Right now I'm writing chapter 33. Yes, that's right - thirty-three! And I have almost written 33k. Well, I will do when I've finished the chapter haha. Proud to say I hit 30k yesterday. Aiming for 40k at least this weekend. Wish me more luck? *crosses fingers hopefully*. Some more conflict in this chapter, because hey, it's getting a little boring while we wait for the nomad to make another appearance, isn't it?
Jasper
People were dying. No, dying was too lenient. People were being murdered. The news reporters had decided to call it 'vicious illegal animals' attacking people, although only two bodies had been discovered in the woods. I didn't even need all of the details to know the person… thing… responsible. At least they were right it was a creature attacking them.
I tried to keep Tania away from the news, however that seemed impossible since it leaked out somehow and then she wasn't happy with me for not mentioning it, but there was nothing she could do about the situation.
Eventually Sunday came around again and gradually Tania's pain had eased, although not by much. It had transformed itself into worry and anxiety, of which when I asked her she told me she was nervous about going back to school.
"I don't want to start again." Tania confessed while we watched TV on the sofa (as Tania insisted it was called a sofa and not a couch).
"You won't be." I told her, confidently. "You already got me to fall in love with you."
She laughed at that. "Seriously though…"
"Seriously, you won't be starting again. I think it would be impossible to forget you in a week."
It was then that Carlisle walked in, having finished his shift at the hospital. "Hey." He said, coming up to the back of the sofa.
Tania quickly looked up, opening her mouth, which I assumed she'd ask about her mother.
"She'll be able to leave soon." He answered, since she asked the same question every single time he reappeared. "I got you something." Carlisle smiled as he handed her a small glittery blue gift bag. I sensed some slight euphoria.
It didn't take her long to open the bag and pull out the small box from inside as her heart began to beat wildly once she recognised what the present was. She gasped and her eyes started to glisten in the light. "Oh my GOD!" she cried. "You bought me an iPhone?!" Quickly, Tania stood, carefully placing the box on the sofa and practically threw herself at him in a hug.
"Thank you so much, Carlisle." She sniffed, feeling happier than she had been for a long time.
He hugged her back. "You're very welcome, Tania."
"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me." She mumbled.
"Ahem." Emmett cleared his throat in the doorway to the hall.
Carlisle and Tania pulled apart. "What?" Tania asked, confused as she wiped one of her eyes with her hand.
"That time I let you win on Mario kart, o so named 'mario kart queen.'" He smirked.
She shook her head. "I think you're the one that got hit with that blue shell, Emmett." she retorted, going back to the sofa so she could open the box.
"No-," he started to protest.
"Oh leave it, Emm, can't you see she's having a moment?" I cut in.
He grumbled something about that not being the way he remembered it and trooped up the stairs.
"He's just jealous he wouldn't be able to use the temperature sensitive touch screen." Carlisle chuckled.
As Tania had been trying to go to bed at an earlier time, to see if she'd sleep for longer, she'd been waking up pretty early in the morning. Therefore getting up in time to go to school was not difficult. She awoke a while before she'd ask me to wake her up, feeling slightly on edge that it was suddenly time to go.
My thirst had been building up and so I'd gone to hunt in the late evening. I hadn't told Tania, but I'd managed to catch a whiff of the nomad's scent, although it had led to somewhere in the woods and stopped completely, as if she'd gone up or down. However, how could she? There had been no sign of the earth being dug up, and she would not have been able to jump so far away. Perhaps the occasional rain fall had somehow deceived me as unlikely that theory was?
Tania dressed in a black skirt she wouldn't normally have worn for casual and a fashionable black blouse. Alice had definitely picked out her wardrobe.
"Doesn't it freak you out?" she asked me as she placed a folder into her new bag Alice had also given her.
"What?" I thought she might be talking about social situations, but I could be wrong.
"Us… sharing the same wardrobe." She replied, nervously.
I smiled, hoping to ease her anxiety, although still a bit confused. "How would that freak me out?"
She shrugged before sliding the door shut, and said no more about it.
Emmett and Rosalie took their own ride, leaving Tania and I with Edward, who seemed to have gotten over the day before, although Tania hadn't forgotten about it and was wary of him. After I gave him a disapproving look for the whole drive there, letting him know what I really thought, he eventually apologised to her, even though it didn't do much to her nerves, but at least she knew her and Edward were ok.
