Chapter 4: Curiouser and Curiouser
I blinked in amazement. Was this guy for real? He thought he was Jasper Cullen? Sure, he looked like him but obviously, it was just some fan probably hoping to serenade some chicks with the appearance.
"Okay," I slowly replied, "Hi? I'm Lara?" I took his hand and awkwardly shook it. His hand felt like I was touching a block of ice. "Wear gloves often?" I asked after I let go. Jasper shook his head no and blushed slightly.
"Uh I forgot them today," he drawled gloomily, "Would have been a good idea I guess." He shoved his hands in his coat pockets and uneasily stared at his feet. "So, where are you from?" he asked as he looked up, "Somewhere warm? You look like you lived some where with a beach."
"Hollister, California," I answered amusedly, "Like the tacky, beachwear store."
"Huh?" Jasper asked as he contorted his face to a look of confusion, "I don't know what that is I'm afraid." I allowed myself a small grin and shrugged.
"It's okay, just forget it," I replied quickly, "You're not missing anything, trust me." Jasper smiled a bit and I forced a smile back. I was starting to get a little freaked out from standing here and talking to a roleplayer. Honestly, I was happy to consider escaping to my hotel room where I'd be walled up from people my age. Looking at my watch, I pretended to look surprised.
"Shoot!" I remarked unhappily, "I've gotta get back before my aunt and uncle flip out and call the cops to report I'm missing. Nice meeting you, uh, Jasper." Jasper looked slightly surprised and he mumbled something about getting home too.
"Alice will come searching for me if I'm gone too long," Jasper added quickly, "I doubt that having Carlisle form a search party for me is on her list of things to do today." He smiled and took my hand in his. I stared back at his piercing green eyes which met mine for a split second before breaking their gaze. He lifted my hand to his lips and gently pressed them to the top of my hand. Nerves in my body stung my insides violently as soon as his cold lips touched my hand. Geez. He straightened up and fixed his tie before walking around me toward the plaza. Weird kid…
"Do you need one of us to drive you to the school?" asked June as we sat down to a buffet breakfast. I shook my head no since I checked out my new school after my run in with the Jasper clone. It was about 3 blocks away from the hotel we were staying in so walking was my first choice.
"I found it yesterday," I answered as I polished off some toast, "I asked the hotel front desk and they gave me directions. Well, I'm off." Before June could say anything else, I took off and made 2 of the walking lights before being stopped by the 3rd one. I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for the light to change. Just as the light turned, I took a step into the crosswalk only to quickly take it back as a car sharply rounded the corner. A shiny Mercedes with a copper-haired male at the wheel whipped past and paid no attention to me at all. How rude!
"Jerk," I growled under my breath, "Stupid showoff…" Students shuffled in slowly and I pushed my way through the crowds to the office which was marked by a sign hanging over the doorway.
"Everyone," began the principal, "I'd like you to meet our new student. She just transferred here from Hollister, California. This is Claire Tsai." Sleepy students perked up at the introduction and started acknowledging my presence.
"I actually go by Lara," I corrected the principal. She nodded faintly before talking to my homeroom teacher and leaving me standing like a dork in front of the class. Oy vey. My new teacher named Ms. Crenshaw had me talk about Hollister and the differences between Forks and Hollister. Some girls bubbled over how much they loved the clothing brand and said I was lucky to live in the town they named it after. Uh huh. Sure. Lucky me.
"There's an empty seat by Alyson and Mike," Ms. Crenshaw remarked, "Raise your hands you two." Mike nodded in a cool way to acknowledge who he was and Alyson held her hand up. I grimly took my seat beside them. Mike leaned in closer with a confident smile on his face and held out his hand.
"Hey there," he said smoothly, "I'm Mike Newton. So California huh? You surf a lot? Did you live in bikinis and shorts every day there?" Alyson reached over and hit him hard. Mike winced and Alyson rolled her eyes.
"Ignore him," Alyson told me, "He acts like that when Bella's around." I nodded firmly as my stomach bubbled violently. I was experiencing déjà vu major here. Mike Newton? Wasn't that the guy that pursued Bella romantically? And Bella? Did that mean Bella Swan was all of a sudden in existence with my world? I was seriously hoping that this was a bad dream or that these kids were just joking with me.
"I'm Alyson but I go by Sonny," Alyson introduced herself, snapping me out my trance. I grasped her hand and shook it. She rolled her eyes and quickly added, "And no I'm not on that new show Sonny with a Chance. No relation-I had the nickname before the show."
"Claire Tsai but Lara is what I go by," I replied. I smiled slightly over her comment about her name. When the Generation Girl Barbie dolls came out, people commented on the French doll named, yes you got it, Lara. That sucked.
