"Bella, it's time to wake up."
The soothing voice broke through her sleep-fogged brain, successfully waking the tired girl.
"Fuck off... for five more minutes."
The voice chuckled. "I don't think so, Bella. School starts in 45 minutes. I figured you'd want to shower."
Bella cracked her puffy eyes open and glared mutinously into the face of Jasper Whitlock. "I wouldn't go so far as to say want, but I probably need one. Why are you here, anyways?" She groaned and rolled over, compressing her cast arm. "Fuck, ow! Dammit."
She sat bolt upright, the pain waking her more successfully than Jasper had. "You sure are free with your expletives, Bella," the blonde haired vampire observed.
"Yes, and?"
Jasper met her glare with a teasing smile. "I like it. It's nice to hear you expressing what you're feeling since I can't tell with you. As to why I'm here, as you've just remembered, I'll be driving you to school today. You didn't answer your door and I'm assuming with everything that happened, you forget to set an alarm."
Bella sighed in defeat. "Well, you being thoughtful doesn't mean you're forgiven for waking me up," she retorted while stretching her good arm above her head and yawning. Yanking back the covers and swinging her legs over the edge, Bella sat up and eyed her cast arm warily. She settled a pillow under her arm before peeling the Velcro straps off. Carefully, she parted the cushion to peek at her healing progress.
Bella let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. The bones were already healing, she could tell just by looking. Though the bruising was still very much present, she was certain the sling would be sufficient.
She raised her eyes to mention this to Jasper, only to realize he was already next to her, seated on the bed, his eyes gleaming like pitch. Correlating his darkening eyes with rage, Bella slowly and gently raised her good hand to place it on his. "I'm okay," she whispered when he finally raised his eyes to hers.
Jasper closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath, as though to center himself, and let it out equally slowly. "I can not express how angry I feel whenever I see the damage he caused. It absolutely enrages me that he put his hands on you." He opened his eyes and Bella was relieved to see the shade had shifted to a darkened gold shade after interpreting the concern on her face.
Eyes softening to a warm butterscotch under her gaze, he murmured, "I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't intend to upset you this morning. I don't know why it's making me so mad." He shook his head gently. "At any rate, may I?" Jasper glanced to her arm still cushioned in the cast dressings.
Bella merely nodded and watched as he finished undoing her cast and softly raised her arm, his fingers ghosting along the skin where the bone had been broken. "The swelling has gone down a lot, and if I'm not mistaken, I'd say with your accelerated healing, you seem to be about three weeks into the normal healing process. You should be able to shower and use your arm, so long as you're careful and wear the sling after to restrict movement while your muscles repair."
Bella grinned and stood, glad to be ditching the cast. "Then we agree. I'm going to round up some clothes and shower. You can wait in here if you'd like but if not, the living room is downstairs."
She quickly picked out socks, underwear, sports bra, a long sleeved black undershirt, a loose-knit, burgundy sweater, and a pair of black leggings. She carefully carried them one armed to the bathroom where she dropped everything in a heap on the counter top.
"I'll only be a few minutes," Bella called out before closing the door behind her. She turned the tap to get the hot water flowing and relieved herself quickly. Thanking her lucky stars that it was her left arm that had been damaged and not the right, she wiped, flushed and wasted no time hopping into the shower.
Bella groaned as she realized her mistake. A moment later there was a tap on the door. "Are you okay?" Jasper's voice came from outside the bathroom.
"I'm fine. I just realized that I might need your help blow drying my hair is all."
Jasper laughed. "You're in luck, Bella. I actually have experience in that department. Let me know when you're ready."
What kind of experience could he have? Bella wondered. Maybe Rosalie has needed help? Or Esme? Alice, with her messy, spiky do, certainly wouldn't require any assistance.
Washing and putting conditioner in her hair before moving on to her body, Bella took her time to make sure to get all the dirt off her feet and used care to remove any from under the nails on her injured hand. She washed her face, rinsed her conditioner out, and stood in the water a minute longer, letting the droplets hit and soothe her aching arm before turning the water off.
She pulled back the curtain quickly, knowing the cool air was waiting for her either way, and fumbled for her towel on the rack. Able to move a little more freely than the night previously, Bella was dry and clothed in under 3 minutes, complete with a somewhat sloppy deodorant application.
She grabbed her blow dryer from the bathroom closet, opened the door and called out, "Ready when you are!"
Jasper's form filled the door an instant later and grinned at the device in her outstretched hand. Another moment passed and the blow dryer was plugged in, on, and blowing a stream of warm air towards her towel dried hair. Using his fingers to comb through the few tangles that had persisted even after being conditioned, the vampire made quick work of his task, leaving Bella's hair dry and fluffy in a matter of minutes.
"Where did you learn how to do hair, Jasper?" Bella asked with a smile after he had finished. She tilted her head to and fro to admire the blow out.
Jasper laughed openly. "After spending over 60 years with Rosalie as a sister, I picked up a few tricks, and while it's difficult for some vampires to remember their human lives, if I think back, I can almost recall helping my mother get my two younger sisters ready for the day." He smiled sadly, before continuing, "We didn't have blow dryers of course, but I helped braid their hair to keep it managable."
A lump formed in Bella's throat as tears welled in her eyes, making it difficult to reply. "I'm sorry about your family, Jasper. It can't be easy, outliving everyone you care about."
"You know a bit about that, don't you," he frowned and once again seemed to struggle to not wipe away any tears that had escaped from her eyes. "Thank you for your empathy," he murmured softly. "Now, I hate to keep winding up your emotions and needing to back burner them, but we currently have 20 minutes to get to school and it's probably a 10 minute drive from here."
He disappeared for a second and was back with her book bag in one hand, sling in the other. "Let's get you in this first," he handed the sling to Bella and set the bag down.
