Chapter One: A Lonely Road
Life had been fine. Not great but it was fine I suppose. Warm weather, my aunt and her children. The Ranch is the place I called home for thirteen years. When I was five years old my mother dropped me off there and she left. Haven't heard or seen from her in years. I never knew my father, mom always said I didn't have one and my aunt never knew anything about the guy my mom slept with that made her get stuck with me. She was amazing, my aunt. Raised her kids and me without a dad for years. Well until she got remarried to Todd. He isn't a bad guy, just busy all the time. Travelling for work and such. I was the loner in our family group. Didn't talk too many people only had one friend. Miami was warm and sunny and always in need of cops. That's what Todd was. Part of the Miami PD. He was always talking about wanting a quieter life style for him and the kids. I don't fit in but there is so much to do here in Miami. It never did help that we called our house the ranch. It was only because we had a lot of property and it wasn't one of those fancy mansions but it was big and old and had always been called "The Ranch". Growing up with my aunt she made sure I was loved but there was always something in the back of my mind asking if it was enough. I saw how she treated her kids. I love my cousins but there was always something missing from the way she showed me love and how much she cherished her kids. She made sure I wanted for nothing and I was always fed but I felt like an intruder on her family.
"Izzy, come down here, family meeting" my aunt called from downstairs. I was in my room listening to Halsey and doing some drawings. I had been having a drawing block for months but all of a sudden I was having these dreams. Strange dreams, these piercing blue eyes and I have been trying to draw them just right. I put my charcoal down and made it downs stairs. My cousin Suzie, she's ten and a lovely little girl. So interested in the world and then there is my 14 year old cousin Simon. He's a little geeky, the full package of geeky, glasses, can't talk to girls. He is amazing though. Plays Soccer and has a weird little band and goes to poetry readings. "Izzy, izzy guess what?" Suzie asked me as I sat next to her on the couch. I just looked at her and she kept on going. "I heard mommy and Todd talking and we are moving." She seemed so excited and if it was true I wasn't sure how to feel. Miami was my home, I didn't want to leave. My Aunt and Todd walked in from the kitchen, my aunt gave me a small smile, she saw the fear on my face I think. It was Todd who started the conversation. "You kids might be wondering why we have been packing things up and sending them out. It is because we have decided to move out of Miami. I got a great offer in Washington, a small town that needs a chief of police. I've been saying that I wanted a quieter lifestyle for all of us." It was Simon who had something to say first "Mom what about my band, and Soccer. What about all my friends. This isn't fair" "Simon hunny," My aunt Catherine tried but Simon was already pretty angry. "No mom I don't care ever since He came he's been ruining my life. So this doesn't surprise me. I'll pack my room." With that he stormed out and we heard his bedroom door slam.
So here we are Todd driving a moving truck and the rest of us in the van with Aunt Catherine. We stopped a lot to use bathrooms and to sleep. It took us about a week but then I knew we made it because it started to rain. I saw the sign. Forks Washington…. I was going to fit in even less here. I was 5'4, long Red curly hair, I was very tan. I wasn't too lacking in the ample assets part of things. I wasn't a model or anything like that. No one but my aunt ever called me pretty but here I was going to stand out like a sore thumb. If that wasn't bad enough we were driving through the town, into the woods pretty far. What we pulled up too made my breath stop. This thing was a mansion. I mean we weren't rich but we weren't poor either. With Todd being a cop and my Aunt had some pretty awesome published self -help books. However Even I thought this was out of our price range. In the driveway there was a 2019 Chevy Colbalt. My favorite car. Todd was standing next to it smiling. "I know life has been rough on you and your aunt and I decided that since we are here, you might as well have a vehicle to ride around in and be a teenager." For the first time ever I ran up and hugged him. "Thank you, Thank you guys so much" I hugged my aunt as well. Maybe life would look up for me.
