Pick Your Own Adventure O/S Contest
Title: Lake Pleasant
Rating & Any Needed Warnings: M for mature content
Word Count: 3000
Pairing: Jessica/Conner
Words Selected: Monday, Lake, Hatred, Tie, Lachrymose
Summary: Jess just can't take any more of Bella since the Cullen's have left, definitely not a Monday. She skips class to review her life and everything wrong about it.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Jessica is a bitch, but I try to give her a little more depth!
I should be in class, but she'd be there. After an entire weekend, I thought I'd be prepared to face her again, listen to her mechanical replies, her one-word answers. Instead, I was hiding here, on the edge of Lake Pleasant, hoping Mrs. Cope didn't call my mother before I could tell her I was sick.
My friendship with Bella Swan was supposed to have launched my social status, but now she was a weight dragging me down. She still sat at my table, still followed me to and from classes we shared, but there was nothing there. She wasn't lachrymose. She didn't scream or cry or... anything. She didn't do anything! It made me insane, hating her.
Angela pitied her. She thought it was terrible, what Edward Cullen had done to her. Really, what had she expected? It wasn't as though beautiful, aloof, cold Edward Cullen was in love with her. He didn't love anyone, unless it was himself. He didn't even seem to care that much for his adopted family. How could he love mousy, uninteresting, dowdy Bella Swan?
The sun shimmered on the surface of the water, obscured by clouds, but glittering regardless. I couldn't wait for the year to end. I was getting out of here. Away from cloudy, rainy, dreary Forks. I had hopes to take my drama classes and get into an arts program in Los Angeles. It didn't really matter where, or what, as long as it wasn't here. I'd had enough of this pokey town and everyone knowing everything about me. Some didn't. Some assumed I was a carbon copy of Mom. Granted, I didn't do much to dispel that image, imitating her mannerisms, joining in her gossip and everyone else's, but there was more to me than that.
Picking up a shiny red stone, I rubbed it. The sedimentary lines in it were pretty, dark and smoky against the smooth red. Granite, I thought, though I could be wrong. I wasn't a geologist or anything. It kinda looked like a really small, worn piece of marble. Holding it up, I turned it over in my fingers, diving even deeper into my silent rant on my life and everything wrong with it – hatred of Forks and everything in it.
Conner. That was one. He wasn't my boyfriend, though we'd gone on a single date. I was pretty sure he only asked me because Tyler was desperate not to be alone with Lauren. They were getting serious, and I could tell, even if Lauren was oblivious, that he was scared to take the next step. He wanted it, what boy didn't, but he was scared, too.
I understood. I had daydreamed of doing all sorts of nasty things with all sorts of boys, but if I really thought about it, as I did when Conner kissed me that night, I was scared to death of my first time. It was a stupid thing to worry about, I hadn't even touched a... dick. I threw the stone into the lake. Well, not on purpose.
I chuckled at the memory. I'd only been twelve and swimming at First Beach. Eric's shorts had gotten snagged on driftwood, and I'd tried to help him out. Neither of us would ever mention that again. I blushed in embarrassment even alone. Yep, chalk Eric and his... swim-shorts on the list of things I won't miss about Forks.
Laying back, I looked up at the gray sky. Always gray. Not a blanket today, thankfully. There were breaks, few and not large, but enough to cast shadows on the other clouds and light them in interesting ways, There was even one shaft of light that looked biblical, like God was blessing something over there. I wanted to scream that I was over here and could really use some blessing, but didn't, rolling onto my elbow.
I heard a squishing step just before a shoe came down in front of my face.
I jumped, sitting up quickly. That had almost been my nose! Scowling up at the intruder, I prepared to unleash insults.
"Hey," Conner said, sitting down beside me. "You weren't in class this morning."
I shrugged. "Didn't feel like it."
He just nodded. "Close enough to midterms that they aren't giving us anything new anyway." He pulled up a blade of grass and stuck it in his teeth.
"How'd you find me?" I asked, looking over my shoulder to see his car parked next to mine.
He shrugged. "Lucky guess." It was. I almost never came here. Neither did anyone else that I knew about, maybe fishermen.
I shivered a little, the damp from the grass having seeped into my jeans and jacket by now. What time was it? How long had I been here? Seemed close to lunch. I was hungry anyway and stood, thinking to grab something on my way back to Forks.
"Where you going?" he asked. "I just found you." He rolled and grabbed at my ankle.
"Hey, watch it!" I complained as I stumbled, nearly falling. "I'm going to warm up and get some lunch." I kicked off his hand.
"Oh. Can I drive you?"
I rolled my eyes. "What about my car?"
"We can come back." He trotted ahead of me, opening his car door. I looked him over and then sat in the passenger seat. He jumped in quickly, starting the engine and getting the heat turned up. He even pulled off his jacket and offered it to me.
