A/N: I probably should have disclosed this earlier, but this story does not take place in the present day. I started writing this back when I myself was in high school, finally finding the nerves to first publish it when I got to college in 2015. But know that this takes place in the year 2012, as Renesmee is six years old.
Chapter Two:
The Midnight Club
Third Person POV
The number of times the young half breed had felt anything akin to panic were few and far between, her short life being one filled with every possible want or need being met before she even knew she had them. She never had to worry for her safety, or about making a big and life changing decision on her own.
But as of today, the security her innocence and childhood had brought her would be no more. It wouldn't protect her from the trials of the real world. In the world that lay beyond the stretch of the family estate she had so long been bound to.
High School.
Today was her first day of high school.
And she couldn't find that freakin' cardigan to save her life.
Whack.
All listening ears tuned in at the sudden sound, the crash of something heavy in the girl's bedroom upstairs echoing loudly throughout the large house. Her parents shared a worried glance, before finally one of them went up to check.
They opened her door softly, daring to peek in to see what was happening.
The auburn-haired girl fluttered about the large bedroom hastily, her inhuman speed making her look as though she were a hummingbird, frantic to find a flower to land on.
Only she couldn't find the flower she searched for, her heart rate high as she began to stress more and more with each moment that passed. And still no cardigan in sight.
Her mother cleared her throat, though unneeded to announce her presence, it was a polite habit they developed.
The panicked girl stopped suddenly, long curly hair fanning behind her as she turned quickly to see who was at her door. Her wide, brown eyes bore into her mother's golden ones, a silent plea.
"What on earth is going on?" her mother asked, taking in the room's destroyed state. Clothes strewn across every surface save for the actual closet, her bed covered in a mountain of discarded sweaters and tops. She couldn't hide the humored grin that snuck onto her lips at the sight, finding the girl's flustered state over her first day of school to be quite amusing.
She had been waiting for this day ever since she had learned what school even was.
And why she had never been able to go.
Until now.
The girl sighed, throwing up her arms in mock surrender before falling back onto her bed in defeat, the mountain of clothes enveloping her in their embrace. She slowly sat up a moment later, shoulders slumped as she looked to her mom.
They looked like sisters, their physical appearances showing not the slightest difference in age. Looking to be in their late teens.
Outsiders were none the wiser.
"I can't find my top! The one that- the one that Alice helped me pick out!" she started, a slight pouty-whine to her voice, "It was all laid out, now when I finally need it- it's up and vanished! Grown a pair of legs!"
Her mother laughed then, not begin able to hide her amusement any longer. She moved to sit next to her on the bed, deciding to step in and bring the misery to an end.
She placed a gentle hand atop her daughters, her daughter's hand a fiery furnace in comparison to her own icy one. Even after those few short years she had yet to get used to the difference. She gave the hand a slight squeeze.
"Now remember, what was it that Esme taught you?" she inquired, raising a perfectly arched brow. Her daughter smiled slightly, thinking back to the conversation she had with her grandmother. She had only just turned three, though her body and mind showed otherwise, she was like a middle schooler in every other way at the time.
"Every fabric has its own scent," she recalled, remembering how her Nana had shown her different types of garments, helping her memorize the smells. Her mother smiled, nodding that she was correct.
"Try to find it, it can't be far. It's made of cotton, no?" she asked, to which her daughter enthusiastically agreed. She stood from the bed, taking a good look around the room before closing her eyes to concentrate.
Her senses were heightened, just as the others in her family, only not nearly as powerful. It took concentration and focus, but after a moment of carefully moving through the room she stopped. A giddy laugh escaping her lips.
She leaned over the carved, wooden chest by the window. From behind it, she pulled out the clothing in question, a forest green cardigan. Her mother only laughed. She smiled sheepishly as she put it on over her white blouse, smoothing out the sleeves.
"I guess I flung it back there when I was rummaging through the dresser," she said, a light blush gracing her cheeks. She stood before the full length mirror, taking in her outfit.
She had started getting ready at the crack of dawn- not even bothering to sleep, she said she was too excited- taking every possible spare moment to get ready for the day. She wanted to look perfect. Her aunt, Alice, had pestered her over letting her pick the perfect outfit for her, but she refused. She wanted to decide on her own, even though she knew Allie had already seen it.
