A/N: Hi there, I'm new to the Twilight fandom so please do let me know what's good and what's bad about this story; I can only make it good with your help. Anyway, this story is set at one of the old schools that the Cullens attended, and primarily focusses on Jasper, my favourite vampire, and his misadventures when the gang are away. It is a completely made-up story and is pretty AU but obviously the majority of characters etc. don't belong to me. With the exception of the ones who are my own creation, but you'll know who they are. I'm rambling. Sorry. But thanks for reading!
"So just because I decided not to take geography this time around you guys are all going on some stupid trip without me?"
Emmett sighed. "Jasper, the write-up of the trip is gonna be worth like 25% of our end of year geography grades. We have to go."
"You don't have to do anything. We can all take geography at some other school some other time! Fail the course for once; you can pass with flying colours next time." No-one seemed to be giving in to my pleas, all of them avoiding my gaze. I looked to my lovely Alice, my eyes as wide and hopeful as I could make them – I decided manipulating everyone's emotions in favour of me might be a little unfair. To my frustration she looked away, eyes fixed on the grey linoleum floor of the cafeteria. "Alice, please?" I asked, forcing her to meet my gaze, albeit unhappily.
"Honey, it'll look too suspicious if we don't go. It's just a couple of days--"
"Two weeks," I snapped, impatiently, shredding a paper napkin I had just discovered on the table. "You will all be gone for two weeks."
"Look, Jasper, I think you're being a little--", Edward attempted to break the ice.
"You don't understand! What if I…do something?" I whispered in a voice so hoarse I could barely believe it was my own.
"Carlisle and Esme will be around to make sure you don't do anything stupid," stated Edward, more confidently than he felt, ever the voice of reason.
"Sweetheart, you're past all that now – we trust you", Alice whispered in soothing tones, her delicate hands running comfortingly through my hair. "You can control yourself, I know you can." I felt no doubt in her and thus concluded that she really believed in me; it was a nice feeling.
"Dude – you don't even have to come into school. Just kick back at home while we're gone, I bet they won't care."
"No!" Alice frowned, and for some reason I could feel panic coming from her. "I think it's for the best that Jasper tries to get through this; he'll come out stronger on the other side." Ah, so was this whole thing going to be another one of her tests? Had she known from the beginning of the semester that the geography course would entail a trip, forcing me to remain alone for some time?
I looked at her curiously, but said nothing. If this was a test then they still didn't trust me, and what she had said with such sincerity mere minutes ago was all a lie. But I love Alice and, as such, decided I would go through with it - for her. At the end of the two weeks when I hadn't so much as touched a human, then the family would finally be able to accept me fully. And Alice must have foreseen that nothing would happen in her absence, otherwise there was no way that she would just leave me like this. Maybe it would do me some good – desensitize me better to the aroma of human blood. Anyway, their trip wasn't until after mid-term break which gave me plenty of time to prepare. What was so tough about going solo for a while as a freshly-turned vegetarian vampire in a building full of young adolescents who were full of emotion and fresh blood? Oh. Well, I trusted Alice's judgement enough to concede. "Fine", I said, coolly, my lips turning upwards slightly to Alice's relief. "Enjoy learning about the wonders of the great lakes."
Edward stared at me for a while, his emotions unreadable, but if he'd been listening to my thoughts he chose not to comment.
Almost immediately the bell rang and the room was filled with the painful sound of chairs scraping against the floor. We got up and went to our lessons, no doubt each of us lost in the prospect of those two weeks where our family's safety would almost entirely depend on me. Oh God, maybe this wasn't such a--
"It'll be fine", smiled Edward reassuringly, slapping me on the back. "We all know it will be, you just need to realise it yourself."
"Easier said than done", I muttered, and walked off in the direction of my history classroom, preparing myself for another lesson where I would have to pretend I didn't know all the details of America during the war. If I was a human, I think I would perhaps have used this lesson to sleep in. As it was, I breathed deeply and tried to focus my mind on not thinking of the scent of blood on the air; someone had just had a paper cut. I clenched my desk and shut my eyes, willing myself to stay under control. My lips began to twitch and I have no doubt as to the colour of my eyes. Luckily for me the boy went to the nurse's office. This was going to take some practise.