I gazed up towards the cloudy sky and enjoyed the feel of the wind against my skin. It felt great to reconnect with what was real, a basic element of nature, after all the fantastical I had just encountered.
"What happens to Jasper if I just walk away?" I asked, pretending a casualness that I didn't feel. I ignored the little inner voice yelling no. "What happens if I don't want this?"
"What do you mean by this?" asked Emmett, frowning fiercely. He began pacing around my bench.
"She wants to forget about us freaks," Edward answered for me, bitterly. "She wants to bury her head back into the sand and live a normal life. Typical air headed, self centered human stuff."
"You can't," protested Emmett.
"Why the hell not?" I asked, my bitterness easily matching Edward's. "I didn't ask to be Jasper's mate. I didn't ask for an incubus to freak in my room and fall into a coma. I don't even know the guy!"
"Except in the biblical sense," muttered Emmett.
"That's not me! I don't sleep with guys I don't know. This is just too much craziness!" I practically shouted, startling a gawky guy who'd walked into the courtyard, obviously on his way to class or something. "You, freshman, what the hell you looking at? Keep walking."
The poor little frosh looked freaked to be called out for his rude staring and he rushed across the courtyard and away from us. It felt really good to shout a command at a guy and actually be obeyed. I am Alice, hear me roar and all that jazz.
"Jasper needs you," Edward said emphatically, grabbing my arm roughly and shaking me. "He's a nice guy who is good to his friends and…. I don't know, has this really innate sense of honor. He will go crazy without you." He sat down next to me on the stone bench, the umbrella still held high over his head. The asswipe turned his head and tried to look deeply into my eyes. I felt his power wash over me.
"No, you motherfucker, you will not control me!" I shouted as I closed my eyes and scrambled off the bench. I ran blindly forward with my eyes still closed, stumbling over grass and benches, until, SMACK, I ran into something hard. Owwwww!!!!
I fell back, stunned. My nose really hurt. Next time I try running with my eyes closed I need to remember to keep my arms straight ahead of me. You're smarter than this, Alice. Had I just run into a building?
I timidly opened my eyes and realized I'd run straight into Emmett, the monster turd.
I did what any human normal girl in my situation would have done. I burst into big, snot filled tears. I had tried so hard to be strong throughout this whole trip into the Twilight Zone. I had thought I could enter Where the Wild Things Are and be crowned King Alice. Instead, I was easily manipulated and controlled by the monsters around me. I was tired of being made to do things that were beyond my control.
I had so many angry thoughts, and I hoped that Edward could hear each one. Had Jasper used some mind thing on me to rape me? Was I going to be a slave to these monsters for the rest of my life? Did I get any sort of choice in this? Was the Queen Bitch behind this?
"Alice," Emmett said as he crouched down next to me. He patted me on the back. "The ugly, stupid asshole of a vampire is gone. No one is going to hurt you. Shhhhhh, darling."
I, of course, cried harder. I felt Emmett's strong arms wrap around me and he began to rock me backwards and forwards.
"Edward is a jerk," the monster turd said softly. "Jasper is totally going to kick his ass when he wakes up."
He held me in that courtyard for what seemed forever, just murmuring soft nothings about how great Jasper was and all of his many accomplishments. I didn't really believe that Jasper had been a general in both the Civil War and World War II. And I just couldn't imagine him as a chivalrous knight in King Arthur's court. But all of these outrageous stories helped calm me down and soon I was able to think again.
Being in Emmett's arms made me feel safe and it was really nice to meet a guy I didn't want to jump immediately into bed with.
"Emmett," I said softly. "I know a little about incubi from World Lit. About the stories surrounding their legend—they're these super studs who no woman can resist. When an incubus has sex with a woman, he drains her until she is dead."
"That is the story," agreed Emmett.
"Did Jasper use his powers on me to get me to sleep with him?" I asked. "Did he mean to kill me and something went wrong and now he's wasted on my bed?"
Emmett burst out laughing.
I struggled to get away from him. What was I thinking? He is one of them.