Finding the cushioned portion and assuming it was meant to go around her neck, Bella started there, sliding it down and over her head, then struggled to get her hair out from under it. "Um, Jasper? If it wouldn't be too hard, do you think you could put my hair up real quick? I don't need Alice's visions to tell me that I'll be getting it caught on the strap all day," Bella muttered.
A few moments passed before Jasper spoke, "Would you like me to braid it?"
Bella met his gaze and offered a small smile of encouragement, "Yes, please. Thank you." She walked to the bathroom to find a hair tie and returned a moment later to hand it to him.
Jasper moved to stand behind her and instructed her to tip her head back for a moment as he sectioned the front. Then, moving with vampire speed, he managed to braid her hair securely and loosely, ensuring she wouldn't get a headache from random bits pulling more tightly than others.
"It looks great," Bella gushed when he had finished. "And you did it in under five seconds. I'm guessing that's a world record," she laughed. "Thanks so much."
"You're quite welcome," Jasper answered her. "Now, breakfast."
Bella headed for the stairs, grabbing her bag in her good arm as she went. She paused at the top, debating. She wouldn't be able to carry her bag with her right hand and hold on to the railing at the same time. Realizing her predicament, Jasper held out his own hand for her bag.
"I thought you couldn't read me, Jasper."
"I can't read your feelings, but I can read your face, Bella."
She handed her bag over with a sigh, feeling simultaneously grateful for Jasper and annoyed with herself.
"You now seem upset. Did you need a longer amount of time to decide what to do?"
Bella's eyes snapped to his face to see his eyes twinkling - he was teasing her. "Haha, no. I just don't like when other people have to do things for me. I'm very self reliant," she stated simply as she started down the stairs. "Thank you for helping me, though," she added. "I'm not ungrateful, just hesitant to accept help from anyone, ever."
Jasper followed her descent to the living room and into the kitchen where she was grabbing a protein bar from the cupboard. "I can understand that and I'm sorry if you feel uncomfortable. I assure you, I'd never do something for you that you could do yourself unless you asked me to."
Bella glanced at him to see if he was joking again – he wasn't. "That's considerate of you." Pausing a moment, she unwrapped the protein bar, took a bite and set it down so she could grab a mug. Opening the fridge, she took out the bagged lunch she had put together the day before, and set it on the counter. Next, she reached in for the carton of milk, and filled her cup about half way before putting it away.
All one handed! She congratulated herself.
Resuming her breakfast, she chewed quickly, watching Jasper examine the bright yellow cupboards. "That shade of yellow was my mom's idea, from what I've gathered."
"Cheery."
"You don't have to be polite," Bella snorted. "It looks hideous. Renee was a decent parent and my best friend, but she was absolutely horrendous when it came to decorating." Bella broke into a wide grin as she recalled a memorable incident, "This one time, she found a coffee table at the thrift store and kept going on about how it would look great if she sanded it and painted it. Well, by the time she actually got working on it, she was so entirely frustrated with how long it took to sand that she used one of the two shades of paint we had at the time instead of running to the hardware store to get some. It wouldn't have been so bad if there had been enough paint to finish. Long story short, we wound up with a purple topped, aqua legged coffee table smack dab in the middle of the living room."
"I honestly can't imagine," Jasper grinned with amusement at her description.
"Luckily for you, I have pictures somewhere," Bella added before finishing her breakfast and rinsing her cup out. She checked the clock. "Looks like I have time to brush my teeth, then we should head out."
Jasper nodded and grabbed her backpack. Noticing a protest form, he cut her off. "You can't carry it right now in addition to your lunch. You can stop at your locker, drop off your lunch bag, and then decide if you want to carry your book bag."
Bella silently agreed with his logic and made her way to the bathroom on the main floor where she knew Charlie kept a few spare toothbrushes in the closet. Flossing would have to wait until her arm was healed enough. Finishing, she turned to the door to find Jasper occupying the space, glass of water in one hand, half of a pain killer in the other. "Doctor's orders."
"Whoops, I forgot. Thanks, Jasper."
Bella popped the pill in her mouth and accepted the glass from Jasper and swallowed it down. "Where's the other half?" she asked as she set the glass on the sink.
"I noticed you didn't have any pockets so I figured I would put it in one of mine."
"Good idea. We should head out, then."
"Yes, ma'am!" Jasper grinned as Bella rolled her eyes, and led the way to the front door. He held out his arm for her to hold on to while she slid on a pair of flats, which she accepted. Bella grabbed her keys and locked up the house behind them, and the two set off for Jasper's truck.
"Now, I noticed yesterday that you all seem to enjoy driving quickly – you know my dad is the Chief of Police, right? If we get pulled over with me in the car, you'd probably lose your license," Bella remarked archly.
"I wouldn't dream of speeding with you in the vehicle, darlin'," Jasper teased as he opened the passenger door to stow her bag in the truck.
"Don't you try to sweet talk me, Major Whitlock," Bella retorted as she gripped the handle built into the side to hauled herself in, one handed. She felt the coldness emanating from his hand as he ghosted it behind her in case she fell.
"Why? Is it working?"
Bella snorted but had to duck to hide a blush as he gently closed the door behind her. Knowing he could still hear her, she continued speaking, "Hardly. I imagine you speak to all the girls this way, being a southern gentleman and all." She struggled with her seat belt in vain before she glanced up to see Jasper watching her with a wry smile.
Bella extended the seat belt buckle to his waiting hand and Jasper latched it for her. "I wouldn't know if I put the southern charm on for all the girls," he winked at Bella then wrinkled his forehead in concentration as he considered how to phrase the rest of his thought. "I don't typically speak to anyone, let alone humans," he admitted before starting the engine.