I didn't sleep well because of the rain, I can sleep through traffic and trains and yelling people but a little rain and I can't sleep. I was awake and making breakfast for the kids. I figured it was a big change for them as much as me. When my aunt came into the kitchen the pancakes were done and the table was set. "Morning Izzy, what are you doing up already?" she asked as I handed her the tea I made. She took the glass and started sipping it. "Just the way I like it". She said while smiling at me. "I couldn't sleep well and I figured I'd make breakfast for Suzie and Simon". She nodded, "The rain, I couldn't sleep either. Thank you for this, you didn't have too." I just smiled and went back to the bacon that was starting to sizzle on the stove. "When does Todd start at the Police department?" I asked while flipping the bacon. "He goes in at eight, to meet the deputy's. There are only a few of them, benefit of a small town I suppose." I let out a small giggle and started putting the food on the table as Suzie came running in with Simon on her heels. "I smell pancakes… Izzy did you put chocolate chips in mine?" She asked while running into my arms. "Of course I did silly, I know how you like them." I gave her a kiss on her head and spun her around. "Now go sit down and eat up kid." Simon didn't say much, not much of a morning person. "Oh Izzy, I figured I'd take the kids in, I know you have a car but I should learn the town and figured it's your first day and should drive to school, nice to pull up to school on your first day in your own car." I gave her a kiss on the cheek as a thank you and sat down to eat. As I was getting ready I started feeling a little anxious, lack of sleep and no longer making breakfast I had a lot of time to think and I didn't really like where my brain was headed. I didn't need to have people like me per-say but I was worried about being the new kid in a small town where half these people probably grew up together. I put on my skinny jeans with the holes and a Lindsey Sterling graphic tee and my Miami strong zip up sweatshirt. Not anything fancy but in a town that only seems to rain it seemed appropriate. I left my hair cascading down my back. It was almost to my butt and it curled real nice. I put on just a little makeup and called it as good as it was going to get. I grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs to get my blue Doctor Who converse. My keys were on the counter and the instructions on how to get to the school were written in her beautiful cursive.
My car started up beautifully and I pulled out of the long driveway and made my way into the town of Forks. It was easy enough to find the school and as I pulled in the parking lot was full of small town trucks and beat up cars but there were three cars that were as fancy as mine. A Jeep, a small yellow bug and a shiny black little car. I parked in the only open spot…right next to this beat up truck. Across from all the shiny ones. As I got out I was struck with the beauty of the group that got out of those fancy cars. It was almost unworldly. There was one with shaggy blonde hair who gazed in my direction. Our eyes locked and it seemed like the world stopped turning. I blushed and looked down. Gathered my bags out of the car and rushed to the office. The world started turning again and I felt almost empty now that his eyes weren't on me. What struck me the most was how blue his eyes looked from afar… almost…almost like my dream? The old lady at the desk looked up as I entered the building…. She looked almost as if she had worked there so long and was too grumpy to care. "Name please" she said in a stern voice. "Um, Isabella Cross, first day." She looked through some files and handed me my schedule "have fun out there newbie" she laughed a little as I turned around. Well that was slightly rude I thought to myself as I headed out the door. I was looking at my schedule as shadows appeared and blocked my view. I looked up into the faces of two girls and a boy. Oh great is this the small town welcoming committee… I thought to myself… "Hi, I'm Angela this is Stacy and Mike, you are new here right? We figured we would come and meet you and help you around." The Mike kid kept looking at me like I was meat but I figured I would try to be nice. Maybe I could have some friends here. Angela seemed nice enough… but the other two. I'm not sure. Stacy seemed mad at me already, based on my observation she liked this mike kid and he was looking at me like a new play thing. "Sure, that would be nice." I said with a fake smile on my face. With that we went to find my first class. At least I didn't have to worry about talking too much because Angela and Stacy were trying to tell me all the GREAT things about school in Forks. My first few classes went by okay, English, Spanish, AP History and AP Art History all in first block. Every class except Art made me stand in front of the class and say something about myself. Same stuff every time. My name is Isabella Cross, I'm from Miami, I live with my Aunt and