A/N: Hi, fellow slashophiles. I reworked this chapter about a dozen times before I got it anywhere close to right. [Sigh] Multi-chaps and their pesky details. See you again at the bottom.

WARNING: This piece of fanfiction is rated M for slash, graphic language, and adult situations. Minors and wusses, click away, please. Also, S. Meyer owns all Twilight-related material. Thanks for letting us hang on your monkey bars, Mrs. Meyer.

Chapter 3: Evasive Action

Finally, finally, the bell rang. Pushing away the dangerous, seductive images in my head, I leaped out of my seat and jogged to my locker to dump my books. Loping toward the cafeteria, I rounded the corner and skidded to a halt, my visions from that morning erupting and raining down on me like fiery hail.

Emmett was in the doorway of the caf, talking to Eric and… the new boy.

I'm fucked.

*~*~*

Before I could make my frozen muscles work, someone rammed into me from behind. I turned just in time to catch Bella before she fell over.

"Oof. Sorry, Jazzy." She swiped aside the hair that had thrown itself across her reddened face. "I didn't expect you to stop short like that—"

My hands gripped her arms almost too tightly.

"Bella, thank god," I huffed in relief.

"What's the matter, Jazz?" she asked, frowning in concern. She glanced around me to the door of the caf, and her eyes widened. "Ohhhh," she breathed.

My shoulders slumped.

"Yeah…" I didn't turn around to look. Keeping my attention on her face, I watched her eyes narrow and her brows shoot up a second later.

"What?" I asked, afraid to follow her gaze.

Her eyes shifted to me.

"Oh, let's just go around and come in the other side, m'kay?" she said too cheerfully. She linked her arm through mine and pulled me through the halls, around to the double doors on the opposite side of the caf. As we got in line to buy lunch, I chanced a quick once-over of the room. My eyes honed in like heat-seeking missiles on Emmett and the new boy sitting at our group's usual table. The others weren't there. I spotted Mike chatting up some sophomore girls a few tables away. Eric and Tyler were sitting with Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory, who didn't look thrilled with their attentions.

The lunch line advanced. I threw some things on a tray, not really caring what I was taking. Glancing back toward Emmett, I saw him clap the new boy on the shoulder and laugh heartily, as only Emmett could. The new boy's face flushed pink as people at nearby tables looked over curiously at the chortling hulk next to him.

Bella, who had been silent since we'd entered the caf, let out a giggle of her own.

"Well, at least Emmett's happy to be back in school."

I offered her a half-grin and paid for my lunch. She took her tray and, with me tagging along behind, grabbed one of the smaller tables along one wall, nodding at me to take the seat opposite her. She gave me a piercing look as I sat.

"Okay, Whitlock. Spill."

"Um…" I couldn't meet her eyes.

She leaned forward.

"Jasper, it's me."

Those three words spoke volumes. I heard worry, compassion, and a touch of hurt in her tone. I looked up into her gold-flecked espresso stare.

"Sorry, Bells," I sighed. "I'm just… I'm so confused."

She nodded her head in sympathy.

"Is it Emmett?"

"No. Well, kinda…"

Her expression turned quizzical, but she said nothing, waiting patiently for me to go on.

I took a deep breath, trying to put words to the turmoil inside me.

"You wanna know why I had to leave, why I couldn't stay in Forks this summer?"

She nodded again.

"That feeling, that electricity," I said, pitching my voice low so I wouldn't be overheard. "Every time he touched me, or even got close to me. It was torture. I wanted so badly to tell him how I felt. One look in those sky-blue eyes, and I just… I was a mess. Emmett was all I could think about. It got to the point where I wasn't sleeping…"

"I could tell," Bella said when my voice trailed off. "By the time finals rolled around, you were jumpy as hell. And you looked so exhausted."

I rubbed my hands over my face. I'd left back in June without telling Bella why, assuming that she would understand. And she did. Whenever I'd called her from New Orleans, we'd kept things light, talking mostly about my day-to-day experiences with the project or the latest Forks gossip. I'd never mentioned Emmett to her, not once. She hadn't pressed me. I'd felt awful for shutting her out but, at the time, I couldn't bear to think about it, much less discuss it. Now, I was realizing just how much my behavior must have hurt her.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I said again, hoping she would hear my sincerity. "I couldn't talk about it, I just… I was barely holding it together. When my dad mentioned the New Orleans project, I jumped at it. I just had to get away, clear my head. I figured you'd understand if anyone could, but I'm sorry I pushed you away like that."

Her small hand descended on my large one, drawing soothing circles on the back with her fingers. Telling me without words that she forgave me.

