Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Alternate MS/Twilight
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Prompt: Jalopy


Staring into her deep brown eyes I knew I had been caught, yet she didn't seem afraid. Her heart rate was slightly elevated, probably because I was a man in her bedroom, having snuck in during the wee hours of the night, but her visage was clear of anything but confusion.

I decided honesty was the best idea, or at least as honest as I could be given the circumstances. "I wanted to know more about you, you intrigue me," I told her and watched as a line of stress appeared between her eyes. Wondering what caused it I couldn't stop myself from asking, "What are you thinking?"

This time her eyes went wide. "Oh, just wondering what you could possibly find iintriguing/i, what would make you think the best way to satisfy your curiosity was sneaking into my room when you could have just asked me in the morning, and not liking the idea of being a science project to be studied." Her eyes had become harder as she spoke, and by the time she was done she was sitting fully upright in her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees. "I suppose I was thinking what on earth you were thinking." Chuckling I couldn't help but admit that thinking was something I had been doing, that I honestly believed she wouldn't wake up.

I needed to change the subject, divert her from focusing on my trespassing. Racking my brain for what a normal teenage boy might ask I decided on asking her out. Whether I ended up consuming her body or her blood remained to be decided, but making her comfortable in my presence would make the former more possible, even if it would make things more difficult for my family if the latter ended up happening. But would asking her on a date be the best way to start things out or should I focus on becoming friends first? After all, I knew nothing about her.

Realization hit me that learning more than what she wanted to read could make my decision of what to do with her easier, I resolved to pursue the friend route, while keeping open the possibility of more. "Can I drive you to school on Monday?" I asked, hoping she would take the bait.

"I have a perfectly good truck, and at the moment aren't too sure I should be in a car with you, considering what occurred last time," she replied, untrusting, unyielding.

Surely humor would help? "That old jalopy? I'm surprised it still runs," I laughed quietly.

It was the wrong tact to take. Her eyes turned to agates as she sat up straighter. "Don't hate the truck. It's perfectly good and sturdy, and runs just fine, thank you very much. Something doesn't need to be flashy or fancy to be perfectly serviceable, you know."

Talking was definitely better. In just this exchange I learned that she was proud but not pretentious, and had a bit of a temper but wasn't overbearing. I couldn't restrain my smile. "Oh, I know," I told her, "I just thought you might want to ride in something safer. Volvos have the highest safety rating." It was then that I noticed that the very thought of her doing something unsafe made my dead heart to ache, a rather strange reaction given that I was still undecided on whether or not I would be draining her dry.

"My truck is perfectly safe. What could be better than three tons of steel wrapped around me?" I shuddered to think of just that, steel wrapped around and perhaps slicing through her body.

Holding up my hands in retreat I said, "Fine, fine, no rides to school." But I didn't want to leave it at that. I wanted her in my car, sitting next to me, so I added, "For now." After a short hesitation I came up with another plan of attack. "You're new to the area, would you be interested in doing something tomorrow? Perhaps seeing the sights?"

"What sights?" she asked just as my phone buzzed with an incoming text.

It's going to be sunny in Seattle, but cloudy in Port Angeles 2morrow. She won't like shopping, would like a movie. Jazz & I double with you, he'll be fine.

Leave it to my sister to come up with the perfect plan. "How would you like to go to Port Angeles with my sister Alice and her boyfriend, Jasper?" I asked.

"Don't you guys ever sleep? Why's she texting you at two in the morning?" she retorted.

Tell her we're having an all night movie marathon, watching Lord of the Rings, extended version, all three Alice sent to me.

When I passed this along, Bella rolled her eyes, eyes that seemed interested. Judging by her book selection I would imagine she probably enjoyed Tolkien. "Well, I prefer sleeping at this time and watching movies at reasonable hours, if you don't mind."

"Perfect," I told her, "we can catch a movie tomorrow. Can I pick you up around—"

An incoming text cut me off. Better make it one in the afternoon so she won't wonder why we're not eating lunch

"Uhm, how about one?" I offered as she leaned over to see what Alice had sent.

"Is Alice prompting you?" she asked, amusement evident on her face.

I decided to use this, "Maybe, a little."

Giving a small giggle she gave me her answer. "Yes, I would like to go to Port Angeles with you tomorrow. But, you need to leave so I can get some sleep, assuming, of course, that I can even get back to sleep."

I found myself wishing that Jasper were here to knock her out again, but did the best I could. Leaning over I took her hand in mine and lifted it to my lips. "Until tomorrow then." With that I rose from the chair and left her room, rushing down and out of her house to mine at normal, vampire, speed.


Going to see Eclipse again this afternoon! Very excited...