Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Jasper P.O.V.

Monday- last period

I glanced up from my book to see Alice maneuvering her tiny frame through the clusters of students. Even though I was already aware of her new haircut, it still took me by surprise. The short tufts were jutting out, making a spiky crown. It was disconcerting, but she still looked beautiful.

She'd had long hair since kindergarten. Heck, even before kindergarten. I had distinct memories of seeing her dancing along the sidewalk in town, hauling along her huge brown Tabby cat snuggled safely in her arms. She'd bounce along in her adorable little dresses, an upbeat grin splashed across her face.

She couldn't have been more than three or four and yet her hair was long and lovely. She'd stop and smile at all the folks waking down the street and wave at all the cars, naive and innocent to the fact that some people weren't…good. Alice had never paused a moment to determine who she wanted to speak to, everyone was pleasant in her mind. In elementary school she would play and chat with anyone she came across.

Then something had changed. In middle school she'd withdrew from everyone, trusting only her cousin Bella as a companion. They would sit alone in the lunchroom chatting and laughing together, but Alice's buoyant bliss and bubbly spunk had been replaced with a knowing wisdom and maturity.

She had grown up. Suddenly and abruptly.

I was propelled from my thoughts when Alice sat quietly down beside me, laying her negatives out carefully on the table.

I was a little…stunned. When had I started paying so much attention to her? My whole life, apparently. I had been watching her every move since before kindergarten and I never realized it. I must be an idiot. I shook it off, smiling sheepishly at Alice.

"I'm sorry." I murmured pitifully. She smiled at me slightly.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not upset about what happened Friday. I am, however, upset that you hid from me on Saturday." she scolded, raising her eyebrows.

"How did you know I was there?"

"I know these kinds of things." she stated ominously. "Although, I wasn't exactly in a condition for conversation, so I suppose it's sort of a good thing." she muttered.

"Errr, what happened? To provoke…this?" I asked carefully, motioning to her new haircut, not wanting to pry. Okay, so I did want to pry, I just didn't want her to be upset.

"I just….got a little overwhelmed. I needed to be in control of something." she murmured vaguely.

"Oh."

"Yeah." she murmured, holding back a smile.

She stood up and began her graceful dance-walking toward the darkroom, motioning for me to follow with an airy wave of her hand. I closed my book and set it on the table, perfectly happy following her lead.

A slight shiver went down my spine as I stepped into the nearly pitch-dark area. My mind was screaming at me to run, to get outside and as far away as possible. The memories pressed against the surface of my consciousness. I shoved back. The feeling of Alice's bizarre aura around me kept me coherent.

Then she flipped on the amber lights and a faded glow set across the room. I took a deep breath. She smiled at me wistfully.

"You know…I always thought of this room as a safe haven. From life. Nothing can be seen clearly, it's like hiding behind a foggy mirror. No one can see the cracks." she whispered somberly, like she was letting go of a vital secret. I nodded, letting that sink in. So Alice is scared of people seeing her for who she truly is. I'm scared of that too.

"What do you think of it?" she asked quietly. I bit my lip. I suppose she deserves the truth.

"It scares the hell out of me." I confided. She chuckled.

"I thought you might say that."

I realized it would be a lost cause asking her to explain what exactly she meant by that, so I just nodded again. Her tiny features were softly illuminated by the amber lights, making her appear almost surreal.

"Alice…I think you might be an elf." I whispered teasingly. She rolled her eyes.

"Let's get to work." she muttered. Alice spent the class murmuring quiet instructions while I scrambled to print the pictures correctly. It was…confusing to say the least. When the bell rang I stumbled out of the darkroom, once again dazed and overwhelmed by the sheer delicacy of the art. This damn photography class will be the death of me.

Alice giggled, shaking her head.

"Yeesh Jasper, you look like you just tried to memorize a whole encyclopedia." she informed me. "You'll get he hang of it, it just takes practice." she assured after the sour look I gave her. The bell rang loudly. I heard Mrs. Wilson clear her throat over the clamor of conversations.

"I'm trusting you guys to take good care of the cameras I'm lending you for this project." she called over the racket. The noise calmed down and each set of partners went to sign out a camera.

