Chapter Three: First Smell
I could tell at once that something was wrong with Jasper when he and Alice walked into the house. No one else was home and there were only two more days until school started up again. I had been thinking of going out hunting again but the look on their faces drove my thirst away from my mind.
"What happened?" I asked, but I immediately heard their thoughts and knew.
Alice's were calm and concise while Jasper's were quick, but staggered. They had gone up to Denali to meet with Tanya and the others. Everything was fine until they decided to go hunting. I had seen Jasper hunt and when he's satiating his thirst it's as if everything else around him disappears. Alice likes to follow him and wait until he's no longer in his hunting mode before she finds her own prey, to kind of make sure nothing bad happens. He's the one that's had the hardest time adjusting to our way of life.
Well, this time they just so happened to come across some hikers who had gotten lost. Alice didn't see it because it wasn't the hikers intent to go where they were hunting, it was an accident. It wasn't until she saw Jasper raise his head from the downed elk, a rivulet of blood dripping down the corner of his mouth, that she smelled their blood.
It was sweet, even I was tempted. Alice thought, defending Jasper.
I can't believe…I'm such a monster… Jasper was swimming in his own self-pity.
I could tell right away that Jasper didn't drain them of blood because his eyes weren't red. I listened more intently to their thoughts, but I didn't need to—Alice began speaking.
"Jasper, you were able to control yourself. I'm so proud of you." Alice said softly, stroking Jasper's arm.
He looked like he was in a daze and his thoughts were repeating themselves over and over again, I almost--I'm such a monster…
"I stopped him," Alice said, looking up at me, still holding Jasper in her arms. "I went back and showed the hikers where to go. I bet they'll retelling the story to their friends, that they got lost and a ghost showed them the way." Alice gave a small smile.
"Jazz," I said quietly. "You didn't do anything wrong. We all have our bad days."
The next day the others arrived and Jasper's story was retold to them. Esmé went to go comfort him, trying to tell him the same thing Alice and I tried to; that under the circumstances, he did a remarkably well job.
"I don't think I should be here any more." Jasper said, standing up to face all of us. "I'm a liability. If I make one little mistake I could put you all in danger."
No! Alice screamed in her head. She ran towards him, hugging him to her. "Don't go, please! We're a family and we can't quit on each other."
"Alice is right." Carlisle said, stepping closer to Jasper. "We are a family, a little unconventional, but that's besides the point. Family stick together. You didn't even have a slip up. Next time you go hunting we'll have Emmett go with you."
"Yeah," Emmett said enthusiastically. "I'll slam your ass to the ground before I let you suck a human."
Jasper sighed, "What if it happens at school? There's so much blood there…"
"You're never alone in a class." I said, knowing that the one class he didn't have with Alice, he had with me. "None of us will let it happen, and neither will you."
Jasper began to think of ways to sneak away, perhaps with Alice, but I shook my head at him and he knew what I was hinting at.
"Okay, I'll do my best." He finally said.
Carlisle smiled, "That's all we ever ask."
The family was back together again. Esmé began telling everyone how sweet Carlisle was while they were away, what they did, where they went. Rosalie and Emmett were a little less telling on their vacation and I was the only one who knew why. Those two mated like bunnies, it was all I could do to block their over sexual thoughts out of my mind. It wasn't until the next day that it was time to go to school that I realized my thirst was burning in my throat. I thought about ditching school to go hunting, but I knew Jasper would think I was giving up on him. So I went, thirsty, but no big deal…I'd go hunting the next day.
The next day at school was a little tense for us. I kept my mind focused on Jasper and partially on Alice. I knew that if Jasper thought of running away Alice would see it just as soon as I would hear it. We had made a silent pact last night.
If he thinks of running, we'll go after him. She said to me in her mind, not even looking at me, as the vacation stories were being told last night. I nodded my head a fraction of an inch, to let her know I understood.
So far everything was going fine. Jasper acted usual…well, as usual was Jasper acts. He thoughts were mundane, occasionally repeating in his head the mantra we taught him: People are friends, not food. A little joke between us after having seen Finding Nemo. Alice forewent her little Palm Reading stories and by the time lunch rolled around we were sullen and moody.