I had never been more thankful to have drama class on a Monday morning, and I suspected Tania felt the same way. The only thing that was really getting to me was the reactions of the rest of our group, seeing as the last time I had been there I'd attacked Jason. That had been another thing I'd not mentioned to Tania. She'd probably have been better not knowing, though, and I certainly wasn't going to tell her then.
We entered the drama hall and immediately Amber and Anna, who'd been quietly discussing something in hushed and rapid whispers, turned their heads towards the door.
"T!" Anna cried, rushing over to Tania and hugging her tightly. Tania could only stand there and gently pat Anna's back in amused surprise.
Amber stood up as well and walked over, taking her turn of a hug. "We're really sorry about what happened." She said, sympathetically.
"I didn't think you'd be back for ages! I thought you'd leave or something…" Anna continued.
Tania shook her head. "My mother wanted me to come back to school, and anyway, it's ok because the Cullens were nice enough to let me stay with them for a while."
Amber and Anna both turned their faces towards me, both of them having their emotions turn from sympathy and joy to shock and worry.
"Really." said Amber, although she sounded so unhappy the word sounded nothing like a question.
The atmosphere changed to awkwardness as the two girls must have been thinking of what had happened before and Amber even made a subtle step away from me in apprehension.
Tania looked up at me, confused. "Did something happen or-," she started to ask, however the other door at the back of the hall opened and Mr Gates stepped in, rubbing his hands together.
"Ah, Tania, and Jasper. We were beginning to forget what you looked like." He joked.
The class went by more painlessly than usual, apart from the obvious fact of Amber, Anna, Jason and Craig, although I may have secretly pushed away the outstanding fear looming around. Instead of rehearsing and running lines, the teacher proclaimed that it was a Monday so he'd go easy on the class that day with some exercises and methods. I did have a suspicion that it had something to do with Tania coming back, though.
At the end of the lesson he announced there'd be a trip, of which he expected everyone to go, to see a small production of Shakespeare's Tempest that was going to take place in the city for only a month. Tania smiled at that, excited and fascinated at the prospect.
Reluctantly, I let her go to English with Amber, only being able to hope that Amber wouldn't mention anything.
Tania
Something very strange was going on, and I was utterly confused as time wore on that morning. I'd noticed Anna and Amber as well as the guys Craig and Jason had been particularly wary of Jasper the entire lesson, trying to keep their distance, and moving away so they wouldn't get put together in improvisations or anything. Of course, I knew they weren't particularly fond of each other, but really? They couldn't even stand to work together for five minutes?
Finally Amber got me alone on the way to English, which was when she started to talk.
"Has Jasper…" she began, gingerly. "Has he, you know, been a little…" she trailed off, hesitant to be blunt about the subject.
"What?" I asked, slightly irritated that everyone seemed to know something was going on except for me.
"Has he," she sighed. "Has he been angry at you at all?" Amber asked, and then said quickly. "I'm just trying to look out for you. Don't get mad."
I frowned, still confused as I kicked a stone on the pavement. "Why would he be angry at me?"
"Well has he like… hurt you or anything?"
I stared at her blankly. "Are you messing with me? I don't get it."
Amber took a breath, about to continue with what she really meant to say – either that or add in some more side stepping, when my bag slid off my shoulder.
"Emmett!" I screamed at him, as he ran past with my bag.
He stopped a few yards ahead, shrugging as if to say 'what are you gunna do?' and then ran off as I marched towards him with a temper rising. "Emmett give me that back! I need it! I have English in three minutes!" I cried.
I started to run after him as he mocked me, sprinting a few paces and then watching me attempt to get my things back, although failing miserably.
Amber tried to help me, reaching for it at one point so I could try and grab it while he was focused on her, however we had no chance against a vampire practically made of pure muscle.
Eventually we were standing outside the building and I couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculous actions. He then lost when Amber jumped for it and he stuck his arm in the opposite direction. Emmett pretended to have lost, however I knew he had faked it, and after Amber and I arrived at English I spent half the lesson wondering why he had.
Jasper was hiding something from me, and I needed to find out what and why.
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