Well, what am I supposed to say to that?
"Sorry for ruining your nonhuman communication streak," Bella erred on the side of sarcastic joke.
"I don't know if you did," Jasper mused thoughtfully. "You're obviously a lot human, but also a lot…extra. Supernatural?"
"I suppose you're right. Anyways. What do you mean you don't normally speak to anyone?" Bella questioned as they made their way to the high-school.
"Aside from my family here, I really only enjoy being around three other vampires. Two of which reside in Texas, the third living no where in particular, a nomad. I see them when I can but it's not as often as I'd like," Jasper confessed. "You're the first human-ish person I've talked to in decades outside of pleasantries. It helps that I'm not constantly overwhelmed by your emotions, but in addition to that, you-, well, you don't smell like dinner, so I don't want to kill you," he signaled for their exit and continued through the town.
Bella laughed at his blunt explanation, "I appreciate that you're honest with me. You are what you are, and you eat what you eat. I'm glad I don't smell like food to you, though. It would be a pity to not be able to get to know you this way."
"I quite agree. Connecting with you reminds me of my humanity and," he trailed off for a moment. "I'd like to know more about you," he posed his statement as a question, as though asking her permission to keep up their new found friendship.
Jasper parked his truck in the parking lot and glanced at the clock. "Four whole minutes to spare."
The girl opened her door and hopped down before reaching in and grabbing her lunch bag. She shut the door and circled around to the driver's side where Jasper stood, not quite meeting her gaze.
She looked down at her shoes with another blush as she answered his earlier question, "I would like to know more about you, too. I just don't want to disrupt your life too much." Bella looked up to see Jasper's brow furrowed in protest but held up a finger to indicate she wasn't done with her thoughts. "I haven't had friends in a long time and I can't tell you how much it meant to me, during my shift to just not be alone. I don't want-" she had to look down again. "I don't want to get close to you and your family and then because of everything with Edward and-"
Jasper pulled her gently into a hug, giving her time to push him away if she wanted. "You're not going to lose me, Bella. I'll be around as long as you want me to be. You want to run around on the full moon, you got it, I'm there. You want to just hang out and talk, that's good too. I'm not going anywhere."
Bella nodded against his chest and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to broadcast our friendship in front of the school. I just think that since my mom died, it has been hard to trust that I won't always be alone. Especially after such a small amount of time being aware of each other and our...differences."
"I look forward to putting in enough time that you feel secure," Jasper let her out of his embrace and gestured to the door. "We now have two minutes before class and you still need to put your lunch in your locker."
"Wow, you'd think with your extreme sense of punctuality that you were in the army or something," Bella teased with a wink.
"Very amusing, Miss Swan," Jasper fired back as he held open the door for Bella.
"Oh, why thank you, kind sir," she crooned in a southern bell voice. "I'm not sure what I would have done if I had been left to my own devices to figure out how to open a door."
They crossed the threshold into the building in time for Bella to register that at least 20 other students had heard the last exchange. Their expressions ranged from shock, to jealousy, and annoyance. Then the whispers started.
The two made their way down the main hall to stop at Bella's locker. "Doesn't take a mind reader or an empath to interpret that mess, she whispered. "I'm sure by the end of the day, half the school will think you took pity on me for my injured arm, gallantly holding open the door for clumsy Bella, only to be publicly scorned moments later. The other half don't know what sarcasm is and will think I was serious and am that stupid."
"Which would you prefer? I can pretend to be wounded by your spurn, or I can act like you didn't know what an automatic door push button was and required the assistance of a gallant gentleman, such as myself," Jasper answered with a grin.
"Hmm. There is a separate and distinct beauty to each," Bella replied with a smile. She spun the dial on her locker and opened it to stow her lunch then shut it, giving the dial another spin.
"Let me know before lunch so I can ignore your womanly wiles or help you cut up your sandwich, whichever would apply," Jasper winked as he walked Bella into her class and set her bag down by her seat.
He turned to face Jessica, whose eyes were practically popping out of her head. "Jessica, right? You and Bella have the same class next, correct?" he asked.
The stunned girl nodded before Jasper continued."Could you help Bella carry her book bag to your next class? She slipped on a patch of ice yesterday morning near my parent's house and my father wants to make sure she doesn't hurt it further by straining the injury."
Smooth, Bella thought. "Yeah, I guess morning walks are off the table here, at least until spring," she sighed as though put out by the idea.
Jessica could only nod again in acknowledgment. Smiling as he turned back to Bella Jasper whispered, "See you at lunch," loudly enough for Jessica to hear, before turning towards the door and strolling out of the classroom to his own.
"What - the hell - just - happened?" Jessica asked, the words falling out of her mouth in shock.
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Jess," Bella replied in a tone of feigned innocence.
Jessica groaned in frustration and buried her face in her arms. "Oh my God, Bella. You so selfish," her accusation was muffled by her sweater sleeves. "Nothing ever happens here and you literally have a chance to save me from dying of boredom. Why must you be so cruel to me?"
Bella rolled her eyes but laughed at the girl's overly dramatic act. "Fine, Jess. Breathe," at this, the girl stopped her feigned sniffling and grinned. "I slipped on some ice. I was lucky Dr. Cullen was leaving for work or I would have had to walk home in pain."
Jessica nodded along as though the tale made sense so Bella continued. "So the doc drove me to the clinic, checked it out, prescribed me something for pain and called Jasper to come and get me to take me to the pharmacy, then home. He helped me get settled in and we wound up talking for a few hours, but that's all there is to tell. Oh, and he drove me to school today."
"But why was he carrying your bag!" Jessica exploded in excitement.
