Sorry it's been so long! The family I work for decided last minute to visit the grandparents for half term so I was dragged along BUT I'm back now and ready to get this thing moving! Hope you like the little update, just typing the rest out tonight and will be up tomorrow : )

**The story picks up again later in the evening at Fork's last party before the school year starts

Let me know what you think! & thank you so much for reading!

I felt fine, I felt determined even if it was only because I was a little dizzy with tequila. Jasper held both of our hands through the rowdy crowd and people just moved for him. Maybe it was the leather jacket or the chance occasion he got caught smoking weed, either way my friend Jasper Whitlock had in my absence turned into a bona fide bad boy.

He hadn't always been so beautiful- but he had always been a bit of a mystery. He turned up in Forks – the way wild animals sometimes wandered down from the mountains, he unnerved people. He moved in with his uncle Waylon who was a bit of drunk and that was it, he was here to stay. For some reason right away people assumed the worst of him – except for Alice. Who in her infinite wisdom decided that Jasper was the boy for her,

Luckily from the moment he saw her he decided the very same.

Jasper led us straight to Tyler's van, the great box of a vehicle. He had me in a bear hug before I could even properly pick him out of the crowd.

"Missed you too-"

"Fork's just isn't the same without your face lightening it up, you got hotter by the way" Tyler declared in way of greeting. I had almost forgotten the boy's world famous compliments – if at first he'll be lovely and eloquent you can guarantee he'll end it blunt and graceless. I laughed and shoved him off, stepping aside to hug everyone else. The same people as always had been – Angela, Eric, Tyler, Alice and Jasper

…

"Where's Mike and Jessica" I mumbled to Alice while Angela was distracted by Tyler, Eric and Jasper shot gunning.

"Mike made the hockey team" she explained "and Jessica is queen rink rat now" she motioned over to where Jessica stood now.

I hadn't noticed her yet.. just a few feet from us, she hadn't changed all that much. Same sandy blonde hair flicking it or twisting it through her fingers every five seconds – same laugh, she was doing it now that same high pitch cackle while playfully elbowing him.

Him.

He didn't look at all as villainous as I had hoped, it would have made it easier to hate him but he looked…. stop it, look away.

His eyes, bleary and dark - a purple-blue bruise shadowed his left cheek making his eyes more startling. He was perfectly unkempt and disheveled. The appearance of him should have been the most distressing for me but it wasn't, it was that he had already been looking at me. His eyes already gnawing into mine before I fully realised it was him.

"Bells you want a drink" Jasper prodded and like that I was free, Jasper saw the exchange but didn't inquire. He knew a little about Edward and I and definitely enough not to ask.

"Please."