***Passive Manipulation***
Hello again, everyone!
First off, my apologies for the delay. Writer's block is an absolute bitch and my pesky job isn't a help either. (Damn the man!) Oh… and to top it off, my boss had the nerve to tell me that Jess (my own personal Alice) and I can't leave early for a Dead Weather concert a few weeks from now. Little does he know that we'll be leaving early, whether he likes it or not. SEAKONK, MOTHER FUCKER! No one will keep me away from my future husband. HA!
Thank you to the readers… I'll try not to take this long between chapters again. I know how frustrating that is, I swears… (Blessing/Curse author, I'm looking at you!)
Amanda… thanks for letting me monopolize George this evening. And thanks for not snoring too loudly (she's currently sleeping on the couch while I type this). And thanks for keeping me entertained. And thanks for listening to me bitch. HAPPY EASTER! (kekekekekekeke - omg… you kill me.)
Last, but not least, most character names and all song titles do not belong to me; they are the property of Stephenie Meyer and The White Stripes, respectively.
Again, thank you guys SOOO very much! I'll update as soon as I can! :o)
HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE WEEKEND, EVERYONE!
Beta Note: Sorry for the delay, this would have been up yesterday had our internet provider not switched and actually held up their promise of 'uninterrupted service.' LIES! Thanks to Martin's - you get this today. Happy America Day!
Chapter 11
EDWARD
Seriously? The last thing I needed to see when I walked through the cafeteria doors was James all over Bella. What the fuck is that about? He treats her like shit last night and she just lets him get away with it? This doesn't sit well with me. Not. At. All. That mother fucker doesn't deserve her forgiveness. He's probably the reason she hasn't been texting me back. To hell with that bullshit!
I avert my eyes from her direction quickly and follow my brother and sisters to the end of the lunch line. After we get our food, we head to I guess what can now be considered 'our' table; however when we get there, James is sitting next to Bella. I somehow manage to keep my cool and I move to sit at the end of the table next to Seth.
"Oh, Edward, wait!" Bella practically shouts and then turns to James. "Sweetie, would you mind if Edward sat here? I need to talk to him about our bio class."
James looks at me and then back to Bella, "Sure babe! I'm pretty much finished anyway. I'mma go talk to Tyler."
He kisses her on the cheek before leaving the table, causing her to flinch a little bit. James either doesn't care, or just doesn't notice. I make my way to the other side of the table and plop down next to her.
"Sorry. I tried to convince him to sit next to Seth, but he's hell bent on being attentive today," Bella says and then takes a huge bite out of her sloppy joe.
"Well that's interesting. What brought that on?" I wonder aloud.
"Ahh duun knoo," she answers through a mouth full of food.
Mikey gasps from the other side of the table, "Isabella, we've discussed you talking with your mouth full. I know we have."
Bella opens her mouth to display her mostly chewed sloppy joe and Mikey looks outraged.
"Oh my god," he heaves, "I'm gonna vom!"
Rosalie starts patting him on the back. Once we're all certain that he's not going to 'vom', we start laughing. Well, Mikey doesn't, of course. He just sits quietly and sulks until Jasper starts talking to him. After that, he really perks up. I think Bella was right; Mikey does have eyes for my man. Even though it's completely ridiculous, this kind of bothers me. It shouldn't, because Jasper and I are definitely not a couple, but it does, because Mikey doesn't know this.
"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to your texts. I kinda got in trouble with Mrs. French and then everyone was texting me," Bella sighs and then leans over to whisper, "I'll explain in bio."
My body was obviously not expecting her to get this close, because goose bumps immediately break out all over my arms. Thank Alice, I'm wearing this blazer. I barely register that Jasper is talking to me on my left.
"How's my Eddie's day going?" he says, reaching over to put his hand on mine.
Lucky for me, I'm getting used to these moments of queerness, "Oh not too bad, pookie. How's yours?"
