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Jasper's POV-

I looked at the phone resting in the palm of my hand. What the fuck was I doing? What had I done? How come I was letting the little Cullen girl get to me? I could have pushed her off yesterday when she wanted me to kiss her again. I am stronger than she is and it would've been easy. Instead I gave in to her demands and kissed her for a second time. Maybe it was because I wanted to see if there really had been a spark or if I was just losing my mind. Sadly for me my mind was still intact which meant that like it or not there was something between Alice and I.

That is why I had left Maria a voice message saying that we should probably cool it for a while. I was not stupid enough to tell her the truth because I knew what her reaction would be. She would hunt down Alice and do things that I didn't even want to think about. I had seen her do it to other girls who even looked at me the wrong way. So I had lied and told her that it was because I would be busy for the next few weeks after school and on weekends. I had claimed we wouldn't be able to see each other much and I did not want to keep her from having fun. I figured she would buy that for the moment. It would be later on I had to come up with a better a reason.

After I left the message to Maria, I texted Alice asking if she could ask her jail warden (that is what I had started referring to Leah as) if it would be alright if I took her out to lunch. I knew I needed to speak with her again and since I was hungry I would kill two birds with one stone. Before I left my yard on my motorcycle I grabbed a helmet. It was not for me, but for Alice since she would have to ride behind me on the way to the one small dinner Forks had. I actually felt good about today. I guess the right word to use would be lighter. Maybe it was because I had ended things with Maria or maybe it was due to the fact my mother was having a good day and had been busy cleaning the house when I left.

I made it to the Cullen house in record time. I saw the biggest Cullen kid Emmett with a pretty blonde woman as they worked on one of the many cars the Cullen's owned. I recognized the blonde as Rosalie from school. Rose was pretty cool for a rich kid. She and I had never had any problems because she didn't fuck with me and I didn't fuck with her in return. It was a treaty of sorts. Edward Cullen was glaring out at me through the window blinds and I smirked before flipping him off which caused him to drop the blinds and disappear. It did not take long for Alice to come out of the house wearing a huge smile with her arm in the sling as she headed my way.

I stepped off the bike so that I would be able to help her on. For the first time I realized that riding on my motorcycle may be uncomfortable for her with her arm in that contraption. I would just have to drive slowly for her sake. Not something I was used to, but I could do it. She did not seem the type to like blindingly fast speeds anyways.

I stood up and slipped the helmet on her head. "Safety first darlin' you know the rules."

She looked up me suspiciously and fixed the strap dangling near her chin. "Since when do you play by the rules?"

I decided that since today was a new start and I had promised to try and be nice that I would play along. I made my expression one of mock hurt. "I can't believe you would say something so cruel Alice. I always follow the rules and I am appalled you would suggest otherwise."

Alice laughed and I helped her on to the back of my bike. I frowned slightly when I realized she would only be able to hold on with one hand and that her injured arm would have to be held tightly to her chest. That meant she would be unable to press herself against my back. One speed bump and she would go flying off in to a ditch.

"What is wrong?" She asked seeing my expression and suddenly and idea jumped in to my head.

"Nothing serious to worry about. I am just trying to figure out how you will be able to hold on to me without hurting yourself." I got on the bike in front of her noticed her legs dangling at the sides. "I want you to wrap your legs around my waist. I know this isn't the safest way to drive, but if you can lock your legs together you won't have to worry about holding on to tightly and I will not have to worry about you flying off and meeting pavement."

She did as instructed and soon we were whizzing down the road. I could hear her laughing and wondered if this was the first time she had ever rode on a motorcycle before. I felt myself smiling as well because I always felt so free driving down the road. It made me feel as if I could escape anything and I had to admit I loved that feeling. Her legs wrapped around my waist kept drawing my attention off the road and I had to force myself to focus. Just because I was a guy it did not mean I had to have dirty thoughts.

We made it to the diner in one piece and I hopped off before offering my hand and helping her off as well. I told her to stay there for a second while I did something. You see I had this little ritual I did every single time I ate at the diner. They had a soda machine outside and it was old and broken. It barely worked but the owner was too lazy to have it replaced which worked well in my favor. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching I jabbed my elbow in to the center of the machine and with a loud pop coins started pouring out on to the ground. I quickly bent down to pick them up and stuff them in the pocket of my jeans before I made my way back over to Alice.

