DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
I walked into a nasty surprise on Monday when I came back to school. Sitting at the desk next to mine was the vampire. I stopped in the doorway of the room. The girl I was talking to, Jenna, noticed me staring at him.
"Oh, that's Jasper. He's new here. He's really cute." She said. "He's not very friendly though. I don't think he likes it here." She added with a look of resentment in her eyes.
Jasper, I thought. Then I thought back to the note that came with the saddle blanket and cinch. I bet Jasper was the J in the JWH.
"Ah, Alexandra. There you are. I hope you don't mind bringing our new student, Jasper, up to speed do you?" my teacher said bringing me out of my thoughts.
"I don't mind." I told him. Even though I wanted to say I minded and run out of the classroom.
"Thank you Alex." He said relived, "I hope you can make his adjustment more easier for him. He used to go to a small school and you and I both know that this school isn't small. Can you help him find his classes too. I think he's in some of yours."
I nodded and walked to my desk. Hopefully this would be my only class with him. I dropped my backpack at the side of my desk.
"Hello." He said. I was surprised to hear his voice. It was melodic and high.
"Hi." I said. I made sure not to look up at him.
"I'm happy you agreed to help me. I don't want to be behind." He told me, "By the way, my name is Jasper Hale. What's yours?"
"Alexandra Wilson."
Jasper Hale. J W H. I still didn't know what the "W" stood for.
"Alexandra, you have a beautiful name. Did you know its Greek for the defender of mankind?"
"I did. Please just call me Alex. Only my parents or my teachers call me by my full name. I know, it's also the female version of Alexander. I've study the meaning of names last summer."
"Really. What does my name mean?" he asked.
"It comes from English origin and means jewel."
I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and saw him smile. I was amazed by the brightness of it and was speechless for a moment. He was about to say something, but class had started.
I barely noticed Jasper during class and I began to relax. I would remember he was there and tensed up again. I felt myself become calm against my will. Remembering the first time Jasper and I meet, and the sleepiness I felt; made me scowl. I didn't want to get comfortable around him, a vampire.
"I think it would be easier to pay attention if you relaxed." He whispered.
"I know, but I don't need your help." I hissed quietly.
I looked at him again. He was wearing a tight fitting tan sweater and a pair of worn jeans. He caught me looking at him and smiled. My eyes darted back to the front of the room and stayed there for the rest of the class.
I packed up my things in record time when class ended. I was about to make my escape to my next class when I heard Jasper call my name.
"What?" I asked him.
I know I sound mean, but he was driving me crazy. He didn't have to follow me when I left Forks.
"Could you show me where I could find my next class?" he asked.
"Fine."
I looked at his schedule and saw he had the next class with me. And the next class, and the next, and the next. In fact he had all his classes with me. Even AP Agriculture Science. There was only seven people in that class because it was so unappealing.
"It looks like you have all your classes with me. You can just follow me."
I sped down the halls trying to keep him from walking next to me. Unfortunately, I failed.
"So what were you doing in Forks last week?" he asked me.
I grimaced and answered through clenched teeth, "I was trying to enjoy Presidents' Day break with my friend and my horse."
"I'm sorry. I needed to … get out."
I snorted at the comment, "Sure. You needed to get out."
"Yes, I did. Can we talk about this later?" he said, almost pleading.
I looked at him and saw that he really didn't what to talk about what the conversation was leading to with everyone around us. I saw that his eyes were golden today.
We walked into the class. I groaned when I saw what was on the board.
"What's wrong Alex?" Jasper asked behind me.
I pointed to the board.
"Oh. This class is Algebra II, right?"
"Yeah. Why?" I asked.
"I am really good at Algebra II."
I looked at him with an eyebrow raised in question.
He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "I've done Algebra II over half a dozen times. I can help you."
"Thank you." I said to him, for once thankful for him barging into my life.
"Your welcome."
We sat down at the back desk and I pulled out the thick calculus book.
"I could weight lift with these things." I told Jasper.
"They aren't that heavy."
"Of coarse they aren't heavy to you. I bet you could lift the books in both of our desk with me on them and not strain yourself." I joked.
"Your right, I can." He said.
"Show off." I muttered.
He laughed and I couldn't help but smile. It was a beautiful, light sound. Very much like little bells.
"You have a very charming smile, Alex. You should use it more." He said.
I looked down at the book again.
"Are you ok, Alex? Did I say something wrong?"
"No. We should get to work." I said quickly.
Jasper frowned, but we did start to work. As he helped me, I actually started to relax. I tried not to but I did. I had to admit; when Jasper explained it, calculus did seem easier. I didn't notice how fast class went.
"Does this make since now?" Jasper asked.