Jasper's eyes light up when he realizes I'm actually going to participate this time, "Oh my gosh, this day has been like a whirlwind! First, I had my honors English class. We're starting to read Macbeth. I'm so excited. You know I feel about Shakespeare! We received our text books today in trig! Then I had to suffer through Civil War. That was a huge snooze fest! Oh, and then the big guy over there and I realized that we have advanced chemistry together, so we spent the last forty-five minutes getting much better acquainted."
I gasp, "Jazzy did you just admit that you and Em have chemistry?" I fake a pout.
"You have nothing to worry about, snookums. I'll never have real chemistry with anyone, but you!" he says, leaning over to bump his shoulder into mine.
"Just make sure it says that way," I tease.
He flashes me a smile before turning his attention back to Mikey, who is considerably less flirty after the exchange Jasper and I just had. In his face! Ha! I know I'm ridiculous, but life is all about the little victories.
"So, The Black Keys. I think I've heard of them, but I've never listened to their stuff or Dan…?" Bella says, getting back to our earlier conversation.
"Auerbach. You really need to become acquainted with him. It's blues rock at it's finest!"
She smirks, "Not really the type of music I'd expect from a 'friend of Dorothy'. You're not a Ke$ha fan?"
I lean closer to her, "Can you keep a secret?"
"I think I can manage."
"I actually don't hate Ke$ha," I whisper in her ear.
"Mmmhmm, I knew it," Bella nods.
"Actually, Jasper and I have heated debates over who's better: Ke$ha or Gaga?"
Her eyes go wide, "How is that even a debate? Gaga is definitely better!"
"Says you! Ke$ha's much more catchy. You can try to resist her, but five minutes later, you'll be humming her tunes," I counter.
She thinks for a second, "You know, this argument is moot when you bring ABBA into the mix."
"Pardon?" I'm sure I didn't hear her right.
"ABBA. Blonde. Swedish. Amazing!"
I can't believe I'm having this conversation, "Um, yeah I'm sure they are amazing… if you're like a hundred!"
She gives me a pout, "I'm being for reals. ABBA was uber-popular back in the day. 'Dancing Queen'! Who doesn't know that song?"
"A lot of people know that song and, in turn, a lot of people hate that song."
Her mouth drops open, but she doesn't say anything. I think I've rendered her speechless. I realize that for the sake of my 'gay rep', I probably should've admitted to liking ABBA, but that was too bitter a pill to swallow. I don't care if this blows my cover, that's just not something I can get behind.
Bella sighs and finally speaks, "James even likes ABBA."
"Do I look like James?"
"No."
She's pouting again.
"Exactly."
She rolls her eyes at me, "Fine. You've made your point. How 'bout you stop being a bitch now?"
I give her a smile and she's quick to return it. The bell tolls to signal the end of lunch and everyone reluctantly heads out. After we say our goodbyes to the others, Bella and I make our way to bio, stopping at her locker first.
"So, as you saw at lunch, Mikey is all about Jasper," Bella says as she's sifting through her locker.
I have to work hard to hide my smile, "Yeah, I caught that. You think I should be worried?"
She shrugs, "I've told him to back off, but he's making me no promises."
"Well thanks for trying, I guess."
She closes her locker and we start walking again, "Angela thinks that J is into your sister."
"Rosalie?"
"No, ass, your sister."
This is an unexpected development, "Alice? How? Why?"
"Ang tells me that J's been talking about Alice a lot. Which probably means he mentioned her in passing once or twice, so she just naturally thinks that something is going on." Bella shoots a sideways look at me before continuing, "Ang tends to overreact when it comes to the topic of J and his love life."
"Shouldn't she feel more secure than that? I mean, how long have they been together?" I ask as we step into our classroom.
Bella turns to look at me and I can see confusion plastered across her face, "J and Angela aren't together?"
"For real?" I ask, truly shocked.
"For real, for real," she says and continues on to our lab table. "Did you not notice her boyfriend sitting next to her at lunch?"
I toss my bag down and take a seat, "That's her boyfriend? I noticed him, but I never noticed her talking to him. What's his name?"