"What?" I asked when I saw her watching me with disapproval. I rolled my eyes and offered my arm to her. "How did you think I was going to pay for lunch darlin' with my good looks?"

"I would have paid you know." She told me with a small smile though I could see as plain as day she still did not like the idea of me stealing. It was a topic we would never agree on. "You didn't need to beat up the innocent soda machine."

I simply shrugged in return. "That soda machine deserved it. It has been giving the stink eye all week."

We made our way inside of the small diner and sat down at a booth. She sat across from me and for a few minutes all she did was stare at me. I stared right back not sure what I was supposed to say. I was trying to turn over a new leaf and I honestly wanted to be friends with her, but did not know how to do that. After a few awkward moments she finally spoke up. "Are you doing drugs Jasper? You are being really nice to me today."

"And that means I am on drugs?" I asked while resting both of my elbows on the table. "I suppose that I deserve that for way I have been acting, but I will be straight with you. I called it off with Maria. Now don't get your ducks lined a row yet Alice because I don't want to date you. The truth is we barely know each other and if anything were to happen between us I would like us to be friends first. That is why I brought you out today. I wanted to tell you I think we should start over and try being friends before we try anything else. I hope that is something you can agree to."

Instead of answering me back with a yes or no, the small brunette fell back against her seat. I could tell she was thinking it over and I waited patiently. When she did speak it was not what I had expected to hear. She raised her hand up so she could wiggle all five of her fingers in my face. "Do you know we've had five classes together? Five and this is the first meal we have ever shared?"

I smiled and took a drink of my water. I waited until we had ordered and our food arrived before I said anything back. I took a bite of my burger and chewed slowly. I hadn't realized we had so many classes together. She must really have a good memory.

"The first meal in two years." I stated slowly before setting my half eaten burger down. "To be honest you're probably one of the people I talk to the most."

Her eyes held curiosity and I could tell she wanted to ask a million questions though thankfully she settled on just one. "Why?"

"Surely you have noticed that I am not exactly one to overshare when it comes to my feelings? I like to keep to myself." It was the truth. Usually in school I would sit in a corner as far from other people as possible. I never did any of the work and that would account for why I was failing. I think you have to put in some sort of effort to pass. I decided to tease her a little bit because honestly I liked seeing her blush. "I would expect my personal stalker to know stuff like that."

"I'm not a stalker!" She huffed and threw a french fry at my face which I expertly caught in my mouth. Like I predicted she turned bright red. "What would make you think something like that?"

"Because in case you have forgotten Alice, we have had five classes together." I held my left hand up and wiggled my fingers in her face like she had done to me a few minutes earlier. "Five or have you forgotten that already?"

Alice's POV:

I smiled at the man sitting across from me in the booth of the small diner. Although we had both finished our meals, we had remained sitting in the booth for more than twenty five minutes after that. Since the diner was mostly empty, except an elderly couple a few seats away, nobody minded we were here. It's amazing how much you can get to know a person over one lunch.

After sitting in another moment of peaceful silence, after a furious game of twenty questions, Jasper cleared his throat. I picked my head up, which I was resting against the back of the booth with my eyes closed. I looked Jasper in the eyes, and he was smiling. Something I had already gotten more used to than his awful sneer. I hadn't seen that look since the first day he came to my home. Imagine where we would be now had I not told him my story…

"Hey, Alice, wanna go for a walk? It's a nice day and I hate being all cooped up in here. There is a really nice park a few blocks away. It's just a short walk from here. Are you up for it?" Jasper asked.

I nodded happily. I loved going on walks, and it seems now I had a partner to go with me. Maybe not romantically, yet, but it's a start. "Sure! I love going on walks!" I chirped. "But what about your bike?"

Jasper just shrugged. "It can be left here for now, when I take you home we can come back and get it. Ready to go?" Jasper stood up, then walked over to my side, and helped me to my feet. I liked this look better on him, it was more fitting. I liked the happy, light, amusing Jasper. I liked the Jasper who liked me, and who helped me to my feet and offered to take me on what he called, a "non date" lunch.

