or blue. Just white. It hung in chaotic waves down past her shoulders, leaving me wondering if she'd even bothered to brush it this morning. Her feet were bare, but her toenails and fingernails were painted - a dark purple that matched the long, flowing skirt she was wearing.

To top it all off, she had gold, blue, and purple bangles on her arms, almost all the way up to her elbows, and huge hoop earrings.

"Uh, hi Grandma," I responded with a faint smile, head tilted. "I'm good… and, uh, you?"

She grinned broadly as I stepped past her into the small house, taking in the changes to the living room this summer. Drapes hung everywhere, her coffee table was covered by a long cloth, and a crystal ball was in the center.

"I'm doing fabulously, darling! Charlie has helped me connect with the beyond and apparently I have a strong psychic sense! I've learned how to use it to see things with Charlie's help. I'm thinking of opening the house up to customers. So far it's just the ladies from the library and knitting club that come over."

Charlie was the "good ghost" from when I was fifteen. Apparently, he lived in the guest room closet.

"That's interesting, Grandma," I said with a slight chuckle. "Do you read tarot cards now too?"

Grandma grinned happily and sat down on the couch, which had what were doubtlessly a million extra pillows on it and the floor nearby. "Yes. I've gotten the hang of them recently, would you like me to show you?"

"Maybe later," I consoled, muffling a yawn. "I'm a little tired, and I'm starving. Want to go out for breakfast?"

"Delightful!" Grandma popped up from the couch with energy that seemed incongruous to someone her age and more appropriate for a seven-year-old. "Just let me get some shoes on."

As she disappeared into her room, I walked through the kitchen and to the guestroom Cynthia and I usually shared. It seemed so empty without her chatter to help fill it and I felt some regret for showing up alone. I would spend almost my entire time with my grandma and while that didn't bother me the way it would my family, it was… awkward.

Because every time I spent a long amount of time with her, I was forced to acknowledge that I was a fraud.

I dressed the way people expected me to. I talked the way they expected me to. I knew about all the topics I was supposed to know about as a fashionable, popular young woman. I said things that wouldn't be shocking to my current friends.

The fact was… I was an absolute nerd. No one liked nerds. I still loved listening to the Backstreet Boys, I knew all the words to Brittany Spears' first CD, and I was the epic champion of Monopoly. I'd read Dune a dozen times, owned the movie, and could quote it word for word. As a girl, I'd been all over the Nancy Drew books and dressed up as her for one Halloween.

But of course, none of the friends I hung out with knew any of that. They knew me for being the most uniquely and best dressed. They knew me for knowing all the latest gossip from Hollywood. I was Class President my senior year, and the year before that I'd been activities director. I'd also been on the dance team since freshmen year.

That's not to say some of those things weren't also things I enjoyed. Dancing was great, and I'd enjoyed being on Student Government. While I paid attention to the latest trends, I mixed them with my own style. As Cynthia often commented, I was impossible to duplicate.

But I still wasn't me.

And visiting Grandma always made me face that fact about myself.

Grabbing my purse, I walked back to the living room to find Grandma talking to empty space before her.

"-we'll be back before you know it, so don't get too worried. I promise to call if we're gone for more than two hours." She smiled when she saw me and added as we walked out the door, "Be good Charlie!"

I absolutely loved my grandma, insane or not.

After breakfast - which was a normal affair, except for when Grandma gaped at the waiter and told him he was going to have a very interesting time tonight and to remember to use protection - I asked Grandma if there was anything she wanted to go do.

She nodded seriously, her hands folded sedately in front of her. "The house is almost out of chocolate. We have to go get some." After a moment, her head cocked to the side and a speculative look crossed it. "And maybe I should visit Henry. I haven't for a few weeks; he'll probably be terribly put out. Ignore me for being so busy." As we stopped near the car, she shared a look with me that said she was about to share a secret with me. "Henry always was an attention hound. It's where you're mother gets it from, you know."

I laughed as I started the car. We stopped at the grocery store, where Grandma bought almost thirty dollars worth of chocolate, then visited the cemetery.

I followed her over the grass and around the other headstones until we reached a space in the shade of a huge oak tree. Grandma kissed the tips of her fingers and pressed them to the name engraved before us, then let out a sigh.

"Oh, Henry. You should come and see Mary Alice. She is so beautiful, and she's even shorter than I am!" Alice pressed her fingers over her mouth to smother the giggles her grandma's gleeful comment brought forth.

"Our daughter lied and left for a tropical getaway this summer, and her chicken of a husband jumped on any excuse he could to stay away as well. But of course our darling Mary Alice showed up. It'll definitely be worth her time," she added, sending a sly glance at me before looking around with a raised brow.