Classes droned on with the same funny stares and comments. It turned out that Mike was in my third period class and he introduced me to some chick named Jessica Stanley. She introduced herself almost too sweetly that it made me ready to hurl. I vaguely remembered that she was hated and snotty so I was very curt around her. Mental Note: check with Cassandra about these people so I know who to befriend and who to avoid.
"Come sit with us," Mike casually invited me, "Jessica will be there, and you'll like Angela and Ben."
"Thanks but I've made plans to hang with Sonny already," I answered quickly, "Maybe some other day?" Mike looked crestfallen but he said sure. Jessica caught up with him and they started gabbing.
"Where's Bella?" asked Mike as Jessica walked with him. Jessica pursed her lips and smirked.
"Where do you think?" she retorted cattily, "With the Cullens." That last remark made me nearly freeze in my tracks and stop all that was going on. The Cullens. Now this had to be a dream. As I walked over to where Sonny was, I blinked a few times and sadly realized that it was real. Drat."
"Hey there," Sonny greeted me as she looked up from her book. She nodded at Mike's retreating figure. "He tried to have you join them?"
"Yes, but I already made plans with you," I replied as I sat down, "Besides I don't fit with his crew." Sonny shrugged as she chewed her banana. She swallowed and leaned in.
"I think Mike likes you," Sonny warned me, "He hasn't attached himself to someone ever since Bella transferred here. He's a junior by the way if you are looking for an older man."
I winced and shook my head no violently. "I'm a sophomore," I answered, "That is sad that he doesn't know that. I don't really like guys who act all cool and god-like. Jessica creeps me out since she seems like she's too nice."
Sonny agreed, "Yeah, I'm a sophomore too. I agree, Jessica is too nice to seem real. She's the school gossip so watch your step. She mainly gossips about the Cullen family."
"The Cullen family," I repeated nearly ready to hurl. Dear God why me?
"Yep," Sonny confirmed, "Their dad is the town's head doctor and he's really handsome for a father. They're super rich and drive really nice, exotic cars. They eat over there." Sonny jabbed her thumb to her right to a table where a group of pale-skinned teens sat and chatted. Only one of them was eating and she didn't look like she was part of their family. A copper-haired boy sitting next to the girl eating talked into her ear while the rest of them chatted with their seatmate. A beautiful model-like girl listened to her blonde muscled seatmate, hanging on his every word. The final pair was a red-headed girl who was bubbly making small talk with the tall, blonde haired boy beside her. Wait a second, he looked familiar.
Sonny leaned closer to me as she pointed them out to me from a distance. "Those two right there are Rosalie and Emmett. Rosalie's kinda mean but Emmett's funny. Okay and that copper-haired guy? That's Edward and the girl he's talking to is Bella Swan. She's not part of their family, she dates Edward I think."
"That guy nearly ran me over this morning," I recalled angrily, "I was crossing the street and he didn't even give me the right of way-he just rounded the corner without looking for pedestrians!"
Sonny gave me a sympathetic look before continuing, "That perky red-head? That's Alice, she's sweet. And that's Jasper, he's a real gentleman." I felt my insides freeze up as she said those words. Jasper. Did that mean that kid was the cold-skinned, Southern twang boy I ran into the day before? Alice finished conversing with Jasper and looked past him at Sonny and I. Whoops. Spotted.
I lowered my gaze and ate faster. I could feel Jasper's eyes on me and I didn't dare look up. Sonny blinked and closed her book.
"Well this is interesting," she announced, "He's headed right for us."
"Maybe he has to use the restroom," I mumbled as I stuffed my books into my bag quickly.
"Uh no," Sonny answered, "He's looking at you Lara. He's walking right toward you." Oh boy, just my luck.
"Sorry Sonny," I apologized quickly, "Forgive me, I just remembered that needed my Chemistry book and I've got to get it now. See you tomorrow!" Sonny waved goodbye and I jetted out of there as fast as my legs could carry me. Unfortunately, Jasper had caught up to me once out of the lunch room and cleared his throat. Damn.
"You left fast," he remarked, "You didn't really need your Chemistry book. I can tell." I turned to face him and met an amused boy standing before me with his arms crossed over his chest.
"What do you want?" I asked warily, "Are you stalking me? Is this some kind of joke?"
"What do you mean by a joke?" Jasper asked me.
"Once I set foot in this town I've been experiencing déjà vu," I shot back, "Everyone I've run into I know is not real and that they exist in books. How is it that people I'm meeting are saying that they are book characters are beyond me?" Jasper's face clouded with concern and he creased his eyebrows.
"Book?" he replied puzzled, "What book? I'm not playing a character; I'm Jasper Cullen, a real live person." Just I thought, my world had broken the barrier between reality and fiction and had merged with each other. Oh man.