A vampire can get very moody, almost like PMS, from what I hear. Especially if we forego our natural diet of human blood. Try getting on the good side of a female body lifter who's only had a couple of peanuts to sustain her the entire day and she's on her period. That's almost like what a Vampire can be like when we feel moody.
Occasionally I'd open up my mind and listen to the thoughts of the teenagers around me for fun. The new girl, the one Alice had told me about, had arrived and practically the entire male student body were already drooling all over her. From their thoughts I'd deduced that she was attractive, at least to boys who live in a small town and can't bare the thought of dating a girl they think of as a sister, i.e. all the girls at school they grew up with. The funny thing was I couldn't pick her mind out of all the others.
This happens occasionally, me not being able to hear the thoughts of another person. It happens to people who have no thoughts for me to hear. I suspected she was a bleached blonde girl with a fake tan and said like and ohmygod every few words. Just another drop in the bucket, if you asked me.
"I need to get a book out of the car." Alice said, then stood and walked her tray to the trashcan and emptied the untouched food into its gaping maw.
"Who are they?" Someone asked, not too far away from us.
Heh, those Cullen's aren't even worth wasting my breath. I heard someone's thoughts and looked up to see a girl I vaguely remembered from the beginning of the school year. She was one of the more bolder girls, in fact the boldest girl, who tried asking me out. I doubt if I let her down gently. I wasn't used to stroking the ego of vain girls, not even Rosalie's.
Then I looked at the girl who had asked who we were. My first thought was that she must be the new girl. My second thought was she wasn't like anything I had imagined. She wasn't bleached blonde or fake tanned. She had long, dark tresses that reached passed her shoulders and her skin was very pale, almost as pale as mine. If I hadn't heard the heart beat in her chest I would have mistaken her for a vampire.
As soon as our eyes locked I looked away. Something happened, but I didn't know what. Something was different but I couldn't pinpoint what exactly was different or what made it so.
"Did you guys feel that?" I said, so quietly not even a human could have heard me if they were standing next to me.
What? They all thought at the same time.
I tried to describe what it was to them, but I couldn't even describe it to myself. There was a strong scent in the air, perhaps that was it? No, the feeling happened before the scent. Electricity, is all I could think to describe it. They dismissed my explanations, thinking I was playing some kind of joke on them. I didn't even realize that in my frustration to identity what had happened, I had picked apart the bagel that now lay in a heap of crumbs, on my tray.
When did it happen? When I looked at her. But she was just a normal human. I looked up again at the new girl, half expecting her to shout the answer to me across the crowded cafeteria. There was something about her…
I can't read her thoughts! I nearly shouted aloud, but instead the words echoed over and over again in my head. She clearly didn't look like a brainless bimbo, so why was her mind closed to me? I didn't realize I was staring at her, trying to piece together this strange, yet fascinating puzzle, until she looked at me then quickly hid her face behind her hair and continued talking with the girl next to her.
"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" She asked. She was talking about me! I don't know why but I felt a sort of thrill inside me.
Jessica, I remembered her name, began telling our story the way the townspeople of Forks knew it. Of course she would think because I wouldn't go out with her I wasn't interested in anybody in this small town. I smiled at the ridiculous deduction.
"I think we've made enough of an appearance." Rosalie said, then rose from her seat, followed by Emmett, then Jasper and I. We trashed our food and set the trays on the table by the trash, then left the cafeteria.
"Hey, I was just about to come back." Alice said, holding a book in her hands, running up to us.
"Where were you?" Jasper asked, apparently worried.
"When I got to the car I realized I needed another book too, but I left it at home. I just got back."
"Shakespeare?" Emmett asked, looking at the cover.
"Yes, I'm in the Advanced English class."
"There is no Advanced English Class." I said, already knowing the answer she would give.
"That's because I'm the only student and teacher." She stuck her tongue out at Emmett, then we heard the bell ring.
"Feel like ditching?" Emmett asked Rosalie, waggling his eyebrows.
"Sure." She smiled, and they left in a flash.
"Will those two ever mature?" Alice asked no one in particular. "See you after school." She said to me, taking Jasper's hand in hers and leading him to their English class.