"Oh, you big baby Henry! Fine, be that way. Just because I still have a life and don't visit you twenty-four/seven, you have to throw a fit and give me the silent treatment." Muttering under her breath, yet smiling slightly, Grandma leaned down and placed a single chocolate bar on the headstone, pressed another finger-kiss to his name, and linked her arm with mine.

"Come on, dearest, let's leave Henry to his sulking. It's almost noon and Charlie hates being left alone for very long."

I yawned hugely when I woke up the next morning, padding out to the living room. Already it was hot today, and I plucked at the front of my tank, trying to get cool air to my skin. It was times like these that I didn't mind having a shorter hairstyle. Summer was cooler this way.

The living room was empty, and I already knew the kitchen was because I'd passed through it. Frowning - Grandma had always been an early bird - I went to knock on her bedroom door when she called to me from the front porch.

"Oh, Mary Alice, outside dear! And can you bring out three glasses and the picture of lemonade?"

Shrugging, I went back to the kitchen and grabbed what she'd asked for. It was much more fun to go with it than to question her. Every day with Grandma was certainly an adventure.

I stepped outside, still in my pajamas that had Snoopy all over the small shorts and the words "Dance like no one's watching" across the front of the large snoopy on the white tank. Grandma was staring out at the yard with a pleased looking smile, and without looking reached out to take a glass from me.

"Why don't you pour yourself and Jasper a glass. He looks like he could use the refreshment."

At first, I thought maybe she was talking about another ghost or spirit or something. It wouldn't be entirely unexpected. However, that was when someone actually spoke up. And unless I was going as insane as Grandma already was, he was actually real.

"That would be nice, Ms. Hills."

Gaping unattractively, I looked over and down at the garden Grandma had been obsessed with two summers ago. Standing there was a God. No, I am not exaggerating. He. Was. That hot. His hair was a dark blond with honey highlights, probably from being in the sun gardening for my grandma, and his eyes were a cornflower blue that was currently sparkling with absolute amusement.

At me.

I blushed and looked away. Could I act anymore gauche?

Don't ask that, Alice, I scolded myself. Because daring the universe never works out well and you probably can. Next thing you know, you'll spill his drink all over him. Wincing, I subtly knocked on the wood outdoor table Grandma was sitting on the other side of and carefully poured him a glass.

"Here you go," I said, trying to not sound awkward. I think I failed, because his lips twitched - his full, beautiful, kissable lips - and he didn't say anything back. He just took a very long drink, and I stared at his throat like some vampire-groupie. Which I wasn't. Even if I did like reading vampire romance books.

Another secret obsession of mine.

He set down the half-empty glass on the steps of the porch and went back to work. I sat down, flustered beyond belief, and poured myself a glass of lemonade I took a large gulp of immediately.

Grandma watched me in amusement, a slight smirk on her face the whole time. When I raised a brow questioningly, she winked, and then called mischievously, "Jasper, why don't you stay for lunch as well. I'll scry my crystal ball for you if you'd like."

He looked up with a laugh. "I doubt it will have changed much from last week."

Grandma shrugged and with a mysterious air, commented, "You never know, Jasper Whitlock, you never know."

When he went back to working, Grandma leaned across the table to whisper in my ear. "He's a hunk, isn't he? I love sitting out here in the morning when he does my yard work. Best spent ten dollars in my life," she sighed dreamily.

"Eew Grandma!" I squealed. Loudly. Jasper glanced at me with a raised brow and I blushed.

Yeah, apparently I didn't have to spill his drink to make more of a fool of myself. I just had to open my mouth. Maybe I should invest in duct tape for when he came around…?

She rolled her eyes at me. "Oh, quiet. I'm old, not blind. Yet. I need to appreciate hotties while I can." She smirked again at me, with that sly look, and I tensed. "Besides. I saw you gawking as well, don't deny it. And now I've given you a chance to sweep him off his feet with all that is amazing about you, Mary Alice." She was quiet for a few moments, then looked back at me excitedly. "Show him your pet rock collection!"

I blushed; they were here from when I was six, convinced that rocks were the coolest pets. I used to find huge rocks and draw faces and hair on them. Grandma still kept them, all half-dozen of them, in her backyard. Somehow, she also still remembered all the names and stories I created for them. How she remembered that and not Dad's exact age and birthday, I didn't know.

Then again, she might just be messing with Dad. I wouldn't put it past her.

Grandma's eyes abruptly went serious. "You know, Mary Alice, you can't hide behind that mask of yours forever. Who knows who you're missing out on because they don't realize who you are!"

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably and nodded. "Okay, Grandma. I know."

She narrowed her eyes at me and waved her finger threateningly. "You be yourself around this boy, or I'll bust out the naked baby pictures." A pause, then a musing, "Not that I have any, but I'm sure I can find something just as embarrassing."

I did not doubt that.

About an hour later, Grandma stood up with a ten dollar bill in her hand and waved it in front of Jasper's face from where she leaned over the porch railing. "Here you go, honey pie. Ten dollars well earned. Now come inside, clean up, and eat some lunch."