Bella gestured to her arm in the sling. "I actually am injured, Jess. Jasper was told to help me and so he did. Nothing more to it."
Jessica visibly pouted. "There is so, more to it! He's in to you, Bella. I can tell!"
"You're delusional."
"I am not," Jessica fumed as the bell rang. She lowered her voice before reiterating her observations, "Bella, he stayed and visited after taking you home. He didn't need to buddy up to you but he did! AND HE DROVE YOU TO SCHOOL," the last sentence was whisper shouted at Bella.
"Gee, Jess, it's almost as though he might want to be my FRIEND," Bella stressed back. "Besides, he's a senior, remember? Why on earth would he be in to me," she rolled her eyes sarcastically as Lauren's perpetually smirking face appeared on the tv screen to start the morning announcements.
"Whatever, Bella. Lauren said that, not me," Jessica trailed off as Mr. Murdoch sent a stern glance her way before facing the news again. "I just don't think it's that much of a reach," she finished in a whisper, turning away from Bella, effectively ending the conversation.
As the end credits of the student led news ran across the screen, Mr. Murdoch stepped forward towards the head of the class from where he had perched against his desk and clasped his hands together.
"Now that we've gotten through...that, we all get to head down to the auditorium where you will sit through a pep rally," he rolled his eyes at this. "In addition, the senior class is voting for the best poster and if ours is selected we get to choose from a list of school approved prizes. Now, leave your bags here, and head on down," he gestured to the door. "Bella and Jessica hang back a moment."
Bella's stomach flip flopped as she considered the possibility that she was in trouble for talking during the news.
Great. Strike one.
As the rest of the class filtered out, Mr. Murdoch gestured to Bella's arm, "Bella, I think it would be best if you sit on the lowest level of the bleachers, all the way on the left so your arm doesn't get bumped around. The senior class typically gets filtered in last and closer to the bottom," he explained. "I figured, that since the two of you seem to be getting along, you'd rather have a friend sit with you than sit alone, in a sling, among a group of older students you've never talked to."
"Oh, thank you! Yeah, that will be nice, right, Jess," Bella asked her new friend pointedly.
"Yeah, sure! I don't mind."
Mr. Murdoch ushered the girls out of the classroom and down the hall. Once inside the auditorium, he spoke to the teacher that was seating the students. He waved the girls over to the far end of the bleachers, "looks like we just need to let the seniors get packed in first so no one trips over you, then you two can sit."
The group of seniors were led in, Emmett and Rosalie among them, but no sign of Jasper, causing Bella to sigh inwardly. She and Jessica took their seats with enough space left between themselves and the last senior that they felt oddly isolated.
One final class seemed to trickle in and, finally, Jasper came through last, taking a seat on Jessica's right, much to the girl's delight.
"Hey, there Jasper," Jessica greeted the boy with a conspiratorial grin. "I've been instructed to keep Bella here some company but I'm not feeling so good. Maybe you can manage the task while I use the ladies room." Before either Bella or Jasper could reply, Jessica was off to the bathroom, one hand on her mouth and the other on her stomach - the almost universal sign for "I'm about to vomit."
Jasper quirked an eyebrow at Bella, "Care to explain? She was lying, but well enough that the teachers felt concern. That's odd behavior, even for a human, right?"
"Jess is interesting. She has a flair for the dramatic," Bella explained. "She thinks she's doing us a favor," Bella raised her brows suggestively with a roll of her eyes. "As if anyone could get away with anything on the bleachers at a pep rally."
"A strange observation," Jasper noted with a grin. "Do you speak from experience?"
Bella blushed, mortified, and studied her shoes.
"Isabella Swan, I am shocked to hear of such behavior," Jasper joked lightly, taking her silence as confirmation.
"Shocked to hear I'm a rule breaker?" she raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Didn't you hear? I'm a troublemaker."
Jasper chuckled. "I'm quite sure you're capable of breaking the rules, I just didn't think you'd date anyone that would try something at a school event."
"Who said he was the one that tried," Bella winked at Jasper's momentarily flustered face before Jessica resumed her seat.
"What did I miss," the girl asked, gesturing to the cheerleaders as though she actually cared.
"We have no idea," Bella muttered deviously.
Jessica grinned and paid rapt attention to the rally, seemingly smug as she halfheartedly clapped in an appropriate show of school spirit for a nauseated girl. The next two hours passed by more slowly than Bella would have liked. Finally, the winner of the poster contest was revealed. Unfortunately, Bella and Jessica's class did not win. It was safe to assume that when faced with overwhelming amounts of pink glitter, the voters offered a hard pass.
You win some, you lose a lot, Bella thought, amused.
The auditorium was ordered to clear, one line of bleachers at a time, starting with the back rows on the right, leaving Bella, Jessica and Jasper time to stew in awkwardness. So, naturally, Jessica headed for the bathroom again.
"To clarify," Bella offered first, "the bleacher incident was at a football practice, not a pep rally. We weren't technically breaking any rules since school was out. Though, it was the absurdity of the location that has cemented it forever in my mind, not the quality of the activities."
Jasper raised an eyebrow in response.
"Oh, god, activities makes it sound like more than it was," Bella flushed. "We were just kissing and I slid my hand under his shirt. I guess he was really ticklish and didn't like it. I was moved to another school district the next week so it's not like I was crushed anyways."
"Why were you moved to another school district?" Jasper asked, allowing Bella a chance to exit the awkward direction the conversation had been going.
"After my mom died, Charlie and I thought it would be best if I tried finishing out the end of the year in Phoenix, to be with my friends instead of starting somewhere new. I could have moved up here over the summer, but at that time, I couldn't say goodbye. I couldn't leave the places that reminded me of her, the moon lit desert, and the little places we had made our own during our mother daughter time. She was usually a coyote," Bella recalled fondly.