"But Emmett's not the problem," I said.

She stopped rubbing my hand and glanced up sharply at me.

"So, what's going on?" she asked when I didn't continue. "Do you still have feelings for him?"

"Yeah, but…" I started, then stopped, my mouth open but the words stalled on my tongue.

Bella just looked at me, not speaking, giving me time to organize my thoughts. Knowing what I needed, as always.

"When I saw him this morning," I whispered, pushing the words out of me, "I felt it again, that electricity. I put my hand on his arm and it was like a shock, you know?"

Bella nodded.

"But then I…" I stalled again, and she resumed petting my hand. I relaxed enough to let the words come.

"Did you see the new boy?" My voice was barely audible to my ears, but she heard me. Her head automatically turned toward where Emmett and the new boy were sitting.

"Don't look!" I hissed. Her head jerked back to me, an apologetic grimace on her face.

"Sorry," I said. "Didn't mean to snap. Just… don't look over there, okay?" Even though I desperately wanted to do just that. I'd wanted to do nothing but stare outright at him since the moment I'd laid eyes on him.

"Don't need to, anyway," Bella chuckled. "Even if I hadn't already seen him myself, I could probably draw him just by listening to all the dreamy descriptions of him I keep hearing from the general female population. Chiseled jaw, marble cheekbones, gorgeous green eyes, major sex hair, a body made for sin… right?"

"Yeah, pretty much," I sighed. She'd nailed it, at least from my point of view. "I guess the guys all met him this summer while I was gone. When I was sitting with you at assembly this morning, he came in and I saw him for the first time. It was like…" I fumbled for words. "If touching Emmett is like electricity, then just locking eyes with this boy is like a lightning bolt."

"Wow," Bella said. "I take it you actually did lock eyes with him, then."

"Yeah, before he sat down with the guys, we had kind of a… moment, I guess you could say."

"Wow," she said again. "So, is the feeling mutual, do you think?"

Huh. That stopped me. Mutual? He was looking back at me. Could he possibly have felt what I did?

I shivered.

"How can I tell?"

"Well," Bella tapped her lower lip with her thumbnail. "If you had a moment with him, then it's something you shared, right? I mean, you can't really have a moment with someone if they don't share it with you."

She had a point.

"Jazz, I'm going to say something really radical. Are you ready?"

I looked at her curiously and gave a short nod. She leaned over the table, putting her hands on my shoulders.

"Why don't you talk to him? Get to know him. See if the attraction is real, and if he gives off any signals that he's attracted to you, too."

I snorted.

"Talk to him? I talk to Emmett, and look where that got me!"

"Jazz," Bella said, shaking her head gently, "How are you ever going to find out how he feels if you don't take a chance? You could be missing out on an opportunity for a real relationship. Hell, I need to take my own advice." Her expression turned rueful.

I sighed deeply. My brain knew she was probably right, but the nerves twisting in my belly said otherwise. Coming out to anyone in Forks other than Bella just didn't seem like an option.

"I— I'm just not ready yet, Bells. Maybe someday, but not right now."

She smiled.

"Okay, but I have to tell you something." She lowered her voice. "When I ran into you outside the caf, the new boy was watching you."

It was my turn to look sharply at her.

"What?"

She smirked.

"He was. He was looking right at you when you caught me. You should've seen his face. He was like a deer in the headlights."

My will crumbled and I gave in to the pull, swinging around to look at him. He and Emmett were now surrounded by half a dozen girls. As I watched, one of them, Samantha Wells, touched his arm and whispered in his ear. His chair was turned so that I couldn't see his face, or tell what his reaction to her was. My stomach tightened.

Emmett was grinning like a maniac, but that might have been because one of the girls standing around his table was Rosalie Hale. She had moved to Forks half-way through freshman year, and her model looks and Amazonian stature had garnered her a lot of male attention, all of which she had rebuffed unceremoniously. There was nothing Emmett enjoyed – aside from a beautiful woman – more than a challenge.

Rosalie was the only girl within a hundred-foot radius who wasn't focused on the new boy. She stood with her hand on her hip, rolling her eyes at whatever Emmett was saying. Every other female eye was trained on the gorgeous specimen to Emmett's right.

Close your mouths, ladies. You're drooling. Just like I'd be if I let myself.

The bell rang. I glanced down at my barely-eaten food, sighed, and got up to dump the tray.

"Think about what I said, Jasper." Bella gave my arm a squeeze.

"I will, Bells. I'm not sure I like my odds, though," I said, gesturing to the new boy's admirers.

She glanced dismissively at the preening flock of females.

