I don't own "Twilight", but I do own Johnna Pierre.
Thanks to my big sis, Caitlin, (Gotta Dance 88) for being my beta.
Chapter 4 – First Day
Alice and Johnna talked about everything and anything till morning. Around 7:00, Carlisle knocked on Johnna's door. "Entrez dans mon ami." Johnna called out, even though he could hear her if she had whispered. Johnna relaxed against her pillows once again. 'Oh I almost forgot. I got carried away talking with you." Alice exclaimed as she came out of a vision. "And zat's a bad zeeng?" Johnna questioned. "Nope, not at all." Alice replied.
"I hope you don't mind Johnna, but I took the liberty of signing you up as a junior at Forks High School. Alice and Edward are also posing as juniors, while Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper are posing as seniors." Carlisle said while walking over to the bed. "What did you say your relationship to me was?" Johnna's bright eyes lost a bit of their brightness as she said this. Carlisle and Alice both noticed this. Carlisle crossed over to her and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Do not fret ma petit chérie. I said that you are my recently orphaned French niece." Johnna relaxed and the brightness returned to her eyes. "Eet es better zan ze ozer zeengs I've 'ad to pretend to be." Johnna hugged Carlisle. "Zank you for putting me en ze same grade as Alice. You did tell zem zat I'm smarter zan most my age?" Carlisle nodded. "I did. I'll let Alice tell you our cover story and then you can create your own, as I know you'll enjoy doing it." Carlisle kissed Johnna's forehead again and left.
Johnna turned to Alice. "So what is your cover story?" Alice smiled. "Jasper and Rosalie are the Hale twins and are Esme's niece and nephew that she's fostering. Emmett, Edward, and I are the Cullens and were adopted separately."
Johnna smiled and walked into her newly filled closet, while Alice headed to her own. A second later Alice called out, "We're going to have to take Emmett's Jeep to school." "Sweet!" Emmett boomed from his and Rosalie's room. Johnna shook her head while giggling softly. Looking into her closet, Johnna thought about what to wear. She knew that first impressions were important, but she didn't care about what mere human children thought about her. Unfortunately, most of her clothes were more suited for France or someplace warm. Finally she decided on a light purple spaghetti strap dress with an elastic cinched white shrug over it. She slipped her tiny feet into a pair of metallic golden ballet flats and a gold and silver beaded bracelet on her wrist. She then picked up a purple Louis Vuitton tote and her Coach purse before leaving her room. She met up with Alice and Jasper at their bedroom door. Alice was wearing designer jeans and a magenta silk sweater. On her feet were high heeled magenta ankle boots and had pink and purple candy corn colored oval earrings on her ears. Alice looked Johnna over and smiled. Jasper snickered. They walked together out to Emmett's huge red Jeep Wrangler. Emmett was in the driver's seat with Rosalie seated next to him. She was wearing light pink tie front knit cardigan and black skinny jeans. She had a seat of Indian silver bangles and black high heels. Johnna sat closest to one of the back doors with Alice next to her. Jasper sat right behind Alice when he entered the jeep. Edward was the last to get in and he sat next to Jasper.
The ride to Forks High was quick. It had been decided that Jasper, as Johnna's practically 'biological cousin', would go with her to get her schedule, or at least that is how the humans would perceive it. In reality, Jasper was the only one of the Cullen/Hale 'kids' that she was comfortable with besides Alice.
The school looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-colored bricks and each building was marked with a white square with a number on it.
"Not really impressive is it" Jasper asked Johnna as he held the office door open for her. "Nope, not at'all." She replied with dip of her head as she thanked him for holding the door. The little waiting area of the office was filled with padded folding chairs, commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots, as if there wasn't enough greenery outside. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. Jasper walked up the desk.
"Good Morning Mrs. Cope." A middle aged woman with curly red hair sat behind the desk and looked up at Jasper. "Ah Mr. Hale, what can I do for you?" Johnna practically gagged as she caught the meaning behind the woman's words. "I'm here to help my cousin, Johnna, get her schedule and show her to her first class." Jasper said coolly. Mrs. Cope looked from Jasper to Johnna. "Oh yes, Dr. Cullen's niece. How are you dear? We were very impressed with your previous grades."
Johnna nodded "I am doing very well, Madame Cope. Zank you for your concern."
Mrs. Cope smiled. "That's good. I'm sure that your cousin would be glad to help you get settled in." She then handed Johnna her schedule and a slip of paper. She told Johnna to have her teachers sign it and bring it back to the office after school.