As he walked up the porch steps, passing by me, I got a gander at just how tall he was. He made me feel like a grade-school girl with a crush on a movie star.

Grandma gave me a warning glare as she followed him inside. "Don't make me drag out the picture albums, Mary Alice!" she hissed.

I blanched. She was serious.

Inside, I felt so awkward. I didn't know how to act. I wasn't used to being myself around complete strangers, and I definitely wasn't used to being my nerdy self around guys who looked like Jasper.

I was chewing the hell out of my lip as I helped Grandma make tuna melt sandwiches. I hadn't even felt this nervous for my first date. Of course, on my first date, I hadn't had to be me.

Grandma was simply watching me in amusement, shaking her head every once in a while with a smile on her face. I could understand her amusement, because if this had been anyone but me, I would have found it amusing as well. I'd have sympathized, of course, but also been undoubtedly amused.

She set three plates of chips and tuna melts on the kitchen table, then grinned. "Oops, silly me! I forgot to go run a bill down to the mailbox! I'll be back in a few, kiddos."

I watched her with wide eyes as she grabbed an envelope - that was empty and blank - and winked at me before closing the front door behind her.

My head fell into the palm of a hand as I shook my head slightly. My grandma might be insane, but she was a clever conniving crazy.

Deep, low chuckles brought my head up again. Jasper was staring at me sideways, smirking slightly. I shifted uncomfortably, realized I was blushing again, and looked down at my plate, quickly picking up the sandwich and taking a bite.

"You're grandmother is very… interesting," he said abruptly, laughter in his voice.

My back straightened and my muscles tensed. I had heard a lot of people talk about my grandma, especially my parents, and when friends of the family first met her, that was always the word the used. Interesting. Or 'different', as if it was a bad thing. 'Unique', 'eccentric', and 'distinctive' were also common.

"My grandma is a wonderful, caring woman," I snapped. "She-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up a second, spitfire." Jasper said quickly, eyes wide, holding his hands up as if I were some psycho with a knife. The first was debatable, but obviously he was overreacting. It's not like I was going to leap across the table and stab him with the butter knife.

I crossed my arms defensively and glared at him. He leaned back in his seat and stared at me, speculative and calm. It made me eventually shift uncomfortably; the way he stared was almost like he was picking me apart piece by piece and I didn't like it.

"What?" I finally snapped, tired of being assessed.

Jasper shrugged, leaning forward to brace his elbows on the table. "Just wondering at your reaction. I wasn't lying. Your grandmother is interesting. I never said she wasn't good people."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Yeah. She sure is interesting. And unique and distinctive and eccentric. All words people use when trying to be polite and not just flat out saying what they think."

He raised a brow, a small smile on his face. "Which is…?" he drawled, the light in his eyes teasing.

"Crazy," I spat. "Everyone thinks she's crazy and they mock her for it."

Jasper nodded slowly. "Well, that wasn't what I meant. At least, not in a bad way. Personally," he continued, going back to his plate and picking up his sandwich, "I think the world could use a little more of your grandmother's type of crazy."

I watched him, first in suspicion then disbelief as I realized he was serious. Somewhat embarrassed by my behavior, I shifted in my seat again and picked up my sandwich too. "Well, you're the first," I said quietly.

Jasper grinned and like the silly girl I was, my heart fluttered and a warm feeling spread in my chest. Oh, I wanted him to smile at me like that, all the time. I wanted to be able to call that my grin.

Oh dear. I was going insane, too.

"So. How long are you going to be here, Mary Alice? I thought no one was visiting Ms. Hills this summer."

I wanted to get angry at that, at the slight accusation I could have sworn I heard in his tone, but I couldn't because it was basically true.

I swallowed my bite and cleared my throat. "Uh, first, I prefer to go by Alice. And I'll be here for three weeks. The rest of my family is, um, busy."

"Busy, sure," he scoffed.

I felt my spine stiffen again. "They are. My sister has summer school, so one of my parents had to watch her!"

He raised a taunting brow. "And the other?"

I glared. "Who are you to judge my family, huh? You don't know any of us."

"Yeah, and I can't say I'm not glad about that."

I gaped at him, and he stared coldly back.

At that moment, Grandma came inside with a bright grin. "Well, is it hot out there! Jasper, doesn't your house have a pool? I'm sure Mary Alice would love to take a dip!"

I stood up, glaring at Jasper, and stomped to my room.

"Or not," I heard my grandma say lightly, as if nothing odd had just happened.

Twenty minutes later, she opened the door to my room, without a knock or announcement of her arrival, and fell onto my bed with a huge sigh.

"Alright, child, what did you do?"

"Me?" I cried. How unfair that she thought I did something! "Why do you assume it was me!"