"I'm sorry you hurt still," he offered softly. "I think I know a little of what you feel – at least geographically. I still miss Texas. The south has a very different kind of beauty," Jasper admitted to encourage Bella to continue. "Who did you stay with, then?"
"I was staying with some friends of my mom's. They were like my family, I had known them since I was born, basically. Called them aunt and uncle and everything. I finished out my freshman year and even started my junior year but started getting into fights at school," Bella explained then trailed off. "I wasn't shifting the way I needed to, I wasn't doing anything with that energy," she ended in a whisper recalling the tension that had filled her body.
"I was such a mess while trying to sort my life out. I was expelled from two schools in Phoenix. Eventually, everything got settled with Charlie and then the school here dragged their feet on accepting me. I'm actually on a three strikes and I'm out type of policy. If I make it to the end of this year without earning more than three detentions I'll be welcome back in the fall."
Jasper leaned away from Bella as Jess returned and their row was allowed to head back to classes. The trio made their way down the hall and with a parting smile, Jasper turned right where they turned left. The girls joined the rest of their home base class and Mr. Murdoch instructed everyone to go to their 3rd period classes next to give the day a normal flow.
Jessica carried Bella's bag in for her before scurrying off to her own class. The hour dragged on as a reflective mood overtook the girl. It was almost as though something inside of her was prodding her to remember to do something. She needed to...call her aunt and uncle.
It's been a while. I should probably call them and let them know how it's been going since I got to Forks. I'm sure they're worried about me.
The bell rang for lunch before Bella had even realized it was near time. She carefully slung her bag over her good shoulder and started for the door. Jasper was at her side the moment she exited the classroom.
"Hi," she greeted him with a lopsided grin. There was something about Jasper that warmed her from the inside out.
"Hey. Did you want me to carry your bag to your locker?" Jasper offered as they walked down the hallway together, shoulders brushing together.
"I think I've got it for now, but if you could hold it while I get it opened and help me get the books I need into it, that would be amazing," Bella answered, avoiding the semi-confused looks of her classmates.
"Can do," he beamed in response. "How's your arm feeling?"
"Quite a bit better, actually. I really do think that by the time school is out, I'll be able to take it out of the sling without any issues. I'll have to wear long sleeved shirts for a while, though, if the bruising doesn't go away as fast. Charlie would flip out."
"Charlie isn't the only one," Jasper practically growled.
"Where is Lurky, by the way?" Bella asked darkly. "I didn't see him during the pep rally and I kind of remember you mentioning you needed to talk to Carlisle about his being in my house," Bella trailed off as they reached her locker. She placed her bag in Jasper's outstretched arms and unzipped the top to take books out and replaced them with her Biology, Geography and Spanish books.
"From what Carlisle told me, Eddie called to say that he went off to Alaska to stay with some family friends. He's pouting, if I had to guess. No one likes being called out, but I'm guessing he's offended that Carlisle didn't buy his bullshit excuse and sided with me. He's too used to getting his way," Jasper explained as he shifted the bag and zipped it up so Bella could grab her lunch from the locker before shutting it.
"As it was," Jasper continued, "Carlisle didn't bring up his being in your home, but assured me we'd all be continuing runs that included your land to make sure nothing else pops up that shouldn't be there. I really want to know why he went there, though. Especially after the fight. I mean, we know he didn't know it was you, so why go to your home?"
"I've been wondering the same thing," Bella murmured softly. "Though, now that you mentioned he left, it's entirely possible that after spending time hanging around in my woods he just wanted to stalk me one last time before splitting town. Perhaps upon seeing an open window, he decided it was too good an opportunity to pass on violating my privacy further," Bella offered sarcastically.
"You have a very good understanding of psychopathic behaviors, Miss Swan."
The two laughed quietly, drawing even more stares. "That's so annoying," Bella grumbled as they headed for the cafeteria.
"Do you want to know the main feelings I'm picking up on?"
"Probably not, but go ahead," she answered as they entered and headed for an empty table together.
"I'm getting jealousy. Lots and lots of jealousy," Jasper smirked.
Bella grinned, "Aww, the poor girls. Though, I do feel bad for spoiling any standoffish, dangerous, loner type reputation you had built previous to my arrival."
"Oh, you misunderstand, Bella. It's jealousy from everyone. Boys and girls. Meaning that unless every single male student is also into me, there's a lot of jealousy revolving around the fact that I have garnered your attentions."
Bella laughed openly, "You're joking, right? I mean, honestly, that's ridiculous."
Jasper raised an eyebrow but said nothing further on the subject as the girl reached into her lunch bag for her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "You're going to need something to drink to take your pill. What would you like?"
"Um...milk, probably. Anything else with my sandwich would be weird," Bella fished in her bag for some change for Jasper but he declined it with a shake of his head. "I have to get a tray of food to blend in anyways and can just give you my milk. I'll be back in a minute."
He left before Bella could argue with him about taking her money but she shrugged it off. It wasn't like he was going to drink whatever he purchased. A moment later, she was joined at her table by Jessica and Angela. The two girls exchanged a look before Angela spoke, "Bella, did you want us to sit somewhere else today?"
"What? No! You can sit here, don't be silly. Why wouldn't you?"
Jessica rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated huff. "Bella, we didn't know if you preferred to spend time alone with Jasper or not."
"Jess, I've already told you, nothing is going on. He's my friend, you two are also my friends, please sit with us. You are more than welcome."
Angela offered Bella an apologetic smile and turned to Jessica, "Just let it go, Jess? Let's enjoy our lunch and get to know Jasper. If Bella considers him a friend, he's probably a nice person."
