Ch 2

I end up having the period after lunch with Jessica. As it turns out, the only free desk is the one next to me. Most of the students are wary of me, but not Jessica. She plops down right as the teacher explains the lesson. We are to talk with a partner, conversing in Spanish while the teacher walks around gauging our levels.

"Hi, I'm Jessica."

"Jasper." I respond not quite looking at her.

"I know a Jasper," she said, sparking my attention. "Well not really, I've heard of a Jasper I guess. He's my Uncle Pete and Aunt Char's brother. You couldn't be him though. He's apparently some big shot major, and you're a Hale right? Not a Whitlock."

I feel her amusement and need to laugh. This human is calling the God of War a big shot as an insult.

"You remind me of them though, Pete and Char. Like you're not afraid of anything."

She's right, sort of. Up until yesterday I hadn't been scared of shit. Now I'm terrified of her. The vampire messiah.

"Nothing really to be afraid of in Forks," I shrug.

"I know, right? I mean it's nothing like where I grew up. I got bit by a meth head a few years ago. That definitely wouldn't happen here."

"Probably not." I agree trying not to think of Peter's mark. If he had let her change, she'd be forever 12. That is if the Volturi didn't discover her, turning her to ashes. My thoughts drift to the witch twins. If not for Chelsea's gift, they would be uncontrollable on their own.

"I miss it. Austin. I had a whole life down there and poof, it's gone now. Sucks."

The teacher clears her throat at Jessica, warning her to keep the language clean, but also praising her fluency. I have to admit, she's impressive.

"So, you're old enough to go back right?" I challenge. "So go, back."

"Can't, Uncle Pete and Char told me it was too dangerous to stay. They left the same day we did."

"Dangerous, how?" I'm baiting her in order to find out what she would let slip, and how much she knows.

"A lot of disappearances. Well, some disappearances, others just moved like we did." She answered.

"Why didn't your aunt and uncle move here with you?"

"Oh trust me. I tried to get them to, but he said Washington was too rainy and too full of vegetarians. I can understand the rain, but don't know what his problem with vegetarians is. Not like he eats."

Peter lied about not knowing we were here. What is his game, I wondered. More concerning was that she knows that he doesn't eat. What else does she know?

"I think they ate out a lot. Char would cook for me sometimes. She definitely can't cook. It's like she doesn't have taste buds."

I want to assure her that Charlotte definitely has taste buds, but they aren't wired for people food. I silently let her continue.

She changes topics to sports and I have to pretend to be interested in activities I didn't experience as a human and that hadn't even been invented.

Peter's phone goes straight to voice-mail when I try to call him after school. So did Charlotte's. Because of course they know I found out. I'm getting tired of being left out of the loop.

I need to feed though, so instead of stewing in my emotions, I hunt. Emmett goes with me and we spar until Alice comes to fetch us for school.

In Spanish, the teacher allows Jessica and me to talk quietly while the rest of the class works on an assignment. Alice had told me all of this in advance, but also informed me that the teacher is planning a shared project for the two of us.

This project would be exciting me were it not for the sadness and worry pouring off of Jessica.

"You okay?" I ask. It's only the third day of school and Jessica has already earned a reputation for being a chatterbox. Her quietness is unnerving.

"Yeah, sorry just distracted," she answers absently. She's wearing her hair up and I can see her rubbing the mark on her neck raw. I try not to think about covering it with my own.

"Wanna talk about it?" I offer, swallowing the venom that has collected in my mouth.

"It's just Pete and Char. They didn't answer their phones last night or the night before. We always talk, or text." She answers dejectedly.

I want to run to Montana and rip Peter's head off. He's the reason Jessica is feeling this rejection. I pull from inside me the unwavering acceptance I always feel from Esme and project it to her.

"I'm sure they're fine. They might just be busy."

"What if he went back? Sometimes he goes back."

"Back where?" I ask having a hunch she's talking about Texas. She shakes her head in response.

"No, he wouldn't go back. I made him promise this time. He never breaks a promise." She frantically speaks in a whisper to herself.

Thinking in clear English, I decide I'm going to take Jess on the ride of her life.

I can hear Alice gasp in the next room, I just triggered a vision.

Friday morning Alice surprises me with a new helmet. I'm touched. She's trying to help Jessica cheer up without being overbearing. For the first time since meeting the pixie, Alice isn't revealing anything.

In Spanish as we work on our project, I ask her if she wants to go for a ride this weekend. She doesn't even hesitate.

"God, yes, I love riding," she gushes, brightening. "Can we go now?"

I chuckled happy to make her happy.

"That would be nice, but school isn't out yet and you still have to ask your parents, they might have plans."

"They do, but not with me, they're spending the weekend in Seattle. It's their anniversary." She explains bouncing in her seat.

I know this of course, Alice assured me that we were good to go, I'd have her back in town before her folks returned home late Sunday night. She and Edward promised me that they won't reveal my plans to the others. Rosalie would flip her shit.