We exited the diner and started walking down the street. Clouds had moved in during our lunch, and a slight chill was nipping the air. I shivered as a cold breeze blew. My thin shirt allowed the wind to blow right through it. Then I remembered I had forgotten a sweater.

Jasper must have saw me shiver, because the moment another breeze blew, he stopped, and pulled his hoodie over his shoulders, his shirt coming up a bit with it. I saw the sculpted, yet smooth planes of Jasper's lower stomach. From what I saw, Jasper must work out or something. I marveled at him, and then daydreams of tracing his abs and making him shudder ran over and over in my mind. It was really hard to stop those thoughts once they started…

I was brought out of my thoughts when I felt Jasper throw his sweatshirt at me. He was laughing, with a very amused look on his face. "What are you ogling at, Alice?" Jasper asked in between chuckles. I rolled my eyes, and slipped his hoodie over my head, and his scent filled my nostrils. It was the most heavenly scent, and it was so… delicious I could almost taste it.

I breathed in as I pulled the hoodie over my head. It was big on me, but there was plenty of room so my arm wouldn't hurt me. It was heavy, and now I was warm. I pulled the hood over my head, and then Jasper and I continued to venture down the street.

"I wasn't ogling. I was just…observing. For future references, you know?" A smirk crossed my lips. Jasper laughed again, the sound light and teasing.

"Sure, sure." He said in a mocking tone, rolling his eyes. He placed his hand on the small of my back as we turned down another street, closing in on the park ahead. My skin was burning where his hand was. "You just keep thinking that darlin'." He smirked, and I rolled my eyes now.

Jasper and I turned down the street, a peaceful silence between us. Suddenly, Jasper stopped and he was staring at a house in front of him. The house looked run down, and it looked like a very poor family lived there. The awning on the front porch was collapsing, and there was a gaping hole in one of the windows. Two rusty bikes were resting on the lawn, and an old woman was sitting in a rocking chair on the lawn smoking a cigarette.

"What is it, Jasper?" I asked as he just stared at the two bikes on the lawn. I looked at the old woman puffing on the cigarette. "Do you know her?"

Jasper just shook his head, and he placed his hand on the small of my back again, and he led me down the street, but he kept throwing glances over his shoulder at the house. "I stole a bike here once." He said in a weird tone. It sounded like he was going to laugh, but it had a sad edge to it.

I looked over at him. He held his head down in shame, watching his feet as we walked. "Why'd you do that?" I asked, curious.

Jasper looked at me, a smirk on his lips. "Because I didn't have one." He laughed, and I laughed too. We were still getting to know each other just walking down the street.

I laughed a little. "Oh, okay. Good reason!" Jasper smiled at me, looking relived I was joking around instead of getting weirded out or something. "I stole at hat once, when I was twelve." I stopped and chuckled again at how idiotic I must sound to him. Jasper cocked an eyebrow as I continued. "Yeah, but my mom found it. She made me give it back."

Jasper laughed. "Stole a hat? Jeeze, call the F.B.I.!" Jasper laughed and I did too.

"Are you going to turn me in?" I asked in a mock serious tone, raising an eyebrow in question.

Jasper smiled softly. "I think I'll wait for you to surrender."

Jasper and I continued our walk down the street as the cars passed by. When we finally reached the park and I grabbed Jasper's hand with my good hand, and pulled him towards the swings. I loved the swings, and I wanted Jasper to push me on them, even if it was a little childish. I sat in the highest swing I could reach, and gave Jasper puppy dog eyes. He rolled his, and stood behind me, pulling the swing back, and giving it a strong push.

I started to pump my legs a little, but I wanted to go higher still. I turned to Jasper and childishly shouted, "Higher! Higher!" Jasper laughed at how I was acting, and continued to push me higher. When I had reached greatest height potential, I wanted to do something dangerous. "Hey Jasper?" I called as he was sitting on a bench directly in front of me, watching me.

He raised his head a little. "Mmhm?"