Bella sits down next to me, "Eric. He's a nice kid. Totally and completely wrong for Ang, but what can you do?"
"Um, you smack her up-side the head and hope it knocks some smarts in her?"
She scoffs at my idea, "Easy for you to say! She'd blind me with the flash bulb of her camera, not to mention the fact that she has reflexes like a jungle cat. No, she's got to come to her own senses. I do feel bad for J though."
I nod, "How long has this been going on?"
"Since puberty, pretty much." She sighs, "I think he came close to telling her how he felt, but Eric just got there first."
Like Bella, I feel bad for J. Really bad. It sucks enough when the person you like isn't available. I'm sure it sucks even worse when you have front row tickets to their relationship.
Unable to hide my curiosity any longer, "So, what happened with you and James?"
She pulls a face, "He fucking booped my nose earlier."
What the fuck does that mean? "I'm sorry?"
"You know," she leans towards me, and puts her finger to my nose and pushes gently, "BOOP!"
I'm not quite sure how to respond to this, "Um, that was… interesting? What purpose does this serve?"
"I guess none. It's something that my dad used to do to me all the time. I'll do it every-so-often to my friends, but James has never done it before. He's in a really good mood, being really nice, and it's really starting to freak me the fuck out."
"Really?" I quip.
She narrows her eyes at me, "Yes. Really."
"Well didn't you tell me last night that he's not always an asshole? Didn't you say that his attitude is refreshing at times? I think you might've even thrown in the word 'attentive' too," I remind her.
"Fuck Edward, don't you ever forget anything?"
I smile, "Why Miss Bella, I do believe you're avoiding my questions."
"Fine. Yes. I said those things," she huffs. "I was just trying to prove to you that I don't get off on being mistreated. I don't know, I guess it's just what I'm used to now. I'm used to him flying off the handle about random things. I'm used to making excuses for him. I'm used to him being a smart ass. What I'm NOT used to is him acting like fucking 'Sunshine Sally'."
I raise an eyebrow, "'Sunshine Sally'?"
"I just made that up, you like it?" she looks so proud of herself.
"Very nice."
"Thank you. So what do you suggest I do? About James, I mean?"
I can't believe she's asking me this. I want to tell her to break up with James. I want her to pick up her phone and text him right now to tell him it's over. She's too good for him, she doesn't deserve to be treated the way he's been treating her. I was only with Tanya for three months and I know how emotionally exhausting it was dealing with her. I don't know how Bella has put up with him for so long.
On the other hand, and I could kick my own ass for thinking this way, maybe James is actually trying to make a genuine effort. If that's the case, then it wouldn't be right to tell her to dump him. I can't believe I'm about to do this...
"Bella, you've been putting up with his bad attitude for over a year, right?"
She's a little hesitant to answer, "Yes."
Don't do it, Edward. Don't. Do. It. "Well don't you think it'd be kinda bitchy if you were to break up with him just when he starts being nice to you? Honestly, sweetheart, that wouldn't make any sense."
YOU STUPID MOTHER FUCKER! YOU JUST TOLD THE POSSIBLE GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS NOT TO BREAK UP WITH HER JERKOFF BOYFRIEND! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?
Mr. Banner chooses this moment to make his appearance. He starts blathering on about the wonders of biology and begins passing out text books. To conserve supplies, he only hands out one book per table. When he asks us to start reading over the lesson in chapter one, Bella has to scoot her chair closer to mine in order to understand what the hell he's talking about.
I have to grip the bottom of the desk in order not to rip my hair out in frustration. I'm an idiot. Alice better fucking appreciate what I just did. If she hadn't practically begged me not to rock the proverbial boat, we'd all be in the fucking water right now, Titanic style. Why do I always have to be the nice guy? What's that old adage: nice guys finish last? Yup, that sounds about right.
Because I've been wrapped in my own thoughts, I don't even see the piece of paper Bella slid in front of me, until she starts tapping on it to get my attention.