"They're only competition if he's interested in them, Jazz" she said. "That's what you have to find out. Don't put the cart before the horse."

"Thanks, Confucious," I retorted, jabbing her in the ribs with my index finger. She let out a squeal and slapped my hand away.

"Confucious say, get your ass away from me before I beat it!"

I draped my arm over her shoulder and dropped an affectionate kiss on top of her head. She leaned into me as we made our way out of the caf.

A tingling heat began in the base of my neck and worked its way to the top of my head. Slowly, I swiveled my gaze over Bella's head until I met the endless jade depths of the new boy's eyes.

He stared at me for several long seconds before dropping his gaze. I couldn't have looked away if a tornado had blown through at that moment.

I barely registered a tug on my arm.

"Earth to Jasper. Come in, Jasper."

Wrenching myself out of my daze, I turned back to Bella.

"Wha…?" Coherency seemed to have left the building. Or at least my brain.

"I said, we have English and gym together for the last two periods." Her mouth quirked up and her eyes danced with wry understanding. "I'll see you then, okay? I've gotta get to Banner's biology class before all the good lab tables are taken."

"Oh," I said, my faculties returning sluggishly. "Okay. See you."

She shook her head at me and walked off toward her locker. I staggered off to mine. While gathering my books for the second half of the day, it hit me.

What if he has a class with me? What am I gonna do?

There was no way I could function with him around, that much had already been proven. If I actually had a class with him, I might spontaneously combust from the heat my body generated in his presence.

My anxiety spiked, and my breaths came in short pants as I slunk into Madame Gerard's French class. I kept my head down and grabbed a seat in the back corner from which I could watch the door. Students trickled into the room singly and in groups, but no glorious head of thick bronze hair appeared. The bell rang, and I let my relief out in a huff as my shoulders loosened.

My confidence rose a bit as the period passed. By the time Madame Gerard gave us our homework assignment, my anxiety had gone back down to a manageable level. I figured I only had three more classes to go until the end of the day. The odds of him showing up in any of them were slim.

Right?

My next class was U.S. History, which raised my spirits even more. History was my strongest subject. Other kids complained about having to memorize useless names and dates, but I loved gathering all the details and fitting them together to form a coherent picture. I got off on seeing how events in the past led directly to what was happening in the world today. It was admittedly my nerdiest trait.

It helped that Mr. Jefferson was an awesome teacher. He put all the dry facts into context for us, giving us fascinating glimpses into the political and cultural climate of each place and time-period we studied. Last year's Ancient World History course was amazing, but American History was my true love. I couldn't wait until we got to the War Between the States.

In this fanboy state of mind, I chose a seat in back and proceeded to leaf through my textbook. I completely failed to notice who entered the room a minute later until a shock jolted me out of my daydreaming. There, standing at Mr. Jefferson's desk, was the new boy. His glass-green gaze touched me before he turned his focus toward Mr. Jefferson.

At the bell, the class settled down and Mr. J. stood up.

"For those of you who have not had the privilege of meeting him, this is our newest student, Edward Cullen," he said, gesturing to the new boy. "Edward, here's a book. Find yourself a seat."

My mind whirled.

Edward. His name is Edward.

This morning, it hadn't even occurred to me to wonder. Now, all of a sudden, I couldn't imagine his name being anything else. It was a strong name, old-fashioned but cool. Kinda like mine. It suited him, I decided.

Edward dropped into an open seat in the front row, looking glad just to get out of the spotlight. Poor guy had probably had to endure introductions like that all day. At least Mr. J. hadn't made him introduce himself.

Although I fought the urge, time and time again I found my eyes drifting to the back of Edward's head, watching the fluorescent light glint gold in his hair. He took copious notes, his writing hand flying over the pages of his notebook. His other hand came up frequently to run through his disorderly mane or to rub the back of his graceful neck. These small gestures betrayed his nerves and tugged at my heart. I'd been the new kid once – I could imagine exactly how he was feeling.

He was adorable. More that that, though… he was so fucking beautiful, I could have cried. My seat was behind his at an angle, and I could see his profile whenever he turned slightly to follow Mr. J.'s pacing at the front of the room. His features weren't perfect – his bottom lip was fuller than his top one, and his nose had a little bump at the bridge – but these so-called flaws only served to render him even more gorgeous. He was real, not some plastic, airbrushed ideal.

