Disclaimer: We don't own Mrs. Meyers Jasper, but we sure as hell own this one. And L-O-V-E him.
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[ Alice ]
"We really could have stayed another hour and worked out," Rosalie said while shutting the door to Bella's room. "We only have another month before we start the next movie, and I don't think you guys realize how…"
"Rosalie," Bella interrupted her as she fell back against the bed. "You've got to shut up."
"Oh come on, Bella, it wasn't that bad. Those treadmills can just reach out and get you, and it isn't like you actually fell." I said encouragingly as she groaned.
"I am not made to work out. I just… I can't get my arms and legs to work together and I end up flailing around like a dying fish," she sighed, rolling over as Rosalie sat on the bed next to her. "You guys always look so coordinated and I just look absolutely mental."
Rosalie laughed. "Bella, we know how hard it is to put one foot in front of the other; but really, you are getting better."
The two of them started playfully arguing, but I decided to stay out of it. The truth was that Bella did in fact have a tendency to look a little off-balance; the good news was that they were able to make her look coordinated on screen. If she couldn't walk in a straight line in real life, it didn't matter much. I smiled to myself and pulled the heavy curtains away from the window and looked out at the city lights. I smiled as they flickered and couldn't help but feel so incredibly content and blessed.
How many people actually grew up and lived out their dreams? It came with sacrifices, no doubt, but all of it was worth it. My mom's always telling me that my lifestyle was made to fit my A.D.D personality, and I couldn't help but agree with her. My life was always moving and always changing. Without creation and invention we just existed, and I've always wanted more than to just exist.
My friends didn't understand how I could book movies back to back, or how the band would schedule shows on the only nights we weren't filming. They always told me I would eventually get burned out, but I knew they just didn't understand that I had to live my life this way.
I hated sitting still because it made me feel so unproductive. There are twenty-four hours in every day, and I really only needed four for sleep. The rest was filled with something productive and creative. It wasn't normal by anyone else's standard, but I hadn't ever really been the normal type.
"Rosalie, you cannot sit there and complain about them taking pictures of you when you were the one working out in front of a wall of mirrors in a sports bra," Bella laughed while Rosalie did her best imitation of being offended. "This is why I only work out in a private environment. The last thing I need is someone taking a picture of me trying to run on a treadmill looking like some sort of dysfunctional bird."
"True, they would say you were just working out keep Jacob interested anyway…" Rosalie said as she moved out of the way before Bella could hit her.
There was a knock on the door that interrupted Bella's complaining.
"I'll get it," I said over both of their raised voices. I looked through the peep hole and shook my head. "Bella, your other half is here."
I unlocked the door and pulled it open, stepping aside for Jessica Stanley to come inside. Jessica was probably one of the funniest people I had ever met. She was obnoxiously sarcastic and brutally honest, but I had to say the fact that she genuinely cared about Bella only made me like her more.
Fame often came with a heavy price tag, and the three of us were so lucky to have made such great friends before we "made it big." The girls in the band were friends I had made in high school and I had known Rosalie before the CA series even started. With Bella, and even Jacob, we had a really great group of friends we knew we could count on. Not to mention the fact that even our families were now intertwined. Rosalie's mom and mine were such good friends that they talked almost every day, even going to church together when they could.
"About bloody time you finished," Jessica said loudly with a cigarette hanging precariously from her lips. "I've been so fucking bored."
"Can I borrow one?" Bella held her hand out and Jessica tossed a pack of cigarettes at her. "Thanks, I smoked my last one before we left."
"Do you want me to send Steed to get more?" Jessica asked as she pulled open the door to the mini-bar. Oliver, or Steed, as they called him, was Jessica's little brother.
"Or, I can go get them; I would really love to get out of this hotel," I offered as I kicked the toe of my shoe against the floor. "I'm starting to go stir-crazy."
Rosalie and Bella both looked up at me, but it was Rosalie that asked. "You really want to go out?"