Thank you so much, Edward. I owe you big time. Sorry if I came off as a selfish brat.
I want to throw up. Not only have I managed to convince her to stay with James, I've also somehow have her thinking that she was being selfish. This isn't good. I write back quickly.
You're very welcome.
ps - You're anything but selfish!
She smiles at me brilliantly and we focus our attention on the single book in front if us. Later, as we're walking out of class, she takes the opportunity to thank me again.
"Bella, really, you don't have to thank me."
"I know, but you really put things into perspective. I talked to Jasper earlier and he nearly had me convinced that I should drop James like a bad habit," she laughs lightly.
I strain to keep my tone even, "You talked to Jasper about this?"
"Yeah, right before fourth."
"And what did he say?" I'm infinitely curious now.
"Pretty much what you said, but he didn't flip it around the way you did," she recalls.
MOTHER FUCKER! "Oh, I see."
"Oh my gosh, to think I was seriously giving thought to breaking up with James, just because he was being nice to me. Crazy, right?"
"Yeah. Crazy." STUPID. STUPID. STUPID.
"Well, I'm off to algebra. See you in gym?"
"Of course, where else would I be?"
She smiles and walks away. As I make my way to history, I continue my mental tirade.
Hi, my name is Edward. I'm a pussy. I don't know how to do anything right. I think it's super to tell really hot girls not to break up with their asshole boyfriends. I like it. I like having a vagina. I'm going to pick up a case of Summers Eve after school and douche my fucking heart out when I get home then I'm going to start writing lame-ass songs and see if Owl City will let me tour with him. Ugh, seriously? Your name is 'Adam Young'. Why don't you go by that instead of some stupid random band name? WAY TO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC, DOUCHE BAG! Speaking of douche bags, why the fuck didn't Jasper mention talking to Bella? That's kind of something important that I should've been told. Okay, I guess it really wasn't my business and that's why he didn't tell me, but still. Would it have killed him to just give me the heads up? I don't really think it would have. People don't have courtesy anymore. Fuck.
Once I get to history class, I check my phone. I'm tremendously happy to see that I have some texts from Bella.
- so… 'on the road'…i'm in TOTAL agreement with you. i was in a phase last year when i felt the need to read 'classics'. big fucking fail.
- can I borrow 'running with scissors'?
- and you'll have to hook me up with some dan auerbach. (notice the proper spelling…I WIN!)
I think about texting her back, but realize that if I do, I'll never want to focus on the teacher. Eh, fuck it.
- i'll bring it tomorrow, the book that is. you'll have to come over and i'll hook your ipod up!
The second my text is sent, one comes in.
- how long do i wait for emmett to ask me out, before i can ask him out?
- rose you've never asked a guy out.
- true, but this one is different. oh and i've decided against cheerleading.
- lol. probably for the best.
- asshole.
I smile and close my phone. This was unnecessary, since another text is coming through already. This one is from Bella though.
- just let me know when. i'm dying to see if your parents are as embarrassing as mine!
- they won't disappoint, trust me.
With that, I put my phone away. So far I've been pretty fortunate to not get caught with it, I shouldn't press my luck. I'll see Bella soon enough in gym anyway. That reminds me, we'll have to go back to Newton's to get our gym clothes soon. I'm not even sure if Alice ordered any. I wonder if they're hiring. I could definitely benefit from an after school job. Does the fact that Bella works there have any influence over this decision? Well duh! I did work at a Dick's Sporting Goods store though, so it's not a job that would be absolutely foreign.
By the time the bell sounds for seventh period, I've made up my mind to ask Bella to put in a good word for me. Just like yesterday, I run into Alice on my way to gym and we walk together. When we get there we see that the students are grouped to one side and the two coaches are on the other. We spot J and Angela and move to stand with them. There's no sign of Bella yet.
"People, it just started raining outside, so our plans for field hockey are kaput! We're going to modify the game plan and play in here. I need four captains, right now!" the male coach shouts at us.