Somehow, I managed to follow the lecture and take decent notes. It probably helped that I owned — and watched — a documentary about the early history of the New World colonies on DVD. When the bell rang, I watched Edward gather his things and make his way out of the classroom. He didn't glance back at me, and I was grateful. I needed a moment to calm down. I had English next, and I could cut across the courtyard and make it to class with plenty of time to spare. I slowly stood up and stretched, taking my time in getting my stuff together and strolling out the door. Ninety seconds later, having taken my shortcut, I met Bella in Ms. Mason's room.

She had beaten me there, coming from Trig class four doors down. Knowing my seating preference, she had snagged two seats toward the back corner of the room for us. She grinned at me as I walked in and made my way toward her.

"Hey, stranger," she said as I plopped down next to her. "How goes it so far?"

"Well," I began, but my voice cut off as the new boy… no, as Edward entered the room. He must have taken the long way around from History. He was talking with Mike Newton, of all people, as the two of them came in together. Edward's eyes bounced around the room before settling on me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella give him a little wave. He smiled back at her and nodded before sitting in the middle of the room with that ass, Mike, who generally chose a seat where he thought the girls could best ogle him.

I turned to Bella with what must have been a perplexed expression, because she blushed a bit and ducked her chin.

"He's in my Biology class right after lunch. We ended up sharing a lab table. He seems pretty nice, although we didn't get much of a chance to talk. Oh, by the way, his name is—"

"Edward Cullen, "I broke in, keeping my voice hushed. "Yeah, I know. He was in my History class last period."

She widened her eyes.

"Really? That's great, Jazz. You guys'll have something to talk about, now. You love history."

"Sure," I snorted, "that's the perfect way to impress him. Go all history-geek on his ass."

Bella chuckled.

"Well, go something on his ass, if you know what I mean."

My jaw dropped. Before I could retort, though, Ms. Mason came into the room and asked for our attention. I had to settle for kicking Bella's foot. I'd definitely be getting her back later for that comment.

Ms. Mason pointed at Edward and gestured for him to stand.

"Class, please welcome Edward Cullen. Edward, introduce yourself, if you don't mind."

His face turned red, but he rose and complied. I wonder how many teachers had made him go through this little ritual today.

"Uh, I'm Edward… like Ms. Mason said." His fingers pushed through his hair. "I'm from Chicago, I moved here over the summer because of my dad's job, and – uh – I guess that's it." He waited for permission to sit.

"Thank you, Edward," said Ms. Mason. "I know you didn't enjoy being put on the spot like that, but public speaking is part of the Junior English curriculum, so get used to it. That goes for all of you." Groans went around the room, and Bella in particular sank lower into her chair. Ms. Mason gave us all the gimlet eye before letting Edward sit back down.

It was tougher for me to keep my eyes on him this class because (a) Lee Stephens's big head was blocking my view, and (b) Bella kept poking my arm with her pencil whenever I got distracted. I didn't know whether to kiss her or poke her back.

The period flew by. It seemed like only minutes had passed when Ms. Mason looked up at the clock. She shut her copy of Beowulf just as the bell went off.

"Alright, continue reading ahead at home, and tomorrow we'll pick up our discussion where we left off. It's already Wednesday, people, and we have a short week next week because of Labor Day, so we're behind before we've even begun. With that in mind, start thinking about the theme of your first paper. It will be due two weeks from this Friday, so get cracking."

We all knew enough not to groan aloud this time, but the eye-rolling that commenced was epic.

Mike dragged Edward out of the room as soon as he stood up. Bella and I followed more slowly, making our way to the gym for last period.

I will never be more grateful for the end of a school day.

"Thank god we don't have to dress for gym today," Bella sighed.

"Do you know what torture Coach Clapp has planned for us?" I asked, gently mocking Bella's terror of Physical Education. The first-period gym class most likely had spread the news all over school by lunchtime, but I had been too out-of-it to pay any attention.

"The choices are either badminton or touch football this term, volleyball or basketball second term, aerobics or weight-training third, and baseball or archery last term." She wrinkled her nose. "Can you see me doing archery?"

I laughed. Although the image of Coach Clapp screaming at Bella with an arrow stuck in his ass was actually too much of a possibility to be truly funny.

Bella elbowed me.

"Hey," I returned, whispering, "you deserve a little payback for your comment about Edward's ass."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "You know you want it."

"Shhh!" I glanced around worriedly, but no one was paying us any attention as we entered the gym. We hopped up into the bleachers with the rest of the class, weaving in and out of the groups standing around, settling ourselves three rows from the top. As the bell sounded, everyone else sat down, as well, no longer obstructing my view.

Fuck my life.

Edward was in this class, too.

He was sitting with Mike and Tyler, a few rows down and over from me. Tyler was making obscene gestures behind the backs of Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley, who were sitting in front of them. Mike was laughing. Edward merely smiled.

