Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters, with the support of my patient beta, EdwardsMate4Ever.

Chapter 4 – Lunch

"He was asking me about a homework assignment," Bella said.

"I wasn't saying anything," Charlie said. "Good looking kid, though. Be careful."

The next day, Bella found Jasper leaning against her locker when she got to school. He walked her to first period, and as simple as that, they became a couple. Jasper always found her between classes. He carried her books for her, effortlessly taking them from her as she exited her classroom. How he got there she didn't know, as all classes ended at the same bell. I must dawdle a lot more than I realize, she thought when she saw his silhouette outside her classroom as she gathered her papers and closed her notebook. She smiled at the image of him racing between classes, like stealing bases on the baseball diamond.

That first day together, when they walked to the lunch room, he put his hand in the middle of her back, steering her gently to one of the tables. As if she didn't know how to walk through the lunch room, she thought. Still, it was a thrill. As usual, she had brought her lunch, and they sat at a table by the windows.

She pulled out the sandwich she had made that morning: American cheese on Wonder Bread. Jasper unwrapped a couple of pieces of barbequed chicken, and they looked really good.

"Chicken?" she asked.

"My uncle barbeques," Jasper replied. "The men keep telling him he could open a restaurant, it's so good. Try some?"

"No, that's your lunch…" she began, but he had already pulled off a piece and held it up to her lips.

She took it from him gingerly. "Wow, that's good!" she exclaimed, her eyes opening wide with surprise. It was good. The sauce was nothing she had tasted before, sweet yet smoky, and the chicken was moist.

When they were done with the sandwich and chicken, she pulled out her apple. "Would you like some?" she asked.

He pulled the jack knife from his jeans, took the apple under the table and quickly sliced it into eight pieces. When he was done he wiped the blade with a napkin before folding the knife and put it back in his pocket.

She watched, trying not to feel nervous about either the sight of the knife blade inside school or the ease with which he cut the apple.

"Are you supposed to have that out?" she blurted out, then blushed.

He grinned. "Lots of uses," he replied cryptically. "Going to turn me in?"

"Of course not," she said. "You just startled me, that's all."

He smiled again. "I didn't think so. Just teasing, that's all."

After they were done eating, they still had a few minutes, so they looked at the kids sitting at the other tables.

"So which of those girls are your friends?" Jasper asked.

She looked down. "Not so many," she said, twisting her napkin. "I mean, I've lived here all my life, but…"

"Never mind," he replied. "I have a pretty good idea of who they are." He nodded at Angela and Christina. Christina was staring at them from across the room but looked away when Jasper waved at her.

"That's right," she said. "How did you know?"

"Had my eye on you for a while," he replied.

Bella noticed he had both hands under the table. She leaned over to peek at what he was doing and saw he was whittling.

"You're whittling?" she asked.

He nodded and she looked back up and around the room. For some reason, the sight of the knife worried her. Not that he would use it, but wasn't there some kind of rule prohibiting knives in school?

Jasper seemed to pick up on her uncertainty as he stuffed the piece of wood into his breast pocket. She hadn't even noticed when he took it out. He didn't put the knife back though, she could hear him tapping it lightly against the table leg.

"Yeah, just one of those habits you pick up. I like having something to do with my hands, that's all," Jasper said.

He looked up to see Mrs. Dempsey approaching them. "Here comes trouble," he whispered.

On impulse, Bella reached under the table and grabbed the knife, slipping it from his hand under the table and putting it into her purse.

The teacher stood in front of them with her arms folded, guarding them. She was soon joined by the principal, Mr. Quigley, who took a minute to adjust his glasses before addressing them.

"Mr. Whitlock, I'm told you have a knife with you," Mr. Quigley said formally.

"No, Sir, I don't," Jasper replied.

The principal looked at Mrs. Dempsey.

"Several students reported seeing you cut up an apple," Mrs. Dempsey said.

"That was my apple, and it was already cut. I brought it from home." Bella stood up, shaking, nervous. After all, she had the knife. "I think you should just all leave him alone," she said loudly.

Mr. Quigley looked at Mrs. Dempsey questionly. "Well, I didn't see the knife," Mrs. Dempsey admitted. "But Kevin Muir said he did. He's a shop student and would certainly know a knife if he saw one."

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your lunch then, Mr. Whitlock. Miss Swan," Mr. Quigley said, and left.

When the bell rang, Jasper and Bella walked out of the lunch room hand in hand. Jasper escorted her to her class and left her at the door, saying, "Back in a while," before loping off to his own classroom.

Those first few days, everyone stared at them as they walked the halls holding hands. The girls gawked, putting their hands to their mouths and whispering as Bella walked by.

A week after they were together, a few of the popular seniors gathered around Bella as she changed clothes after gym class.

"So, what's he like?" Cindy asked.

"I don't know," she said.

"Oh, c'mon. I'd do it with him," Tammy said.

Bella blushed and tried to leave.

"Wait, don't tell me you're not doing it?" Tammy and Cindy exchanged glances.

"That's between them," said Lauren, walking up and surprising Bella. The other girls caught the hint and moved off to their row of lockers.

She smiled at Lauren gratefully, but her puzzled gratitude quickly turned to annoyance.

"So," Lauren whispered, "what's it like?"

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't know. He's a perfect gentleman," she answered. She put her gym clothes in her bag and left, slamming the locker, leaving a startled Laruen gaping at her as she walked out.

Xxx

Please leave a review.

I will send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.