"How well can you catch?" I asked, a huge smile breaking out across my face.

"Pretty good?" He stated. "Why?"

"Stand up, and hold your arms out and I'll tell you!" Jasper did just that, right in front of me so I could land right in his arms. When the swing swung forward, I launched myself off the swing and Jasper reached his arms out, and caught me right before I hit the ground. We both burst out laughing.

"Nice catch, Ace!" I said cheerfully to Jasper as he set me on my feet. Jasper just beamed back at me, but a devilish grin soon spread across his lips.

"Hey Alice…" Jasper said, as he poked me in my good shoulder. "YOU'RE IT!" And then he took off towards the slide. I ran after him, but found him to be climbing up the slide. He sure was nimble for being so tall and lanky.

"Hey!" I whined. "That's not fair! I can't climb!" I pouted, and Jasper jumped off of the slide and landed in front of me, smiling.

"Ok, fine. We should probably be getting back anyways." Jasper held his arm out for me, and I took it, like we were some fancy couple who wear tuxedos and poufy dresses to balls. "Shall we?"

I giggled as we began to walk back towards the diner. "We shall!"

The rest of the walk was quiet and peaceful, Jasper occasionally told me a few things about him that popped into his mind, and I the same. When we reached the diner, Jasper placed the helmet on me head and did the strap up. I had a question that was itching in the back of my mind, and I just had to ask it.

"Hey Jasper?" I asked as he patted the top of my helmet to make sure it was secure. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." He nodded.

"Why did you…why do you steal?" I asked. Trying to be as polite about it as I could.

Jasper sighed and sat on his bike and faced me, meeting my eye line. "Remember all that stuff I told you about my mother? Well, I've always had to steal to get what I needed for my mother and I. I used to sell drugs for Maria, and sometimes she would pay me. I would have to get into fights to get them. I don't steal just because I want things. Sure I'm a criminal in a sense, but I don't ever get what I want. I've always had to support my mother and my-self that means food, rent, clothing, the whole nine yards. I try not to steal now that I'm trying to become a better person. I know it's wrong…But I'm just trying to be the man I wish my father was." Jasper sighed heavily, and stood up. His eyes looked torn and sad, and that look broke my heart.

I wrapped him in a comforting one armed hug, rubbing his back soothingly. "I'm sorry…" I whispered. I had no idea that Jasper had to do all that… But I had an idea to help him when we got back to my house.

Jasper wrapped on arm around my waist. "It's fine, Alice. I'm used to it. It's just hard. And now, I don't want to do all that bad shit…err, I mean stuff, and I don't know what I'm going to do. But I'll figure something out. Now, c'mon. I should be getting your butt home."

Jasper sat on the bike, and I hopped on, again straddling him so I wouldn't fall off. I wrapped my good arm around his waist, and he drove us the short time back to my house. When we got there, I asked him if he would wait outside for a minute while I ran upstairs. He agreed and I dashed up to my room. Leah was gone, and that was good. I'd noticed she and Jasper didn't exactly see eye to eye.

When I got into my room, I grabbed and envelope off of my desk, and wrote 'Jasper' across the back in my messy scrawl. I took a scented note card that smelled like violets, daises, and roses, and wrote Jasper a quick note and then slipped it into the envelope. Then, I went over to my closet and grabbed my savings box. I stuffed all of the contents of the box into the envelope, and then stripped myself of Jasper's hoodie, and placed the envelope in the front pocket.

I dashed back downstairs, and handed Jasper his sweatshirt. "Thanks for today. I had a really nice time!" I smiled at him happily.

"My pleasure. I had a great time as well. I hope we can do it again. Are you free tomorrow? We could hang out."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, duh I'm free silly! I'd like that we can chill here and watch a movie or something." Jasper nodded and smiled, gave me a quick hug, and then slipped on the sweater. The envelope fell out of the front pocket.

Jasper picked it up. "What's this?" He asked.

I smiled at him. "Open it and you'll find out! And don't think of trying to give it back. I want you to keep it, all of it. Bye, Jasper. See you tomorrow!" I gave him a quick wave, and then walked inside the house while I heard him tear the envelope open.

TBC….