"He is," Bella insisted then thought of how to transition the mostly silent Jasper they had come to know of the past year and half with the Jasper she knew. "He's just quiet until you get to know him."
Jasper approached the table and set down his tray with a grin, "Anyone I know?"
Jessica looked down at her tray guiltily as Bella laughed. "Oh, stop. You know I meant you. Don't scare my other friends."
Angela nodded in greeting to Jasper and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Angela."
"Angela Weber?" Jasper asked.
"That would be me. How did you know?"
"You're on the yearbook staff, with my sister, Alice, right?"
"Yes, that's right," Angela smiled, happy to ease into conversation so easily.
"She has said some nice things about your photography work."
"That was very kind of her," Angela blushed and nibbled at her salad.
Jasper opened and handed over his milk carton, ignoring Jessica's raised brow. A moment later, there was a pill half between the milk carton and Bella's sandwich. She picked it up, popped it in her mouth and took a sip of milk to wash it down before either girl could see it.
She spared a glance around the cafeteria as Jessica talked animatedly, seemingly over her strange shyness as Angela opened up to Jasper. Bella's eyes fell on the back of a head of spiky, black hair. Seated across from Alice, was Emmett. Their gaze met from across the room and he gave her a grin and a wink before nudging Rosalie. The gorgeous vampire looked up at Bella from below her lashes and gave a nod and smile of her own before speaking to Emmett.
Subtle, Bella mused. They apparently don't mind that I'm spending time with their brother. Feeling decidedly relieved, Bella turned her attention back to the table to hear Jessica end her statement with, "Back me up here, Bella!"
Shit.
"Don't be mad at me, Jess, but I've been zoning out pretty hard and have no idea what you were talking about. My arm was bothering me," she smoothly covered.
Jasper and Angela both burst out laughing as Jessica blushed deeply.
"That doesn't count! Bella is in pain and very distracted," Jessica asserted.
"What did I miss?" Bella asked politely.
"Well," Angela started with a grin, "Jess was telling us all about her acting prowess and how her flair for all things drama leaves her audiences captivated, hanging on her every word."
"Your lack of attention could not have been better timed, Bella," Jasper continued the explanation with a chuckle. "Though, having witnessed the magic that is Jessica's acting in action, I'll admit she isn't entirely off base. You had the teachers convinced you were sick. Mrs. Cooper came away from the bathroom with a grimace."
"That would be because I have mastered the art of dry heaving. I heard someone approaching the door and started coughing, then heaving. I even spit into the toilet."
"That's dedication. I can't say it was necessary, however," Bella laughed.
"Trust me, spending time on my phone in the bathroom was far more enjoyable than a pep rally, Bella. I even looked up a couple of places for our Port Angeles trip," Jess burbled excitedly.
"You three are going to Port Angeles? Alone?" Jasper looked at the girls with concern on his face.
"Not for a few weeks. Why, are you offering to chaperon us girls and protect us from the dangers of the big city?" Jessica asked him with a smirk.
"I might be persuaded if we can stop at a bookstore or two," he joked back. "In all seriousness, though, there has been an increase in missing people lately and knowing you're planning on going, I wouldn't feel right not offering, at least."
"Well, luckily for us, Bella requested bookstore stops as well," Jessica quipped with a roll of her eyes, expressing just what she thought of that plan. "I wouldn't turn you down, though. Ang?"
"I don't mind," Angela answered quickly. "Bella?"
Bella shrugged. "I think it would be nice. And I'm sure Charlie would feel better knowing it wasn't just us girls," she said thoughtfully. "He might want to meet you though, Jasper."
"I'd be fine with meeting your father, just let me know when. If necessary, I'm sure Carlisle would be willing to give your dad a call to make sure everyone is the level. I bet I could even persuade Rose and Em to come, too."
Bella grinned at the thought of being escorted around Port Angeles with three vampire bodyguards and worked on her lunch. Jessica and Angela told Jasper more about themselves and the rest of the lunch hour passed quickly and comfortably. With only a few minutes left before the bell rang, he turned to Bella, "Why don't I carry your bag for you to your next class. Will you have someone to help for 6th and 7th period?"
"I can help her on the way to 6th," Jessica offered.
"I have Biology at 7th, too, so I can help her carry things on her way," Angela followed up.
"Perfect, thanks you guys!" Bella gushed at her friends.
Jasper grabbed her bags and walked slowly with Bella to her next class. "Well, this is where we part ways," Bella stated as the first bell rang.
"Not for long, Miss Swan. I'll be sure to stop by the Biology room to help you to my truck."
"I look forward to it and appreciate the assistance, Major Whitlock," she whispered with a teasing grin.
Jasper beamed a thousand watt smile of his own before responding with a "My pleasure, darlin'."
That level of smooth should be illegal, the momentarily dazzled girl thought as he lightly steered her towards the open classroom door.
/*\ /*\ /*\
The rest of the afternoon flew by in a blur, until suddenly, the final bell had rung and Jasper was waiting for her in the hall. He allowed the classroom to filter out before stepping through the doorway, causing her classmates to turn and stare in apparent wonder.
"You'd think they had never seen a senior talking to a junior before," she muttered as a blush spread across her cheeks.
"They've never seen me talk to anyone other than their family before. The main feelings I'm picking up on are confusion and jealousy. You have a good friend in Angela, though," Jasper informed her.
"Oh?"
"She felt glad and relieved to see me. I imagine it's because she cares about you making it out of here without hurting your arm. Speaking of, do you mind if I come in after I take you home so I can check on it?" he asked sounding almost unsure, as though afraid she would object.
"Of course you can," Bella beamed to reassure him. He grabbed her bag and waited for her to stand before leading her out the door and down the hall. "You're welcome anytime, Jasper."