her Husband and now I'm here. That is what they would get. I didn't feel like the really needed to know anything personal about me. Angela met up with me after first block and walked with me too lunch asking how my first day was going. "School is school I suppose. Met a lot of people I suppose." As we were chatting that same group from the parking lot walked past us. Not walked they seemed to glide along the hallway. "Who are they?" I asked as I bowed my head and whispered. "Oh those guys, they are the Cullen's. Beautiful people aren't they? They are family but the weird thing is they are all together. Dr Cullen and his wife Esme adopted all of them and I guess they each fell in love. The short one with spiky hair is Alice and she's with the bronze haired one Edward. Then the Beautiful Blonde that's Rosalie and she's with the Huge one Emmett." I was trying to look at them when she was talking without them noticing. "What about the one at the end with the shaggy hair, reading?" I asked wanting to know about the blue eyed handsome man who caught my eye. Unfortunately this question was heard by Stacy who bounced over to us as we entered the cafeteria. "Oh Jasper, Isn't he dreamy but don't even try anything he doesn't date... like at all." She sounded a bit off put and as she said it the boy no not boy that man Jasper looked up at us and smiled. I sat down and pulled my hair over my shoulder. "Oh my god, Isabella he's staring at you." Angela whispered to me. I blushed and looked up again to meet his eyes. The small pixie one must have said something to him because he put his head down. Then the Bell rang.
Chapter Two: A New Face: JPOV
Something was going on in the house today. I couldn't place it. Two Centuries living in a house where everyone had found their mate but me. I can feel emotions and manipulate them but today everyone was trying to block something from me. I didn't put too much thought into it they tried to make things more comfortable for me. They know that it is hard to be the only one who isn't mated. Especially when I have to feel mated emotions only to know I will never feel them. I stick to my library and my drawings. I kept getting this image in my head, not a memory and not a dream because we don't sleep but an image of these green eyes and red hair. Beautiful but I can't see the rest of the face. "What you doing Jaz?" Alice asked as she came bounding into my room. "Nothing Alice just getting ready for the day. Shouldn't you be getting ready with Edward?" I asked not wanting to talk to the sightseeing pixie. "I just came to tell you to drive the jeep today, Ed and I are going to take the Bug and Emmett and Rose are taking the Volvo." I thought this was strange and she started blocking again. "I always ride with Rose, what's different about today?" I asked already exhausted with my "Sister" "Jazz I've seen it so you have too. Please just do this for me." This is how life was with the mind reader and her. We just do what they say because she's seen it and he hears thoughts. It's not bad I suppose it's how they found me but sometimes not having privacy is hard. "Fine Alice, Just get out of my room" I said half laughing as I threw a pillow at her. She dodged it beautifully. There was a time that I thought maybe Alice and I were mates and we dated for a while after they found me. She was there for me helped me get used to their lifestyle. She was my best friend. Two hundred years we were together but then Carlisle found Edward and that was the last of us. I don't blame her. It's in our nature. Soul mates so to speak and in my species we only truly get one. Once we find that one we can't be too far from them, we can't be physical with anyone else. We become one truly one with our mates. I got ready for school. Ha I don't understand why we are trying to fit in. we never do so why bother going to school. I do it anyway because I love being part of this family. No matter how alone I still feel. I got in the jeep and drove through the tiny town and parked next to my family. That's when I smelled it. The most beautiful smell that has come across my nose in centuries. Vanilla and Pumpkin pie. It smelt like thanksgiving but I couldn't pin point where it was coming from. As I stepped out of the jeep and stood with my family the same smell almost dropped me to my knees and I swung my head to the smell and what I saw definitely floored me. I met her Eyes and I was home. The world stopped turning and I couldn't look away. Those Green eyes and red hair. That image from before. With my eyesight I could see clearly every fleck of dust that passed by her luscious long red curly hair. I wanted to run my hands through it and take every inch of her. I was taken out of my thoughts by a hard elbow to the ribs by Edward. "She's started walking away already. We have class to get too." He laughed at me and Alice took his arm gave me a kiss on the cheek and whispered "Keys under the hood next to the oil cap" I was shocked by what she could mean and tried to ask but she just laughed and walked away.
