Ch. 4: The Talk

JPOV

I walked through the door, clutching the dreaded note I wanted to tear apart. ARGH! I hoped Emmett wasn't home when I was going to explain the situation. He'd surely make a big deal out of it.

"Carlisle, Edward? Is anyone home?" I called when I was in the foyer.

Not a sound…

I sighed. If you wanted something done right, you better do it yourself. "CARLISLE!!! I BIT A HUMAN!!!"

There was a crash from upstairs, and lots of bustling, like a stampede of wild boars. And then, in a flash, my family was standing in front of me.

"WHAT?! WHERE?" They exclaimed in unison.

Daggers of panic speared through me.

I sent them waves of calm.

I smirked at their frenzied expressions. "Don't worry, I just needed one of you to come down here."

Soon enough, I was flying in the air, Emmett pounding my face. I started to kick him, no time to aim!!!

After a minute, Esme was screeching, "Boys! Calm down or no grizzly bear hunting for a week!"

Emmett immediately pulled off.

Esme scolded, "Emmett, what do you say?"

Emmett's face would've been red if he was human, and he pouted, shifting in his place, hands behind his back, "Sorry," He muttered.

I suppressed a laugh. "I can't hear you!"

He glared at me. "Sorry," He said a bit louder.

"Still can't hear you!" I tantalized.

"SORRY!" He roared, the word echoing through the whole house.

I nodded, chuckling.

Esme glared at me this time. I stopped. "And Jasper, what do you say?"

"Sorry, Emmett," I said, in a mock child's voice.

Behind Esme's back, he clenched his fists.

"So, Jasper," Carlisle continued as if nothing had happened. "What is it you needed?"

I paused, eyeing Emmett's dirty look. "Can I talk to you and Esme alone please?"

"Why? Is Jazzy-poo too afraid of his big brother?" Emmett ranted.

"Now, Emmett, you go to your room!" Esme shrieked.

With another look at me, he walked up the stairs.

My family sat down at the table- all except Emmett- and they waited for me to start to talk.

I took a deep, unnecessary breath. "It's about health class."

Alice stood up. "I should be going, now! I have to, um, you know… go wash my…uh… fish!"

We watched her suspiciously as she darted up the stairs, in a rush to wash her "fish."

"Does she even have a fish?" Rosalie asked after a moment.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should wash her fish with her."

Rosalie stared at him, confused, and then followed Alice. I swore I heard her mutter, "How do you wash a fish?"

"We have a fish?" I asked after a moment.

"NO!" The three that were left yelled.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Can I tell you the news now?"

"Yes, dear," Esme said, waves of care touching me.

"So…" I searched for correct words. "The guidance counselor wants me to go through some therapy."

Edward started laughing.

"Okay, that is IT!" Esme yelled. "Edward, please go to your room if you can't handle a mature conversation!"

He composed himself quite quickly. "I'll survive."

They turned back to me.

"She thinks I've been…" I grimaced. "She suspects I've been… you know, raped or something, so that's why I made a scene in health class."

Carlisle looked worried. "Made a scene?"

I felt guilty. "It wasn't anything. I just said that I didn't need the lecture on hormones anymore."

"Is that all?" Carlisle asked.

"I also…okay, please understand that I was impulsive and the emotions in the room were outrageous."

They nodded.

"I kind of said that I was two hundred years old…"

They gaped in horror.

"B-but," I added quickly. "I mended that with the counselor."

The three exchanged glances. They were all undergoing some confusion.

"Jasper," Carlisle said gently, "Is that because you were stressed by too much emotion?"

"…Yes."

"Or is it because you're uncomfortable with the process?"

"Process?" I echoed. I didn't really like where this conversation was going.

Carlisle gave Esme the I-told-you-so look.

Then he turned to me, his face serious but calm. "You see, Jasper, when a man and a woman are in love-"

Esme was gazing at Carlisle with a lot of love.

Edward looked at me like he was older than I was.

I covered my ears childishly. "OH MY CARLISLE!" I screamed. "What's up with people today?! I KNOW what the process is!!! I'm freaking two hundred years old!!!" I dropped my hands to my sides and kept ranting. "I can do my own work, I can figure out what love is, and I'm old enough to do whatever I want, say freaking whatever I want!"

"Oh, Jazzy said 'freaking'!" Edward cooed.

I glared at him, "Now you Edward Anthony-"

But I stopped when I saw Esme's oh-no-you-didn't face.

"Sorry, Esme," I mumbled.

I could swear I heard Emmett laughing uproariously upstairs.

But no one else seemed to notice.

"Jasper, are these series of breakdowns because you haven't experienced the process?" Carlisle said, too calmly.

I was hyperventilating with frustration at this point. "NO!"

"Jasper," Esme said lovingly. "Don't worry, Edward here hasn't experienced it yet, either, so there's no rush."

Edward looked at Esme incredulously. This time, Emmett laughs were so erratic, he starting choking.

"EMMETT!" Esme called. "STOP EAVESDROPPING!"

I heard a smack and Emmett yelled, "OW…! Rosalie!!!" Smack. "Sorry Esme!!!"

Esme faced me.

"So," Carlisle said, continuing. "Jasper, I think it's best to try it out and see, okay?"

"But-"

"Jasper, we care about you, and you're like a son to us, so please," Esme said.

"But-"

"That's final, Jasper. It's for your own good."

And within a second, Carlisle signed the permission form and handed it back to me. Therapy, here I come…