Thank you for your continued support with this story. It means a lot!
Huge thanks to Fran for beta'ing, and Mr G and Me and Monica03 for pre-reading. They're the best. (Any mistakes you see are my own.)
SM owns everything Twilight. I just borrow them. :D
A cool sensation trails down the side of my face, starting from my temple and ending at my jawline. Startling from my deep sleep, I scramble toward my headboard swiping the side of my face, feeling the coolness of my skin.
From the bedroom door to my closet, I gaze everywhere, landing upon the middle section of my bay window, seeing it's halfway open. The purple and black striped curtain gently billows inward as the wind softly blows, whistling gently as it moves through the branches of the tree some feet away.
I can't recall leaving the window open, let alone opening it. Then again, I don't remember much of anything after passing out once I completed a rough outline of the project, so it's possible I did do it.
The wind blows again, bringing with it the crisp air of the night. It's a welcome feeling from the lingering heat of the day, but my eyes are starting to itch from the allergens being blown about.
As I leave the bed, I hiss as I step on a hairclip, the spiky teeth embedding in my tender flesh. Angrily, I kick it out of the way, satisfied with the sound of it bouncing off the wooden baseboard. I stagger to the window, my brain still foggy from sleep. I rub my eyes in an attempt to wake myself up, so I don't accidentally trip over my shoes or book bag and kill myself.
A strong gust of wind blows in, whistling loudly. Moments later, a muted thump from my left has my eyes popping open as all traces of sleep are jolted away.
Squinting into the darkness, I wait for my eyes to adjust and when they do, I immediately spot something amiss. One of my books is lying open on the floor, as if it was haphazardly tossed; the pages spread against the floor.
Gently, I pick it up, noting the title as I eye my bookcase with suspicion.
This book is the only one that's different from the horror novels, thrillers, and mysteries lining my shelf. It's a book of fairy tales, given to me by Aunt Lillian when I turned six. On the title page, her elegant cursive is still imprinted in the off-white paper, wishing her favorite niece a "magical" birthday.
It was the last gift she had given me before she and Uncle Jack died in a car accident.
I wonder how this had fallen onto the floor.
The books are jammed tightly on the bookshelf, though the space where this one was housed is empty, allowing the others to fall slack slightly.
Opening it, I quickly run through the pages as I try to think, the delicate flapping sound seemingly loud in the quiet of my room.
I know I hadn't left it out; in fact, I've hardly touched it this year; I was saving it for my annual re-read next month, around my birthday. Until then, it stays on the shelf, where I know it'll be safe from damage.
So, how had it fallen out?
Thinking hard, I do recall perusing my bookcase for something to read the other day; perhaps I had knocked it loose.
Deciding that must be it, I carefully put the book back and stand, reaching for the window. I pause, however, as another gust of wind comes blowing in, bringing with it a sweet leathery scent that has me closing my eyes and taking in a deep breath, allergies be damned.
Is someone using a new fabric softener? I have to find out who it is and what they're using. Hell, I might even bathe in it!
Another lungful of air has me immediately sneezing and my eyes watering. Underneath my allergy-induced attack, I do notice the scent is completely gone. I would believe my sense of smell has vanished thanks to my now stuffy nose, except I can clearly detect the ever-present fragrance of rain, evergreen, and grass.
Weird.
Shaking my head, I pull the window down, catching a dark object darting into the woods.
Probably the Stephens' dog. She's always getting loose. They better hope she comes back in one piece.
Settling into bed, I attempt to get comfortable and fall back to sleep, but I can't. I feel restless, antsy, and itchy—something that strangely, has nothing to do with my allergies. Huffing, I throw back my covers and head into the hallway. Warm milk and allergy medicine should help me get my remaining hours of sleep.
Passing by Rose's room, I hear her softly murmuring. For a moment, I think she might have someone in there with her because her door is never completely closed at night.
