Sorry this took a while. This is just more fluff/bonding stuff, but I figured that before anything stressful can happen to them, they need to develop their relationship, right? And I know I hate stuff that has them declaring their love for each other in the third chapter...it just isn't realistic :) Hope you enjoy, and I've already started the next chapter so that should be up sooner rather than later.
BPOV
Charlie was home by the time I got back from Jasper's, so I went in to say hi. I found him, like usual, in front of the television watching some sporting event or another. "Hey Dad," I said as I came in and sat down on the couch next to him.
"Hey Bells," Charlie said. "So where'd you go for dinner?" he asked curiously. I should have known I'd have to explain myself.
"I was over at the Cullen house," I said.
Charlie perked up. "Oh, that boy that helped you last week?"
"Yeah," I said, not able to help the grin that spread across my face.
"What's his name again?" he asked.
"Jasper Hale," I replied.
"He's too old for you."
"Dad! He's only a senior!" I protested.
"Right," Charlie said. "Well, when do I get to meet this Jasper Hale?"
"I don't know, soon I guess," I replied with a shrug. "You'll probably be seeing a lot of him."
"Oh boy," Charlie said with a smile.
***
A little while later I was sitting in my room replying to an email from my mother when I heard a quiet tap, causing me to jump and almost fall out of my chair. When I recovered I looked to see smiling Jasper sitting on the tree branch next to my window, so I let him in.
"Do you often climb trees to get to girls' bedrooms?" I asked him with a grin.
"All the time," he replied with a smirk.
"I was wondering what you meant when you said you'd come back later, but I should have figured it wouldn't be too hard for you to scale the side of my house," I said.
"Wait a sec," Jasper said, jumping back out the window.
As soon as he was gone, my bedroom door opened and Charlie poked his head in. "Night Bells."
"Good night, Dad."
As soon as Charlie was gone, Jasper was back. "I heard him coming up the stairs," he explained. "Good thing I got out of here in time."
"I absolutely cannot imagine how Charlie would take you being in my room," I said with a laugh. "He'd probably shoot you."
"That in itself could prove to be most interesting," Jasper said. "I'd have to come up with a quick explanation for why I was bulletproof."
"Seriously. And I don't think he'd buy the immortal excuse."
We talked for a little while, mostly about our likes and dislikes. Surprisingly, Jasper and I liked a lot of the same books and music. He told me how he was born in Houston, Texas and though he couldn't remember much about his human life, he remembered that his mother made the best pecan pie in the county and that there were a bunch of Magnolia trees in his back yard.
"Jasper, when did you become a vampire?" I asked him suddenly.
Jasper didn't say anything for a few moments and then quietly said, "1863. I was twenty years old."
"You must have seen a lot in your life," I observed, though his apprehension was not lost on me.
"You have no idea," he said so quietly that I could barely hear him.
I was going to say something else but before I could, I yawned hugely. "You ought to get some sleep, you have to get up for school tomorrow," he suggested.
"I'm not tired," I protested, yawning again.
"Right," he said, giving me another of his dazzling smiles. "Get some rest, I'll sit with you while you fall asleep."
***
When I woke up the next morning, Jasper was gone. I found a folded note next to my head on the pillow along with a magnolia blossom, though I had absolutely no idea where he would have gotten it.
Isabella,
I'm sorry that I can't be there when you wake up, but I had to go hunting before school today. I'll be back before you can miss me.
Yours,
Jasper
I couldn't help but smile as I tucked the note away in case Charlie decided to go investigating in my bedroom.
After a quick shower, I got dressed and was in the middle of pouring a bowl of cereal when there was a knock on the door. I opened it to discover Jasper standing there. "You're driving the Jeep?" I asked curiously, noticing Emmett's beast of a vehicle in the driveway.
"I guess so," he said with a shrug. "I'm going to go get myself a car soon, Carlisle needs his to go to the hospital and I can't very well pick you up on a motorcycle without your father having a fit."
"You don't have to buy a car on account of me," I protested. "Anyway, I can drive myself."