She looked surprised. "Did I say that?" She thought about it, then admitted, "I suppose I kinda did, didn't I? Okay. What did he do?"

"He's such an asshole!" I growled. Most of my friends would be mortified to swear in front of the grandparents. I had learned some of my more creative curses from Grandma. She had a way with words, sometimes without even saying anything inappropriate.

"Is he?" Grandma asked in surprise. "I'm shocked - I thought he was a regular southern gentleman."

"Well he's not!" I snapped. "He insulted my family and me by association! He called me a liar! He's so-" I could think of anything vile enough, so ended up growling in frustration. "I want him to go jump off a cliff and choke on the rock dust he raises on the way down."

Grandma laughed. "Honey, there aren't really any cliffs around here for him to use."

"Fine, he can drown in a lake, then," I grumbled.

Grandma grinned happily. "I knew you two would hit it off!"

I stared at her in disbelief. "Grandma! Did you not hear a word I just told you?"

She nodded seriously. "Yes. I did. Jasper got under your skin and flustered you, and that just pissed you off. And trust me when I say that I think you did the same to him." She was grinning again. "I've never seen Jasper so unsure of himself!" She cackled gleefully and clapped her hands.

Wow. I knew Grandma was insane, but this was a new level for her.

The next few days were mainly uneventful. Grandma insisted on making chocolate-peanut butter milkshakes at least twice a day (how she kept so thin was beyond me), we sat under the air conditioning, we went to the farmers market at night, and went to the movies. Grandma was constantly making me laugh, and slowly, I began to relax and be "more Mary Alice" as Grandma liked to put it.

Saturday morning, I decided to go for a jog to work off some of the milkshakes we'd been consuming. Grandma declined, insisting that she had to watch her Saturday morning cartoons or she'd lose her mind. Laughing, I'd warned her that might be too late, and she'd agreed.

Already, it felt like it was close to eighty degrees, and it wasn't even eight in the morning yet. Not a good sign for the day. I paused at the end of the walk, looking around, and decided to jog to the library. It wasn't much farther than the theater, and I could use some books to read. The ladies there were always nice, and if I told them I was Gracie Hills granddaughter, they'd just put my rentals on her card.

Halfway back, I was feeling sweaty and tired, but in a good way. My hand was aching from the bag of books I was carrying, so while I stopped at a light, I switched hands, shaking out the first. It was bright red and as I flexed my fingers I grimaced.

"Hey! Alice, wait!"

I froze in confusion and turned around to see Jasper hurriedly walking my way.

Oh. Hell no! I wasn't going to talk to Jerkface again! Twisting sharply, I glanced both ways and dashed across the street. Good thing downtown had only mild traffic.

I continued hurriedly, very pointedly ignoring Jasper the Jerk. I didn't want to listen to him and his scathing remarks and haughty looks and I did not want to re-realize just how hot the man was.

If only people could look like their personalities. Jasper would then have a pig-nose and ugly skin and black eyes with red pupils and his hair would be absolutely horrid and not so beautiful in the sunlight.

Damn him! Even when hating him, I found myself appreciating how he looked. Could I get any more superficial? Apparently, pretending to be a superficial bimbo had rubbed off enough to where I was becoming one!

"Alice," Jasper panted, grabbing my arm and tugging me to a stop. I sharply stepped around and glared at his hand on me.

"Let me go or I'll scream bloody murder," I hissed.

He quickly let go, his hand going to the back of his neck and rubbing it uncomfortably. His hair was sticking to his forehead and small drops of sweat dripped from his temple.

Damn him for looking so good even all sweaty!

"Listen, I… uh, I just wanted to apologize," he admitted.

I eyed him suspiciously, shifting the bag between hands again. "Really?" I questioned, not quite believing him. "Why?"

He looked at me like that was the most insane question he'd ever heard. "Because I was… well, I guess I was overly rude and obviously insulted you. It was wrong of me. So I'm sorry."

I stared at him, then sighed reluctantly, grudgingly. "Apology accepted." I turned and started walking away again when he lightly pulled me to a stop, quickly letting go of me this time.

"I… wanted to make it up to you."

Seriously? Was that cliché or what?

"No thanks," I said firmly, turning to continue on. Jasper just kept pace with me, even moving so he walked in front of me, backwards. People gave him weird looks as they shifted out of his way, but he either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Come on, Alice. I can't feel right about this until I make it up to you."

I snorted. "So this is about making you feel better, huh? No. Thanks."

He looked startled, then exasperated. "No! That's not what I meant!" Again, he reached back to rub his neck, eyes looking between mine. "Come on! Give me a break here. How can I make it up to you?"

I rolled my eyes. "You can leave me alone. Hmm?" I raised a brow pointedly, but his expression just seemed to become more determined. Stubborn jerk.

"Tomorrow's Fourth of July."