Pressing my ear against it, I try to listen harder, trying to determine if there's another voice, but all I hear is Rose's.
Slowly turning the knob and peeking inside, I see my conclusion is correct; Rose is alone, sprawled out on the bed, her arms over her head, her dark brown hair in knots and legs twisted and tangled in the sheet. Her head moves slowly from side to side as she mumbles.
Frowning slightly, I move toward her, wondering if I can make out what she's saying. She hardly ever talks in her sleep, and when she does, it's because she's extremely upset. To my knowledge, she hasn't been that distressed since freshman year.
Kneeling beside her, I hope to hear what is bothering her so I could help, but her words are all jumbled together.
The only thing that comes to mind is Emmett's constant bugging and trying to get her to go out on a date. If that's the cause, then tomorrow I'll be having a word with him, no matter what Mom says.
I can't understand anything she's muttering about, so I quietly tiptoe out and shut the door behind me. Heading downstairs, rolling my eyes as Jasper's snores filter from his room.
And he says he doesn't snore … yeah, right. One night I'm so gonna taping this.
I drink down the milk and allergy meds, pausing to look out the window above the sink. Strangely, Dad's police cruiser is missing from its usual spot. I'm tempted to see if Mom is still awake and ask her what's going on but decide against it. If she were awake, she'd be down here, watching television.
After finishing my drink, I promptly go back to my room, ignoring the temptation of the book resting on my nightstand. If I stay up any later, I'll be even more difficult to rouse in the morning, and I don't want to be on Rose's shit list early in the day.
Just as I settle back down into my semi-cool bed, I notice my closet door is cracked open. I'm tempted to go over and close it, briefly wondering if I should be concerned someone is hiding there. Not only does it hold my clothes and keepsakes, but it also contains my artwork … something I only let a select few look at it.
As soon as the thought of someone hiding in filters through my head, I laugh it off.
Who on earth would be stupid enough to break into the chief of police's house anyway?
8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8
As expected, the next morning I'm more difficult to wake, but I rise with mom and Rose only threatening to pour cold water over me twice.
In order to give myself a little bit of added energy, I sing my favorite song and dance like a pro—in my own opinion, of course—all while I shower. In record time, I'm finished and running a comb through my hair, throwing on a shirt and a pair of jeans, and shoving my feet into my sneakers. Before I leave, I notice that either my mother or Rose—most likely, Rose; she's always complaining about my messy room—has picked up after me sometime this morning.
Dad is sleeping when we all arrive for breakfast, with Mom quietly explaining that he was called into work late last night. I ask what happened, considering calls after midnight are somewhat rare, but she simply replies that he hadn't told her anything.
A bad feeling lingers in my gut about why Dad was called out, but I manage to push it back as we pull into the parking lot at school. I spot Edward's car, and I sigh heavily, my head falling forward.
He didn't call me last night to set up a time like I thought he would. Instead, the only calls we received were from Mom's friends calling to gossip, and Dad's poker buddies. I tensed whenever the phone rang, wondering if it was him. It never was, much to my slight relief and displeasure.
I also noticed Dad looked worried whenever the phone rang too. Unfortunately, I couldn't interrogate him until he went into the kitchen for a glass of milk half an hour before bedtime. After cornering him, he reluctantly admitted that Gran, his mother, asked about coming up for Thanksgiving, which was in a couple of months. He stalled her, telling her he would let her know 'soon.'
Apparently, "soon" was a month ago and he's running out of time.
He's been looking for an excuse for her not to come, and he's fallen short. Ordinarily, Dad wouldn't hesitate this long before giving her an answer, but this year, Mom wants to cook Thanksgiving dinner. However, if Gran is here, she'll take over and Mom will be devastated.
Knowing the truth in this, I did give him an excuse.
Apparently, telling her we all have a deadly disease and that we're highly contagious is out of the question.
