Thanks for the reviews people. Keep 'em coming. Big thanks in particular to Twisted-Twilighter and katandjasper for your comments. Don't be hating on Jasper too much. He's not in a good place and he really is a good guy. Besides my story has some more wandering to do and Bella has many more smutty things to learn before we get to the end. Read on!
I own nothing but my own experiences.
The world seemed to return to normality after that weekend. Well, at least what we thought was normal at that time in our lives. We kept going to classes. We spent as many weekends as we could at the ranch. We spent as little time as possible with our parents. Charlie had visited the ranch and was pleased with the progress we were making. He even muttered about increasing the budget for repairs if we agreed to spend two weeks there during the summer break. It would be the last time we were all together before college. We dreaded it and couldn't wait at the same time.
Jasper and Alice had become twins joined at the hip. Wherever they went they held hands or touched in some small way, neither of them seeming complete without the other. Emmet and Rosalie continued to waltz through life as if it had been made just for the two of them. Jacob and Leah were open about being friends with benefits, forever extolling their knowledge of sex to those of us willing to listen. Edward remained an entity unto himself, complete and serene in his aloofness, not needing anyone of his own in order to seem whole and happy.
Tyler's obsession with sex was becoming tiring. He seemed to want it every minute of the day. I wanted it too, but not all the time and certainly not in some of the settings that seemed to arouse him. The sex was still okay, good but not great. I'd tried to educate him to what I liked as Rosalie had suggested, but he seemed to only know what he wanted, and was happy to give up on anything else once he was satisfied. He'd become like an octopus with eight arms that I felt like I was constantly fighting off or removing from inappropriate places.
Before we knew it, our school formal was upon us. A night of glitz and glamour where we could pretend to be adults before being flung out in to the adult world. Hours had been spent in preparation. Even by me. I am not what I would call a 'girly' girl. I'm more at home in jeans or sweats than in heels and frills, but I too had taken pains with my appearance this evening, wanting to please Tyler and perhaps turn a few heads. I had chosen a deep, midnight blue dress, elegant in its simplicity. It's layers fitted neatly over my breasts, with lightly gathered fabric accentuating my slim shoulders before falling in gentle waves to my knees. Matching ballet pumps for me, definitely no heels no matter the disadvantage of my diminutive height. I had allowed Alice and Rosalie to curl and pin up my hair, with small tendrils curling loosely around my face. I had even endured a light application of makeup. The things we do! I was however, very impressed with the final result.
Alice had become one of us since teaming up with Jasper. Underneath that quiet exterior was a solid steel nerve. Alice knew what she want and she knew how to get it. It had just taken her a while to work out that Jasper, and consequently all of us, were what she wanted. After submitting ourselves to the obligatory photo session and oohs and aahs of parents, we left them to reminisce and set out for the big night.
We arrived at the local function centre in a swirl of colours and laughter. Young adults we may have been, but there is always something uniquely childish about putting on a party dress. We were all daddy's little girl beneath the surface, all looking for approval from the men in our lives. Conversely, there is something significantly masculine about donning a suit. Our boys were gone, and the men they were becoming stood in their places. For the most part it was a magical evening. Glitter, sequins, stolen kisses and twinkling lights. A place where so many memories are made. A yard stick to which all other events are held in comparison, and sometimes found wanting.
It was a night full of bittersweet moments. Everything I'd hoped for and nothing that I wanted. More than once I caught Jasper gazing at me across the table. The first time that devil was back in his eye, but as the night progressed and he spent more time with Alice, it faded, leaving behind an almost wistful stare. At one point I heard his voice behind me, close enough to feel his breath on the back of my neck, "You're beautiful," he had whispered, but when I turned around, he was gone. Towards the end of the evening I was beginning to notice that I had only danced with Edward or Jacob, Tyler was nowhere to be seen and I couldn't remember him being around since we'd had our photograph taken together by the official photographer earlier in the evening. As the evening began to draw to a close and the dance floor became populated with slow dancing couples, I stood alone. My friends had all paired off (except Edward who was deep in conversation with the Captain of the football team while his girlfriend stood around trying to get his attention). Wasn't this night supposed to be amazing? Wasn't it the kick off to our adult lives, the start to our happily ever after? Was this all I was worth? And so I stood, the wallflower I truly felt myself to be, observing the relationships between my friends. Wondering when I too would find the soul mate that Emmett had found in Rosalie, or even the partner in crime that Jacob had found in Leah. As the tears threatened and my brave front began to dissolve, I saw Rose and Jake approaching me.
