A/N: I don't own Twilight or any of the other great stuff that belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I do own the slightly nuts characters in this story.
Sorry this has been so long coming! I can't promise when the next update will be – "Armed and Dangerous" will be updated again before Jasper's.
I do not condone under-age drinking – but we all know it happens.
Happy reading!
Walkin' on Sunshine
The first couple of days the next week passed in a regular blur. School and Frank's on Monday, school and homework with Alice on Tuesday, school and baseball practice on Wednesday.
Thursday morning I woke at 6:30 when Alice sent me a text;
Hey there sexy! You all ready for the party this weekend?
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and wondered where she was going with this. Alice was never awake this early.
Can't wait – are your parents still ok with us spending the night?
Since I was awake I got up and had a longer than usual shower and decided to shave as well, before heading back to my room. The text indicator on my phone was blinking.
They're fine with it – they even checked with Charlie last night, because…
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE HERE!!!
I took a second to process her message and was about to text her back when Rose barged into my room.
"Nothing like knocking, sis," I said, slightly annoyed.
"The door was unlocked – you're fair game," she said with a smile, sitting herself on my unmade bed.
"Whatever," I replied. "What's up?"
"Have you spoken to Alice this morning?"
"Only in texts – I'm guessing you've heard from Emmett?" I had a feeling I knew where this was going.
Rosalie nodded. "Jas, how will Alice feel if people are drinking at the party?"
Bella walked in the still-open door before I could answer. "Didn't mean to eavesdrop," she said, sitting on the floor. "As long as no-one thinks about driving or does anything stupid or dangerous, Alice will be ok. They've had parties there before and Emmett has kept a pretty good eye on people."
The three of us sat in silence for a few minutes. It was broken by Bella's phone ringing in her hand, making all three of us jump. "See you guys at breakfast," she said, walking out of the room and answering her phone. "Hey gorgeous…"
Rose and I made gagging noises and headed downstairs for breakfast. I pulled cereal boxes out of the pantry and grabbed the milk from the fridge while Rose set the table. We were just sitting down to eat when Bella walked in.
We talked about the party while we ate and continued the discussion in Rosalie's car on the way to school. We arrived earlier than usual thanks to the early wake-up from the Cullens and weren't surprised to see them already in the car park when we arrived.
"Ready for the par-tay?" Emmett asked with a grin as we approached.
"That all depends on if you'll be singing Michael Jackson songs or not!" I quipped, making everyone laugh.
We headed up towards the grassy area outside the administration building and sat down, talking about who had been invited and what we needed to organise. The bell rang and we went our separate ways, agreeing to finish the plans at lunch.
Alice and Rose came prepared at lunch with lists of who needed to do what, who was buying what food and so on.
"When did you manage to do this?" Emmett asked.
"Second period Spanish – we had a sub. I don't think anyone did anything productive," Rose answered.
I enjoyed the time I had with Alice during lunch because I wasn't going to see her that night. Charlie had insisted we all go out since it was his last night before he left for the week. Rosalie had spoken to Frank and he had agreed that she could work Friday after school instead so she could come along as well.
The afternoon dragged on and on. When the final bell rang I met Rosalie and Bella at the car and we headed home. Charlie was already there, having finished early since he was heading off the next day.
"Good day?" he greeted us from the couch as we walked in.
"Spectacular," Bella answered sarcastically as the three of us climbed the stairs.
We all changed and then congregated around the dining table for homework. I was writing an essay on the Civil War, Rosalie was putting the final touches on a presentation for her autoshop class and Bella was working on something for English that looked suspiciously like a re-write of last week's short story project.
I waited until Rose got up to go to the bathroom before I asked. "Bells, is that is re-write?"
She looked up and scowled. "Stupid idiot-head teacher doesn't get my style of writing. I've never had a teacher tell me my stories don't 'flow' before – this time he even told me that my characters aren't believable!"
"Want me to read it?" I offered.
She blew out in frustration and nodded. "Can I get you to read both? The old one and the one he wants?"