Grinning silently to himself, the two made their way to his truck. Opening the door for her with his right hand, he used his left to steady Bella, once again, as she climbed in one armed. Moments later, they were heading for her home, both quietly reflecting on their days.
"So," Bella started, "What can you tell me about being a vampire?"
Jasper chuckled and glanced at her, "How very direct, Miss Swan. Do you have any specific questions or did you want the sparknotes, version?"
Bella tapped her cheek as she considered, "I think perhaps an overview, and then if I have questions that you're willing to answer, we go from there," she suggested as Jasper pulled into the driveway and parking his truck.
"Fair enough," he amended, grabbing her backpack. Jasper hopped out of his truck and, at a human pace, he circled to Bella's side, opening the door and extending an arm for the girl.
Blushing softly she took his waiting arm. "Thank you, Major Whitlock."
"My pleasure, darlin'," he answered with a nod of his head and escorted her up the porch.
Upon entering her home, both Bella and Jasper took exploratory sniffs of the air and said, "Clear," at the same time.
Bella laughed easily as she took a seat on the couch. "I guess we're both a little on edge about trespassers, now."
"A little on edge might be an understatement," Jasper agreed sarcastically, taking a seat at the other end of the couch. He set a few decorative pillows between them so that Bella had something to rest her arm on. Obligingly, she removed the sling from the back of her neck and extended her arm, allowing Jasper to remove the fabric himself.
This is oddly relaxing, she thought to herself. He doesn't make uneasy like he did last week; before I knew he was a vampire. Interesting.
Jasper's soft golden eyes flicked to her face momentarily, causing Bella to wonder if he had felt her emotions, which in turn, set her to blushing again.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he murmured withdrawing his hands. "I just wanted to be sure you were okay with me being so close to you like this."
"Oh, no," Bella corrected him quickly, "I'm totally fine with this," she gestured to her left arm between the two of them. "I was thinking about something else that made me blush."
Lips quirking, he raised an eyebrow in response, "Is that so, Miss Swan?" Though, he didn't pry, he did proceed to gently slide her sweater sleeve up, fingers trailing softly along the bruising.
Every time he calls me Miss Swan...why am I such a sucker for southern boys? Flushing crimson at this point, Bella let out a sigh and settled back into the cushions behind her as Jasper finished his inspection and continued to soothe her aching flesh.
As the minutes passed, Bella closed her eyes and allowed the relaxation she felt to flow through her. Then, she remembered the purpose of looking at her arm to begin with."What's the prognosis?" she asked dreamily without opening her eyes.
"The bones seem to be fine, but I'll need you to test that out. Maybe just bend your fingers, see if you can grip anything, then try extending and bending your arm," he suggested in a clinical tone.
The contrast in tone shocked Bella into sitting upright to study Jasper's face. "You're mad again," she noted with a frown. Without thinking about it, she reached her thumb out to press the wrinkles out of his forehead. Jasper's eyelids fluttered shut as his face relaxed into her hand.
"Every time I see those bruises, I want to kill him, Bella. I keep thinking back to his attack and wonder how our family let him come to a place, mentally, where he thought those actions would be okay." His eyes opened and held her own in their gaze. "He should know better. He does know better, and it didn't matter."
"No, you can't blame yourself for another person's actions. Shoulda, coulda, woulda, never made a difference. It happened, and all we can do is move forward."
"That's very wise of you. I'm impressed with your ability to handle this kind of trauma," he spoke softly.
"Ah, well, I didn't spend a year in counseling to walk away without coping skills," she informed him dryly. Ready to move on with the subject, Bella deflected by picking up the pillow, managing to forego wincing as she gripped the fabric. "What did I say? Good as new," she gushed excitedly. "A little stiff, sure, but I should be able to shift tonight just fine. You and Emmett are still planning on coming, right?" she asked happily.
"Definitely," Jasper confirmed, eyes twinkling happily. "I'm glad you see excited. I'd like for you to know Emmett better. He, Rose, and I, are a tight knit bunch within the family."
"Why is that?" Bella asked thoughtfully.
"Well, it's kind of a long, vampire-filled story but I think we have the time," he began with a grin.
"It all stared late one night at a diner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1948. I don't really know why I was headed there, to be honest, I just had to be there. I walked in, and lo and behold, there was Alice, waiting for me on a barstool. 'What kept you waiting?' was the first thing she ever said to me; bossy as all hell, but so full of hopeful and excited emotions that you could have knocked me over with a feather.
"Alice told me all about her visions and how they work, how the Cullens existed as a family of what we've come to call 'vegetarians,' feeding only on animal blood. She explained how we'd become part of their family and that there, with them, is where we would find our happiness.
"She wasn't wrong. We started hunting only animals - which is what makes our eyes this color, by the way; most vampires have red eyes - anyways, we approached the family cautiously, but between our lightened eyes and Edward's mind reading, we were accepted quickly enough.
"Emmett and Rosalie, are what are known as a mated couple. This means that they have found their soul mates in each other – it's like this physical and emotional bond. Vampires are so unchanging, that growing apart doesn't typically happen. It's unheard of for mates." Jasper gave Bella a few moments to consider what he had said.
Bella rolled her sleeve back down and played with the hem of her sweater before working up the courage to ask, "Do you speak from experience?"
Jasper frowned slightly and played with the pillow in his hands. "Sadly, no. While I have had companions over the years, never a true mate. I was actually with Alice for a while."
At this, Bella's heart sank. Of course, I mean he's been alive for a long time, of course he'd have had partners at some point.
"She is not, however, my mate," he concluded.
"How do you know?" she asked, trying to keep her face neutral.
"Well, like I said, the bond is very physical. It's something I would have felt, inside. I can't tell you for sure, considering I've never felt it myself, but Emmett described it as electric, almost. Magnetic. He can feel Rosalie with hundreds of miles between them, and know how she's feeling or if she's hurt.