I give her my number and told her to call once she was ready to go. At the house, I pace while waiting for her call. Thank God Emmett and Rosalie had left for Seattle directly from school. My nerves have Alice and Edward on edge, Rosalie would have definitely snapped.

"Relax," Alice says sympathetically. "She's taking a shower."

My eyes shoot to Edward who's feeling thoroughly embarrassed.

Perv* I think hatefully.

"I can't control Alice's visions," he defends himself. "Lay off the jealously."

He's right. I have no right to be jealous. It isn't like she's mine, and in any case, Edward only has eyes for Alice.

"Would you just go, she'll be calling you in 20 minutes and you still have to get gas," Alice snaps. I know it's killing her not being able to tell me how the weekend is going to go. She doesn't want to ruin the moment for me. I'm grateful for her determination. Surprises are nice when one has lived as long as I have

"Fine," I snap back. "If anyone asks-"

"You're in Canada, alone." Edward cuts me off.

I huff again before leaving through the open window closest to the garage. With an unnecessary flourish, I uncover the tarp to my Ducati. It's a two seater for when Esme wants to ride. She has a bit of a wild streak in her.

Rolling it out of the garage I start it up. I feel a fuckton of lust coming from the house and ride off. Time for 'Plan cheer Jess up' to commence.

I ride carefully, waving to Chief Swan along the way. I would take the secret of Charlie's attraction to Carlisle to my eventual grave. Poor guy always has an aura of loneliness around him. Edward had revealed that he has a daughter who rarely calls and only visits him 2 weeks every summer. In California.

I hate her. I'd give up my life to be able to spend 5 more minutes with my Pa or my Ma for that matter.

I push thoughts of my parents out of my mind as I fuel up the bike. It stands out in rainy Forks, and with the perpetual cloud cover, it's the shiniest thing in town. Besides us.

Jess calls as I put the cap to the tank back on. She's ready. With a pep in my step that's unusual for me, I head to pick her up.

I can feel her lust as I pull up in front of her house. She's waiting on her porch and runs up to meet me. It's strange feeling lust directed towards me.

"This is gorgeous!" She gushes as she inspects all of the components. When she spies the extra helmet tucked under my arm, she squeals.

"Safety first," I tell her, unfortunately having to cover her head. She's not a stranger to two wheeled vehicles and straddles the machine as if she has done it a thousand times.

Fuck. I'm not sure if I'm going to survive this weekend.

I carefully get on in front of her and start it back up. I can feel her arousal as well as smell it. It's only a natural reaction to the bike, I'm positive, but I still enjoy the feeling of her arms wrapping around me and the pressure of her chest against my back. She sure isn't shy.

I take off at a steady 30 miles an hour. Once we hit the open road, I gun it. Her excitement fueling me.

"Wow, where are we?" Jess asks. We have been driving for hours and close to our destination. The sky is big, huge, and full of stars. I can see myself living in Montana.

"Close," I promise. Her energy is wearing off so I perk her up. She finishes the sandwich she had picked up when I stopped for gas.

"Let's just ride forever," she murmurs as she presses herself closer against me. In this moment, I want to.

She falls asleep shortly before we pull up to Peter's property. Tragic, because I know she'd be excited to see her friends. They're waiting outside and Peter scoops her off the bike and kisses her mark before handing her off to Charlotte who promptly disappears inside with her.

"She's been a mess," I scolded pushing his chest hard enough to knock him on his ass. "She thinks you went back to Texas, motherfucker."

I project the mess of emotions Jess has been feeling since the middle of the week. Instead of reacting to the pain, he hits me with his own cocktail of feelings.

"I missed you too, asshole. Charlotte, too. Call me selfish, but I haven't seen you in Goddamn *decades*." He stands and walks off towards the house, leaving me alone to feel like shit.

"Did the major finally get it through his head that he's not the center of the universe?" I hear Charlotte speak from inside.

I deserve that. It's a hard pill to swallow, but I've been unfairly avoiding my best friends. I don't resent their reluctance to try my diet, but it makes it hard for me to visit. I know this weekend won't make up for my neglect, but hopefully it's a start.

The sun rises and I swallow my pride and enter the house. Peter and Charlotte greeted me with big smiles and love.

"Good to see you, Brother," Peter says clapping my back in a hug. Charlotte is next with our own hug.

"Good to see you both. Sorry for dropping by unannounced," I apologize.

"We knew you were coming."

Peter is smug. The bastard.

I'm getting antsy, with Jess in the back bedroom, and Charlotte gave me a look.

"I didn't think he'd have it this bad," Charlotte whispers to her mate.

"What?"

"I'm not for certain, you know my intuition doesn't work like your friend Alice's gift of seeing shit, but I think Hellcat is your mate." Peter explains in an ominous whisper.