Alice stayed at the back of the class, leaning serenely against the wall next to the darkroom door as the students filed out of the classroom in groups. I waited next to her, reading the posters on the back wall that had instructions on different aspects of photography. I glanced back to see her dancing up to the desk and signing out a camera. She murmured a thank you to Mrs. Wilson before walking back to my side.

"Uh…you house or mine?" I asked uneasily.

"Bella's house, if that's okay. She's a family member I'm close to, so that'll be one picture done. Not to mention there is a very large chance that Edward may be there and he's a friend I've met in the last four years." she explained. I nodded, a little relieved and a little nervous. Alice chuckled.

"Don't worry, you won't have to talk very much." she assured me. I nodded again. We walked out to the parking lot where my old truck sat, sturdy and steadfast as always. Alice hopped daintily into the passenger side as I clamored into the driver's seat.

"The snow is all melted now." Alice stated conversationally. The best answer I could come up with was a grunt of agreement. She smiled. About what, I have no idea, but it was soothing to see.

I started up the truck and Alice gave quick instructions to Bella's house. The ride was silent.

I pulled into Bella's driveway and parked alongside her beaten up rusted red truck that would give my pickup a run for its money in a crappy car contest. By the time I unfolded my long legs from under the steering wheel and extracted myself from the truck, Alice was already at my side.

"You're fast." I muttered.

"I know." she answered easily. We walked up to the front door and she knocked softly before opening it. The noises of a rowdy football game poured from a television somewhere.

"Bells?" she called.

"Alice?" a gruff voice sounded from the living room.

"Yeah Charlie, it's me." Alice said as she peeked her head around the corner.

"Bella and….that boy… are out back doing homework or something." Charlie informed her. I saw her nod before disappearing into the room. I peered warily around the corner.

"Thanks Uncle Charlie." she whispered as she gave a him a hug. I quickly stood up straight as she turned around and walked back out the front door. I followed. We went around the small house and into the back lawn.

Bella and Edward were stretched out on an old flannel blanket, the rare sunbeams of Forks streaming down on them through the thick trees. Bella was laying on her stomach, a chemistry textbook opened in front of her as she studied it intently.

Edward was sprawled out on his side pretending to read a novel, but I noticed him peeking over the book every few seconds to stare at his girlfriend. Something glittered faintly in the bright sunlight. Okay, scratch that, staring at his fiancé. The huge gleaming diamond on Bella's finger suddenly stood out like a beacon.

I shook my head, glancing over at Alice. She walked over to them, flopping down on the blanket.

"Come on Jasper!" she called over. I sighed, wandering cautiously over to the group. I felt like I was in front of a crowd of a million people all gawking at me while I took those few tiny steps toward them. Alice apparently noticed I was on edge because she quickly dropped her eyes and started chatting with her friends. Bella swiftly switched her glance from me to Alice and a moment later so did Edward.

I let my shoulders slump in relief. I went the last few steps, sitting carefully on the damp grass. The droplets on the blades slowly leaked through the rough fabric of my jeans. I closed my eyes and laid back onto the slippery blades, catching the stream of conversation.

"I can't believe my dad is still being so huffy about this. I mean, I knew he'd be upset for awhile, but I figured a few days. It's been almost two months." Bella sighed forlornly. Alice patted her back consolingly, running her nimble fingers through Bella's long brown hair. I waited for Alice to say something, but she remained silent.

"I mean, I know I'm only eighteen, but I've been dating Edward since ninth grade and I obviously love him." Bella continued confiding in her cousin "and want to marry him. We're ready." she stated with untainted conviction in her soft voice.

"Not to mention your ulterior motives." Edward chuckled. I cracked an eye open. Bella slapped him playfully as a warm blush rose up in her cheeks.

"That's private Edward." Bella chastised. I closed my eyes again.

"Please, love, I'm perfectly aware that you tell Alice all of our….personal business." he teased. Bella's voice dropped to a whisper.

"Yes I talk to Alice but not…" she trailed off. I assumed she was throwing a furtive glance at me, but I didn't open my eyes to find out. I suddenly had an overwhelming feeling that I was invading upon their privacy. Bella coughed awkwardly.