Emmett walks over as we get out of the car, passing Rose with a smile and side-eying her, murmuring something only she can hear. She ignores him and bids us a good day while Emmett starts on about a new video game he recently purchased.
As Rose walks away, I see a single white daisy tucked into the front pocket of her book bag; she doesn't notice it's there until she starts up the steps, her hand coming to gently caress the flower. It doesn't appear she's shocked by it being there, which is very peculiar and has me glancing over at Emmett suspiciously.
Did Emmett put it there? Does Rose know he put it there? Are they dating?
I think about the last question for a moment before quickly nixing the idea. Rose's behavior hasn't changed toward him, and I would think if they were dating, she would be a little nicer toward him.
Walking up to the guys, I wait for a moment when I can break in and ask about Edward's whereabouts to Emmett, but the pair just keep going on and on about all the cool aspects of the game and how they need to play it together soon.
With no end in sight, I take it upon myself to interrupt, asking Emmett where his brother is.
"Inside, I think. And hello to you too! Don't think you're not playing with us; I need to see your skills!"
I nod with a dismissive wave and march inside, looking through the small crowd of students standing around their lockers. At the end of the hall, I spot a familiar head of messy bronze hair and straighten my shoulders, walking forward with my head held high.
Alice is standing with him, facing my direction. She doesn't let on that she sees me, but her eyes sparkle humorously the closer I approach. Just as I'm right behind him, I grab his shoulder and try to jerk him around, but he foils my plans by turning with a slightly annoyed expression.
His eyes—which seem more golden honey-colored than the usual brownish red—narrow slightly as he looks from my hand to my face. I snatch my hand back; I'm sure he was thinking about ways to severe my appendage, but I wasn't going to give him much time to think about it, let alone act on it.
"You spun?"
My mouth drops open as I stare, trying to comprehend the tone of his words.
Is he trying to be humorous? Or sarcastic?
With the blank stare I'm receiving, I'll go with sarcasm.
Collecting myself, I square my shoulders and meet his gaze unwaveringly.
"You were supposed to call last night so we could set up a time to work on our project for history."
"There was something else I had to do first. By the time I got finished, it was too late, but I talked to my parents, and they agreed to you coming over to my house this afternoon to work on it." His voice is tight, but not nearly as hostile or curt as it has been in the past.
I grimace and notice Edward doesn't appear entirely thrilled with the idea either, but he doesn't seem disgusted by the thought of me being in his home like I thought he would. He simply looks apprehensive.
"You could ask me if I'm available to come over, you know."
"Are you available to come over this afternoon?" He questions, his voice monotone.
"You're so charming."
He smirks, bending slightly at the waist, coming closing to me. "I do try."
My breathing halts and my vision blurs for a moment at his proximity before I collect myself.
What in the hell is wrong with me? I must have the flu or something.
"Don't go to so much effort," I tell him, holding my hands up and stepping back. "I wouldn't want you to burst a vessel or something."
I ignore his smirk by pointedly looking away at a random spot on the wall. I really wish this wasn't such a last-minute thing, but maybe we can get it all done this afternoon. "Can't we go to the library or something?"
In my opinion, the more public, the better.
"The library will be packed with our classmates."
Begrudgingly, I nod, knowing he's right. It'll be a madhouse. I would tell him to come to my house, but it won't be any quieter there either. However, it will be on my turf … but having him in my house? I'm not too sure about that.
It's a definite lose-lose situation.
"Fine. I have to call my parents and ask them."
He says nothing, only nodding in response and moves aside with an annoyed sigh as Alice shoves his arm. She steps up to me, her smile big.
"I'm excited you're coming over, I have something to show you," she excitedly says.
Edward, looking less than pleased, points out the obvious. "She's coming to work on the project with me, Alice, not visit you."
Alice rolls her eyes and nods, but a look of apprehension fills her face. "I know, but maybe after you're done I can steal you away?"
"My parents have to say yes, first," I tell her. "I have to have an alibi every night of the week. Otherwise, the townsfolk will come after me with pitchforks. Medieval bastards."