I nodded as Rose walked back in and sat down again.
At 5pm Charlie walked in and announced that it was time to get ready to go to dinner. We packed up our homework and I joined Charlie downstairs while the girls did whatever it is they do in the bathroom.
"Have you heard from Jack lately?" he asked me.
"Yeah – Rose and I got an email from him on Monday," I answered. "He's going to try and come visit over Christmas but he's not sure if he'll even get the leave, let alone how long he'll get."
Charlie nodded. "You miss him?"
"I do, but I'm liking living here in Forks. It's nice living a normal life – going to school, the movies, all that sort of thing. And you're a pretty good stand-in dad," I finished with a smile.
He chuckled. "Stand-in dad – I like that one."
We heard Bella and Rosalie coming down the stairs so we got up and met them in the hall before heading out and getting into the cruiser.
Dinner was at the diner again. Rosalie had developed an appreciation for the simple meals they served and got stuck into her chicken parmagiana when it arrived. Charlie had his usual steak, Bella had a garden burger and fries, and I opted for the crumbed fish and salad.
When we got home, Charlie went over the rules one last time and handed over money for groceries and the occasional takeout while he was away, which Rose and I quite happily left in Bella's care.
Rosalie suggested to me that we should give Bella and Charlie some time without us so we headed upstairs.
"You mind if I run a bath?" she asked as we got to her door.
I shook my head. "Nope. I think I might call Alice then have an early night."
I closed my door behind me and pulled my phone out of my pocket, unlocking the keypad and hitting speed dial 9.
"Hi!" Alice squealed down the phone.
I laughed. "You're entirely too excitable! What's happening?"
"Not much. Edward and Emmett are playing Guitar Hero in the living room, mom and dad are watching some movie in their room and I'm just reading."
"You're reading? I didn't think you liked to read?"
She blew a raspberry down the phone. "I like to read, just not books. Mom brought home the new Vanity Fair today so I swiped it after dinner."
Deciding fashion was a subject I didn't want to get her stuck on, I changed the topic. "You looking forward to the game?"
Alice launched into a blow-by-blow account of her latest cheerleading practice, telling me all about the new moves they had perfected, getting ready for the first game of the season. It was going to be her and Rose's first big performance and I knew they were both excited.
We talked for a while longer and hung up, and I sat with a smile on my face with the phone still in my hand.
A soft knock on my bedroom door brought me out of my reverie. "Come in."
Bella came in, followed by Rose. They both looked serious, which is always a worry.
I was sitting against my pillows at the head of my bed, and Rose sat at my feet, with Bella taking the desk chair.
"We need to talk to you about Alice," she said.
My eyes narrowed. "What about Alice?"
Rose looked at me and then dropped her gaze. "She's got…plans…for this weekend."
"What sort of plans?"
"Sex plans," Bella blurted. "Oops."
Rose laughed and shook her head. "Way to go for the Band-Aid effect Bella – quick and painless!"
I was stunned. I was hoping Alice I would fool around some more, but this was big. Maybe a little too big.
"Jas? You ok? You look a little pale," Bella said.
I nodded slowly. "I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to say…or think."
Rosalie reached out and squeezed my foot. "We just thought you should know that Alice has set some pretty high expectations, that's all."
"We all kinda thought you guys already had," Bella told me.
I shook my head. "I really like Alice, but this isn't something I'm going to do in a hurry," I told them. "Fuck! What am I supposed to do?"
"Do what feels right. And talk to her. Tell her how you feel."
"I never thought I'd be having the sex advice talk with my sister and cousin," I joked with a wry smile.
Bella smiled. "Be glad you have someone to have it with."
The girls left my room shortly after and I settled in under the covers for restless night's sleep.
***
Bella informed me at breakfast the next morning that I looked like death warmed up.
I struggled through the rest of the school week and was glad when the final bell rang Friday afternoon. Alice had been weird but I thought maybe I was imagining it.
"See you tonight?" she asked as we reached the parking lot.