"Really now?" I mocked with wide eyes. "I thought it was the fortieth of Octember!"

He gave her a sour look. "You're not funny." I shrugged and kept walking. Jasper sighed and kept speaking. "Anyway. At the lake, there's a festival."

I spoke again before he could continue. "No. I'm not going with you. Look, I forgive you for being a royal jerk and all, but I don't want anything else to do with you. So goodbye."

He moved from in front of me, but not before I caught a calculating look on his face. It made me uneasy, especially as he kept walking with me, all the way back to Grandma's house. Now I knew how Little Red Riding Hood felt when the Big Bad Wolf was stalking her.

Where's an Axe-Man when you need him?

Okay, maybe that was being a little harsh on Jasper the Jerk. I glanced over my shoulder and he grinned at me, raising a brow.

"Are you gonna say yes now?"

I groaned and looked forward. Never mind. It wasn't harsh after all.

I stomped up the steps to Grandma's house five minutes later, slammed open the front door, and before I could close it in his face, Jasper slipped right on inside. I planted my hands on my hips and glared at him as Grandma exclaimed happy and came over to wrap him in a hug.

Traitor.

"This is a pleasant surprise! What brings you?" she asked, pulling back to hold Jasper at arm's length.

Jasper sent me a look and my eyes widened as I realized what he was going to do.

"Oh, I was just asking Alice to the festival tomorrow night."

Grandma beamed. "That's great! Oh, Alice, I know you'll have fun! It's nothing huge, but you will definitely have a good time. Jasper will make sure of it, won't you?"

Jasper was smirking over at me victoriously, but when Grandma turned her attention back to him simply smiled politely. "Yes ma'am."

Fuck me, but did he lay that accent on thick on purpose?

Cause it was working, damn him.

I glared at him, unhappy to have been bested by Jasper the Stubborn Jerk, as he tipped an imaginary hat at me, still smirking triumphantly, and said he'd pick me up around six tomorrow. I waited until he'd shut the door and counted to ten before I whirled on Grandma.

"I didn't want to go with him!" I wailed.

She looked at me, absolutely baffled. "Why on earth not?"

I groaned. Life hated me, didn't it?

However, I couldn't back out without looking like a major bitch, now could I? So I was stuck going.

Jasper the Stubborn Jerk better not piss me off again, though, or I was stabbing him with the heel of my shoe!

Five o'clock the next day, I was sitting on the couch watching a mindless TV show. My grandma walked in and planted her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed threateningly. I pretended I didn't see her.

"Mary Alice, why aren't you getting ready for your date with Jasper?"

I groaned, my head falling onto the back of the couch. Wow, the ceiling was dirty….

"Because, Grandma! I don't care about it! I didn't want to go with him!"

She waved her hand dismissively with a faint snort. "Nonsense. You just don't realize that you want to go with him."

I lifted my head to shoot her a flat glare. "Trust me - I don't."

Grandma shrugged. "Fine. Then I'll call him and tell him you're flaking on him. And he can go with that Maria girl."

I rolled my eyes. "I know what you're trying to do, Grandma, and it isn't going to work."

Grandma stared at me with wide innocent eyes that I didn't buy for a second. After all, I could pull off the same look. "I have no idea what you're implying, Mary Alice. If you don't want to go with Jasper, fine. Call him and cancel." She walked over to the cordless phone and tossed it to me before moving into the kitchen.

I sighed impatiently. "Grandma, I don't know his number."

Huffing, she came back in, took the phone and dialed, then held it out to me. When I took it, she shook her head and muttered under her breath. Probably to Charlie.

It rang a few times before a sweet little-girl voice answered. "Hello, Whitlock house."

Okay… for some reason, I'd been expecting Jasper to answer, and not getting him right away made me feel awkward and… well, fuck, nervous. Dammit.

"Um, this is… uh, Alice. May I speak to Jasper? Please?" Oh, no, my voice did not just tremble a bit. I rolled my eyes up to stare at the ceiling. What was wrong with me?

"Jasper!" the girl yelled and I winced slightly. "Alice is on the phone!" Was she trying to make sure Mars heard her?

I had closed my eyes in embarrassment when I could pick up his low voice on the other end of the line, taking the phone from the little girl. He muttered a "hold on a second" and then a few seconds later the sound of a door shutting reached my ears.

"Hey Alice," he said with a slight chuckle. "I'm glad you called. I needed to talk to you."

My eyes popped open and I sat up with a frown. That sounded an awful lot like the opening statement to "I can't go tonight". Had he decided to go with that… Marie chick or whoever my grandma had mentioned.

"Why? Are you cancelling on me?" I didn't know why that came out so rudely and angrily, since that's what I'd called to do. Maybe I just didn't like the idea of being the one on the receiving end….

Because it better not be that Grandma was right and I want to go….

