JPOV

I sat on the steps in front of the school, ready to pull my hair out. It was raining, so I had my hood up. I probably looked like a pretty shady figure. I thought of my conversation with Alice this morning.

Good job Jasper. You revealed too much. What if she never talks to you again? She did seem quiet.

I breathed out a heavy sigh, watching my breath appear as smoke in front of me. I needed to stop worrying myself. Alice was just a girl, just a friend.

"Jasper?"

I froze at the sound of that high soprano voice. I lifted my head at her confused tone. Her face looked a little scared but the emotion softened as I looked at her.

"Okay, good. I was hoping it was you. I didn't want to talk to some stranger." Her hand laid limply against her chest, one arm holding the other close to her. I realized she was wearing a surprisingly thin jacket. I wanted to give her my jacket but I didn't want to make things more awkward between us.

"And what exactly are you doing here so late?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." She smiled at me.

"Well, you got me there. I'm here because I forgot that I rode the bus this morning and I took too long getting here. My parents don't get home till a lot later, so here I wait."

"Why did you ride the bus?"

"I was too lazy to drive today. That, and I'm running out of gas and money." I chuckled.

"Well, let me give you a ride. I just got out of a meeting. I asked Mr. Ulrich to explain a few more things to me."

I stood up, immediately grateful for this way away from the cold. "So now the girl offers the guy a ride. What has this world come to? Are you going to try to seduce me in the back seat?" I laughed.

She laughed too, to my surprise. "Totally. Get in there and take your pants off."

She led me over to her car and I got in the passenger side. I watched her silently as she started the car, buckled up, and checked her mirrors, looking graceful even as she did these small, normal things.

"You're going to have to tell me where I'm going. I don't know where you live, as much of a stalker as I may seem."

I tapped her arm. "I gotcha. When you get to the exit of the parking lot, just head to the right then go straight for a while."

"Okay. I can do that much."

We drove in silence for a while, my directions the only thing breaking the silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a comfortable one.

She pulled her car into my driveway, my quaint little house seeming to lose some of its beauty. She put the car in park and smiled at me.

"Thanks," I said. "You don't know how much I appreciate this."

"It was only a ride home. Didn't waste too much gas. Anytime you need me, I'm here."

I need you now.

That thought hit me hard. I blinked hard and sat back, feigning loss of breath. It wasn't too hard to fake.

Where did that come from?

She frowned. An expression I didn't like to see on her face. "Everything okay?" She touched my arm gingerly.

"Yeah. I just..." I didn't exactly know what to say. I just smiled up at her.

"You sure?"

I nodded. "I'm going to go now. Maybe I just need to lie down."

"Rest up. Let me know how you feel tomorrow. Wish I could rest. I'm gonna be up all night doing homework."

I started to gather my things when I thought of something. "Hey, why don't I just give you my number. You can text me so I can let you know how things go and you can ask me any questions you have."

"Sounds great."

We exchanged numbers, and then I got out with all of my things. I waved to her as she left. I sighed and went to my room.

What is wrong with you?

I dumped all of my stuff on my floor and stared at my bed.

You might actually need rest. What the hell was that?

I shook my head. That feeling wasn't anything that required rest. I didn't feel like I needed to lie down.

I felt like I needed a cold shower.

I hadn't had this feeling in such a long time. I shook out my hair as I pulled my hood down. I picked up my pajama pants and walked into the bathroom. In the mirror, I stared at my face.

What is wrong with you, Jasper? You're really being affected by this girl. Maybe it's her personality. That was definitely part of it. The other part was her dark, shiny hair, her piercing green eyes, the slight curve of her cheeks, her perfectly plump lips,...the curves of her stomach and hips...her delicate looking skin...

And I took that cold shower I needed so badly.