"Nonsense, Darlin', what kind of gentleman would I be if I allowed that to happen? Anyway, I wouldn't mind an actual car of my own again. Are you ready to go?"
"In a minute," I replied, beckoning for him to follow me into the house where I quickly inhaled my cereal and grabbed my bag. "Crap, we're going to be late if we don't leave soon."
"I drive fast, remember?" he asked, shooting me that dazzling grin of his.
JPOV
I could feel Bella's anxiety increase as we approached the school. "What's wrong?" I asked curiously.
"People are going to talk," she said with a shrug. "You know I hate being the center of attention."
"People are already talking," I told her gently. "Your friend Jessica has been spreading rumors left and right since yesterday at lunch." Bella's face registered abject horror. "Don't worry your pretty little head, Darlin', everything's gonna be all right. It's going to be hard for me to keep an eye out for you since we're in different grades, but if you like I could have Esme call the school and have Edward moved into a few more of your classes?"
"Maybe," she said. "Let's see how it goes today. I mean, it's not like I'm not going to see you all day, aren't your classes 'conveniently located' near mine?"
"Well," I chuckled. "I might have taken a liberty there, but I'll be there."
Bella smirked. "I knew that was bull."
I put the car in park, and could already hear chatter about the school's new hot couple – namely, Bella and myself. I hoped for Bella's sake that some other scandal would arise soon to distract them.
I figured that as long as everyone was watching we might as well give them something to stare at, so I made a big show of going around to Bella's side and helping her out of the car. "You did that on purpose," she accused, grinning at me.
"Well, I figured they needed something to talk about until lunch, right?" I asked, slinging an arm around her shoulders as we made our way over to my family.
"What are they thinking?" Bella surprised me by asking Edward.
Edward appeared startled for a minute before he remembered that I'd told her about his gift. "The usual curiosity, peppered with a strong dose of 'what does she have that we don't,' etcetera, etcetera," he replied. "Jessica Stanley has a whole list of questions for you, however," he added with a smirk. He grimaced. "And she's wondering if perhaps she now has a chance with me since her friend is dating my brother."
Emmett let out a laugh so loud that everyone around turned to stare. "Thanks for taking the focus off of me, Em," Bella said with a smirk.
BPOV
"Seriously Bella, what's going on with you and Jasper Hale?" Jessica had been bugging me with questions about Jasper the entire homeroom period and well into the first period.
"I don't know exactly," I replied. "We're friends."
"Seems like more than just that," Jessica remarked. "I mean, you like him, right?"
"Hell yes," I said without even thinking. I imagined that with his super hearing, Jasper probably caught that and was having a chuckle over it. "I don't know, Jess. Things are just going to shape up as they will on their own."
"Did you kiss him?" she asked.
"No," I said. "Like I said, it's early."
"But you want to, right?" she asked. "Right?" She looked like she was about to fall off her chair.
"Of course I do," I said.
Satisfied with the information she had gathered to share with the rest of the world later on, Jessica turned her attention back to class. Finally.
When the bell rang, I exited the classroom and almost ran right into Jasper, who immediately put his arm around me. "So, Isabella, I couldn't help but overhear that you wanted to kiss me." His voice was low and velvety, with just the slightest hint of his nearly forgotten southern accent, and I involuntarily shivered.
"Eavesdropping is very ru—" He cut me off suddenly, pressing his lips to mine. "Rude," I finished finally, blushing furiously. "Guess you heard."
"I've been wanting to do that since your first day here," he said. "Sorry."
"Why the hell are you apologizing?" I asked, starting to walk to escape the small mob that had gathered at Jasper's impromptu display of affection.
"It's not exactly gentleman-like," he shrugged. "I'm pretty sure my mama didn't raise me to throw myself at unsuspecting young ladies…" He gave me a huge smirk. "And nearly give them heart attacks."
I shoved him playfully. "It's all right. Just please let it happen again, often. I enjoy the adrenaline rush from near heart attacks."
"Later, Isabella," Jasper said as we reached my next class. He planted a considerably less smoldering kiss on my forehead before he sent me in. "I Promise."
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