"SIMPSON. HARRISON. STANLEY. BLACK," the female coach practically screams.
J jumps a little when his name is called and moves to take his place across from us.
"Pick your teams, people!" male coach barks.
"Fan-fucking-tastic. Watch me get picked last." I hear what's becoming a very familiar voice behind me. I turn and sure enough, Bella is standing there.
I take a step back to stand next to her, "J's up there though. Why would he pick you last?"
"He'll pick Ang first, no doubt. Then he'll pick you, because he'll want a least one guy on his team. Then he'll pick Alice, because he won't want her to be left with unfamiliar people. Then he'll pick me, because I'll be the only person left he wants." She says matter-of-factly.
"And what happens when someone else picks you?"
She smirks at me, "Oh, that won't happen."
Sure enough Bella was absolutely right about J's selections. Because there are twenty-three students in the class, all of the other teams have six players, while we only have five. We decide to make Alice our goalie. Bella and I play defense, J and Angela offense.
"Um, you're gonna want to stand clear of my stick," Bella says beside me, her tone eerily low.
I look at her and see that she has her 'game face' on. A few seconds later, the ball comes into our zone. Without warning Bella swings her stick down with full force and knocks it to the other side of the court, causing the captain of the other team to practically dive out if the way.
"Hey Bella, how 'bout you watch what you're doing?" the curly haired girl shouts at her.
"Hey Jess, how 'bout you eat a dick?" Bella shouts in return and my jaw hits the floor.
"Bells, could you not?" J pleads.
Bella just shrugs, "Sorry."
Everyone can tell that she's not sorry at all. Luckily this little episode has caused enough distraction to allow J to get a goal for our team.
"Well done, Black!" male coach offers from the sideline.
Bella proves to be quite the hot-head when it comes to this modified field hockey. Every time the ball gets near her, she swings her stick as if her life depends on it. One time she nearly clips my shoulder. I wouldn't say I'm a slouch though. Almost anything Bella misses gets sent my way. Though my swing doesn't have quite the ferocity as hers, it's still pretty good. Between the two of us and Alice we manage to block nearly every shot sent our way, but J and Angela's performances are absolutely stellar. We win the game 16-4 and the coaches let us relax for the last ten minutes of class.
"Aww, better luck next time, Jess," Bella offers to the opposing captain.
"It was nearly two years ago, Bella! Get over it, already!" Jess says, before she turns and stomps off.
"Spoiled little bitch," Bella adds, but only loud enough for us to hear.
J puts an arm around her shoulder, "Bells, you really should ease up on her. She's right; it's been almost two years."
Bella just rolls her eyes, "Whatevs."
He removes his arm and gestures to Alice, "Come on, Ali. Let's go check out the other game."
They take a few steps, but then J turns and adds, "Coming Angela?"
Angela looks kind of taken aback, but mumbles out a 'yeah sure' and follows Alice and J to the other end of the gym. I turn to Bella, eager to ask her about her issue with Jess, but her brow is furrowed in what appears to be profound confusion.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
She kind of shakes her head as if to clear her thoughts, "Nothing, I guess. It's just that I can't remember the last time J has called Angela by her full name. It didn't sound right at all."
"Oh. That is kinda strange then. Why do you think he did that?"
"Not sure. I'll find out later though and fill you in," she whispers, though no one is listening.
"Fabulous!" I say in what I hope is an acceptable homo-tone and then widen my eyes a bit to emphasize what I'm about to ask, "Now tell me, what's the deal with you and Miss Curly-Haired Jess!"
"It's stupid really. She broke Emmett's heart a few years ago."
I gasp, "That bitch."
Bella laughs and moves to sit on the bleachers, "Emmett's over it now, of course, but for a while he was a mess." She pauses for a minute and then continues a little more seriously, "Our friends really didn't get to see how badly it affected him. Sure, he was fine in school and during practices and games, but at home and work he was such a mope. I had to cover for him every time he blew off the gang."
"Aww, bless his heart," I say softly.