I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. "It's almost midnight; I mean, I don't think many people would be walking around inside of a convenience store. We could just run down there and come back."
"I'll go," Bella said and pushed herself off the bed. She grabbed her hoodie and pulled it on over her tattered t-shirt. "Ready?"
We were interrupted by another knock on the door, only this time Jessica answered it.
"Hi, girls!" A breathless Esme rushed into the room while texting nonstop on her phone. "Give me just a second."
Esme Platt-Evenson was our PR extraordinaire. After the first CA series movie, we all learned very quickly that we would need to be better equipped to handle the amount of attention all of us were getting. Peak had hired Esme to act as a PR representative and work with each of our managers to help keep things running smoothly. If it wasn't for Esme, I'm not sure any of us would be alive.
Esme had sacrificed a lot for the three of us, including her marriage to a screen writer in LA. He had told her that working as a PR rep was humiliating and bad for his business. He really was an ass, and now that the CA series had really taken off, his business had started hurting. I guess when you have a group of actors who just happen to be involved in one of the biggest franchises in ten years, basically refusing to work on the same project as you, people tend to stay away.
She finished whatever she was doing and dropped her phone into her purse before looking around at all of us. "Ok," she said with a smile and brushed her hair off of her face. "I just have a few things I wanted to go over with you."
"Oh good, this doesn't involve me," Jessica smiled and pulled a tiny bottle of whisky out of the miniature fridge and twisted it open before downing it. "I'll be down in the lobby when you tarts are ready."
Rosalie, Bella and I just laughed and told her goodbye before focusing back on Esme.
"I've talked to the event coordinators for tomorrow and I am positive we have everything set up. They have assured me that things will be much more organized this year," she said while flipping through a notebook. "The press interviews will begin at nine and shouldn't last more than an hour and a half. They have really limited the amount of time each reporter gets. Also, I told them no questions about your personal lives…"
"Yeah, because that stops them," Rosalie laughed while Bella sighed.
I gave Bella a sympathetic look. As difficult as things could be for Rosalie and me, it was nothing compared to the amount of attention she and Jacob got. It was literally a circus anytime they went anywhere. When they were seen together, it only made things worse--it had even ruined Jacob's last relationship with that Michelle girl he had been dating for almost four years.
"Bella, to handle that situation we've made sure that you and Jacob won't be in any interviews alone together. We specifically set aside another room for him to field questions with the other guys." Esme scribbled quickly against her notebook. "Now Alice, you have two shows scheduled this weekend right?"
"Originally two, but we added a third one today," I answered, and couldn't help but get excited.
I loved acting; it had been my first love, but music just fit me. Making music made me feel like I was actually contributing something, something that was bigger than me, something that would last.
"Three shows in two days? Are you sure that isn't too much?" Esme looked at me with that fierce mama hen look she had. "I just don't want you wearing yourself too thin, Alice."
"No, really, it will be fine. Plus, I won't be able to make another show until I get back from Iceland," I told her and smiled.
"If you're sure," She shook her head but smiled. "Bella, Rosalie, are you guys going to want to go to the shows? It could mean some good PR, but if you do, I need to know now so I can arrange some security."
"I would really like to, but I don't want to take away from the band, Alice," Rosalie looked back at Bella and she nodded in agreement.
I laughed and shook my head, "You guys, it will be fine. You can sit backstage if you're that concerned."
We spent the next few minutes going over the last few details of what all would be happening this weekend. Esme was getting ready to leave when her phone started ringing.
"Hello?" She asked in an unusually girlish voice that made all three of us look at her. "Oh, no, I'm just finishing up with the girls."
She hit Rosalie's arm when she started laughing and imitating her voice. I zipped my jacket up and reached for my hat when Rosalie stopped me.
"What?"
"No, Alice," she said and shook her head. She had a serious look on her face that made me nervous. "Friends do not let friends wear fur fedoras--ever."