I made it to my next class with time to spare and thought about where I would go hunting this weekend. I was cutting it close, I know, but I felt I could control my thirst another two days or so. Suddenly the door opened and a gust of wind blew into the class and with it the scent I smelled earlier, only ten times stronger. It hit me like a semi, nearly knocking me over. It smelled so good, so delicious. The beating of the heart was pounding in my head and I could visualize the pints of blood rushing through the veins, giving oxygen to the organs, making it possible for the human to live. I knew instinctively who it was. It could only be one person…her.
I looked up at her as she walked passed me, my body going rigid, trying to control the natural instinct to suck her dry. She made it all the way to the teacher alive, and gave him a piece of paper. She looked at me and I couldn't help but wonder why God had sent this starving man a filet mignon.
People are friends, not food. I shouted over and over again in my head as she walked passed. It wasn't until she turned around after talking with the teacher that I realized the only other empty seat in Biology was right beside me.
She took her seat next to me and the scent of her blood swarmed my senses. People are friends, not food. I said again, half crazed with thirst. The burning in my throat was extremely painful and I knew that the warm liquid of her blood would quench it. I leaned my body away from hers, hoping to get away from her scent. I tried focusing on someone else, anyone else, but her blood was just too overpowering.
The thought of her and I alone sent my head swimming. I could ask her to help me with something outside and she'd follow and once we were alone—NO! Don't think like that!
Perhaps, if I just grabbed her hand and led her out she'd just follow and—Stop it!!
Pictures of me sinking my teeth into her supple skin, licking and sucking as her warm blood spilled into my mouth, savoring each and every drop—AH!!
I began reciting different pieces of literature I had memorized over the years. The only thing that came to mind were Emily Dickinson's morbid, yet beautiful, poetry. I know death didn't seem the right topic to focus on at the moment, but I couldn't help it. It was actually working a little, though I still felt utterly disgusted with myself, not being able to control my thirst as usual.
As soon as the bell rang I sprang from my chair and left the classroom as quickly as I could. I felt relieved, being away from that girl. Like I had been tied to my chair, unable to move, and now my limbs were able to move freely. I inhaled deeply to rid my senses of her smell. I smelled the slightly damp earth, the sap from the trees surrounding the school, their pine needles. I even caught a small whiff of exhaust coming from the Freeway.
My next class was English. I hoped to God she didn't have that class with me. But for now I was free! As free as one can be in an High School English class, that is. As I sat and tuned out the teachers voice I began thinking of my family. I realized now the emotional struggle Jasper had been going through. He was always thirsting after human blood and knew that at any second he could snap. Was it really worth it to stay in Forks?
Don't be stupid. I said to myself. That was the only class you had with the girl. All you need to do is transfer out of the class and then you won't have to worry about her. You'll only see her in the cafeteria and you can hold you breath the whole time, no worries. As soon as school was over I told Alice and Jasper I was going to stay behind to re-do my schedule. They said they'd walk home.
I entered the office and the woman at the front desk looked up, surprised to see me. She dropped something, then bent down behind the desk to pick it up. A stapler.
"Hi," I smiled, coming up to the desk and leaning against it.
"How-how can I help you?" She placed the stapler on her desk, and began surreptitiously trying to fix her hair, adjust her classes, straighten her clothes.
"I need to transfer out of my sixth period Biology class." I said. "My name is Edward Cullen." I looked at her computer.
God, I feel like a friggin' pedophile. She said to herself. If I could shiver, I would have, knowing what she was thinking about me. She began tapping away at the keys and finally re-read my name, then recited my schedule.
"I'm sorry," She said after typing a few more minutes, "I'm afraid there is no other Biology class open other than that period."
"Could you please try again? Or perhaps I could take it next year?" I gave an award winning smile this time, hoping she'd try to do her all for me.
She type-typed away, biting at her bottom lip, thinking of her husband and two children. She shook her head, "I'm sorry."
"Are you sure there's nothing you can do for me?" I had some money in my back pocket and began wondering if it would be worth it to monetarily bribe this woman to get my way. Before I made a definite decision, I felt an outside breeze carry her scent to me.
I slowly turned around and glared at her. The girl form Biology. Would this day never end? The thirst began burning my throat again and I knew if I didn't get out of there pronto I'd go ballistic.
"Never mind, then," I tried to sound nice. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And without looking in her direction I left the office, went strait to my car, and drove away as fast as I could.