I could smell her all day and I was angry that Mike got to talk to her before I did and the way he looked at her made my blood boil. MINE my mind screamed. But I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't scare her and just beat him to a pulp before she knew me. As much as I wanted to. I couldn't get her out of my head. I was newest to this life style so being around all the emotions and all the blood would get too much for me so I ended up skipping third and fourth periods to go for a run. Made things more difficult as I found out that she was in my art class. I'm the only one with an open seat and I wasn't even there to meet her. I ended up punching a tree out of the ground in anger and walked back to the school as the rest of my family was headed to lunch. That's when it happened. I got to hear her sweet voice asking about my family. She was talking to Angela, I liked Angela well enough she was sweet and kindhearted. I'm glad she attached to my beauty…. My beauty, I thought to myself, I really need to know her name. That's when Alice stepped back to me and told me her name was Isabella Cross. Isabella I thought what a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Just then Stacy stepped up to them and answered Isabella's question about me. "Don't try anything, he doesn't date anyone." She said snippily. I had to laugh and look up at the beautiful girl she looked dejected almost sad as she sat down. I couldn't have her thinking that. Stacy was just mad because when we first moved here I made it quite obvious that I didn't want to date because our family kept to themselves. She tried so hard too. She's slutty and gross and she and Mike deserve each other. I couldn't let her keep lies in my beautiful girls head. I caught her eye again and I couldn't look away. She looked down though and made a curtain of red between me and her beautiful face. I heard Angela whisper that I was staring and she looked up again. YES. Once again however she broke our eye contact again and I was kicked in the shin this time by rose. "Is it her, jaz?" she asked me. Rose was beautiful but also very insecure. In her human life she had been through hell and she was very protective of our family and humanity. But she knows what it takes for us to find our mates. "Yea Rose, I really think so… I can't get her out of my head. I've been seeing those eyes and hair for weeks." The family looked shocked at me. "What do you mean jazz, you've been seeing." I laughed a little. "I don't know it has been like a dream, I've been drawing it." I took out my drawing pad and handed it to Rose. "Wow these are dated weeks ago. And it's definitely got to be here but what about the rest of the face?" The family was looking at me like there was something wrong but I could tell everyone was confused. "I never saw a face it was only ever the eyes and the hair." "Hm, it sounds almost like some sort of conscious link. But how? I'll call Carlisle before gym to see if he has ever heard of it. You should head to gym Jaz," He felt anxious when he said the last part but I was grateful that he would talk to Carlisle. A mental link, could a human be feeling the bond before we even met?
I got to gym, late and that never happens. As soon as I walked in her smell assaulted my senses and I saw her stretching a tiny bit of skin showing at the nape of her bellybutton. "Okay class line up, we are going to do 2 minutes of laps and then up and down the bleachers 3 times. GO" Running like a human was hard but I did happen to notice that Isabella was keeping up with me as a human she was quite graceful. As we reached the bleachers I asked her, her name. "Isabella," she said slightly out of breath, "You" she asked I could feel through her emotions that she only thought I was being polite. "I'm Jasper Whitlock". She looked a bit shocked and briefly looked at me and asked "I thought I heard your last name was Cullen." I laughed a little. "The Cullen's adopted me but I wanted to keep the Whitlock name." I could feel she understood and when she looked at me and smiled I could swear my dead heart jumped. She felt it to and it made her stumble on a step. I heard her ankle snap and I caught her before more damage could be done to my beautiful. I picked her up and she fit right there. "Thank you, my ankle hurts, god I think it's broken, oh crap a hospital visit on my first day." She breathed out a laugh and I told the teacher that I would take her to the nurse but I headed out to the parking lot straight for the jeep. I set her in it and asked her for her keys. "Where are we going, my car can't stay here it's brand new." She was starting to panic so I calmed her down a little bit and she gave me a strange look. "I've sent a text to my sister I'll leave your keys where no one but my family can find and lucky for you we won't have to go to the hospital because the head doctor is my dad, Carlisle. It's his day off so he can look at your ankle without a hospital visit." She looked a little anxious still. "I don't want to intrude Jasper, we've only just met and I don't..." I interrupted her. "I want to hang out with you even if it is because your ankle is broken. I want to get to know you Isabella." She looked at me and smiled. "Well if you want to get to know me and be my friend then you should call me Izzy." I smiled at her. "Well Izzy how would you like to see my place." She laughed and it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. "Well since it seems I have no choice I am at your disposal jasper.
