Chapter 1.
Jasper Whitlock stepped out of his office building. The reflective glass of the freshly cleaned doors caught his eye, and he couldn't help but check. His blond, curly hair was perfect, as always, and his teeth gleamed in the glowing sunset. His azure eyes were excited; he was happy. The image reflected back at him showed the man who had it all: rich, famous, good-looking. But he didn't see life like that. He saw the world as a dangerous place; America needed guidance. And that's why Jasper Whitlock, 36, was running for President of the United States of America.
It all started when his father, Arthur Whitlock, died in the Twin Towers disaster. America was no longer the place of freedom and safety Jasper thought it was. And suddenly he knew more than his home in Texas and his country. He saw the world as a different place. So at the age of 26, he decided to put the world back the way it was. The way he wanted it to be.
He had all the requirements to run for President. He was ready to change the world. He just had to make it past the Primary first. And for Jasper, that was nothing.
He walked confidently to his shiny black car and pulled open the door. The parking lot was almost empty, except for the few stragglers who stayed behind at the office to work on his campaign. Jasper would have stayed late like most nights, but he had something important to get to. He started the engine and sped down the Texas streets to a house he had been to many times in his life. The house of his closest friends.
When he arrived at 3113 Strickland Lane, he grasped the small box that was sitting in the passengers seat. It was a gift for the couple he was celebrating. He looked around the street and saw the many parked cars surrounding him. They were all here for this party. Jasper was used to people; he was running for President. But these people were his most important critics. They were his friends.
Jasper stepped out of his car and walked up the driveway to the large white house. The manor had been a part of most of his adult life and he knew almost every inch. After all, he visited almost every week. Even with this precedent, he knocked on the door and waited to be let in. The sounds of chatter and light music could be heard through the large wooden door. It seems they're partying hard, Jasper thought with a chuckle. He still had a smile on his face when the door swung open to reveal his brown-haired assistant, looking happier than she had since he'd known her.
"Jasper!" she exclaimed when she recognized the tall man in the suit. She was used to seeing him in normal clothes around the house and office. She reached her arms out and hugged him around the neck.
"Hey, Bella," said Jasper, his accent peeking out. It only came out when he was feeling familiar with his earlier years with his family and friends when he was just Jasper. He had been working on covering it up for his campaign. Believe it or not, southern accents just didn't bode well with voters. Jasper hugged Bella with a pat on her back and pulled away to see her watering brown eyes.
"Thank you so much," she whispered, "for everything. She smiled up at him.
"Now you very well know I didn't get you two together," he smirked.
"You might as well have!" And with that she leaned up and kissed his cheek.
"I better watch out now or I'll have an angry fiancé on my hands!" Jasper laughed.
Bella mock-gasped. "Oh, no!" The friends laughed in sync. "Then I should get back to my husband-to-be before he knows of what scandalous things I've done!" Jasper stepped into the engagement party and laid his gift down on the table filled with the other gifts. His many not be as big, but it would certainly mean a lot more to the couple.
Jasper was approached by everyone at the party in the first minute of being inside the house. He knew them all and greeted them with sincerity. What he really wanted to do was see the man of the hour, his best friend. . .
"Emmett!" He yelled across the room, over the talking and music, when he saw him. Emmett Cullen's head whipped up when he heard his name dripped in that southern drawl of Jasper's. He smiled big when he saw his best friend and made his way to Jasper in a matter of seconds, using his massive form to control the crowd.
"Jazz!" They hugged like men when they met.
"Congratulations, man," Jasper said as he pulled away.
"You know it was all you," Emmett boomed.
"That's exactly what Bella said."
"Speaking of Bella, where is my fiancée?" Emmett looked around at the guests looking for Bella. Jasper could see the bobbing brown hair making its way through the crowd.
"Right here!" said Bella as she emerged. Emmett didn't hesitate to lean down and plant a big kiss right on her lips. Bella's left hand reached up to his face and her large diamond ring glittered in the light from the chandelier overhead. The guests all stopped to look at the reflective jewelry that spread dancing patterns across Jasper's face. When they pulled away from the kiss, everyone clapped and cheered.
"Alright, alright," Jasper muttered. "I'll leave you two alone." They waved away Jasper halfheartedly as they continued greeting like they hadn't seen each other in ten years. Jasper walked into the menagerie of guests and saw Rosalie Hale, his running mate.
"Rosalie, what are you doing here?" Jasper asked politely. He knew Rosalie didn't particularly like Bella.
"I'm being a good vice president." She smirked as she swirled the martini in her hand. Jasper saw a man behind Rosalie that was definitely not looking at her face.
Jasper cleared his throat. "Let's keep it that way." And he walked the other way, not wanting to see what could possibly happen between Rosalie and the unknown man. Jasper hadn't always been quite sure that choosing Rosalie as his Vice President had been a good idea, but it was too late to back out now.
Just as Jasper was talking to a friend of the Cullen family that he'd met a few years back, he saw the dark form of Edward Swan, Bella's brother, sitting on the grand staircase. Edward was dressed in all black, as he always was whenever Jasper saw him. He hadn't always been that way; Jasper and Edward used to be close friends until Alice-
Jasper didn't want to think about her. She'd caused more than enough trouble in Jasper's life than humanly possible. Jasper caught Edward's eye and waved to his old friend; Edward smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. Jasper was about to make his way over to talk when the shrill doorbell rang. Jasper wondered who it could possibly be since everyone knew not to use the doorbell; it was either knock and come right on in.
Bella broke away from Emmett to get the door. The crowd watched, too, wondering who it could be since everyone was already there. Jasper watched more closely, afraid it might be a murderer trying to thwart his plans for presidency by killing him, or worse, his friends. He was just about to see who it was when a guest spilled their drink on his shoe. He looked down ant his designer shoes, now coated with alcohol.
"I'm so sorry!" said the culprit.
"It's quite alright," Jasper said with a terse smile; he was already on edge. He didn't notice how silent it was until he heard a voice from his past he never wished to hear again.
"Hey, Bella! It's so nice to see you! Why does everyone look so shocked?"
It was Alice Brandon. Alice.
AN: Hey! This is my new story. I hope you like it. Review!