"On top of that, I got confirmation from Alice. We stopped being a couple in the late 80s – things were becoming more and more strained between us, then she had her first vision of her mate." Jasper paused for a moment and studied the pillow more closely. "After that, I asked her if she'd look for my mate," he admitted shyly. "Unfortunately, there was nothing. I don't have a mate, not now, not ever."
Bella felt genuine sadness for his pain and, for the second time that afternoon, reached to touch him to provide physical comfort. She gave Jasper's hand a gentle squeeze as she spoke, "I'm so sorry, Jasper. I can't imagine how that must make you feel."
Jasper gave Bella's hand a soft squeeze back, sending her emotions swirling. She found herself glad he couldn't feel what she was feeling.
"Thank you," he answered, allowing their fingers to remain entwined. "Anyways, after all that, I couldn't really stay with the family for a while, so Emmett, Rosalie and I kind of, broke off for a while. It wasn't because things were bad between Alice and myself, there is no bad blood there, it was just hard for me to accept that I would never have what they had, you know?"
Bella nodded to encourage him to continue, though she really had no idea what that must have felt like for Jasper.
"They made it their mission to keep me from dwelling on that fact. Emmett is a decent fighter and that's kind of been our thing. Rosalie can be a little emotionally erratic, and with my abilities I helped her to level out. Over time, we just learned to depend on one another, like family does. Em and Rose made me a better person; more kind, softer. They kept me from growing bitter," Jasper explained.
"I'm glad you had them," Bella whispered, her voice cracking. They sat in silence, Bella softly rubbing the palm of Jasper's hand as the two wound down from the emotionally charged moment. Finally, the sound of Charlie's cruiser pulling into the driveway had them pulling apart and tossing pillows where they belonged. Jasper had folded and stuffed Bella's sling into his pocket a mere two seconds before Charlie entered the home.
"Bella," he called out from the entry way, "someone here?"
"Yeah, dad, my friend Jasper Hale, Dr. Cullen's son, drove me home."
"I see," Charlie answered as he rounded the corner, gun still loaded and strapped to his belt.
Wow, dad.
Jasper stood and extended his arm for a handshake. "Hello, Chief Swan. It's nice to finally meet you."
Charlie took his hand and grunted in approval of Jasper's handshaking abilities.
Men, Bella thought with a roll of her eyes.
"My father truly is sorry for what happened to Bella's truck due to the accident Edward caused. He and my mom would like to fix it up for Bella. My sister Rosalie is very good with trucks and would take it on herself – she helps out down at Al's Body Shop most nights after school. If it doesn't pass your inspection after, we'd be more than happy to actually cover the cost for Al to do it, but last I checked, he's booked until mid May."
Bella tried not to act surprised by this information and nodded along. "Sounds like a good opportunity to get it taken care of without having to wait until summer."
Charlie debated it for only a few moments, "I will definitely have to check over it after, but I'm fine with that. Now that I think on it, I may have heard one of the Cullens work there."
"She's actually a Hale, dad. Like Jasper. They're twins," Bella explained.
"Oh, that's right. Well, thank you for bringing Bella home and for the offer."
Jasper smiled briefly, "It's no problem, sir. Rose can arrange for a tow later this evening to get it to the shop and start tomorrow." He turned to face Bella, "In the meantime, if you need a ride tomorrow, I would be happy to give you one."
Oh, lord, the double entendre. Don't blush, don't laugh. Don't blush, don't laugh.
"Will you be covering tomorrow morning, dad?" Bella managed to ask her father with a straight face, ignoring an all too innocent looking Jasper.
Charlie let out a tired sigh, "Unfortunately, yes. Dawn called this afternoon and I guess her daughter is sick now, too. Drew, her husband, won't be back until Thursday, so she has to stay home with Abby."
"That's rotten luck," Bella marveled.
"Very," Charlie agreed. "Anyways, I ordered some pizza for dinner. Did you want to stay, Jasper?"
"No, but thank you; I have a family dinner tonight. I should probably get going. See you tomorrow morning, Bella."
"See you," she waved as he left, then turned to face Charlie.
"He seems nice," Charlie offered with a chuckle. "Is he your boyfriend?"
Mortified, especially considering they were still technically in Jasper's hearing range, Bella covered her face. "Oh, my god, dad. No, he's not my boyfriend. He is a friend, however."
"You know, I'm old, but I've had friends before, Bells."
"Dad, please stop," the girl practically begged.
Charlie sighed and continued, apparently determined to have 'the talk,' "I just want to make sure you're safe, you never know-"
"Mom so beat you to this conversation and trust me, that is not what's going on," Bella cut him off.
"Alright, just making sure, Bells. You're still my baby, you know?"
"Yeah, got it. I'm going to go the dining room to work on my homework now and we're going to not talk until after the pizza is here, deal?"
/ * \ / * \ / * \
A/N: SUCH A LONG CHAPTER. We are sitting at close to 10k words, I just really wanted to give you guys some Jasper/Bella time, and also, some Bella and friends time.
That's something that really bugged me in the original story...good people don't just leave friends hanging. SM's Bella is in dire need of some girl time, and social development – closing off her life so quickly just rubbed me the wrong way.
On that note, I own nothinggg. No characters are mine, blah blah. You know the drill.
At any rate, I hope this didn't drag on too much and that you all enjoy it? Thanks for reading and reviewing! I read all of them and try to respond if I can, so be sure to check your DMs!
Again, not beta-ed. Been super busy/slightly uninspired this past week.
To my anon reviewer, known only as Peder: Touche! That would have been smart. Honestly, good idea and great observation!