"Thanks," I said, taking it. I shed mine, half soaked, before pulling it on. I didn't realize how cold I'd gotten until I felt the warmth he'd left in it. What a stupid idea, a lake in December.
Once the air was blowing hot, he turned the fan up and pointed it at me. "Better?" he asked, leaning over to me.
I nodded. "Still hungry though," I said with a small smile.
He pulled a bag from the back, his shoulder pressing into mine. I could smell his body wash, slightly musky, very different from my vanilla. As he slid back, his face was very close to mine. I held my breath as he hesitated there. I could see the freckles on his nose, so light I'd never noticed them before. I could also see the dark spots where he had shaved, probably only once or twice, but enough to make a shadow, the beginning of a mustache. His brown eyes were hidden by long curling lashes as he blinked. Then he was sitting back behind the wheel, pulling out a lunch.
"Not much," he warned, "just a sandwich and banana. Oh, and a cupcake." He smiled, offering it to me.
The icing had been crushed by the plastic wrap that surrounded it, but it was still bright green with a Hershey Kiss stuck in the middle.
"Thanks." I started to unwrap it, while he pulled out the sandwich, setting half aside for me. I nibbled slowly, trying not to leave crumbs. Conner downed half the sandwich in huge bites, then watched me pick away.
"You don't like it?" he asked.
I shook my head. "It's not that. It tastes great. My stomach's feeling..." It was doing cartwheels actually. Hungry as I was, I didn't think I could really eat anything.
He nodded, swallowing. The knot in his throat bobbed and I couldn't seem to take my eyes from it.
He leaned over toward me again, pulling the mangled cake from my fingers and setting it on the dashboard. Now I was staring at that, avoiding his eyes, his face.
"Jessica?" he asked, and I turned, my nose brushing his.
My breath caught, a gulp of him freezing in my lungs. He leaned further and his lips touched mine. I flinched slightly, still startled.
He sat back up, facing the windshield again. "Nevermind," he said, putting the car into reverse.
I yanked up the handbrake, leaning into him. "Wait."
He frowned at my hand, then smiled, seeing what I meant. He took the car out of gear again, and turned to me. I licked my lips, less confident. His smile grew, following my tongue. "What am I waiting for?" he asked, teasing.
I sat back, unimpressed. He didn't let me evade long, leaning into me. My hands came up, pinned between our chests as he pressed me into the door.
"Connor!" I mumbled against his kiss, completely blind-sided again.
"You're making this really difficult, you know." His eyes weren't as cold as his words, and his lips curled in a small smile. "Do you want me to wait, or not?" He quirked an eyebrow, drawing my attention to a zit on his forehead. That small red speck seemed to bring the reality of this home. This wasn't a fantasy, he wasn't flawless.
Sliding against the soft cotton of his shirt, my hands moved over his shoulders to wrap behind his neck. "Give a girl a little warning," I muttered and he chuckled, leaning his forehead to rest against mine.
"I'm going to kiss you now," he said with a grin. "Fair warning." Then he did. Not the peck from before, not even the gentle tasting of lips from that one date. He seemed to gobble my lips, pulling the bottom one into his mouth and scraping it lightly with his teeth. My stomach flipped again and I felt a burning running down my throat, through my belly and right to... Holy crap, he was a good kisser. And he didn't stop. My mouth opened in a sigh and he took full advantage, running his tongue over the inside of my lip, nipping it with his teeth again. My fingers curled in his hair, coarse and slightly oily, but smooth. He groaned into my mouth when my nails scratched his scalp and the sound made my heart jump, my chest pressing more tightly to his.
"God," he said, panting. "Do that." I hoped he could read my eyes, because I wasn't letting his lips or mine waste time on words. Licking his lip, pulling it between my teeth made him shift even further from his seat onto mine. The hard bulge in his pants pressed into my leg as he did, tightening his hold on my waist. I slipped a hand down to turn off the ignition, just in case.
"Good idea," he said quickly between kisses. His hands, before just holding my hips, keeping me from running, started to move now, up under my shirt, over my ribs. They were slightly cool and I shivered. "You're so hot." He pulled back slightly. "I mean... you are, but you're warm..."
I laughed. "Yeah, I got it." Tugging his hair, I watched his eyes roll back just before his face met mine.
I lost track of time. All my attention was on his lips, which left mine to instead brush my jaw, my neck. I kissed his forehead, his ears, while his hands drifted higher, over and under my bra. It was new and it was right. I was practically burning up. When they came down though, I panicked.
"Wait?" I begged, breathless. He had just popped the button of my jeans.
"Sure," he said, sliding his hand around my back. "Can I ask you not to wait?" he pleaded, shrugging the shoulder that was under my arm, the one with the hand in the back of his pants. I tightened my hold and he leaned his head to my shoulder, moaning a little.
"You can." I almost took it back when he unfastened his pants. Then, taking a deep breath, I slid my hand around to the front, to the hardness I'd become more acquainted with over our make-out session. It had already freed itself from his boxers and Conner seemed to be more comfortable that it was.