The deep green of the cardigan brought out the intensity of her fiery hair, her dark-washed denim jeans accentuating the long length of her legs. She looked every bit the part of a normal high schooler. Her mother came to stand behind her, admiring how she had grown. Wondering where that short time went.
She was shorter than her daughter by several inches, the comparison quite humorous when they remembered that she was, in reality, a six-year-old.
Their normal wasn't exactly, well, normal.
But they wouldn't change it for the world.
She rested her hand on the auburn girl's arm, squeezing it gently as she met her eye in the mirror. She could hardly hold in her excitement.
"You'll do great, Ness. I have no doubt," she said warmly, to which her daughter smiled, turning to give her a hug.
They stood there for a moment, before Renesmee broke apart first, holding her mother at arm's length. A mischievous glint in her eye.
"I know I will, Bella," she said, mockingly. It earned a faux look of warning from her mother.
She delighted in the fact she would get to take part in the sibling charade for the first time, it tickling her to no end that she would call her parents by their real names. Edward and Bella. Her "adopted siblings."
They were all amused by how it excited her.
Nothing could dampen her mood on such an exciting day.
The same could not, however, be said for another member of their large family.
It was going to be a very long day for him.
Jasper POV
I had never, not in the nearly six decades I had known Alice, doubted my sister's words.
Her visions of the future.
If she said it would be so, it always would come to pass without fail. I had no reason to doubt her.
But as I stood there that morning, buttoning the shirt she had laid out for me to wear for that day, I couldn't keep the thoughts of doubt from flooding my mind.
There was no way that today would be the day.
The day I met her.
It just seemed too out of reach, it always had.
I had never given much thought to the possibility that someone like her would exist for me- another half, cut the same. Not after the life I had lived, the things I had done.
I stood there in front of the mirror, eyes never leaving the mangled scars that scattered the exposed flesh at my neck.
The terrible things I had done would always be a part of me, a burden I carried.
Why would I wish that burden upon another?
It was just a normal night at our residence in Alaska, nearly six months ago. Everyone was doing their usual thing, most of us sitting in content silence.
"Oh, Jazz, I can see it now!" Alice gushed, the quietness that had just moments before enveloped the living room was ruined by her shrilled voice. Her eyes clearing as she reemerged from her dreamlike state- she had a vision. Her words had startled everyone, confusing more so than anything. I had frozen completely, alarm and worry the first to come to mind at her calling my name.
Edward had been the only one to catch on immediately, a scowl firmly settling onto his face as he interpreted the vision. I noted the unease that came off him in waves.
Yet Alice never faltered in her excitement, rising from her seat beside her mate to float over to the armchair where I had sat. She had rested her petite hands on my arm, squeezing it gently. Her excitement was so powerful I'd never forget it, the energy almost intoxicating.
She had smiled widely, her tiny face barely able to hold it. I could only raise a brow in question.
"Do you remember- remember when we first arrived at the Cullen's?" she began, questioning. Her voice a soft whisper as she continued, "I had a vision, one I had seen a future... one with you and another vampire?"
Oh. I barely managed a nod as the memory resurfaced.
The vision. The one where she saw-
"Your mate?" Edward finished for her, his tone biting. Though feeling his emotions, I knew it didn't carry. He was still wary, but not as angered as his tone led one to believe.
I didn't dare move. I sat there, waiting for Alice to confirm such a thing.
She nodded eagerly, and I bristled.
"Jazz... I saw it! Again, I saw the very same vision. Only this time- oh, this time!" she said giggling, her excitement was so strong she could hardly finish, interrupting herself.
"She's so close, Jazz! I can see it so clearly now, we must go to her!" she exclaimed happily, shaking my arm in her hold. I felt numb and alight with fire at the same time.
For a vampire, my thought processing was pretty shit at that moment. I struggled to put two and two together.
A wince from Edward then at her words, and I couldn't let it go. I looked at him, quizzically, for an elaboration.
He looked apologetic as if he had kicked a puppy.
I'd rather he had done that than what came out of his mouth then.
"She's alive-" he said, a heavy emphasis on the word alive.
"She's still human."
A gasp was all that could be heard then.