"What?" he asked in confusion, and then laughed heartily. "No, Alice. Not at all." A pause, then, "Why?" he asked cautiously. "Is that why you called?"

"No," I said quickly, lying through my teeth. Good thing I was such an amazing actress. "I was just making sure that you were coming by at six." Boy, I should be a spy or something. Didn't they have to be awesome liars? The thought made me grin, images of traveling the world and doing cool spy things drifting through my mind.

"…if that's cool with you?"

Oh shit! What had he said? Blushing brightly and stammering, I got out, "Uh, sorry, what did you say?"

Again he chuckled, and I tried to fight down my irritation with him. I had been the one to zone out, after all.

"I said, my mom heard about our date and invited you to dinner before we leave. It's just a simple barbecue, you don't have to come."

"Oh, uh…." What did one say to that? Meeting his mother already? Hello, I wasn't even sure I liked Jasper the Stubborn Jerk! I swallowed. Trying to think straight. Did I want to go to a family barbecue with Jasper, I asked myself honestly.

I guess I was silent a little too long because Jasper spoke up again, sounding embarrassed and uncomfortable. "Hey, it's cool, don't feel like you have to spare our feelings or-"

"No, I'll come," I interrupted. Somehow, the fact that he was nervous sounding made my decision easier. "What time? Where do you live?" I added quickly.

"I'll come get you," Jasper said hurriedly. "Thirty minutes?"

Thirty minutes? Shit! I must have mumbled an agreement because next thing I knew he was saying he'd see me soon and we hung up. I sat there for several moments, staring into space.

"Shit!" I swore, throwing the phone to the side and bolting upright. As I dashed into my room, Grandma chuckled knowingly.

How rude….

I was just throwing on the last of my make up when I heard the knock at the door. I yanked my sandals on my feet as I moved into the kitchen, and stepped into the living room just in time to hear Grandma threaten Jasper with a curse to put the Egyptian's to shame. I rolled my eyes.

"Bye Grandma, see you tonight." I kissed her on the cheek, grabbed Jasper's arm, and tugged him outside, shutting the door behind us. I glanced up at him to see him staring with an amused, questioning look on my face.

I huffed and let his arm go. "I didn't think lingering around would be a good idea."

He laughed and slung an arm over my shoulders. It felt nice…. But he was still Jasper the Jerk, I reminded myself.

"My house is a couple blocks that way," he said, tilting his head in the direction he was referring to. "I hope you don't mind walking."

I shook my head. Walking was good. I could get rid of all this nervous energy.

"So, Alice," he said after a few minutes. "You're finished with high school, right?"

I swallowed and nodded. "Uh… yeah. I graduated just three weeks ago. It was a huge ceremony, Grandma took a train to make it and everything."

I was babbling and I forced myself to shut my mouth before I said something stupid.

Jasper was grinning slightly at me. "That's cool. I think I remember your grandma mentioning it, actually. Or at least, she mentioned a train." He chuckled and shook his head, making me think she had said something unusual about it.

After a moment, I shyly asked him, "What about you?"

He glanced down with a slight smile. "Just finished my freshmen year. I go to the university a town over, about twenty minutes away. It's a good school - I like it. Where are you going to go to college? Are you?" he added after a moment's hesitation on my part.

"Actually," I said nervously. "I think I want to take a year off. Travel." I realized I was fiddling with the hem of my shirt and made myself stop and shrug nonchalantly. "It might be fun to visit Paris, see all the fashion shows."

He was watching me with a strange expression, again seeming to see right through me, and I looked away uncomfortably.

"Paris would be nice," he said agreeably. "Personally I've always wanted to go to Italy. The food. The art. The history." He winked at me and I grinned, I couldn't help it.

Why did he have to be such a damn cute jerk?

He guided me up the walk to a quaint house, and as we approached, the screen door banged open and a young blond girl threw herself down the steps and into his arms. "Momma said we couldn't eat until you got back! I'm hungry!" she demanded.

Jasper chuckled, setting her back down on the ground. "Okay then, let's go eat." Casually, he grabbed my hand as she ran ahead, her blonde curls fanning out behind her. "That's my little sister, Rosalie. She's only eleven and very spoiled." He rolled his eyes.

I smiled back. "I'm sure you already know I have a sister, Cynthia. She's pretty spoiled too."

Jasper smirked down at me mischievously. "Must be a baby of the family thing," he said extra loudly as we stepped inside.

Rosalie whirled around from where she was standing at a doorway that seemed to lead to a kitchen, her hands on her hips. "Are you talking about me?"

Jasper brushed past her, letting go of my hand, and grabbed a paper plate off the kitchen counter. "Nope. We were talking about Alice's sister Cynthia."

I shook my head, and Rosalie glared at Jasper. "Liar!" An older woman walked in from a door that obviously led outside, carrying a plate of chicken, when Rosalie quickly whined, "Mom, Jasper's being mean!"