"He eventually started dating here and there, but he hasn't really been into a girl since. Until Rosalie, that is. What's she like, Edward? Really?" she questions.
"Rosalie? Well, she's loyal to Jasper, for sure. I'm told that one time in preschool, some kid took his sand pail so she pushed said kid down and started shoveling sand into his mouth until someone stopped her." Bella laughs, so I continue, "She loves her dad, though she won't admit it readily. She loves my dad and will admit it readily. She's good to her family. She tries not to take her beauty too seriously. Her grandmother had the bright idea to enter her in a pageant when she was twelve. Esme says that she did really well up until the 'beachwear' category. Rosalie started going on about how a bathing suit didn't determine how pretty a girl was and she refused to compete. She's an absolute pain in the ass sometimes, but she's honest and she means well."
"Oh wow," Bella responds. "I hope Em is that nice when people ask about me. So you're saying I shouldn't worry about her breaking his heart then?"
I laugh, "Oh honey, not at all. I think they'll be fine."
She exhales, "Well that's a relief. I didn't want to have to hate your sister."
"Yeah, that would suck just a little bit," I smile.
Bella moves to get up, "Come on, the bell's going to ring soon."
I get up to follow her. By the time we reach the others, the bell rings. Since it's only the second day, none of us have homework and we can head directly to the parking lot. J leads the way with Alice by his side and Angela a step behind. I can tell by her demeanor that this is something new for Angela and she doesn't like it very much. Beside me, Bella is scanning the crowd.
"I have to find James. He's my ride."
I spot him right away and point him out, "He's right there."
She follows my gaze, "Oh, thanks! Are you leaving right away? You're not right? You wanna walk over with me? You don't have to, I just thought I'd ask."
I laugh at her rambling, "No, we're not leaving right away. We have to wait on Jasper and Rosalie. Lead the way, Miss Bella."
When we get to James' car, he's talking to a guy I haven't seen before.
James smiles at Bella, "Hey babe! I was just talking to Tyler about you!"
My soul dies a little as she walks over to hug James, "I hope it was nice. Hey Tyler."
Tyler waves at her, "Hey Bell. He wasn't saying anything bad, don't worry." He directs his attention to me, "Who's your friend?"
"Shit, sorry! Tyler Crowley this is Edward Cullen. Edward, this is Tyler."
Eh, I'm here, I might as well ham it up, "Oh the pleasure is definitely all mine, Tyler."
"EDDIE? Thank God, I've been looking for you everywhere!" I hear Jasper behind me, right before takes my hand into his. He really should win an award for the performance he's giving.
I smile at him, "Well you can stop looking now that you've found me!"
He smiles back at me, "But part of the fun of looking is the thrill I get when I finally find you." Jasper notices Tyler and holds out his hand, palm down, "And you are?"
Tyler has a look of absolute confusion on his face, but he manages to collect himself enough to take Jasper's offered hand, "I'm Tyler. Tyler Crowley. Good to meet you…?"
"I'm Jasper Hale. Oh my, what a strong grip you have there, Tyler."
"Uh, thanks." Tyler turns to James, "You ready to head out, man?"
"Sure thing! Babe, I'll call you later," he says.
Bella looks very confused, "I'm sorry, what? You're leaving? You're my ride."
"We talked about this. I told you I was watching the game with Tyler."
"Uh no. You said you were watching the game tonight. You never mentioned that you weren't driving me home," she accuses.
James just shrugs, "It was totally implied, babe."
Bella shakes her head, "No. No it wasn't."
"Whatevs. Em'll take you home," he says flippantly and then gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, before moving to get in his car.
I can tell that Bella's still puzzled by this current change of events, but she does her best not to let it get to her, "Well have fun, I guess."
James smiles as he's shutting his car door, "Thanks babe! You're the best!" Tyler has already climbed into the passenger seat, so James wastes no time starting the engine and driving away.