"What is it?" I could tell from their faces that something wasn't right. "It's Tyler," said Rosalie in disgust, "he's been drinking outside with Paul and Sam. He's been bad mouthing you all night." My jaw dropped open and my face paled. What's he been saying? Why would he say anything about me? "Rosalie thinks he might come in here and make a scene Bella," said Jake, "Let me take you home before things go bad." I was shocked, how had the evening disintegrated so quickly? And more than anything else - what had he been saying about me? "But what about Leah, it's her night too?" Why would Jake care about getting me home safely when he was here with a girl of his own. "You know it's not like that with us Bells, she gets it. She'll hitch a ride with Rachael and Rebecca and I'll see her later." He smiled at me reassuringly. I was hesitant, but I could live without the drama that a drunk Tyler with an axe to grind promised. "OK Jake, you could be right, we'd better go."
Jake took me by the hand and lead me toward the exit with a quick stop to let Emmet, Alice and Jasper know where we were going. We were about to realise our clean get away, when a crash and a surge of arms and legs in the entryway cut us off. Tyler and his drinking buddies had made an entrance. But they were more than drunk. They were completely out of their minds on some substance or other. "There she ish Tyl-ah," slurred Sam, "grab her and let's get outta he-ya." Tyler stalked crazily towards me, grabbing my arm and trying to pull me towards him. I tried to speak calmly to him, not betraying my fear, "I'm not going anywhere with you like this Tyler." He looked down at me with such disdain that I felt like some dirty piece of garbage stuck to the bottom of his shoe. For the first time he noticed Jacob standing there, his hand on my shoulder, ready to step in and protect me. We had drawn a small crowd, people gathering around to see what the noise was had stayed to watch the show. Amongst them were Edward, Emmet, Ben and Mike, circling around behind Jake and I to offer their support if necessary. "I see you've replaced me already," he remarked, nodding in Jake's direction. "Or does he get you off, fuck knows I can't seem to," he hissed between gritted teeth. My face was on fire. How could he say something like that in front of everybody? "Or maybe you'd just like it better with an audience." His drunken smile had turned into a malevolent grimace, and with a speed that belied his intoxication he reached out, shoving his hand into my dress and pawing roughly at my breast. Before my outraged scream could reach my lips, Tyler hit the floor, bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth. Edward, of all people, of all my male protectors, stood there nursing his fist, his face a mask of unspoken rage. "That's no way to treat a lady," he muttered and then stalked off in search of ice. Tyler and his buddies were quickly ejected by the chaperones and teaching staff on duty for the evening. I just stood there, silent and still, unable to move with tears trickling down my face. "It's okay Bells, it's over now. He's gone, I'll take you home." Jacob wrapped me softly in his arms, drawing my head to his shoulder until my tears were under control and my fears subdued. We drove home mostly in silence, my head swimming with the questions I could never answer. Why would he say that? I had tried to make it better between us, tried to show him what worked. But then, I had only known what worked because of that illicit encounter with Jasper in the barn. It was only because of him that I knew there was something more and that it was okay to want it. I deserved this I guess, I had kind of cheated on him after all. It took a while to realise that Jake's car had pulled up in the driveway outside my house. Charlie was working tonight and it would be a quiet and cold house I returned to. Jake pulled me close across the cab of the pickup. He held me for a minute placing a chaste kiss on my forehead. "Don't waste your life waiting for him Bella, he may never work it out. Be happy, even if happy is without him." So wise for one who is not in my shoes. "Don't worry Jake, I'm not wasting any more time. I'm done with Tyler. It is so over," I reply, shaking my head at my past mistakes. I lean over and give Jake a quick kiss on the cheek as I exit the car, waiting as he winds down the window. "Thanks for bailing me out," I say, suddenly exhausted by the whole evening. "No problem Bells, we're all here for you, I've told you that before." He grins at me and I remember our conversation that night after he caught me in the barn with Jasper.
"Besides," he mutters, almost too quietly to hear, "I wasn't talking about Tyler." And he drives off leaving me wondering how I made this big a mess of things in such a short time.