Bella laughed but I ignored her. "Rose my hair is disgusting; just give me the hat."
"Well, if you would wash it every now and then…" Bella smiled and pulled her hood up over her head.
"Yeah, because I am the one who has all the rumors about not bathing," I muttered sarcastically and pulled my hair up into a ponytail.
"Ok, Carlisle, I'll let her know." Esme laughed again before saying goodbye and hanging up her phone. She looked back at the three of us, giving us a look that basically said 'say anything and you die.'
Rosalie pressed her lips together while trying not to laugh, while Bella only smiled.
"How was Carlisle?" I asked, and the three of us lost it.
Esme ignored me and looked at Rosalie. "Carlisle said he is about to go do a yoga session and wanted to know if you wanted to join him."
"Oh yes! I had so much fun when we went together last time!" Rosalie told us goodbye before leaving to go meet Carlisle.
Esme picked her bag up off the floor and looked back at Bella and me. "You two please behave tonight. See you first thing in the morning."
We met Jessica downstairs and together the three of us made our way out into the Vancouver streets. Bella walked in the middle and kept her head down as the three of us carefully took in our surroundings.
Thankfully, most people were either lined up at the convention center or at the Erik Yorkie show, hoping Bella or other cast members would be there. I sighed with relief when we made it past the entrance of the hotel without anyone noticing us.
I leaned my head back with my hands shoved in my pockets, taking deep breaths of the crisp night air. I was glad we had decided to get out for a while; I needed to be out of that hotel and get some fresh air.
While Bella and Jessica were talking, I pulled my phone out and checked the Twitter account the studio had made for me. I normally wasn't a fan of social networking sites, and it annoyed me that there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people pretending to be us, but I had to admit that it was a fun way to communicate with the fans. I was scrolling through my replies when Bella nudged my arm.
"You are addicted to that thing," she laughed and pulled her own phone out of her pocket. She dumbly touched the screen, sighing when it didn't do what she wanted.
"I am not nearly as bad as Carlisle is. He posts on that thing constantly and about the stupidest shit," I laughed and watched her for a few more seconds. "Why the hell did you even get an iPhone if you have no idea how to use it?"
"It's what the studio gave me," she said and shoved the phone back in her pocket. We had tried to give her tutorials on how to use it but it always ended up doing more harm than good.
I pulled the door to the convenience store open and checked to make sure it wasn't cramped with people. The clerk's eyes widened in recognition, but it only lasted a fraction of a second before it changed to a kind smile. Other than some guy that had just deposited a large amount of snack foods on the counter, the store was empty.
"It seems chill--go ahead," I told Bella and Jessica, letting them go in front of me. The two of them headed for the cashier to buy their cigarettes. I smiled as Jessica threatened to push Bella into a candy display.
I roamed through the aisles, looking for anything that might be tempting. Did I want something sour and salty? Pizza with extra jalapeno peppers sounded perfect, but Rosalie would kill me if I ended up eating more than my allotted amount of calories set by our trainer.
With a sigh, I decided to skip any sort of snack and just pick up some gum. I was running low on Juicy Fruit anyway. I would have to ask Macy to go by Costco and get me a case of it to keep with me. I normally didn't ask our band manager to run errands for me, but if she was going to be going by there to get Runts for the show anyway, then maybe she wouldn't mind.
Since the CA series had taken off, our band, the 100 Spider Monkeys, had sky rocketed. It was so inspiring to be able to connect with the fans outside of the movie series. Just the thought of the upcoming shows made me deliriously happy.
I nodded my head slightly with the music they had playing over head, and when I spotted the box of Juicy Fruit I made a grab for it. My hand collided with someone else's and I instinctively looked up.
My eyes connected with a pair of crystal blue eyes and I swear on everything Holy, my heart stopped. I blinked slowly as he looked at me, and nodded when he apologized. I tried to say something, anything… but I was so transfixed in his smile and stare that I couldn't even tell you what actually ended up coming out of my mouth. I hoped it was an apology for running into him.