The older woman smiled tolerantly and lightly smacked Jasper up the back of his head, even though she was several inches shorter than him. "Jasper, be nice." Her gaze went back to Rosalie. "And Rose, don't whine like that. We have a guest."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and flounced forward to grab her plate, as haughty as any true princess. I pressed my lips together not to laugh.

Turning to me, the woman I assumed to be Jasper's mom held out her hand. "Hi. You must be Alice, Jasper hasn't stopped talking about you since earlier this week." I shook her hand, glancing over at him. He didn't act like he heard, but there was no way he could have missed the comment.

"Thank you, Mrs. Whit-"

She waved my words away. "Feel free to call me Margaret. Most of my children's friends do."

I smiled and nodded, and she turned to the fridge, grabbing a pitcher of juice. I hesitated, then went to grab a plate and join Jasper and Rosalie at the table. Jasper smiled at me as I sat next to him, then winked. I wondered what he was going to-

"Hey, Rosalie, guess what?" Jasper whispered, leaning forward. Rosalie glanced up from her plate with a curious frown. "I bet Alice-"

I didn't wait to hear what he was going to say, because I knew it wouldn't be good. I simply kicked his foot under the table, making him jerk and give me a look. I blinked innocently.

He snorted. "Did you know your grandma gives me that same damn look when she spills water all over my shirt?"

It took a moment for his words to register, and then my mouth fell open. Grandma did what now?

"Jasper," his mom said warningly. He glanced at her sheepishly.

"Sorry." At my confused expression, he leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Language. The other month, Rosalie overheard me saying some cuss words and Mom was pissed when she repeated them."

I chuckled as he leaned away, grinning.

"Mom, Jasper is-"

Margaret gave Rosalie a look that quieted her. With a frown, she went back to her food.

The meal was actually pleasant and uneventful, the only thing that really happened being when Jasper's dad walked in and made a similar comment to his mom's about Jasper talking nonstop about me. I glanced at him again, but he was looking down at his plate as if nothing happened.

Rosalie started throwing a fit when we left, having wanted to tag along, and didn't understand why she couldn't just because it was my date with Jasper. He shook his head as we got in his car.

"Sorry." He sounded a bit sheepish, so I shrugged it off.

"Don't worry about it. I actually enjoyed dinner, thanks."

He shot a smirked over at me. "That almost sounds like an insult, Miss. Mary Alice."

I blushed because of his accent, his teasing, and the way he'd said my name. All of it came out sounding flirty and I was starting to really like it when he did that.

Okay. So maybe Jasper wasn't that big a jerk.

He held my hand as he led me around the festival, which was mainly a bunch of booths for food and wares being sold. His hand was warm and held mine in a very comfortable grip - not too tight and not loose or uncertain. It was… self-assured. Like he knew he was in the right holding my hand and didn't even consider that I'd reject him.

Honestly it was a nice change from how people usually treated me. Afraid of the image I'd built up because I was afraid of them. How ironic, I realized now, that people worried about how I thought of them when that was the whole reason for how I acted. I smiled bitterly to myself and shook my head slightly behind Jasper's back.

Grandma was right - it was time for me to change. Or, not so much change, but stop pretending.

Jasper looked back at me and smiled, such a soft sweet look that still had that mischievous and amused edge to it almost everything he did seemed to have. Like he had an inside joke that no one else was in on, but he was pondering sharing it with you.

I wanted him to share it with me.

Yeah, I thought as I took a piece of the funnel cake that he'd bought. I wanted to be with Jasper alright. Grandma hadn't been wrong - which almost made her "psychic senses" phase this summer believable.

Jasper pulled me over to a bench by the lake a short time before the fireworks were supposed to go off, still holding my hand but nothing more than that. I shifted closer so our sides were pressed together and he smiled down at me. In the dark, his hair seemed closer to brown and his eyes were nearly black, but I could still make out the look in them, hesitant for the first time tonight. I tilted my head questioningly, but didn't speak.

He hesitated. "Did you enjoy yourself tonight?"

Oh, did I ever! My grin must have been wide enough to make me look like a clown, but Jasper just gave me that adorable grin of his own, and looked back out over the lake. I did too, thinking how amazing it would look with the fireworks reflecting off the glassy surface. He'd picked a prime spot, that was for sure.

"You know, I'm sorry what I said about your family. I just hear how, sometimes, your grandmother talks about them. She knows what they say, and it makes her…." He shook his head. "I like your grandmother, Alice. She's a wonderful person, honest and always there when you need a helping hand. She's been a friend to me since I moved here a couple years ago." He looked at me again. "She talks about you, specifically, all the time. She told me we had one major thing in common that first year I met her."

I waited for him to continue, and prompted him when it became apparent he wouldn't. "What did she say?" I frowned, confused.

