Mind over Matter

It was September 13th, her birthday. All day at school, my love and Edward had been talking about it, the gifts they would give her, how they would surprise her, while I stood around, waiting for it all to be over.

Don't get me wrong, I like the girl. She's nice and accepts us for what we truly are, animals. She even admires us for it. If she only knew. If she knew what it was like to not be able to have any normal friends for fear of making them your dinner, to be considered a freak by society just because you are trying to protect them. If she knew how this felt, she wouldn't want to be one of us, not at all.

I did have one thing to look forward to, however. Rosalie and Emmett had returned from Africa for the celebration. I had spent some of the afternoon helping Emmett put the new stereo in her truck because Edward was at her house, keeping her busy. I enjoyed time alone with Emmett. He was entertaining and I got to use my gift on him almost constantly. He kept me on my toes. Then, I went inside to help with the decorations.

"Alice, my love. How may I help you?" I asked her as I came in the door from the garage in the back yard.

"Jasper." She squealed and jumped off the top of the ten-foot ladder she had been standing on to hang streamers. "Would you like to finish hanging streamers for me? You know I have trouble, even with a ladder."

"Of course my short on." I chimed. "But it's going to cost you." She smiled the sheepish smile I loved and waltzed over, giving me a soft kiss on the lips.

"You can have the rest of the payment later." She said and walked away to blow up some balloons. I smiled at myself and walked over to the ladder to finish the work Alice had started.

After I finished those, I went to help Esme wrap gifts and when Carlisle got home, I assisted him with some work he had brought with him.

The girl and Edward arrived right when my sweet had said they would. She was angry about something, probably the party. She had been complaining all day about not wanting one and if I had been Edward or anyone else in the family, I would have respected her wishes. But I am not that high up in the family and my opinion was quickly pushed aside.

She of course knew they were going to do something like this and I could sense she was happy, even if she didn't show it.

Oh, how hard it was to be in the same room with her. They all know what a difficult time I have with her blood, yet they insisted that I attend. If it hadn't been for Alice asking me as well, I would have kindly excused myself five minutes after she arrived and that would have been the end of it, but I knew Alice would have been disappointed in me if I had, so I put up with it.

She smelled so fragrant, like a field full of freshly blooming flowers in spring. All I could think about the whole tome was running over to her, tipping her head sideways and sinking my teeth into her perfectly sculpted neck. Edward, though, was too wound up in his excitement of partaking in the human activity that he didn't notice what I was thinking. I stayed as far across the room as I could from her. I held my breath as long as I dared. I even tried to think of excused to leave the room, anything that might get his attention. I repeated his name over and over in my head, but nothing worked.

When they revealed to her the job Emmett and I had performed on her truck, she was excited and flattered. I had come to realize, though, that Edward must not have ever told her how much money we possess. No matter what we give her, she insists we not spend money on her. This is one of the things I do not understand about her. Even Alice likes to have money spent on her.

When Alice was about to hand her one of the presents from us, I decided I needed to get closer, to stand by Alice. I needed to tell her that I couldn't stay any longer.

I held my breath and took a step toward Alice. The girl was now undoing the neatly wrapped present that Alice had handed her, one of the ones that I had wrapped. Then, tragedy struck.

While lifting wrapping off the present, the girl had given herself a paper cut. Instinctively, I let the air flow into me. It smelled sweeter than anything I had ever smelled. It was so intoxicating. I wasn't going to be able to control myself. I shouted Edward's name one last time, trying as hard as I could to not let the animal inside me take over. I closed my eyes and plugged my nose. I had to get out. But it was too late.

Edward lunged for her, knocking her and a glass vase off the piano. It shattered and there was more blood. The animal inside me took over. I gave a loud snarl and was about to lung head first at both of them, but, luckily, Emmett grabbed me by the arms. I continued to strive for her, wanting her blood more than I had ever wanted any before. I didn't want to hurt her though. I prayed for them to get me out of there quick and they did. They hauled me out the back door into the fresh, cool, night air.