A/N: So hopefully you liked the first chapter and came back for more. Oh yeah, that's what I like to see. I don't really feel this chapter needs much explanation…so I'm just gonna let you read it.

Disclaimer: I don't wanna step on your toes, Stephanie, I'm just havin a little fun…

(APOV)

I made it through my morning classes without running into this mysterious new vampire. It wasn't until I reached the cafeteria that I reconsidered my decision to avoid him. I scanned the room, wondering where the hell I was going to sit. How is it that I forgot about this? It happens to me in every town we live in. I end up in the cafeteria, on the first day of school, with no idea where to sit. My eyes found our usual table; some giggling freshman had commandeered it. Which is fine, I guess, who was I to claim a whole table for just me?

I made my way to a smaller table in the corner. I don't even feel like the illusion of a lunch today. It would be nice to have at least one other person to not-eat with. Even better if they were a vampire, cause they would be not-eating as well. Maybe I could make an effort with this new guy. I pulled out my phone and checked to see if Bella had answered me yet. Nope. This is getting ridiculous. She's supposed to be my best friend, and it's been days since we've spoken. Sure, when we're in the same house its all "Alice you're so awesome," but the minute she leaves town with my no good brother, radio silence. I know, I know, whine much? But I am sitting by myself, in a high school cafeteria, decades older than anybody in the room, my only hope for companionship some strange vampire I've never met, who I don't really want to let into my life.

I relaxed slightly and thought back over what I'd heard about the new guy. God, what is his name?! I know it starts with a J. Jack, Jason, Joel, Jeremy…forget it, I'll just call him Jay. All the whispers I'd heard today indicated he was attractive, to humans, which is par for the course for vamps. Still, when you hear words like "gorgeous," "otherworldly" and "sexy" thrown around by girls who normally just say "hot," you have to wonder what the guy looks like. Come on, the guy inspired multiple syllables in a single-syllable species.

I was doodling in my notebook when I heard the heart rate of every single female in the room (and some guys) increase. Jay must have made an appearance. I lifted my head and…holy shit. He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. He was tall, and his facial structure was perfect. He had this barely controlled hair…curly and dirty blonde. His eyes connected with mine and for a moment, just one, I wished I was as beautiful as he was. I dropped my eyes and frowned. I hate girls like that (with the notable exception of Bella) and I never want to be one. I sighed, still, if I make nice now I won't have to deal with Carlisle's disappointment. I raised my head again and gave him one of my best smiles, bright and cheerful. I cocked my head to the side and beckoned him toward me. I felt a little like a spider, sitting in my dark corner, luring him toward my web, but I shook that fanciful thought out of my head.

He looked at me, frowning, but headed over towards me. He got stopped several times by various girls, but he politely turned down their requests for him to join them. I acted like I was waiting patiently, but my mind was a whirlwind. I was franticly searching for his future but finding nothing. Not even a single hint about how our conversation would play out. I wanted to scream in frustration, but I kept my smile firmly affixed to my face. No way was I gonna let this boy know how upset I was.

When Jay finally arrived at my table, he paused, not sitting.

"May I join you?" he asked me, and I almost melted. He had a smooth southern accent, with only a touch of twang. Despite my roiling emotions, I was pretty sure I wanted to wrap his voice around me like a blanket.

"Certainly," I finally answered him after I got done shivering over his voice. I sat up properly and looked him in the eye again. "My name is Alice," I extended my hand for him to shake. He took it gently and I swear his hand was warm. It was almost as if all his years baking in the sun of whatever state he'd lived in before being turned had imbued him with a warmth even vampirism couldn't take away.

"Jasper," he said, and I felt myself relax at the sound of his voice. What was it about him that eased my almost constant state of tension? I both liked and disliked it.

I tucked my hand back under that table into the safety of my lap. Still carrying out my charade of happiness, I smiled even wider. This seemed to confuse him and he frowned again, his eyes boring into mine. I felt like he could see into my soul. Like he could tell that my entire life is a façade hiding a deep well of unhappiness. Now it was my turn to frown. I was right…I don't need this guy in my life.

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(JPOV)

The morning was uneventful but emotional. All these teenagers with their crazy hormones and fluctuating feelings. I'm tired, and it's only lunch time. Awesome.

I had yet to meet this mysterious female vampire, but I'd heard about her. People all over the school were whispering about how much it sucked that she had to come to school all by herself this year. I'd learned that her name was Alice, and that she and her family had always set themselves apart from the rest of the school. That doesn't sound wise to me. I like to stay under the radar…which means I have to act like everyone else. Which is why I quickly checked in with Peter and then headed to the lunchroom.

I stepped in the doorway and felt the eyes of the entire room on me. There was that overwhelming self-loathing again…coupled with anger and sadness. I followed the emotion to the source, and sucked in an un-necessary breath. I was completely still as my eyes met hers and I felt like I had been hit by a meteor. She was the most amazing creature I'd ever seen. She was so tiny and delicate, and her eyes looked right into me. And her hair…my god, her hair. It was short and dark and stuck up in all the right places, like she'd just lifted her head up off of my pill…what! Stop it! I reprimanded myself. She took her eyes off of me and I shook myself out of my trance. Then she smiled and gestured for me to join her. Hell yes! I needed to know more about her. And why she was so angry underneath that smile she had pasted on her face. I ignored my plan to buy a lunch to fit in and headed toward her. Girls kept stopping me, asking me to join them, but I brushed them off as nicely as I could manage. My head was whirring with confusion. Get a hold of yourself!

I came to a stop at the edge of the bench attached to the table. Her emotions were like a black hole, sucking me in and I almost didn't want to sit down. What I wanted to do was run out of the building screaming. How could she live like this? I'm amazed that her tiny body can hold so much feeling. How could her family let her feel like this? Why didn't they do something? I realized she was looking at me curiously. Real smooth Jasper…

"May I join you?" I asked her softly, almost afraid to hear her voice. I didn't know what I'd do if her words were laced with all that emotion.

"Certainly," she answered me, so cheerfully that I did a double take. It sounded so much like she was happy. Light and friendly, her answer seemed to float on the air. "My name is Alice," she added, holding out her hand for me to take. I grasped it tentatively. My gift seemed to intensify when I touched people…and her emotions were so strong already. Her hand seemed cool to my touch, which was strange. Peter and Charlotte feel the same temperature as me. I didn't ponder that thought for long, however. Alice shifted and her scent hit me. It was like apples and honeysuckle on a summer day and I wanted to spend the rest of my life inhaling her. That's a long time.

"Jasper," I breathed out, hoping I didn't sound as off-balance as I felt. I threw a little calm her way, hoping it would serve the dual purpose of distracting her and easing the tension in her small form. She removed her hand and I sat down. She hid her hands beneath the table, but smiled widely at me. I frowned, her actions were so contradictory, her emotions so different than the image she projected. I decided right then and there, as I studied her eyes, that I was going to figure her out. No matter how long it takes!