Betad by kitchmill. Mistakes are my own.

Pre-read by Hoodie

I know! I know! It's been forever and a day. I'm sorry! But here you go. Love you xo

I hate Mondays. Classes start way too early and it's damn near impossible to pay attention to Dr. Banner's monotonous tone. He's lost his edge ever since finishing his PHD and getting tenure. Now instead of being quirky and interesting, he just comes across as boring. Not that it matters. All I can think about is that text from this morning.

Later.

My nostrils flare down at my phone.

Later.

In a moment of weakness, Edward's and my relationship—if you can even call it that—had been downgraded from something possibly monumental to a casual hookup. Something I swore I would never do.

Later.

A snap echoes through the classroom and everyone turns to look at me. Brow creased, I look down and find I've snapped my last number two pencil in half.

Thankfully they've all got ADHD and quickly forget about me, turning around to focus back on themselves because Lord knows they aren't listening to Dr. Banner yammer on.

Tossing my ruined pencil in my bag, I fish out a pen so I can pretend like I'm taking notes. Banner always puts everything up online anyway. At least some things stay true to form.

I'm still fishing, mid-bend when I notice a kid I don't recognize still staring at me. Averting my eyes, I finally wrap my fingers around the damn pen and straighten. I wait a few minutes before scratching a fake itch on my shoulder with my chin and find him still staring.

Weird. I hope now he doesn't think I'm interested.

I shiver with the dislike of men in general.

In no time I'm zoned back out of Banner's lecture, thinking of a hundred different ways I'm going to tell Edward off if I ever see him again.

The visuals make class go by faster. I don't realize it's over until everyone's getting up and gathering their things.

I'm slow to pack mine until I notice the kid with the staring problem still sitting there staring at me. I put a rush on it and high-tail it out of there.

I'm mildly more aware of my surroundings as I walk from campus to Jasper's shop, looking over my shoulder more often than I usually do.

My senses feel abnormally heightened, like they know somebody's watching me. I can feel it.

Fingering the trigger of the pepper spray my dad made sure I always carried, I quicken my steps, almost at a run when I make it to Jas Glass and swing open the door to where it's safe inside.

I let out a relieved breath when I see Jasper fiddling with one of the displays.

"Hey," I say breathlessly, tossing my stuff behind the counter.

"Hey, you're early. That never happens."

I huff a laugh and stick out my tongue. "Yeah, today's been … interesting." To say the least. Leaning on the counter, I run my fingers through the dangling glass earrings, admiring the attention to detail. Everything Jas makes is beautiful and original. "Need any help over there or are you just obsessing?"

"Obsessing mostly."

I smirk.

Finally satisfied, Jasper leaves his masterpieces alone for the time being and comes to join me at the counter.

"You look different," he tells me.

I'm not sure if I should be offended. "How so?"

"I don't know. Did you do something with your hair? New makeup? Are you even wearing any?"

Offended it is.

"I didn't mean it like that. It's nothing bad. It's just, there's something different. That's all."

Edward pumping away between my thighs flashes across my mind. My whole body heats, especially my cheeks. Jasper no doubt noticing that too.

"Anyway, if you need me, I'll be in the back a few more hours then I'm heading to the loft to work on a few custom pieces." Dropping the subject for now, Jasper walks backward away from me, pointing a finger gun my way. "You still coming by after we close up?"

I nod. "Yep. I'll be there with the beer."

"That means I got the pizza."

"You got it. Don't forget, cheese only on my half!" I remind him after he's spun around, heading for the back. He flashes me a thumbs up before disappearing behind the curtain.

Once Jasper's out of sight, that feeling I'm being watched starts to creep back in. Looking out the front windows, I find no one there. Regardless, I round the counter to stand where I'm less visible.

After I've had time to chill and that feeling starts to dissipate, I pull out some school books, ready to focus on some homework.

Just like Banner's voice, the text I have to finish reading nearly puts me to sleep. I find myself reading the same sentence two and three times in a row before it finally sinks in. Halfway through the assignment, I slam the book shut.

Dust from the pages dances in the sunlight, settling down on the glass counter in front of me. I blow it off, making it twirl and swirl again only for it to land in the same spot as it did before. I spell out my name before wiping the dust away.