An angered growl echoed off the walls.
I couldn't process a bit of it, the emotions of those around me so powerful I couldn't even think on my own. How did I even feel about that?
A smashing vase was heard in the distance, the room breaking out into literal chaos around me over the news. Over the news of my mate.
And yet I couldn't even argue with myself over it.
The only thing coming to my mind was a burning question, one I still couldn't shake.
Would she reject me? When she discovered what I was?
I was all but dragged out of my thoughts by the knock at my bedroom door.
A second later the pixie in question came peeking in, her spiky hair dotting her head like a crown of wild thorns.
She gave a small, warm smile before entering the room completely, striding over to where I stood.
She raised a brow quizzically, though she no doubt needed no explanation for my slowness at getting dressed. I had been getting dressed for the last hour, ten times the amount of time it normally took me to get ready.
She had no doubt seen it, my hesitance, hence why she had stepped in to get the job done herself.
A slight tug on my sleeve, she began meticulously rolling them up before speaking.
"Don't be nervous, Jazz," she said softly, peering up at me as she moved on to the next sleeve. I let her work, silent. I met her eye, noting the mischief lingering there amongst the swirls of gold.
"Me? Nervous?" I scoffed lowly, half-heartedly. "Never."
She smiled, happy that I was at least talking. Even I was glad I could manage that. She finished the sleeve, patting my shoulder lightly once when she was done.
"You know, we've gone over this a thousand times," she said, walking over to the small dresser in the far corner, bringing over the watch she and Michael had given me last Christmas. She handed it to me. "You're going to be fine. She's going to be fine."
Fine, as in I won't kill her on the spot.
As if my life hadn't been complicated enough.
How suiting it was that I would be given a mate- a fragile and very human- mate.
I sighed, taking the watch with a nod of thanks before putting it on. I looked at the delicate hands ticking away at the seconds that passed.
45 minutes until I met her.
Alice had seen the exact moment- the moment we'd walk through the doors, the moment I'd meet her eye.
She had counted it, laid it all out like a game plan, how it was going to go down.
It was the reason we had moved to this place.
A random town in the middle of nowhere.
Lakewood, Alabama.
It had its charms, the town had its own movie theater and mall.
Two things that Forks had lacked.
Yet out of all the places I would meet her, it would be at the school.
The blasted high school.
I was starting to think the Cullens were cursed.
Alice had to all but pull me with her down the stairs to get me to leave my spot before the mirror, to get me out of the safe confines of my room. To face the day.
Everyone had gathered in the living room, the couples scattered around, sitting in different sofas and love seats. Each ready for their first day. Wedding bands and any physical indicators that showed their age were put away and out of sight, everything down to their toes were reflective of the young adult fashion of the season.
Renesmee was all but bouncing with her joy and excitement at the adventure that lay ahead of her, her energy like a bolt of lightning. We had all heard her fluttering through her room all night and morning, her excitement too much for her to sleep. Not that she needed it much, anyway.
Some were weary, Rosalie simmering in her unease and disdain.
What was new.
We were ready to go; the drive ahead would have us arriving exactly on time. We piled into our respective vehicles; Alice, Michael, Emmett, and Rosalie rode in the latter's Mercedes-Benz. I rode with the small family of three in Edward's Volvo.
I found Renesmee's excitement to be more bearable than Alice and Rosalie's conflicting emotions, the small red car was like a ticking time bomb with the two of them in one place together. I was thankful for Bella's mild emotional output.
But the ride was still painful, as I battled with my own emotions.
I always struggled with my thirst, and I doubt she would be an exception.
What if she rejected me?
The thousands of thoughts that plagued me had finally gotten to Edward it seemed before he finally sent a death glare to me through the rearview mirror. I had been, by extension of his gifts, torturing him as well with my plagued thoughts over the last few months.
I sent apologetic feelings his way.
Instead, I did my best to focus on what the hybrid next to me was feeling, her emotions strong enough to distract me, at least a little bit.
She had been beyond excited to finally join the rest of us in our show of being high schoolers.
Her rapid growth had always prevented her before, as it was much too obvious if she had been in public.
She loved people, even from the earliest age. She was compassionate, wanting to volunteer and take whatever trips her parents would allow to help others.