"Yep – you guys are coming over for a movie, right?"
"Yeah, Emmett's going to drive us over around 8, so I'll see you then." She stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek, running across the lot to climb into the back of the Jeep.
The Cullens arrived a little after eight that night and we settled in with soft drink, popcorn and the original Star Wars trilogy. The plan was to watch A New Hope and then watch The Empire Strikes Back the following Friday, and Return of the Jedi on Saturday.
Alice fell asleep on my shoulder before Luke even met Yoda, and Rose wasn't far behind. The movie finished and we woke the girls, and the decision that the Cullens would go home was made before the question was even asked.
I woke on Saturday morning by the low hum of Rosalie's hairdryer in the bathroom and headed downstairs in my pyjamas for breakfast. Bella was finishing up pancake batter so I helped her cook. Rose joined us just as the first pancakes were ready and the coffee dripper stopped.
Bella was spending the day with Edward while Rose and Alice were at the school, helping to set up for the game that evening. We agreed that we'd all meet there half an hour before kickoff.
I spent the rest of the morning making a half-assed attempt at homework, showered around lunch time and decided to spend some quality time with my guitar.
I got my stuff together for the night at the Cullen's and threw it in the back of the Boss, reaching the school parking lot at the same time as half of Forks. I met Bella and Edward outside my English classroom and we headed over to the football field, grabbing seats halfway back on the halfway line.
Alice and Rose spotted up when they ran out with the rest of the cheer squad, waving and smiling. The girls danced for about 15 minutes and then the PA system crackled to life, announcing that kickoff between the Whitlock Academy Wolves and the Forks High Falcons was only minutes away. The cheer squad moved to the side of the field and a girl dressed in Falcons colours walked to the middle of the playing surface. The PA blared again, asking everyone to be upstanding for the national anthem.
We stood, we sang, we sat down. I turned to Edward and asked, "Why is a Forks High student singing at a Whitlock home game?"
"Tradition," he shrugged. "For some reason, someone from the opposition school sings the anthem – it's just always been that way."
The team lineups were announced and we cheered loudly when Emmett's name was read out. The Forks High team ran out amid boos and hisses, which quickly turns to cheers and whistles as the cheer squad hit the field again when the home team ran out.
The first half was close, with the Falcons up by 2 at the break. Bella took off to the bathroom and the concession stand just before the hooter, bringing back burgers and fries for the three of us.
The second half was more of the same, until Emmett pulled a spectacular play from nowhere. The crowd was on its feet when the final siren sounded – Whitlock had won by three.
Bella, Edward and I hung around after the game, waiting for Alice, Rose and Emmett. The girls had ridden together in Rosalie's car and Emmett had arrived with a team mate. He left with Rose and Alice rode with me. It was an oddly silent trip.
An hour later, the party at the Cullen's was in full swing, with footballers and cheerleaders every where. Emmett played bouncer at the door for a while, trading off with Edward once most people had arrived.
Everyone threw in $5 for dinner and we ordered pizzas, so the mood quietened a little when they arrived and everyone settled in to eat.
Emmett mentioned to me later in the evening that a few people were drinking and he was keeping an eye on them, and that Alice might need some extra support if things turned south. He need not have worried.
Someone put in an 80s CD and Alice practically crash-tackled me when "Walkin' on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves came on.
"Jas! We HAVE to dance!" she squealed, pulling me into the living area where a makeshift dance area had sprung up.
"Are you ok?" I asked, taking in her pink cheeks and wide, sparkling eyes.
"Awesome!" she said with a tinkling laugh. "Why wouldn't I be? My friends are here, Emmett made his punch, and I love this song!"
I passed it off as Alice being in a hyper mood and danced with her for a while. When a slower song came on, I suggested a break and headed over to the drinks table, ladling out some of Emmett's famous punch for the two of us.
I took a sip of mine and immediately knew why Alice was acting so high. I snuck into the kitchen and tipped the drinks into the sink, then headed back out and poured Alice a lemonade.