The bell above the door jingles and I straighten, watching as the lanky, weird kid from today's class walks in. Long, greasy hair hides the side of his face, his body covered by a black trench coat.

Normally I don't pay that much attention to the customers, but he's officially creeped me out. No way this is a coincidence. But I keep my cool considering maybe he's just a stoner that's high and has mistaken the glass icicles in the front window display for pipes to smoke his weed.

"Hi. Welcome to Jas Glass." My voice echoes through the quiet store, but the kid acts as if he doesn't hear me.

I roll my eyes. Kids today are so rude.

"Is there anything in particular I can help you with? Do you know what you're looking for?"

Continuing to ignore me, he makes his way to the far end of the store.

Jas comes out of the back and we share a look then eye what we can see of our shy, new friend.

An overwhelming feeling sneaks up on me the longer he lingers. Something doesn't feel right. It hasn't since I saw him the first time. My instincts are proven right when a loud crash comes from one of the displays at the far end of the store.

Jasper and I share another look. I just about roll my eyes, ready for the kid to come up and apologize or run out. Instead, there's another crash. And another, then another.

Jasper takes off in the direction of the wreckage. I straighten as it grows louder, getting closer and closer.

Where is a goddamn silent alarm when you need one?

By the time I remember I can actually speak and think to reach for the phone, Jasper comes back into view, hands up in surrender. The kid's pointing the bat at his chest.

Jasper stops and the kid smashes another shelf of his hard work before demanding he get behind the counter with me.

Keeping the bat pointed in our direction, the kid looks through the earrings hanging from an open case.

After a minute or so, Jasper attempts to reach for the phone but the kid sees him. "Ah, Ah, Ah. Don't even try it, Man Bun."

I almost scoff. Like he's one to talk. Psychotic greaseball.

"Think I'll take these. My girl will like 'em. What you think?" He holds one up to his ear and looks at me. "Think Alice'll like 'em?"

My heart jumps up into my throat and I swallow it down. This must be the deadbeat that got Alice strung out on drugs then pregnant. How the hell would he even know me? Unless Alice told him I had come by with her case worker. But why would she? Why me? What was it he wanted?

"Tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna take these." He dangles the pair of earrings in the air then drops them in his pocket. "And what cash you have in the register there, then I'm out of here." He waits rather patiently for one of us to open the register.

I'm closest.

Clenching my fists, I look up at Jasper, ready to throw down if that's what he's prepared to do.

He nods. I silently ask if he's sure, and he nods again at the register. My heart nearly rips in two when I press a button and it dings open. Collecting all the cash, I hand it over with a glaring frown.

The little asshole has the audacity to smile, acting as if he's about to turn away, but not before he delivers his intended message.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Bella, is it?" he asks. I don't answer. He leans in closer. "Bella, be a peach and tell your boy Tony that Alec says, 'Hey,' from the inside. And that he wants him to know it was a nice try. He'll know what it means." He snorts then whines like an obnoxious pig.

My heart drops into my stomach as he raises the bat in the air. Jasper and I simultaneously reach for one another when he swings it down and smashes the counter right in front of us before casually walking out the front door.

Jasper's dialed the cops before the door even closes while I just stand there like a useless lump.

I vaguely hear Jasper explaining what just happened over the phone. I'm glad he knows because I'm not exactly sure I do myself.

"Bella, are you okay?" Jasper asks, placing the phone back in the base.

I honestly don't know but I nod anyway. "Are you?"

He sighs. "Physically, yes."

I hum in understanding. "Well, we should probably get this cleaned up." I reach to pick up some glass but Jasper stops me.

"They said to stay put and not touch anything."

"Oh."

We stand together, quietly looking out over one hell of a mess. He blindly reaches for my hand and I readily accept it, my fingers nearly breaking inside his.

A few minutes later, two cop cars pull up in front of the store. I tell them all I can remember about how the kid looked and who I believe him to be. I leave out the fact of knowing this Tony personally because I don't know Tony. I know Edward. Kind of. At least, I thought I did.

Once the cops get both our statements and the security footage, they leave us with the clearance to start cleaning up the mess and the last person I expect to see tonight walks through the door.

Guess what. Another update Sunday night. WHAT? I know!

Now go read Hoodie and my collab over at jonesnindahood. Title: The First Day