Coach blew his whistle and explained the electives for this term. He began calling role and registering each student for the sport of his or her choice. Not surprisingly, the girls all went with badminton, while the boys chose football.

I started to think about being in gym with Edward. Playing football with Edward. Being in the locker room with Edward.

Oh, shit.

My dick had finally had enough, and it rebelled against this final onslaught, stiffening in my jeans. I gritted my teeth and tried to think of something – anything – to make it go down again. My usual anti-boner image of Lauren taking me in her mouth wasn't working, mainly because she was sitting right in front of Edward. If I looked at her, I could see him.

Not helping. At all.

My knee began bouncing as my palms started to sweat. Coach Clapp droned on in his nasal bellow about the rules of the gym and his expectations for the class. I couldn't concentrate on any of it. A distant part of my mind wondered how many of my teachers' words had actually registered with me today.

A hand pushed my knee down, holding it briefly still.

"Jasper, can I help?" Bella asked quietly, concern furrowing her brow.

I shook my head, unable to speak.

Coach had moved on to demonstrating first aid techniques. I kept my eyes focused on the basketball hoop at the far end of the gym. If I could keep from looking at him, maybe I could get myself back under control.

If English class felt merely minutes long, gym class lasted for days. My head was aching from gritting my teeth so hard, and my thigh was cramping from holding my knee still. When the last bell of the day rang and Coach dismissed us, I leaned over to Bella.

"Gotta go, Bells. Call you later?"

I barely allowed her time to nod in response before I took off, nearly sprinting out of the building.

I didn't get stopped for reckless driving on the way home, which was a damn miracle. I parked my crappy old Volvo in the driveway and jumped out, blew through the front door, and yelled a hasty greeting to my mama before flying upstairs to my room. I locked the door behind me and leaned against it.

I was panting and sweating again. It seemed to be my natural state today. All I could see were the images that had come to me during gym and chased me all the way home.

Edward, in low-slung gym shorts and a tight t-shirt that molds to his broad shoulders and chest. A tantalizing line of sweat trails down his neck and pools at his collarbone. The football is snapped, and it sails toward him in a perfect spiral. As he jumps in slow motion to catch it, his shirt lifts, revealing a smooth, defined abdomen begging for me to lick it.

I whimpered when I realized that my hand had crept up, unbidden, to palm my cock through my pants. The throbbing was too much, and I unbuttoned and unzipped my fly, relieving the pressure. The ache, though, continued unabated.

Edward in the locker room, peeling off his sweat-drenched shirt and dropping his shorts to the floor. His back is lean and strong, his buttocks smooth and round, just asking to be touched, squeezed, nibbled...

My boxers joined my jeans around my thighs as, moaning softly, I caressed the sensitive head of my dick. I didn't know where this imagery was coming from, these desires that I'd never felt before. I'd had a crush on Emmett for years, and I'd thought about kissing him, holding him. I'd never, ever, thought about licking or biting him. I'd never drooled over his sweat. What was it about Edward that had me fantasizing so vividly?

Edward in the shower, water raining down over his satiny skin and sculpted musculature. His hair wet and dark, he raises his face to the spray, rivulets of water running over his chest and down his sides.

I stroked faster, letting my pre-come lubricate my whole shaft as I brought myself closer to the edge. My hips took over, pushing hard into my fist over and over.

He turns and sees me, and his emerald eyes light up.

"C'mere, Jasper. Come join me," he says, beckoning, his voice like smoke.

I step closer, and he takes my shoulders in his warm hands, pulling me into his body under the shower spray. Our chests touch, and then our lips touch. I can't help it – I grind my cock into his hips, and he presses back, rubbing his length against mine, and it's too much, and I fall over the edge…

"Unh!" With a muffled cry, I spurted all over my hand, my hips still thrusting until the explosion subsided. As I came down, one thought reverberated through me.

There's no way I can face him in school tomorrow.

A/N continued: You all have the patience of a saint. I realize this update has been a while in coming. Can you call it "real" life when it's so surreal? Anyway, I wanted to make sure you got the best chapter I could write. So, rather than slap it together and throw it up on them thar interwebz, I figured I'd redo it half a dozen times or so, make myself completely crazy over it, and then go back and edit it two or five times juuuuust to make sure I was good and nuts. You all deserve it. Seriously. I can't thank you enough for reading, alerting, favoriting, and reviewing, even in the face of a delayed chapter. I sincerely hope that reading my little contribution to the ficdom brightens your day, just like you all brighten mine.