"Yeah. It does thanks." I said.
"Your welcome. At least one thing good came out of me being here."
"Please don't remind me Jasper."
I walked out of the class in the same mood as when I came in. I tried to lose Jasper in the crowd. I made my way towards the girls' locker room. I hated PE. At least it was swimming and not actual PE. We were swimming the mile today. I walked out of the locker room, talking to my friend, Meg.
"The new guy, Jasper, is staring at you, Alex." She told me.
"He is?" I questioned even though I didn't doubt it.
"Yeah he is. Do you have any classes with him?"
"Yeah. We have all our classes together." I told her.
"OMG! You are so lucky. He's sooo cute."
"Tell me about it." I muttered.
I shot a look at Jasper, who was lounging in the bleachers. He had a smile on his face and was looking straight at me.
"As soon as you are done swimming the mile, I will give you a slip. Then you can go get dressed or take a shower, and go hang out or something." My teacher told us.
I slipped into the pool to start. I let myself slip into the trance I always go into when I swim distance. My only thoughts were on my breathing and my strokes. I was done in a quick, 4:53.
"Well done Alexandra." The teacher said when she handed me the slip.
I jogged to the locker room to take a warm shower. When I got dressed, about half of the class was back in. I was contemplating whether I should wait for Meg when she came in.
"Alex, Jasper asked me to tell you he would be waiting for you outside." She told me quickly.
I growled and asked her, "Did you tell him the locker room had two exits?"
"No, but Alex, you shouldn't turn him down if he asks you out. He's totally hot, and he seems really nice. You need to get over Hayden."
"Ok, ok." I growled and stalked out of the main locker room.
I looked to see which door he was at. When I couldn't find him, I dashed to the door closes to my next class.
I barely made it out the door when I heard Jasper say, "So where to next?"
I stiffened and said, "AP Agriculture Science. To most people; the most boring and hardest class you can take."
"Let's go. I've had harder."
I growled again. He laughed and stayed in step next to me. I held my silence throughout the next class.
I was glad when we were dismissed for lunch.
"Will you eat lunch with me?" Jasper asked on out way out.
"I'm going to eat lunch with one of my friends."
"Can I ask her if she minds?"
"N-"
Too late.
"Alex!" I heard Hayley call.
"Hey Hayley. Let's g-" I started to say.
"Hello, Hayley. My name is Jasper Hale. I was hoping to ask you if you minded if I borrowed Alex today." Jasper said before I could make my escape with her.
"Hi Jasper. No I don't mind if you borrow Alex. Have fun Alex." Hayley said quickly, giving me a smile. When she thought Jasper wasn't looking, she gave me a thumbs up before walking away. Jasper smiled.
"Where do you want to sit Alex? There's so many places on this campus."
"If your going to do what I think you followed me to do, by the agriculture building. If not, then under some trees."
"What do you think I'm here to do?"
"Kill me."
He stopped and said, "You really think I came here to kill you?"
"Yes."
He laughed.
"It's not funny Jasper."
"Yes it is. Do you seriously think I came here to kill you?" his voice became quieter as he led the way to a secluded clump of trees, "If I had needed to, or wanted to, kill you; you would be dead by now. I would have killed you in the clearing."
He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the ground. I didn't want to ask the question that I really wanted to, so I asked a different one.
"What were you doing when you decided to chase Abby and I?"
"I was going to hunt. I needed to drink."
I shivered when he said that. He didn't need to specify.
"I didn't mean to hurt you though. I didn't smell you when I picked up the trail. But you were there, and when I pushed you off you sliced open your arm. I noticed that. I was so close to killing you. My self-control was lacking without any humans around. I knew no one would know what would happen to you if I did. I probably would have if your horse hadn't been there. If she had ran and left you, I would have. And then, at the hospital when I was talking to Carlisle, you were there. It was too much I had to leave."
I felt bad for him. I didn't notice he still held my hand until I noticed I was shivering because of the cold. I also didn't notice I was rubbing his hand with my thumb. I looked up at him to see his reaction. He was staring down at with a look I didn't really understand. He pulled his hand away. I looked away and watched across the campus.
I wish I hadn't. what I saw almost made me cry. Across the campus was my ex-boyfriend, the only one I still loved, was making out with his girlfriend. Though Hayden was abusive and only wanted me for my body, he was the first boy that ever told me he loved me.
"What's wrong, Alex?" Jasper asked.
"Nothing." I responded quickly.
"I know something is wrong. You can tell me." He told me. I looked at him and he looked back at me concerned.
"Alex, you can't hide things like emotions from me."
"Why can't I?"