Alice laughs, and even Edward manages to crack a small smile, but it's not there for long.
"When will you be able to call your parents?"
"During lunch."
He nods in response, mumbling a goodbye to his sister.
"Bye, Edward! It was lovely talking to you again!" I shout with a sarcastic overtone in my voice. He doesn't react; he keeps walking forward.
Alice's laugh slowly trails off as Jasper walks by, his eyes darting to mine for a quick second, seemingly conveying a silent message before walking away.
I have no idea what he's trying to tell me, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.
Alice stares after him, her eyes saddened and her lips pulled into a frown. While I've never felt an unrequited crush before, I can honestly say after witnessing the pain Alice is going through, I never want to.
"I guess we should get to class," I say quietly.
"Yeah," she replies forlornly, her fingers twisting together. She looks like she wants to say something, but whatever it is, she keeps it to herself.
I'm not sure what to say to her, so I remain silent.
8*8*8*8*8*8
When lunch rolls around, I set my things on my table and step outside into the small courtyard the school put here for sunny days. It only gets used a handful of times out of the school year; usually, it's too cold, too wet or too muggy otherwise.
Leaning against the wood tabletop, I dial my mother's cell phone and tuck my free hand into the pocket of my jeans, hunching my shoulders against the wind beating against my back.
"Bella? Is everything okay? What's happened?" Her greeting is panicked and worried, slightly overlapping the chattering going on in the background before fading completely with the slam of a door.
"Everything is fine, Mom. I have to work on a history project with Edward, and I need to go over to his house this afternoon. Is that okay?"
"Is that all?" She sighs, obviously relieved. "Yes, that's fine. I'll tell your father. Will you be home for dinner?"
"I hope so," I mumble.
"Bella," she scolds lightly. "Don't say such things."
"I'm kidding … kind of."
She heaves a sigh, but her words are happy and confident. "Everything will be fine."
I nod, even though she can't see me. I'm not sure I really believe her words, but I can hope that with Alice, Emmett, and possibly one of the parents there, Edward won't kill me.
"Be sure to text your father and me when you get there. If you feel uncomfortable at any time, we'll come get you."
"Do you know where they live?" I ask, confused. They've never mentioned knowing their address, but I'm sure they do, considering Jasper has been there before.
Through the phone, I hear a faraway voice, calling for my mother.
"Okay, I'll be right there!" She replies, her tone muffled. "Do you need anything else, honey?"
"Nope. I'll text you when I leave school."
"Good. I'll see you later. Bye."
I turn my phone off and shove it back in my pocket, heading back to the cafeteria. The double doors slam open just as I reach for them and Lauren and Royce saunter out.
"Well, well." He smiles, his hand running down his chest. "Look what we have here. Little Bella all alone."
Lauren sneers and laughs.
"Does it really surprise you, Royce? Bella Swan is a freak. You know," she says, addressing me, "you're going to die alone."
I roll my eyes. "Why don't you two go back to the sewers, I'm sure you're missed. By the way, how's Mike?"
Lauren's hands clench as she steps forward. "You bitch! You are nothing but a waste of space. You should disappear, but for now, I'll be satisfied with beating you to a pulp."
She rears her fist back, and I sidestep her, watching with amusement as she stumbles past me, her arms flailing outward. Once she gains her footing, she spins around with a glare while I laugh and turn to her partner.
"You going to have a girl fight your battles, Royce?"
He glowers, huffing a breath through his nose, and steps toward me. "I've had enough of your mouth."
Straightening my back and squaring my shoulders, I plant my feet firmly on the ground as I meet his gaze with a defiant look of my own, being sure to watch where his hands are.
As he raises a single hand and makes a motion to strike, I ready myself to move, but he never touches me. Lauren rushes to his side, grabbing his arm with wide eyes and yanks him back. He's caught off guard and staggers back a few feet, almost falling to the ground, but manages to catch himself.