So different from the floppy hotdog-like member I'd grabbed by accident. Eric had been limp and wrinkly, Conner was thick and hard and the skin was so soft. My fingers brushed over it, in awe. His breath caught and his lips paused on my ear, tightening.
I didn't know what he wanted, but I curled my fingertips around him, barely touching that perfect smooth skin as they drifted up and down. His hips bucked slightly into mine, and I felt the wet spot at the tip. I put my index finger into it, circling the tiny hole I could feel there.
"Fuck, Jess." He bucked again, and I turned my head so my lips met his. He sounded so good. "You're sure I can't. Goddamn." He shuddered as I closed my hand around him, feeling that softness over hardness in my palm, soft skin over hard shaft. I almost wished I could see what I was doing... almost. That would probably just make this harder right now. Kissing him was better. Making my blood boil was so much better. He dropped my breasts, taking both my cheeks in his hands as he kissed me, his tongue probing, then caressing, then probing again.
His hips gave me cues as I stroked his length, sliding my hand down until I felt coarse hair against my pinky finger. My left hand was pinned, but I wiggled it free, wanting to touch him more. I slid one hand up under his shirt and he backed up just enough to pull it off. I got a glimpse at what I held, the sun making the slick spot on my hand shine. I rubbed my thumb over it and watched the shiver run through him.
"God, Jess. Have you done this before?" he asked, eyes closed.
"No," I answered honestly. "I'm... doing it right?"
"Holy shit," he cursed again. "You are." He leaned forward to kiss me, and my free hand followed his chest, rounded his neck and tugged his hair again, earning me another series of heated kisses. Then I slid it down, reaching into his boxers to comb through the hair there.
His kiss paused again. It was such a simple signal. Knowing I was doing something right, I cupped what I found, dragging my fingers from behind and cupping the sack. His hand, on my hip again, slipped, sliding down into the cleft of the seat. I heard his fingers gripping the vinyl there. What was he...
With a sharp intake of breath, he tightened, everywhere, shaking with the tension. My eyes, closed in his kisses flew open, worried. Then I felt the wetness spurting onto my hand and pulled the second to cover and catch as much as I could. He sagged into me, relaxing as completely as he had tensed.
"Wow," he said right in my ear. "That was better than... Wow."
"Wow," I agreed, hearing the content in his tone.
He didn't move quickly, and I was happy to have his arm around me, to gaze down his back, lean my head against his. When he finally did push back, there was a question on his face. "Why wow for you?" he asked.
I shook my head, not sure I could explain. It was incredible to watch, to feel, to partake. "That was amazing," I said simply.
He put a thumb under my eye. "Are you crying?" he asked in wonder.
I laughed, a little hysterically. "I don't know why." He was right though, there were tears in my eyes and a shudder in my belly. A strange anxiety holding me in its grip.
"Don't cry," he whispered, kissing my eyelids. "I'll wait."
That just made more come for some reason. Jeepers, Bella was the lachrymose one, not me. I sniffled though, still grinning and giggling a little.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again, sitting back a bit. He pulled his hand out and looked at it. There was a piece of deep red, almost burgundy, fabric in it - a tie. "So that's where I left that."
I laughed harder. "Another make-out session?" I asked, praying I was wrong.
He rolled his eyes. "Hardly. It's from my cousin's wedding last summer. Too hot for a tie." He pulled it around my neck then tied it on my head, holding my hair back. "Better." He kissed the exposed skin of my neck, not helping my fits of giggles.
There was a honk and we both sat up, looking out the rear window.
"Shit, it's Chief Swan," he said zipping himself up quickly. "I'll talk to him." He pulled on his shirt, but I still wore his jacket. He exited anyway.
I nodded, sinking lower in my seat, hoping he didn't recognize me.
Not the way I'd expected my Monday to go, but I wasn't complaining, even if my Mom learned all of it from the police chief. Smiling, I found a napkin on the floor and cleaned my hands. I was still smiling, though Conner wasn't. He pulled his jacket down my shoulders.
"We have to go. Do you want me follow you somewhere?" he asked, slipping the jacket on while I donned mine.
"No, I'm going to go home. Try to make Mom believe I was actually sick." I opened the door, stopping at a tug against my hair, on the tie.
"I'll see you tomorrow? Maybe tomorrow night?" he asked, smiling.
My lips curled up further. "I'd like that." Leaning to kiss him once more, a peck the Chief wouldn't question, I crossed to my own vehicle.
Charlie Swan stood outside his cruiser, hands on hips. I faked a cough. "Hi, Chief Swan," I said hoarsely. "Getting out of the house was a bad idea."
He didn't smile or nod, just watched silently until I pulled away.
"Add Charlie Swan to people I won't miss from Forks," I muttered aloud, seeing him in the rear-view mirror. "And take Conner off," I added with a grin.