Jasper shifted so one leg was curled on the bench as he faced me, still holding my hand. His thumb swept hypnotically and made my skin burn pleasantly. "She told me how you were always acting like someone you weren't, and sometimes even she couldn't tell who was Alice and who was the façade. She told me about how when you were little, you'd make up crazy adventures and had the most spectacular imagination."

I eyed him suspiciously. "Did she tell you about my pet rocks?"

He stared, then threw back his head and laughed loudly. I felt my lips twitching in response and soon was chuckling with him. It was hard not to. His humor was contagious and I was grinning with him when he calmed down.

"No. But I'll expect you to."

"Okay," I said quietly. There was still several minutes till the fireworks went off, and most of the people at the festival were moving to the large field, instead of taking up positions farther off like we had.

"What did she say we have in common?" I asked abruptly, realizing Jasper had never said. He turned his head to look at me again, his eyes once more doing that unnerving stripping thing, where I wouldn't have been surprised if he could see every single flaw and fear I had, every sin and hope and dream. His expression was solemn and rather sad. I started to panic slightly, but his thumb simply began stroking the back of my hand again and his grip tightened reassuringly.

"She said we were both lost."

I stared at him, searching his face which seemed like a strangely blank mask. I guess in a sense I could see how I was lost. I was finally finding my way back though, I felt, and it was a good feeling. I was curious about how Jasper was lost though.

I didn't ask. He'd tell me when he was ready, one day. About that, I was as positive as Grandma had been that I didn't realize I wanted to go with him on this date. And she had been right after all….

I settled in to Jasper's side and his hand slipped from mine as his arm draped over my shoulders. Somewhat shyly, but also very sure that he wouldn't turn me down, I reached up and placed my other hand around his. He moved so his hand was on top and linked our fingers, smiling down at me.

The fireworks went off, the first bright red and angry. The loud popping noises sounded harsh, but the longer you listened, the more they made your heart pound not in fright but expectation of the next to come. The reds and blues, greens, purples, whites, and yellows all created a beautiful mosaic that was reflected on the top of the lake, somewhat distorted but somehow that made it more beautiful than what was in the sky. They began going off closer together, larger fireworks taking up more of the sky so that the colors started to blend together.

I felt like those fireworks. Like I was no longer just one or the other of the colors, but finally coming together as me, as one person. As Mary Alice Brandon, a young woman who was getting over her insecurities and growing up thanks to her grandma and a boy she met over the summer. They made me feel comfortable with who I was. I didn't feel like I had to put on a show or do what they expected of me. Maybe because they didn't have any expectations. Grandma never had, and Jasper….

I didn't think I could fool him even if I tried not to be me.

Looking up over at him as the colors in the sky reflected somewhat in his hair, I realized he was watching me with that slightly mischievous and amused smirk again.

I smirked back. If he was interested in me, he was going to be in for a world of insanity.

His smirk grew into a full blown grin and he leaned closer until our foreheads just barely brushed.

"Alice," he whispered. I looked at his lips and swayed forward, but he pulled back with a wicked look. And a leaf in his hand.

"It was in your hair," he said innocently, and I glared, smacking him on the arm.

"Jerk," I muttered, but I couldn't hide my laughter that well. Feeling confident - wanting to prove to myself that I didn't have to wait on the signals of others - I shifted to rise on my knees on the bench. It was uncomfortable and I wouldn't be surprised if I got a splinter in one of my knees, but it was worth it.

I leaned forward, grabbing both sides of Jasper's face, and kissed him. A full on the mouth, nothing held back kiss that was as passionate as the fireworks finale going off right that moment. He tasted like the funnel cake we'd eaten, and like the cherry ice cone he'd also bought but refused to share. His hands settled on my waist, helping me keep my balance, and when I pulled away, he was grinning at me lazily.

"There. Now you've made it up to me," I teased.

He raised a brow. "Well it was my pleasure," he drawled, laying his accent on thick and chuckling. "Now maybe you can make it up to me…?"

"Make what up?" I asked.

He laughed heartily, making me curious if confused, and then he sent me a mocking glare. "I am not a stubborn jerk."

I gaped at him. "Did I say that out loud?" I squeaked.

He was still laughing. "Several times."

"Oops?" I giggled somewhat embarrassedly, but leaned forward again. "Okay, sorry. Want me to make it up to you?"

"Good." One hand moved to the back of my head and gently tugged me forward. "I'll take my apology in more delicious kisses, thank you."

I giggled again as our lips touched.

If being me meant I got to kiss Jasper more, I was pretty sure being me was… pretty grand.

Better than the invention of peanut butter and chocolate combined.

Well... that was longer than I intended! ;D Hopefully you all enjoyed, be sure to check out the other entries for the contest! The winners are decided via a poll on the website mentioned in the header on Saturday July 10 so be sure to vote for your favorite! Thank you all for reading (my insanely long) one-shot!