Emmett kept his grip around me and planted a kiss on my head. "Yep, you're definitely going to be my favorite relative."
I didn't see how my death was a very funny matter. And being Emmett's relative was not in my top million plans for the future.
"It's just that the Hales, Jasper and Rosalie's family, are incredibly proper, civilized, boring incubi. They haven't killed humans for at least the last 900 years or so. In fact, they've kind of deluded themselves into thinking that they're humankind's protectors." Emmett explained, still chuckling. "And especially since you're his mate, Jasper would rather die like a freakin' pansy ass coward screaming for his mama a thousand times over than ever hurt you."
"So he didn't use his mojo to get me into bed?"
"I don't know," said Emmett honestly. "I know when Rosie and I first met; we couldn't keep our hands off each other. I, mean, we had like a two year honeymoon before we came up to catch our breath. We were attending college in Milan that decade."
"So you're saying that I wanted to bump uglies with Edward because Jasper and I are mated?" I asked in disbelief. The mate thing did not explain how out of control my hormones were around Jasper.
"I can tell you that in the almost 100 years I have known Jasper, he has never ever been with a human female. He's tried for a thousand years to find his mate and he's only ever slept with Others. He does not have a reputation for being a rapist., but I, myself, have never slept with him so I can't tell you about his magnetic personality or anything, I know that for the last 6 months all Jasper has talked about is this passionate, beautiful woman named Alice. I was bored of you long before I ever met you, babe."
"I don't know what to think," I admitted.
"I think that is very smart," replied Emmett with a big grin on his face. "Of course, you don't believe me. You just met me today and found out that I scared the bejesus out of you so you'd hook up with my brother-in-law."
I couldn't help it, I smiled back at Emmett. Inside, my sensible voice was chastising me, but my basic Alice self was responding to Emmett's charm. Sucker.
"So is Edward off sucking the blood out of some coed?" I asked, trying to sound like I was joking. God, I hope I can get Bella away from him.
"Eddie?" again Emmett burst out with his deep chested ho-ho-ho. He actually sounded like a deranged Santa Clause. He finally let go of me so that he could fall on the ground, clutching his middle, chortling like a deranged hyena.
Once, again, I knew the joke was on me. I stood there waiting, impatiently tapping me foot. Eventually I got so impatient waiting, that I nudged Emmett's arm with my foot. Big mistake. He wrapped his arm around my calf and pulled me down to the ground, catching me before I hit the ground hard.
I snuggled up next to him. My big turdy teddy bear.
"Blood vampires are very cosmopolitan these days," Emmett informed me a smirk. He arched his eye brow and used a high pitch voice, English accented voice, "All the best vampires are getting their needs met with 98.6 degree warmed synthetic blood. It just hits the spot without any of the inconvenience of clean up."
"What?" I shrieked, sitting up. "The asshole drinks fake blood?"
"Yes, the asshole does," replied the asshole in question. I whipped my head around and saw him sitting on the bench. "Sprite, I want to apologize. Jasper is a really good friend of mine and I… I just wanted to give him what he wants more than anything in the world—you. I am.... '" he looked absolutely pained,"...sorry."
"Edward, I am trying to be cool with all this and understand what's going on," I said. "But if you treat me like a dumb human or try to manipulate me again, I am leaving. I will not allow myself to be treated in that manner."
"Emmett's right," Edward sighed. "Jasper is going to kick my butt if… I mean when he wakes up. What I did to you was inexcusable and I will endeavor to make it up to you and prove my trustworthiness."
"Pretty speech, Asswipe," smirked Emmett.
"What do you mean if Jasper wakes up?" I demanded.
"Alice, no incubus has ever mated with a human before. It is unprecedented. Honestly, I am worried about how deep and how long Jasper has been in a coma. I don't even know why he's in a coma. All I get from his thoughts is how happy he is and how much he adores Alice."
A small gasp escaped my lips. I didn't really care. I was just startled by the fact that the goofy guy in my dorm room could become an immoveable landmark.
Right?
Right? Uh, hello, anyone home?