"What the hell is your problem?" he barks, trying to throw her off, but she manages to hang on, her eyes still trained on something behind me.
Turning, I see Edward standing there, his eyes dark and narrowed, his jaw taut and lips in a thin line. His hands are clenching and unclenching at his sides as he stares at the pair in front of me. I'm equal parts fascinated, awed ... and something else I can't name that feels disturbingly good.
"What's going on here?" Edward questions.
Without answering, Royce shuffles his way to the left before jumping over the chainlink fence and running to the front of the school, leaving Lauren alone. She swallows audibly and backs up farther, looking for a way out.
"Hello, Edward," she coos, bringing a finger to the collar of her shirt as she tugs it down slightly with a flirty smile. "It's so nice to see you."
"Answer the question," he says, the words coming out as a low growl.
I try to ignore how my stomach flips and a pleasurable tingle sings throughout my system as he comes to stand by my side.
Weird. What is that? Stomach flu? Virus? Contaminated cafeteria food?
"Why do you care?" She questions, a slight edge of desperation in her tone. "You hate her as much as we do! Everyone can see it."
"I won't ask again." He glares at her, his eyes darkening and his jaw tightening as he grinds his teeth.
"I wasn't doing anything," she rushes out. "I was just—"
"Going to help Royce attack Bella. That's what it looked like to me," he finishes. "Or am I wrong?"
"No, I—I wasn't going to do anything to her." She laughs nervously, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Of course you weren't," I agree, taking a step forward. "Because you don't have the guts, am I right?"
Lauren opens her mouth to answer, but only a squeak comes out, and I give her a placating smile in return.
"Well?"
"Um …"
"Exactly. Now, run along. Fast as you can."
At my words, she scampers off, retreating with her tail between her legs. I turn to Edward, who is standing much closer to me than he was before.
"Are you all right?"
I give him an incredulous look, wondering where his sudden burst of concern is coming from … and why he seems so worried in the first place.
"I'm fine," I reply slowly. "I can take care of myself."
He looks skeptical at my words, and I can practically hear what he's thinking: it was two versus one, how could you possibly think you could take that on by yourself. You can't be that stupid.
Well, newsflash for him, I can be that stupid.
Wait, what?
"Do you honestly think you could have taken on two attackers?" He asks, creepily similar to what I believed he was thinking.
Whoa. Maybe I am a supervillain.
I roll my eyes, scoffing. "Of course I could have. Lauren can't fight worth shit, and Royce can be taken care of very easily. I've done it in the past."
Edward shakes his head, a frustrated expression on his face. "That was one time. What makes you think you can win again?"
"It more than one time," I tell him, mimicking the way he sneered the word. "I know how to fight, Edward. My father and Rose taught me."
"You should still be careful."
"Noted, Dad. Thanks."
He huffs, grumbling something unintelligible under his breath. He looks like he wants to say something more, but remains quiet for a moment. "Were you able to contact your parents?"
"Yep. I can come over this afternoon."
"Good. I want to get started on it right away."
I shrug. The sooner we get it done, the sooner I can be away from him. "Fine by me. I already have a rough outline done," I mention, digging through my bag and handing it over. "Here. Look it over, and we'll discuss it later."
Turning, I head toward the cafeteria doors, nearly getting hit for the second time as they burst open. This time, Jasper steps through, his eyes wide with worry.
"Edward, you need come; Emmett sent me. Alice—"
Without waiting for him to finish, Edward takes off in a flash, rushing inside and heading straight toward Emmett, who is sitting by his sister, talking to her quietly. Emmett shifts out of the way switching places with Edward, his attention solely on his sister, who remains unresponsive and dazed-looking.
Her eyes are halfway open, but it's enough for me to see that they have a strange, milky film over them, similar to what I had seen before.