I found her out at the picnic table and handed the drink to her. "I'll be back in a sec – just gotta use the little boy's room," I told her, kissing the top of her head and going back inside.
"Have you seen Emmett?" I asked a guy who was standing just inside the door.
"I think he headed upstairs with his girlfriend," he replied.
Fuck, I thought. No way am I interrupting that.
Starting to panic, I turned back to the room and looked for Edward, finding him over near the wall with Bella, Angela and Ben.
"I need your help," I said quietly to him when I got there.
He nodded silently and followed me back to the drink table.
"Have you had the punch?" I asked.
He shook his head no. "Why?"
I ladled out a small amount into a cup and handed it over. Edward took a sip and his eyes grew wide. "No way Emmett did that," he said to me, lifting the punch bowl and carrying it into the kitchen where he tipped it down the sink.
"Alice has been drinking it," I said.
"Shit!" he exclaimed. "Where's Emmett?"
"Apparently he went upstairs with Rose."
"Shit! I'm not interrupting that!"
"I will," came Bella's voice from behind us. "Emmett's the only one who'll be able to get people to leave. Jas, you need to get Alice and get her to her room. Edward and I will handle the rest."
I nodded and went back outside, finding Alice dancing on the picnic table. "Come on pixie, let's go upstairs," I said with an uneasy laugh, offering my hand.
"Piggy back me!" she giggled, latching onto my back.
Being light as a feather, I didn't see it as a problem, so I carried her on my back upstairs to her room.
"Wanna lie down for a while?" I suggested.
"Only with you," she purred, pulling her t-shirt over her head.
"Ali, wait," I said.
"What, you want to do it for me?" she suggested, coming and standing in front of me, swaying slightly.
"Alice, how much of Emmett's punch did you drink?"
"Ummm…four of five glasses?" It came out as a question. "Why? Didn't I leave enough for everyone else?"
"That's not it," I replied.
"Good," she answered, unbuttoning her jeans and trying to pull them off over her Chuck Taylors.
"Ali, stop trying to get naked," I said softly, pulling her jeans back up and leading her to the bed.
"Why? Fuck Jasper, you're here, I'm here, I'm horny and I'm pretty sure you could be too. So why?"
"Someone spiked the fucking punch, that's why! And I don't want you to be drunk our first time!" I let it all out, standing up and starting to pace around the room.
"Drunk? Me? Don't be ridiculous!" she yelled. "I don't touch the stuff!"
I moved back over to her and gently took her wrists in my hands. "I know you don't sweetie, but if someone spiked the punch it's out of your control."
"I'm not drunk!" she yelled again, her voice suddenly louder as the music stopped downstairs. "Why is the music off? Jasper, let me go!"
I dropped her wrists and she headed for the door. "Alice, if you're going out there, you might want to put your shirt back on," I suggested quietly.
She stopped at the door. "I think you should leave."
"It's…wait, what?"
"Well you don't believe me, and you obviously don't want me, so I think you should leave." She turned and fixed her still-sparkling eyes on me.
"Alice," I started, stepping towards her.
"Don't 'Alice' me! I don't drink, therefore I'm not drunk. And tonight was the perfect opportunity for us to give ourselves…ah screw it…to fuck each other senseless, and you obviously don't want to, so I think you should leave."
I felt like I'd been slapped. "Please…" The word fell as a whisper from my lips.
"Get – out," she said coldly, pulling her robe off the hook and covering herself before opening the door and pointing.
My feet headed for the door against my will. "I'll call you tomorrow," I said quietly as I stopped and wrapped by arms around her.
She shrugged them off. "Don't bother. Now get – out."
I took one more look at the girl I thought I was falling in love with and walked out the door and down the stairs.
Most of the party goers had left and I headed silently past Edward and Bella, and Rose and Emmett.
I paused at the door. "I'm guessing you guys heard all that, so I'll see you tomorrow."
Noone tried to stop me so I walked out and down to the Boss, heading back to Charlie's on my own.