During this entire exchange, Jasper and I have been observing quietly… still holding hands, of course. Bella looks at the both of us and I catch a look of embarrassment, but she covers it quickly with a weak smile.
"I guess I better go find, Emmett, huh?" she laughs.
Jasper releases my hand and walks over to her, "Oh sweetie, don't be sad. We'll help you find him!"
"Thanks Jazzy," she says and the three of us head back to my Volvo, since I remember Emmett's truck being parked next to me this morning. Luckily, it's still there when we arrive.
Actually, everyone is still there. Bella walks over to Emmett and pulls him to the side to talk to him in private. While they're talking, I see him shake his head and gesture in Rosalie's direction. Bella pouts and starts talking animatedly with her arms. Emmett laughs at her, but still shakes his head 'no'. She sighs in frustration, nods and then pats him on the arm. He puts his arm around her and messes up her hair. Bella shoves him off and walks back to the rest of the group with Emmett right behind her.
We all talk for a few more minutes, before Emmett makes his departure, "Well, I'm heading out. I'll see you fine people later. Rosie?"
"Yup, I'm coming." Rosalie says goodbye to everyone and joins Emmett in the cab of his truck.
I nudge Bella's shoulder, "You need a ride, ma'am?"
She sighs, "Yeah, I guess I do. Everyone has abandoned me today."
"Well their loss is our gain!" Jasper says, "Mary Alice, you ready?"
"Actually, J is going to give me a ride home," my twin says and a sort of hush falls over the group.
"What?" Jasper asks, without a hint of 'gay' in his voice. In this moment, I see the Jasper that I've known for the past two-plus years. He looks like he wants to kill one Jacob Black and that probably wouldn't be the best thing, since we are trying to make friends, not maim them.
"J is going to give me a ride home," Alice repeats herself, this time a little wary.
"But," Jasper starts and then he must realize the mood he's putting off, because he instantly changes tact, "…you said you'd do my nails tonight."
Alice laughs at his whiney tone, "Jasper, I'll still do your nails, I promise."
He brightens immediately, "Fabulous! J, you be careful with her. Her manis and pedis are way better than any little asian I've ever been to!"
J smiles easily, "You got it man. I'll keep her safe and sound. The kid's coming too, so it's like she'll have double protection."
"Good deal," Jasper says, but when he walks past me to the car, I can see the tension on his face. He obviously was not privy to Alice's plans before now. She'll have a lot of explaining to do once she gets home. I look at Alice and she smiles at me and nods toward Jasper. I don't need to be a mind reader to know she wants me keep an eye on him. I nod back to her and it's only then that she follows J to his car.
"Bella, you ready?" I call to her.
"Give me a second," she says. The second Alice said she was getting a ride from J, Bella and Mikey have been at Angela's side. I can't hear what they're talking about, but I'm positive it's about J.
I groan and pull out my phone to text Alice.
- i hope you have a good excuse. your man is about to blow a gasket and angela is beside herself.
I glance back to Bella, she and Mikey are still talking to Angela. I'm not sure how much progress they're making, but I do see Angela nodding at what they're saying, so I suppose that's a step in the right direction. My phone vibrates.
- i know what i'm doing. i just texted jasper, he should be calm now. everything happened so fast, i didn't get to warn him.
- okay, but if he goes crazy and kills j, you only have yourself to blame. ;o)
"Ready," Bella says.
I start at her voice, because didn't hear her coming. I guess the expression on my face is humorous, because Bella starts laughing hysterically.
"Wow, I'm glad you find me amusing, Swan. Everything okay?" I ask.
She stops laughing and rolls her eyes, "Ugh, yes. Classic 'don't know what you got 'til it's gone' syndrome. She'll get over it."
I chuckle at her indifference to the matter, "You don't sound very concerned."
"Because I'm not. We rollin'?" she says, effectively changing the subject.
With that, I bow and wave my arm to the car, "Your chariot awaits, madame."
Jasper is standing next to the passenger side, waiting for me to unlock the door.
"SHOTGUN!" Bella declares loudly and smiles.