Next to me, Jasper is breathing heavily, his face flushed and his unblinking eyes fixed on Alice. His hands fidget at his sides, his nails scratching against the denim of his jeans. I nudge him gently and give him a small smile. While he gives one back, it's not genuine or relaxed.
At the table behind me, I hear the frenzied whispers and muffled laughter of the students in the cafeteria and turn, narrowing my eyes, silently daring anyone to say anything more. They freeze, and their gazes drop to the table.
After a minute, Edward takes Alice's hand, holding it firmly as he whispers to her.
With a choked gasp, she's alert again, her eyes wild and panicked. She starts to speak, her words coming out jumbled and rushed. Apparently, Edward and Emmett understand because they both lean in close and murmur quickly in her ears.
They pull away, and Alice looks up at me as if she's about to cry. Edward pulls her close to him, and she rests her head on his shoulder, nodding at whatever he says.
"Emmett, can you get the car started and make a call?" Edward requests as he helps her stand.
He nods and races out, keys in hand before Alice can say anything.
"No," she argues weakly. "I … I can stay here. It's over, now."
"Alice …"
"I'll be okay. I just need a few minutes alone."
He sighs, clearly not liking her answer, but agrees nonetheless. "Fine. What about your stuff?"
"I'll make sure Emmett grabs them when he comes back," I volunteer.
Edward gives a grateful nod and leads Alice out of the room. To be honest, I'm amazed at the love and concern he has for his sister. I've never seen him look so tender toward someone, and despite his rudeness toward me, it's evident he cares deeply for his family. Something I admire greatly.
Once they're gone, the chatter again increases. Turning, I give them all a dirty look, quieting them down to low murmurs once more.
A minute later, Emmett comes back and laughs at the dark look I'm giving my classmates.
"Don't worry about them, Lydia. Alice is tough as nails; she won't be concerned about anything they say."
"Doesn't matter." I shrug. "If I can stop it at the pass, I will. Is she going to be okay?"
Emmett nods. "Oh yeah, she'll be fine. A few minutes of regrouping and she'll be back to normal."
I breathe a sigh of relief, and Jasper does the same.
"What happened to her?" Jasper asks. "She just … screamed out of nowhere and spaced-out."
"She gets bad headaches sometimes, causes her a lot of pain. They come on pretty suddenly. They disorient her a lot. Edward seems to be the only one who can bring her out when she's like that. It's weird."
Now that I know Alice will be okay, something Emmett said to me comes flying back.
"Did you call me Lydia?"
"I did! You know, from Beetlejuice. You remind me of her. Not in looks, really. But you seem to have her 'dark side' working for you," Emmett explains.
"I never thought of that," Jasper inputs. "They do have a similar personality."
"See? Even Jasper agrees," Emmett says with a wide smile.
"Okay," I draw out. "And I thought I was the weird one here."
The bell rings, and I hand Emmett Alice's books as he bids us goodbye, his eyes flitting to the other side of the room, no doubt looking at Rose.
"What exactly happened with Alice?" I question, extremely curious. I've seen slightly spaced out before, but never to that extreme. "You said she screamed?"
I wonder if it really is just headaches as Emmett says. Something tells me there's more to the situation than meets the eye.
Jasper's face clouds over with worry, looking toward the double doors leading out of the cafeteria, where Edward and Alice disappeared.
"I didn't see much beforehand. I just happened to look over right before she screamed. Then, Emmett jumped up and ran over before she was done. I've never seen him move so fast." He shakes his head, an astonished look on his face as he follows me out into the hall. "I guess … maybe she has a medical condition? That's what Emmett was alluding to, I think. With the headaches?" He pauses for a moment. "I don't know. It was weird."
I make a noncommittal sound, not entirely sure. When I voice this, Jasper laughs, looking at me as if I've lost my mind. "What else would it be, Bella?"
Frowning, I shrug. "I don't know," I reply, navigating through the crowded hallway. "So, you seemed pretty concerned about Alice."