They didn't approve community service with close contact with humans, so rather they had let her spend her time helping out at the local animal shelters in the last place we had resided in.
Alaska.
She had hated the solitude and cold weather that came with living there. But the only place she had to compare it to was Forks, where she was born. Even then her social interactions were limited to her grandfather and friends in La Push.
Now, she was going to be able to interact with the humans she had been kept away from. And enjoy the warmth of a much different climate than those she was used to.
I was happy for her to finally experience those things.
We all were.
I only hoped I didn't ruin it for her.
I was pulled out of my thoughts as we pulled in to the parking lot of the school. Nessie all but leaned her head out the window to get a better look at the place, her face smashed against the glass.
It was the only school on this side of the county, making it much larger than the past few we had attended.
4,000 students went to school here.
I wondered how I was supposed to find her in such a large student body.
But Alice had sworn, it wouldn't be hard.
We parked at the back of the lot, the giant expanse of parking spaces full of cars for the large student body. Not that we minded, we usually liked the distance from humans. The more the better for blending in.
Everyone huddled between the cars for a moment, silently preparing ourselves for the day at hand.
Another school, just like the dozens we had attended before.
Nothing different.
Renesmee was actually now dancing in her place, hair bouncing with her excited movements next to me. Like a toddler that had snuck a bag of candy and eaten it in one go.
We all laughed at her antics, the moment a welcomed distraction.
10 minutes.
Renesmee led the way to the main building, barely able to keep herself from running top speed to the door.
I hung back at the far back of the group.
The front foyer was large and grand, surprising for a school, obviously one that received a lot of support from the district and local community. Floor to ceiling cases lined the walls to our left and right, filled to the brim with award plaques and trophies.
There was a giant mosaic of the school mascot on the tile floor below- a black and crimson logo reading below it in bold script.
The Lakewood Falcons.
A gaudy show of school spirit and pride in their accomplishments. I had an inkling that they took their sports a bit too seriously.
Ahead was the main office, two hallways on either side that led to the rest of the school, and we filed in one by one into the small room. Renesmee all but jumped on the counter, fingers splayed out on the marble countertop as she got the attention of the secretary sitting there.
The middle-aged woman startled, her red glasses falling down her nose a bit as she jumped. Upon readjusting herself she couldn't help but stare, as was expected, at our looks.
She stammered for words. I gave her a heavy dose of confidence and calm to ease her.
"Oh, hello! May I help you, dears?"
Renesmee smiled widely at the woman, "Yes, we're here for our school tour and orientation."
The lady blinked hard in her daze, dazzled by the eight creatures before her. It took her a moment for the information to click. She scrambled to find something in her desk, fumbling through folders.
"Oh heavens, yes, of course, you must be the Cullens!" she exclaimed happily, the twang of her accent tickling my ears, as she found the file she was looking for, bringing it to the counter. She pulled out eight sets of stapled papers, handing them to Renesmee.
"Of course, we've been expecting you! Please, do wait in the main lobby for just a minute. Our student guide will be out shortly to give you all the tour. These papers tell you all you need to know about your semester schedules and a detailed campus map," she said, flustered. "If you have any problems, just let me know! I'm Ms. Hawthorne if you ever need anything."
With a wide smile and words of thanks from Renesmee, we all filed back out and into the large, open lobby. Nessie handed each of us our papers, eagerly flipping through her schedule. Of course, she already knew them thanks to Alice. But she looked like she had been given the golden ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
We stood there in a half circle for a few moments more, committing the map and schedules to memory, some looking at the various trophies to waste the time.
The silence was broken by the echoing of footsteps, coming from the hallway to the right of the office.
I involuntarily stiffened. Bracing myself for whatever was about to happen.
The others did the same, moving to stand in a more uniform line instinctually.
Alice was bouncing on her toes again. It was time.
I wondered briefly if I would see her on the tour, maybe she was in one of the classrooms we would pass.
The footsteps got louder and louder until, finally, the person emerged from around the corner. Bringing my silent musing to a sudden halt.
I didn't dare breathe or blink for that matter. Committing the sight to memory.
It was true that each person was unique, that no person was the same. We all varied in some way. But in her case, it was most certainly true.
There was no one like her. Nothing came close.
She was taller than Bella, yet somewhere between her height and Nessie's. Athletic in build, softly defined muscles flexing with her movements as she approached.
Her caramel hair falling down to her middle back in light waves, flashes of blonde hidden amongst the light brown depending on the angle of light.
She wore a quarter-length button up top made of soft, flowy fabric, dusty rose in color. Dark denim skinny jeans with camel booties. A dainty gold necklace and small gold studs were the only jewelry she wore.
I hated that I knew so much about the fashion she wore, no thanks to Alice and Rosalie.
Her skin was tanned, evidence of long periods of time in the sun. The healthy glow a stark contrast to the almost sickly pale of my siblings and me.
Her features were delicate, a heart-shaped face. Deep-set eyes shown brightly against her tanned skin, a deep green like the forests of Olympia. She wore little makeup, a slight tint of blush and mascara the only noticeable cover.
I was never more grateful that I hadn't breathed in.
It was her.
I couldn't look away.
Not that I ever planned to.
She smiled warmly, taking in the large group of our family, eyes slightly wide in her shock at our looks, though she did well in hiding it after the initial take.
She was relaxed and comfortable, an interesting emotional combo in the presence of my family, normally people would be frightened for dazzled. But not her, she was calm.
A trait I had sometimes found in kind people, they never judged, not even when their instincts told them otherwise.
Her demeanor confirmed that, her eyes kind and gentle. Posture open and relaxed.
"Hi, everyone. Welcome to Lakewood," she said, her voice soft and inviting. She had a compelling tone to her, a charismatic person indeed.
Renesmee, who stood to my left, was practically vibrating in her concealed excitement, trying so hard to put on a show that she was a cool and collected teenager. Even Alice was doing a better job at containing her excitement, though her inner emotions were practically screaming at me.
It was a lot to take in.
She noted the papers we each held in our hands, smiling a bit wider now as she grew more comfortable. "I see Ms. Hawthorne has already given you your schedules. Before we get started does anyone have an issue with them so we can get that sorted out before we begin?" She asked, and at the shake of our heads, she continued.
"Great! Well, I guess I owe you all an introduction," she said, and I couldn't help the anticipation that welled up in my chest. Yes, indeed she did. I needed to know her name. She gestured to herself, lightly placing her hand over her heart.
"My name is Catherine Anderson, although most call me Cat or Cate, depending on who you ask," she said happily, her tone joking at the last bit as she smiled. It was intoxicating almost, something I had never felt before. It made me want to join in with her.
The pull had been described by my siblings so many times, and even the emotions I could feel secondhand on occasion. But nothing compared to feeling it myself, truly, for the first time.
Catherine.
I replayed the name in my head a million times over by the time she next spoke.
"I'm the student body president, and am a senior this year, as I understand four of you also are," she said, her tone questioning as she looked between us all. Trying to guess who was who. Her eyes landed on the most obvious senior, Renesmee, the emotions that rolled off her apparent to even the human in the room, and her age was telling.
She had stopped aging finally just a few months ago, her appearance allowing her to barely pass as a high schooler, though it would be more fitting that she be a college student. She wouldn't keep up the facade of a teenager for long at all.
Catherine gave her a small grin, delicately arched brow raised as she guessed, "I'm going to take a guess and say you must be Renesmee? Or maybe Rosalie?" she asked, her words slowing as she tried to pronounce her name. We all stifled a laugh, the odd name was probably a confusing one to translate from paper into spoken words.
Renesmee blushed, nodding happily. She corrected her, introducing herself. Catherine blushed too, a small apology and laugh escaping her pink lips.
The sound of her laugh was like music to my ears. And I would do whatever it took to have her laugh forever.
She turned to my other sibling, the gorgeous and sulking blonde to my right. "And you must be Rosalie!" she said happily, paying no mind to the blonde's dismissal of looking away at the attention. If it bothered her, she showed no sign of it emotionally or physically, letting the insulting behavior roll off her back like rain on an umbrella.
She could hold her own, I mused. Her strong will was evident, and it pleased a part of me to see that.
I wouldn't have to worry about Rosalie scaring her off.
Not that she was the only thing that would, our family had a closet full of skeletons that could just as easily ward her off. Literally.