We got to my house and met up with Carlisle. "Carlisle I brought a friend over to get her ankle looked at." I called out for Izzy's sake. He walked out of the kitchen and we sat for a while, while he made a cast for Izzy. "So now that that's all done would you like I tour." I asked her as I picked her up. "You have a huge house how are you supposed to carry me through a whole tour. I'm most interested in seeing where you spend most of your time." She said and blushed. I watched her face heat up and I wondered how far it would spread. I obliged her and took her straight to my "Man cave" as she called it. Full of books and my drawings of the south. "Wow, Jasper these are amazing, so life like. I love your room." She exclaimed as she hobbled around. I hit a button on the wall and she turned to see my giant TV come down from the ceiling. "It swivels in 360 so you can be anywhere in this room and see what's on TV. She looked so amazed. I wasn't trying to show off but she looked in love. If only she would look at me this way. I felt my phone buzz it was Alice telling me to see if she wanted to see a movie. Before I could ask she beat me too it. "Jasper I don't want to be a pain but could we watch something on this beauty? Please I'll be your best friend forever." She said as she hobbled to my bed bouncing like an excited child. I couldn't say no to her. She was my mate even if she didn't know it. "Sure but I'm pretty sure since I brought you to the personal hospital that you already have to be my best friend." I said as I helped her move up to near my head board and sat down next to her and turned on the TV. 20 minutes later everyone else was home and Izzy and I were happily talking about a show called The Good Place. She took out her phone and said that she should get going but Alice begged her to see if she could spend the night. I hated the way she got involved but I couldn't help but be grateful for the pixie's meddling. She went ahead and called her Aunt, it's hard with our hearing not to overhear but I tried to give her privacy on the phone. "It's not a big deal Aunt Cathy a friend Jasper brought me to his dad's house. Yes the head of surgery and stuff." She said exhaustedly. "Yes he's attractive… no, His sister Alice wants me to spend the night is that okay?" "I'm glad you made friends sweetheart, in Miami you seemed alone. Of course just make sure you go to school tomorrow, if you are feeling up to it. Listen to the Doctor. Love you hunny." I couldn't help but smile at the relationship between her and her Aunt. Clearly they were close but there was something behind it. I couldn't place it but I was glad she got to stay. Alice and Edward came and hung out in my room for a while even Rose and Emmett came In for a while but everyone left us alone when Carlisle came in with Esme with some food for "Us" her really but I didn't want to tell her yet. I didn't want her to run away from me. "Carlisle what you got there." She asked him while laughing at the TV. "It's some meds for the pain in your foot and I don't think school tomorrow is a good idea. You can stay here or go home if you like. I think the whole family is staying home tomorrow. If you give me your Aunts number I'll give her a call and let her know." She gave her Aunts number to Carlisle then looked at him as seriously as she could and said, "Well doc, when's the Amputee surgery,,, I can take it….send me to The Good Place." He looked at her funny. And she took the meds as she laughed at his face. We lied back down and watched another movie as she fell asleep. I watched her for hours sleep and kept her ankle cool when I would hear her moan in pain. She was truly beautiful.