"Because some of my kind have powers." He started. I didn't know this and wanted him to continue. "My brother, Edward, can read minds, and his wife, Bella, can put up something like a shield. Their daughter, Renesme, can so you pictures in your mind by touching you. My …. sister, Alice, can see the future."
I wondered why he hesitated before he said Alice's power.
"What can you do?" I asked him.
"I can feel and manipulate emotions. Just now when you looked away and saw that couple, you were feeling pain and love towards the boy."
I looked down, slightly embarrassed.
"It confused me, Alex, when you first saw me and found out what I was, you were not afraid. It amazed me. You were never afraid."
"I wasn't?" I asked, not completely believing.
"No. You actually scared Carlisle when you asked him if he believed in vampires."
"Wow. I probably should know who Carlisle is by now, but I don't. Who is he?"
"It's alright. Carlisle is the father of the coven I belong to. A coven is a group. There are eight members in our coven. There is only one other coven with the same diet as ours. Carlisle was the doctor that fixed your arm."
"Oh. I didn't know Dr. Cullen is a vampire. So Carlisle turned you?"
"No. If Carlisle would have been the one that turned me, then I wouldn't be here."
"Why?"
"Because Carlisle sees turning someone as a last option before death. I was created to fight in a newborn army. I wouldn't have barged into your life if Carlisle turned me."
"Oh."
"Actually, you would be dead if I had found you and never been in Carlisle's coven."
I shuddered at the thought. I came so close to death.
"So what do we have after lunch, Alex?" Jasper asked, taking me out of my thoughts.
"You tell me. You have the schedule."
"I'm testing you, seeing if you know your schedule."
I scowled and told him, "We have American History and Italian."
"Potete prendere l'italiano?" he asked in Italian.
"Sì. Avrei pensato che già si conosce l'italiano."
"Sono fluente in italiano. La moglie di Carlisle, Esme, godrebbe di parlare con te."
"Why?" I asked him in English.
"Because she is fluent too and she enjoys speaking it."
"Oh. Who is all in your coven?"
Jasper made a face, but told me, "Carlisle was turned and then three centuries later, he turned Edward, and later Esme, later Rosalie. It was originally Carlisle, Edward, and Esme Cullen, with Rosalie they started the Hale part of the family. Rosalie found her husband to be, Emmet, and Carlisle turned him. I was turned some where in the years and so was Alice. I found her and we started our own coven until we reached Carlisle and the coven. I became a Hale and Alice became a Cullen. Years after that, Edward met Bella and they got married when she was still a human. Giving birth to their child, Renesme, Edward turned Bella."
I thought about things for a moment and then asked, "So you and Alice are the only ones that aren't married."
He paused and then answered, "Yes."
I don't know why I was relieved. I think it was hormones. Stupid hormones.
The bell rang for the end of lunch. I got up and started to walk to History. Jasper seemed lost in thought and followed me. He seemed to perk up when the assignment was put on the board. We were discussing the pros and cons of each side of the Civil War. He smiled.
"What?" I asked.
"I was in the Civil War before I was turned." He whispered to me.
"Well then, we'll have a very fun debate. Else you fought for the Union."
He just smiled.
"So what's one pro and one con about the Union?" he asked me.
"A pro is that the Union had a bigger population than the South and a con is that most of the Northerns didn't know the terrain of the South and most of the war was fought in the South." I told him.
"That's two cons."
"No its not. Its two reasons in one."
"Yes, its two reasons. But two reasons equal two cons."
"Fine. Your turn."
"The Northerns were cocky and the Southerns were determined."
"Is that a pro or a con?"
"Both."
"Which ones which?"
"It's actually both. Northerns being cocky is a pro for the Southerns and a con for the Northerns. The Southerns being determined was a pro for us and a con for them."
I barked a short laugh and told him, "You just used "Us" and "Them" in your sentence."
"I guess I did. Force of habit."
We both started to laugh. Then I remembered my dream, us laughing together. That made me stop.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Noth-. Actually it was a dream I had."
Suddenly Jasper was serious.
"What did you see in the dream? When did you have it?" he asked.
I squirmed in my seat and looked down.
"Alex, you need to tell me."
"Why?" I asked, uncomfortable.
"Because Alice thinks her visions started in dreams. I need you to tell me everything. Please Alex."
I looked at him and he looked back at me with concern. I was scared to tell him.
"Please Alex. This could be important."
"Maybe later Jasper."
He sighed and we went back to work.
Jasper tried again in Italian class.
"Alex ti prego di dirmi." He asked.
"Non ora Jasper." I told him.
"Please Alex."
"Jasper."
"Alex."
"What will you do if I tell you."
"It depends on what you are going to tell you."
I groaned. This wasn't going to be easy.