I tried to push that thought away, stomping out the bad vibes as fast as they came, instead focusing in on the emotions she was feeling.
The warmth was grounding.
She moved along the list then, trying to pinpoint the two remaining seniors then, the two males. It was very easy to disregard Edward to be in the running for that one, his babyface clear that he was far under 21. Michael was slightly harder to tell, depending on how he chose to present himself.
She looked to the most obvious of our group, a sense of humor bubbling within her stronger the longer she looked at him. She found his monstrous size to be hilarious.
"I think it's safe to say you wouldn't need an I.D. check if you tried to get into a bar," she laughed, unable to hide the mirth that shined in her eyes. Emmett's booming laughter echoed off the walls, joining her soft one as he chuckled.
He nodded, giving her a wiggle of the brows, loving every second of the attention, "Emmett," was all he said as his introduction. She nodded, amused, in greeting.
And finally, the moment I had dreaded yet at the same time craved was upon me as she turned to see who was the last male in the group. Her eyes flickered to mine, and it felt like the wind had been knocked out of me as she met my gaze for the first time.
Her eyes widened in her own equally strong sense of shock, and I didn't dare lose focus on her emotions, wanting to analyze every single one. To see if she rejected me. Was afraid of me.
I was shocked to find none of those emotions there. Only surprise and a feeling of great fluster.
She blushed heavily, averting her eyes to the ground quickly to compose herself. She tucked a strand of hair out of her face, fidgeting before she regained her composure.
I found it most endearing that she reacted in such a way. I sent her a small wave of calm and confidence that she had been so boldly wearing only moments ago, subconsciously trying to make her feel secure. As cute as it was, it unsettled me to find her emotions to be weary and embarrassed.
She lost her voice momentarily, and to try and make things easier on her I swooped in, introducing myself for her. She smiled gratefully, that none of us made the small moment out to be anything.
Though I most certainly did and would remember it forever.
She smiled brighter then, much more welcoming than she had been towards the others, and I'll admit it most certainly had something to do with my abilities to strengthen her confidence and calm.
"It's nice to meet you, Jasper," she said, the sound of my name on her voice was like music to my ears.
I didn't bother hiding the small smirk that emerged on my lips.
She continued on with her introductions, finding Alice to be entertaining. Finally, after what felt like an eternity- but in reality was only about five minutes- we were ready to get on with the tour.
She led the way down the hall she had emerged from, taking confident strides through the empty halls. The semester had started only two weeks before we had arrived, and the rest of the student body had started their lessons.
She would stop outside the rooms of our classes, noting who would have which teacher and a little background about them. It was informative, and it was nice to know that she enjoyed the job she had. I was content just taking in the happy and positive emotions she felt as she went about the tour, the banter she had picked up with Emmett and the sweet conversations she had already started up with Nessie and Alice were touching. That she was already so comfortable around my family.
I had hung back towards the end of our group, finding the space to be best. At least for now. I was hyper-aware of every move I made. I didn't want to come off as aggressive or intimidating. It would be a long process.
I wanted to get to know her, build a friendship. If it were possible.
It wouldn't be fair to sweep her up and take her like some prize to be claimed, though for our kind it was often like that. She was a human girl- one who knew nothing of our true nature and the connection I felt towards her.
She would be the one to make that choice.
I only hoped it would be one that mirrored my own intentions.
I was drawn out of my thoughts when a loud, sharp ring echoed through the halls. Startling Catherine's words mid-sentence as she was explaining to Alice that they had chemistry lab together. I was going to be in that class with them as well.
The loud bell had signified the end of the first period, and she apologized for the interruption, asking for us to stay to the side as the students flooded out into the halls.
It was like a hive, the hum of the students loud in the air as they hurried along through the halls, groups huddling together as they conversed. Fitting in as much gossip as they could in the short five-minute break.
Our presence didn't go unnoticed, heads turning every which way to get a glimpse of the new kids. And not just any new kids- eight highly attractive new kids. For the first time that day Rosalie perked up, hyper-aware of the attention she was getting from the onlookers.
Poor Renesmee looked like a deer in headlights, and it took Bella's squeeze of her hand to snap her out of the daze. She had been staring right back at the humans. Like a kid at the zoo.