His smile was addictive and slowly I felt my own spread across my face. I was used to be people looking at me--I mean, it was part of my job. But when this guy looked at me, it was different. It was like he was looking at me; looking at who I actually was and not some quasi-famous celebrity. I felt my face begin to burn from embarrassment and slowly looked down.
I saw him move slightly, catching sight of… oh shit. He had a press pass? Jasper Whitlock? He had a press pass for VanCon. My heart ached slightly. He was a member of the press, but yet he hadn't said or done anything?
"I'm Jasper," he said quietly while fidgeting.
In a rare moment of honesty, I decided to tell him who I really was. Maybe Jasper didn't know; maybe he didn't even know what the CA series was. There were dozens of other movie series at the convention.
I looked up and at him and smiled. "I'm Alice, nice to meet you."
He smiled again, making my heart flutter as he said it was a pleasure.
"Can I buy you a pack?" He asked while holding up the bright yellow packages.
Jasper was a gentleman. There was no doubt about it. Taking another chance I nodded. "That would be nice of you."
I follow him up to the counter, trying to distinguish the pros and cons that my mind and heart were screaming at me. Yes, he was a member of the press, but there was something there. Something I hadn't ever felt before. I watched him carefully as he paid for the gum. He took the time to put them in a bag, folding the top of it over carefully and handing it to me. If this guy was a sleazy member of the press then he certainly didn't act like one.
"So," I started hesitantly, "Jasper, do you live around here?"
He smiled and shook his head, "Nope, I'm just here on business."
So he was going to be coy? I had to admit it was a little adorable.
"Oh, that's nice; I am, too," I said slyly and couldn't help but revel in the excitement his smile gave me. What the hell? I asked myself and decided to throw caution to the wind. I was going to ask him out.
"Maybe we-" I couldn't even finish my sentence before there was a loud crash, and I heard Jessica laughing hysterically while Bella pushed herself off the floor.
I bit my lip and looked at Bella for a second before looking back at Jasper. Was this fate? Was this Karma's way of telling me not to do this? I tried to make my brain work quickly to make a decision, but before I could do anything, Bella was telling me we had to leave. I looked back at Jasper, my heart pounding in disappointment.
"It was nice to meet you, Jasper," I said reluctantly and walked slowly towards the door.
"Definitely Alice. Most definitely."
Bella pulled on my arm and I slowly followed her. I knew I had left a part of myself back in that store with him. Before the door, shut I turned back to look him, letting his smile warm my heart.
"Why did you give him your real name?!" Jessica asked as the door closed.
I shook my head, holding on tightly to the little sack of gum that Jasper had given me. I ignored Jessica and Bella as they lectured me on how dangerous this could have been--that we didn't even know him.
But as we walked back to the hotel, I knew three things. One, as soon as we got back to the hotel, I would call Esme and ask her to find out anything she could on Jasper Whitlock. Two, the gum in this bag was never, ever, going to be eaten. And, three, I finally knew what feeling it was that I had felt with him. I sighed and followed Bella and Jessica into the elevator.
For the first time in a long while, I felt hope.
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JustForkIt: Alice was just calling to me. I'm normally not an outtake kind of person, but Alice just wouldn't shut up… So I hope this gave you a little glimpse into what might or might not be happening. Maybe helped you figure out who the characters are based off of? I will help you out… Emmett is based off of me. If I was a dude I would be exactly like him. haha Enjoy and we are almost done with the next *REAL* chapter.
LMW: you all should be bowing down to JFI right now. She is so great, I just can't even tell you! She IS Emmett…and if any of you know me, you'll see a lot of myself-ish in Jasper's character. Thanks for reading, seriously—your reviews are fantastic and I love hanging with you all on Twitter!! Keep recommending us, please!
