Usual disclaimer applies.
May, 2012
~79~
After one look at my face, bearing all too clearly the truth, Jasper's face darkens further. And he slams his fist into the side of my truck.
"Careful!" I shout. Even though my truck is old, I still care about what it looks like. And wasn't Jasper apparently just protecting my truck from harm anyway?
"Fuck." He mutters, leaning his forehead against the strip of metal beside my door. He looks to me, and I wonder what he can see in my face. I wonder if my pity, my sadness that he too has been dragged down because of Esme, shows as clearly as I think.
Jasper shakes his head at me, mutters another oath, and stalks off.
And the guilt I feel, despite knowing there is no reason for it, causes my appetite to disappear. It's Esme's fault, not mine. I just need to remember that. And I need to remember that it was my mother's actions that were the catalyst, not my own.
~SW~
I set my pen down, knowing I've done as much as I can do with this exam.
My last one.
For the past two weeks since Dad arrested Esme, I have been treated like a disease at school, like if anyone were to go near me, speak to me, God forbid touch me, unbearable harm would come to them. The only people I spoke with frequently were Angela and Ben.
And Sam. I guess finding out my Dad arrested the queen of the East-end put me in his good books again.
Whatever.
I appreciated the solitude, the fact that I could go to school and concentrate on my finals, not the bullshit my classmates are always spewing. I appreciated that apparently Jasper had stood up for me whenever anyone got any ideas, and after a few days of that, everyone backed off.
The stress of finals is more than enough anyway.
Because unless I get perfect marks on my tests, I cannot guarantee getting the scholarship. I cannot guarantee that I will even be attending college next year.
It's all I can think about, and I'm grateful. It allows me to ignore my confusing emotions regarding Esme. It allows me to ignore Edward, the entire Cullen family, and the rumours that have begun ever since that morning Dad arrested Esme.
Because in a town this small, it is practically impossible to not hear the rumours.
Fortunately, people tend to turn their voices to whispers whenever I walk by.
Like I said, whatever.
But yeah. The rumours. At first I thought the town would be throwing my family under the bus. But as it turns out. they don't care who they are talking about, saying malicious things about—even the Cullen's.
Esme refuses to leave her house at all. After being granted bail the day after her arrest, Esme had made a feeble attempt at her regular life. After spending her morning grocery shopping and her afternoon at the spa. I heard she could take it no longer.
Luckily for her, the Cullen's personal shopper can do all of the legwork for her.
But I can't help but feel a bit smug that the perfect, high-class Esme Cullen, has been reduced to this. Even though I know it's petty of me.
I'm only human after all.
I try to smother the—well frankly, elation—when I see Edward. I try to tame my thoughts and remember that Esme's great fallout isn't all rainbows to the people involved.
I can't imagine what home must be like for Edward right now.
The bell rings, jolting me from my thoughts. With this exam over with, my fate is now in the hands of my educators, and out of mine.
It's a relief.
And after I get through graduation in three days, I will finally be free of this place forever.
Free from my classmates, free from Forks.
A/N: Hey, everyone! Thanks for the reviews the last few chapters. I get the sense that many of you are not impressed with Edward, and I totally agree. He is definitely still acting like he has for the entire year. Even though things that somewhat cleared up between him and Bella, it would be unrealistic for his character to change too drastically. Make sense?
Thanks for still sticking with me, even with the slow updates! Teaching full time for the first time ever is definitely time-consuming!