I paid the stares little mind, my focus still on our guide. Catherine.
It was quickly becoming apparent that she had a large role here, various students of all ages stopping to say hello to her and chat in passing. She knew a lot of people. And a lot of people seemed to know her, and like her just the same.
The knowledge was slightly painful, and the apologetic look in Edward's eye confirmed my worries. She would have a very high-profile life, making it hard for us to build a relationship with her. For me to.
The more attention on us, the harder it would be to keep our nature a secret.
It was yet another hurdle I would have to face.
My internal turmoil was brought to a halt when a group of three guys approached, and it was instinctual that I sized them up.
They wore letterman jackets, the patches on their arms telling me they were football players. I froze when Catherine turned around at the middle guy's call of her name.
"What's up Cat?" he called, a grin eating away at his face, "we missed you in English this morning."
I took in his frame, it was muscular and tall, just like the other two boys. The body of a quarterback or defensive lineman.
It meant nothing compared to my strength. He'd snap like a toothpick.
She smiled when she realized who it was, laughing lightly when he threw his arm over her shoulder. It took everything in me not to snap, instinctually. I was like a raw nerve, and it took Emmett's grip on my arm to snap me out of it.
I couldn't help the possessiveness that came over me, and I felt a tinge of guilt for feeling so. But I never took my glare off the boy, not a chance. His risky hands would be toothpick shards if they ventured any further.
"Well look who it is, if it isn't Mr. Star Player and his groupies!" she teased, earning laughs from the three boys. She mockingly punched him in the side, and he withdrew his arm, standing back a bit with the others. He had a mop of messy brown hair, the boyishness of his face had yet to fade from his adolescence even though he was clearly around eighteen. They all towered over her, though only slightly, her posture strong and demanding. She could hold her own ground.
I had to repetitively remind myself of that when I assessed their emotions.
Humor, the primary emotion waifing off the boy at the center, Mr. Sticky Fingers. It seemed he was in the clear, his own emotions for her more so that of a friend, as a sibling. Though there was an underlying sense of arousal and flirtation from the other two boys, directed at her. They didn't know her nearly as well.
It was incredibly too hard to keep from giving in to my temptation, to send them all such strong emotion of fear and horror that they'd wet their pants.
Another firm squeeze of my arm from Emmett kept me grounded, and the slight inching of Michael closer to me didn't go unnoticed.
"I'm on student council duties today," she said, before turning to gesture to us, "I'm showing around the new kids to their classes for tomorrow, this is the Cullens."
Their eyes widened as they noticed, taking in the buzzed-about new kids.
Mr. Sticky Fingers smiled, his eyes slightly wide in unabashed amazement. He cocked his head to the side, a sense of sudden confidence waifing off him as his eyes landed on Renesmee. Edward seemed to catch on quickly, moving to stand taller and closer to her.
"Why hello there," he said, his voice noticeably dropped a level. Eyes never leaving her form. I could practically feel Rosalie's eyes roll in to the back of her head.
She shifted uneasily, looking to her mother for help on what to do. She never let her polite smile drop though, her trust and desire to mingle with humans stronger than her discomfort at the attention.
"Hi," she said, softly. He smiled wider at the returned acknowledgment. Though at the behavior Edward was exhibiting he chose to look away, eyes immediately drawn to the mountain of a man that was Emmett.
He whistled, eyes shot up as he took in the sheer mass that was my brother.
"Wow, man," he said, shaking his head in disbelief, "please tell me you plan on signing up for the team this year."
Emmett laughed, a bit smug at the attention. He crossed his arms, unabashedly showing off his flex. Again, I could feel Rosalie's irritation growing by the second.
He shook his head, "No, throwing and catching balls isn't really my cup of tea."
The guys' faces all fell at the news. A player like Emmett could single-handedly destroy any team they faced. We knew it from the first-hand experience.
He had once taken off Michael's arm playing a game of football in the backyard. And it had been on accident. No one wanted to find out what would happen if his opponents were a bunch of pubescent humans.
"Well, if you ever change your mind, dude. Let me know," he said, before Catherine butted in, reigning in the conversation. She lightly tapped his arm.
"Alright, Alright, I think you've pestered the Cullens enough for one day, Josh."