I had no answer for the nagging voice so I told it to shut up.
"My father is attending Jasper and I know that if anyone can help him, Carlisle can," Edward assured me.
"Asswipe is just being a drama queen," said Emmett, a bit angrily. "Jasper is going to wake up pretty soon. Don't worry."
"I don't know what to do if he does wake up. I am still in the same place I was before," I admitted miserably. "I don't know him."
"Well, I think I can do two things that will change your mind about me and make you trust me and Emmett more."
I snorted in disbelief.
Edward dropped his umbrella and the clouds parted, events occurring almost in perfect synchronization. The sun beamed down on the vampire and he started to glow and sparkle. His skin was gold and sparkled with diamonds. He was absolutely gorgeous and I stood there, absolutely dazzled by what I saw.
"Show off!" yelled Emmett, breaking the spell. Edward smiled at me and lifted his umbrella back over his head. The sun's rays interrupted, his skin faded back to its normal pale pallor.
Wow, and I thought he was beautiful before.
"Easy parlor trick," scoffed Emmett.
I linked my arm through Emmett's and gave him a small half hug. Awww, the monster turd is jealous. I smiled when I heard Edward chuckle.
"That was incredible, Edward," I said, actually gushing a bit. "Thank you for showing me. What is the other thing that will convince me?
"Who."
"Huh?"
"It's a who that will convince you that we're good guys. A white witch who knows Jasper very well is going to vouch for his character."
"Why the hell would I care what a witch thought?"
"Cause it's Angela."
Checkmate, glowworm.
Silently, which is a huge accomplishment for me, I followed the guys (or should I call them monsters? Others?) across campus to my dorm.
I took the stairs, as was my habit, and not the elevators. When you have as much energy as I do, being trapped in a small, moving box is a bad thing. I got stuck there once with Bella and it took roses and a pizza to get her to even listen to me. Edward and Emmett easily kept up with me as I pounded up the steps and did not utter one single complaint,
We exited onto the fourth floor and I went to the first door in the hallway and knocked loudly.
The door slowly opened,
"What are you doing here?" Angela asked nervously, staring cautiously around the door through her thick glasses. She was eyeing Emmett and Edward
I loved her glasses. They tilted up at the ends and reminded me of cat eyes. Of course, I wasn't thrilled that she wore her hair up in a high pony tail and favored sweater sets and saddle skirts. I really wished she didn't do the whole '50s thing all the time... Talk about taking a theme way too far.
"Well, you know how I told you and Bella about all that weird stuff that happened in my dorm room earlier with Jasper and his friend Edward?" I asked Ang.
"Uh-huh."
"Well, these guys here think you are part of this whole weird world of monsters," I said in a rush, feeling a blush rising up my neck. "They claim that you're a witch."
I never, ever blush because very little ever embarrasses me, but asking a close friend whom I admired if she was a monster definitely was an exception to the rule! I hope she'd still talk to me after this.
Angela didn't burst out in laugher as I expected at my declaration of her monsterhood. Nor did she run and grab the phone to call 911, bringing forth burly white men in white lab coats to take me away to a nice padded room.
"Why don't you come in and we'll talk about this," she said. She opened the door wider and I saw Bella sitting on Ang's bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward stiffen and then take a step forward.
Ang held up her hand, palm out in the classic STOP gesture. She said firmly, "Only Alice."
Edward started to protest but stopped when Bella grabbed a pillow and hid her face.
"We'll go check on Jasper," he said stiffly.
The guys started walking down the hallway to my dorm room.
"Bitch," muttered Emmett.
A flash of light erupted from Ang's raised hand and hit Emmett in the ass.
"Owwwwww!!!!" he yelled. "Damn, that's going to leave mark!"
"Apologize to the nice witch before she turns you into a frog, doofus," chided Edward.
"Sorry, sorceress," said Emmett with a hangdog face.
He and Edward picked up their pace and were soon inside my dorm room once more. This time without me.
"A lady must always demand respect," explained Ang, a twinkle in her eye.
Oh, damn, she really is one of them….