"Well, anyway, Charlie is barely talking to me now and he sends death glares at Edward every time he comes through the door. It's ridiculous." Bella grumbled.

"He's just worried that he's losing his little girl, Bella. You mean the world to him. You're all he's got." Alice murmured, her voice more soft and tender than anything I'd ever heard before. I opened my eyes in surprise. A few shimmering tears were forming in Bella's eyes.

"I know." she whispered. Alice wrapped her in a sisterly hug, patting her hair down with gentle strokes.

"I'm going to miss him so much." Bella murmured into Alice's shirt. Edward looked helpless, staring at his fiancé with anguish clear in his green eyes.

"I know. But you need to start your life. You and Edward both getting into Dartmouth is not an opportunity you can just pass up. It's a once in a lifetime kind of thing that doesn't happen to many people. Besides, you can always fly back to see Charlie on vacations from school." Alice murmured soothingly.

Her voice was like a relaxing melody, and although Bella began to relax from the words she was saying I couldn't help the way my muscles relaxed from just the tone of her voice. It was reassuring and solid, but so soft at the same time. Beautiful, I thought to myself.

The three of them glanced at me curiously. Oops. I guess I said it aloud. I sat up quickly, picking at a loose string on my flannel shirt.

"Uh, the weather is beautiful today." I muttered awkwardly. Bella nodded, sending me a timid smile. Alice giggled. Edward just looked at me funny.

"Anyway guys, this is Jasper. We're partners in photography." Alice informed them. "Do you guys mind if I take a picture of each of you?"

"Of course not Alice"

"Oops, I forgot the camera in the truck. I'll be right back." and with that she leapt up and began her dance across the lawn. I looked down at my hands, biting my lip. Finally, after what seemed like a ten years, Alice returned.

Bella leaned back on her arms, flashing a bright smile. I watched carefully as Alice adjusted the light meter and focus. The sharp and sudden click of the object made me jump slightly. Alice rolled her eyes. Then she turned to Edward.

He sat up straight, a proper, modest smile across his features. I had the sudden image of the early nineteen hundreds fill my mind. In a place where everything was polished and refined. The image in my head was in black and white, Edward lounging casually in a ballroom wearing a suit while couples danced freely near him. Then the camera clicked and I was brought back to the present as Edward slipped out of his pose and drew Bella into a chaste kiss.

I shook my head. Today is a weird day. Alice and Bella chatted for a few more minutes but as the sky began to darken into twilight Alice stretched and stood up.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow." she stated with a yawn.

"Good bye." I murmured. They both shouted their goodbyes as we meandered back to my truck.

"I'm so sorry Jasper, I didn't mean to stay this long. I probably ruined your whole evening." she said with a little pout. I laughed.

"Not at all Alice. It was much better than what I had planned." I assured her.

"And what was it you had planned?" she asked shyly. I shrugged.

"Rob some banks, commit arson, the usual." I said casually.

She laughed, but I'm sure knew I was tiptoeing around her question. I just didn't feel like telling her the pathetic truth. That I would've been either be holed up in my attic or out in the back woods getting drunk by myself. It numbed everything for a while, but then I felt crappier then before. I couldn't seem to stop hoping that one of these times the numbness would stay permanent.

"You live on Maple Street, right?" I asked quietly. She nodded. It was such a common street name, yet it was home to such a strange girl. I pulled in front of the tiny yellow bungalow.

In the spring it was overgrown with all types of spindly plant tendrils and masses of ivy, but now, in the early April air, almost all of the vegetation was still wilted and brown.

"I'll see you tomorrow Jasper. We'll get one of your pictures done." she promised.

A faint quiver went through me as she said my name. The darkening skies suddenly made everything more real, like the trivial wall of secrets put up by folks in the daytime was slowly draining away along with the sun. I nodded and murmured my goodbye before I said something I might regret. Alice gave me a tiny smile as she hopped out of the truck. I took off down the shadowy streets.

Three more months.

A/N: Chapter four! I finally got a chance to write because I was pretty much trapped inside today by a foot of snow. And it's still falling. Ugh. Anyways, I would love reviews! :)