He rolls his eyes. "I'm not a monster."
I laugh, knowing that while he's not fond of her, he wouldn't ever want her hurt or injured.
"Why were you outside with Edward?" Jasper inquires, changing the subject. "I thought you two couldn't stand each other. Did something change?"
I ignore the teasing in his words and roll my eyes. "You know, we go to the same school and live in the same small town, so we're bound to end up in the same places eventually." Jasper gives me a disbelieving look, and I roll my eyes. "I was outside calling Mom about going over to the Cullen house this afternoon for our project. He was just there … I think he was trying to save me from Royce and Lauren?" I end it in a question because I genuinely have no idea what he was doing.
His eyes narrow. "What happened?"
"They were trying to gang up on me. Well, Lauren was trying to gang up on me. Royce was standing back like the pansy he is."
"Bella," he groans, his head falling forward in exasperation. "You need—"
"To be careful, I know." I finish for him.
He blows out a breath, looking at little more at ease, but not much. Suddenly, a smile appears on his lips. "Edward was trying to save you, huh?" He laughs, shaking his head. "He'll learn sooner or later that you can save yourself."
"Pfft. I'm not going to be around him that much for him to "save" me. After this project is done—and hopefully it'll be done tonight—I'm not going to be talking to him, let alone be around him."
"You never know," he says, ignoring my hard look. "Besides, this just proves he doesn't hate you, you know."
I sputter. "What? How do you come to that conclusion?"
"He wouldn't defend you if he didn't like you in some way, dummy."
I shake my head. "Or maybe he just wants to do the job himself. After all, he wouldn't get much pleasure if someone else beat him to the punch. Literally and figuratively." Jasper gives me an unamused look, and I ignore him.
"Bella, I know you two don't get along, but he's not that bad. He wouldn't wish harm upon anyone."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I know it, and I feel it. I can't explain it thoroughly. There's just something else there. He doesn't want you to get hurt."
I shake my head. I think his feelings on this are way off. He's never been kind or even polite to me. Sure, I know he's capable of being nice, as I just saw, but he's never been that way with me, and I don't think he ever will. All I know is that his glares and general bad attitude are clear enough to me.
Jasper sighs heavily, knowing whatever he says won't change my opinion. It's not that I don't trust him, but it's not like Edward will come out and tell my cousin he hates me, so his view on things is a little distorted.
"So you're going over there this afternoon, then?"
"Yep," I reply, unenthusiastic.
"It won't be that bad."
"Won't be that bad?" I repeat. "Haven't you worked with someone who can't stand you and vice versa? Has that ever gone well?"
"I don't know. I haven't been that lucky," he says with a grin.
I give him a hard push, trying to hide my smile, but it's impossible. "Jerk. Will you tell Rose where I'll be so she doesn't have to wait for me?"
Jasper meets up with Rose before I do in the afternoon, so it'll be easier for him to tell her instead of me seeking her out. I would just send a text, but she doesn't turn on her phone during school hours.
"Sure. Do you want me to come with you? You know, moral support?"
I give him an unamused look. "Do I look like a child who needs someone to hold her hand through everything?"
He looks at me with a straight face. "Yes."
"I swear," I mutter to myself. "No, I don't need you to come with me. I can handle Edward."
"If anyone would be successful, it would be you."
"Of course," I reply with fake haughtiness. "I'm the most awesome person on the planet. I can handle everything."
"And so modest."
I laugh and start to wave goodbye, but Jasper catches my arm at the last moment. "If you see Edward or Alice … will you ask if she's okay?"
"Worried?" I ask, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. I receive a hard look in response and nod. I know he's worried, despite his feelings—or lack thereof—toward Alice. He's a good person and I'm glad he's my family.
"No problem."
As I walk into my next class, I silently wish I had the ability to slow down time; for all I care, this afternoon can take its sweet ass time getting here, because I am not looking forward to what's coming.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter!