A/N: I will never again promise to be done with a chapter by a certain time. It seems that whenever I do that something happens that interferes with my writing! Grrr! This weekend is my awesome roller-skate/80's party. (Yes I am having a roller skating party for my 24th birthday, so what?!) So most likely no new material will come until that excitement is over.
Disclaimer: I am not SM, but if I were, I probably wouldn't admit it!
AlicePOV:
So I know boys are dense and we females have to help them along, but really, Jasper should be at least trying to smile at me. It's been a month for goodness sake. And I stopped sending him dirty looks and feelings at least two weeks ago. I mean, it's gotten to the point that I started bringing him up in conversation with Marlane and Kate. Often. In fact, I'm pretty sure they know that I'm crushing on him. Kudos to them for not teasing me for it. I've even considered just making the first move, but I get too nervous anytime I think of it. Also, not seeing how it will go makes it worse. If I knew I was going to get a positive reception, I might be more willing to put myself out there. Unfortunately, Mr. I'm so cool I have all these sporty friends and barely look at you any more has a future that is just as difficult to see as my own.
My phone rang, startling me out of my reverie.
"Kate?" I answered, smiling to myself. Having friends was fun!
"I think we, and by that I mean Marlane and I, may have done a bad thing," she said, rushing.
"Mmmm, what's that?" I asked, unconcerned.
"Ya know Jasper…" she trailed off and I perked up.
"Yes," I said cautiously, sitting up on my bed.
"Marlane and I ran into him at the bookstore…" she paused again. I could tell she was nervous, and I didn't need to be an empath.
"I won't be mad, just tell me what you did," I burst out.
"So, we maybe…toldhimyouwantedtobefriendsagain!" she babbled, "We are so so sorry!" I heard a crackling and fumbling and then Marlane's voice came across the line.
"I seemed like a good idea at the time," she sounded sheepish, "and can I just say, he is way cuter up close." Her voice got all soft and dreamy. I groaned, Jasper must have unconsciously dazzled her.
"What did he say?" I pushed aside my worries and focused on the facts.
"That he was going to talk to you tonight when he came over," Marlane said, dreaminess replaced with nervousness.
"Oh man…" I didn't know what to say. I can't be mad at them, I was just bemoaning the fact that Jasper hadn't talked to me yet. But now that I know he wants to do it tonight, I don't think I'm ready. I should have been practicing controlling my emotions! What if he can tell how much I want him? Foolish, foolish girl! Be careful what you wish for!
I was silent during this internal tirade and it must have worried Kate.
"What are you going to do?" she asked, and I wasn't sure if she was referring to what I was going to do to her and Marlane, or what I was going to do about Jasper.
"Let's go shopping," I answered, my mind moving a mile a minute, making plans.
"Really?" Kate sounded disappointed.
"Yeah, and my older sister is coming with us if that is okay," I continued, not explaining myself. That can wait till I am not within hearing distance of Esme.
"Okay…" Kate had that voice people get when they think they're talking to a crazy person.
"Just meet me here in about twenty minutes, bring Marlane," I ordered her, flipping my phone shut before she had a chance to respond.
If Jasper knows that I like him, it changes everything about how our next conversation should go. I don't want him coming into it all cocky and sure of himself. So I must look hot, and I must be mysterious. This will difficult, but not impossible. If he can block emotions, then I should be able to block mine from him. Heck, if I can keep Edward out of my most private thoughts, then keeping Jasper out of my surface emotions should be a piece of cake.
"Alice, did I just hear you making plans to leave?" Esme asked me from downstairs.
"And did you include me in them?" Rosalie added from her and Emmett's room.
"Yes," I answered both of them.
"I'm in," was all Rosalie said.
"Not before we have a little chat," Esme told me, and I heard her coming up the stairs. She opened the door to my room, stepped in and shut it behind her.
"I want to talk to Alice in private," Esme said, just a hair above normal volume.
Seconds later the door to the garage slammed and the sound of the Spice Girls' "Wannabe" could be heard coming from Rosalie and Emmett's room. The sad thing was, we both knew that Rose was the one in the garage, which meant it was Emmett listening to 90's pop music, and most likely dancing and lip-synching along.
I looked at Esme, straight face, until our eyes met at which point we both burst out laughing. I quickly sobered, however, at the thought of having this conversation with Esme.
"What is your problem with Jasper?" Esme asked, her laughter dying away as well, "I thought you two were friends?"
"We will be," I stated, falsely confident, "I just…he surprised me with his ability to read me, and it took some getting used to," I fudged the truth a little.
"Then why are you avoiding him tonight?" Esme pushed, eyeing me with suspicion.
"We have to have a talk, and I need to…decide what to say," I hedged. I only ever lied to Esme by not telling her things, lies of omission, like not telling her exactly how I felt all the time. But lying to her face was different, and I was trying to avoid it.
"I'll let it go this time, but don't think I don't know that you're not telling me everything," Esme stated, pointing a finger at me sternly.
"Okay, okay" I grinned at her, "But I hear Kate and Marlane in the driveway, so I gotta go!" I breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed my purse and bounced down the stairs, excited at the prospect of girl-talk and avoiding my big showdown with Jasper.
We all piled into my car, cause lets face it, it's awesome. We passed Peter, Charlotte and Jasper in the driveway, and I saw Rosalie waggle her fingers at Jasper, almost taunting. I was going to ask her what that was about when Marlane groaned from the backseat.
"He is gonna kill us," she muttered to Kate.
"As long as Alice doesn't tell him that she went shopping tonight to avoid him, he won't know to be mad at us," said Kate authoritatively, but I saw a glimmer of worry in her eyes.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," I said to them.
"And I would do serious bodily harm to him should he ever hurt any of you," Rosalie stated, grinning at the two girls in my backseat. They laughed, probably amused at the thought of perfect, blond, beautiful Rosalie trying to hurt a boy. But I knew better.
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"Are you trying to give him a heart attack?!" Kate practically yelled when I stepped out of the dressing room, potential "Jasper Conversation Outfit" on. Rosalie and I glanced at each other, smiling briefly. Ahhh, if only I could give him a heart attack.
"Not to mention every other guy in school," Marlane added, winking at me.
"I wasn't planning on having the conversation at school," I said, trailing off when I realized that thanks to Jasper's newfound knowledge, the chances of me having time to practice blocking my emotions before he got to me were slim. Maybe avoiding him this evening had been pointless. I stepped back into the changing room and whispered as much to Rosalie, so low that Kate and Marlane couldn't have heard.
"Maybe you should go with a risky look like that," she suggested back, "If his emotions are out of control, then he might have more trouble sensing yours, and a shopping trip is never pointless!"
"If you're going for a scandalous look, you could try this," Kate threw something over the door to me. It was a deep purple silk skintight tank and a black mini.
"They have some kick-ass hooker boots here too," Marlane added, passing them under the door. Black stiletto boots that ended just below my knee.
"And I definitely think this would finish the look perfectly," Rosalie said, plopping a black fedora-type hat on my head as I stepped out of the changing room.
"Girls," I said, surveying myself in the mirror, "I'm not going into the business when I get talking with him, geez!"
"Ok, so I know it's kinda slutty," Kate started.
"But you would give him a conniption fit," Marlane picked up the thread.
"Which is exactly what you want," Rosalie finished for my ears only.
"Sold," I said, shrugging to my reflection and smirking, "Jasper ain't gonna know what hit him!"
I changed back into my regular, non-streetwalker clothes, paid for my new outfit and we headed out of the store.
"Can we hit up the record store?" Marlane asked me, already bouncing in that direction.
"I do need the new Black Eyed Peas CD," Kate said, looking at me pleadingly.
"Why the hell not, I gotta get something for Emmett to listen to besides Spice Girls," Rosalie shrugged and headed towards the record store as well. She and Marlane fell into a deep conversation about the merits and problems of a boy who likes Spice Girls. Kate and I trailed after.
"Are you sure you aren't upset with us about talking to Jasper?" Kate prodded.
"I really am not mad," I smiled briefly at her, "it was the push I needed,"
"Then why do I sense all is not right in Alice-world?" she asked, nudging my shoulder. Kate was the most perceptive human I'd ever met, and I had the feeling that is she ever became a vampire, she'd have some special power in that area. I decided to throw caution to the wind (something I'd been doing a lot ever since Jasper came on the scene.)
"I have a lot of…feelings that I don't show people," I started, avoiding Kate's eyes, "and Jasper picked up on that and I didn't like it. It's what caused our disagreement,"
"Hmm…that's tough, when people know things you don't want them to," she nodded.
"Yeah," I sighed.
"On the bright side, he probably won't ever mention it again!" Kate said, trying to lift the mood that had settled upon us.
"I can almost guarantee that," I grinned back, "Especially since he probably won't be able to speak when he sees me in that outfit I just bought!"