He threw his hands up in mock surrender, to which she laughed lightly.
"My bad, my bad. Fine. But, Cat, don't forget about us!" He said, pointing a finger at her, narrowing his eyes, "We still exist! Take a break from all the committees and council work at lunch and come sit with us, we all miss you at the round table!"
She laughed, nodding that she indeed would join them later, before shooing them away.
She turned back to us, an apologetic look in her eye.
"Sorry about him," she said, a slightly humored look in her eye, "Josh tends to put his foot in his mouth more often than not."
Emmett chuckled.
The halls had cleared by the time the boys had turned the corner, and with a small smile, she was back to where she had started. We continued through the campus.
I never wanted it to end. I was content just listening to her talk about the school, the classes, and the little funny stories she had about certain teachers when she passed their rooms. I could listen to her talk all day.
She compared her schedule to each of ours, and I was delighted that we shared three classes together. But it also stung because I selfishly wished I had more time with her. Renesmee was delighted as well to know she had four classes with the girl, and I was jealous of the fact.
She would get to see my mate more than I did.
We had made our way around the campus, going through all the main buildings and floors where relevant rooms and amenities would be should we need them.
From her side conversations with Alice and Renesemee, I learned that she was on the soccer team, head player and Captain. A piece of information that made a deeper part of me practically purr in delight.
She didn't boast, didn't gossip about anything with them, which was a nice change. So many teenagers these days, boys and girls alike, tended to be quite boring in their conversation and interests.
It was a breath of fresh air to listen to her animated conversations with Alice, keeping up with every colorful topic the pixie brought up.
We made our way back to the main lobby, the fluorescent lights from above making her hair look lighter than it was in the natural light. I tried to commit the image to memory, knowing that I would never forget it. The way she looked when I first saw her.
I hadn't even spoken more than two words to her.
But it felt like I had known her for a lifetime.
She stayed with us for a moment, continuing to chat away with Alice and Renesmee about a brand of clothing that they liked, before the conversation died down. Promises that they couldn't wait to meet up again in class.
No one was surprised that Alice reached in for a hug as we said our goodbyes, though the lack of reaction to the cold touch was interesting. She didn't hesitate or flinch from the cold, as most humans did. Nor did she react funny when she felt the overheated touch of Renesmee's skin.
I noted the odd interaction but wrote it off as just an insistent need to be polite.
"Well, I hope you all find Lakewood to be a great place to start fresh," she said, her green eyes scanning over each of us. Her eyes lingered on mine for a second, a fluttering in my hollow chest as I was delighted that she was enamored with me. Even if it was only a fraction of what I felt for her.
It was there.
"I'll see you all tomorrow!" she said cheerfully, and with a final goodbye from us all, we left.
She stood in the lobby as we walked out the front doors, one by one and out to the cars.
I had to think through my steps, forcing each leg to move.
My instincts begging me to stay. Stay with her.
Don't let her go!
Emmett's reassuring grip as he threw his arm over my shoulder was much appreciated, and I sent a few of my thanks to him. Words still unable to form, my mind boggled with the overpowering instincts.
We took off as soon as the last car door closed, Michael speeding down the road. They had led me to their red car without a word, a silent understanding that I needed the added comfort only my two oldest companions could grant me. Rosalie had begrudgingly ridden with Edward and the girls.
Alice leaned back over the middle of the dash, eyes alight in her excitement. She squealed as she looked at me.
"Oh, Jasper!" She said excitedly, "Didn't I tell you? Oh, didn't I tell you! It was perfect!"
I looked at her wearily, her bubbly emotions mixing with my unsure ones oddly. Emmett slapped my shoulder jokingly. He wiggled his brows.
"I think Jasper has a crush for a certain little cat, don't you think, guys?" he joked, and I frowned at him. I gave him a warning look, the two in the front seat laughing along with him at the joke.
"Don't you worry, Jazz. It's going to be great. You'll see," Alice said through her laughter.
"It's all going to work out just fine. After all, I've seen it."
Her words stung me oddly, hitting a place I hadn't felt before. Something taunting, looming over me. An intuition.
Maybe, it would be. But I had a feeling it would be far from easy to get there.
I only hoped I could make that vision a reality.