Johnna and Jasper left the office and walked outside. Jasper took the schedule and looked at it. "You have trig with Edward first. Then you have gym and English next by yourself. Everyone has lunch in the cafeteria. Then you and Alice have history. You also have French by yourself. Finally you have a study period, because they are thinking that you, being only fourteen, will need it." Jasper said this last part with a smirk. They walked into the building which housed the trig classroom. Johnna turned around as they reached the door to trig. "Not zat I mind at all, but why aren't any of you taking French?"
Jasper smiled at her. "Carlisle told us after you had released Esme, that you normally only speak whole conversations in French when your extremely excited or when you only want Carlisle to know what you're saying. We decided amongst ourselves, Rose, Em, Edward, Alice and I that is, that we would allow you to keep that to yourself." Johnna smiled brightly. "Zank you very much Jasper." Jasper then left for his class and Johnna nervously entered hers. She had successfully avoided having to go to high school, so this was certainly going to be an experience.
She glided up to the teacher's desk and handed him her slip. "You must be Miss Pierre." The male teacher said. Johnna nodded and he gave her back her slip. "I'm Mr. Varner. You may go sit next to Mr. Cullen. He'll catch you up to where we are. I expect you to keep up with the rest of the class. Is that understood?"
"Oui, yes Monsieur Varner. I understand perfectly." Johnna replied and glided to her seat and sat in it. "You don't really need my help do you? " Edward asked in a velvety voice. Johnna giggled softly. "I was around when zees subject was created. Zank you zough, Edward." Edward and Johnna continued to talk through the class, Johnna didn't always answer, but Edward didn't mind. Johnna found out that Edward had a dry humor. She often let out a soft giggle that only those with heighted hearing would hear.
During gym, Johnna sat on the benches as it was her first day. A girl named Angela Webber sat next to her. She had long black hair that was put up in a ponytail, brown eyes and white glasses. She had been really sick the last couple of days and gotten a doctors' note allowing her not to participate in Gym. They watched four volleyball games running simultaneously. Angela was shy, quiet girl who like to read, as Johnna found out. In that short hour, Angela and Johnna found out a lot about each other and became friends.
They walked to the English classroom and parted ways. Johnna looked on her schedule and saw that Mr. Mason taught English. She walked up to his desk and handed him her slip. He signed it and gave it back to her. He also assigned her a book and a seat. The seat next to Johnna was empty, but she was fine with that. They were reading "Pride and Prejudice."
Alice and Jasper met up with Johnna after class and the three of then went to the cafeteria. After they had sat down Jasper asked Johnna about her day and if high school was to her liking. Johnna smirked. "No eet es not to my liking. Ze boys' are 'orrid. All zey talk about es wooing me when zey zink I can't 'ear zem and constantly and unashamedly stare at me. Zen zere are ze girls, most of glare daggers at me, or whisper false rumors." By the time Johnna had ended her rant, her sweet innocent face had hardened. "I can see why you've never gone to school before." Edward said as he tore apart his lunch. "You tell one of us if anyone touches and makes you uncomfortable or if they just make you uncomfortable in general." Emmett said and Jasper and Edward nodded their approval. "They mostly leave us alone and we prefer it that way." Alice piped in.
They reached the history classroom a bit early as was Alice's habit. Johnna got her slip signed and was assigned a book and the seat next to Alice. She sighed as she took her seat in the desk next to Alice. "What?" Alice asked. Johnna shrugged her shoulders and replied. "I'm going to 'ave to do somezing about ze cafeteria food. Normal 'uman food is quite pleasant, but not zees."
Alice's face went blank and she came out of a vision just as the bell rang and the rest of the students entered the room. "You've found a vampire proof water bottle that is odor-proof well?" Alice asked so fast that only Johnna could understand her. Johnna nodded. "Oui, yes I 'ave indeed Alice. I shall 'ave my friend Damia sends eet to me."
"The brown-haired girl in the photo on your bedside table?" Johnna nodded once again. Mr. Berty looked at them and they pretended to take notes on his lecture. They continued in this way, talking at speeds and volumes that only vampires could hear and understand while pretending to take notes and answering any and all questions Mr. Berty threw their way, until the bell rang and they left for their next class.
Johnna had just reached her French class, when a human boy with bright blue eyes and spiked light blonde hair jumped out in front of her. If Johnna had been human, she would have been scared stiff. Oblivious to Johnna's frightened reaction, the boy held out his hand. "I'm Mike Newton and your Johnna Pierre, Dr. Cullen's orphaned French niece." He said as if Johnna didn't know who she was. Johnna looked around in panic. She sighed in relief and silently thanked Alice, when she saw Jasper coming up behind her. Johnna called out Jasper's name loudly and he came right up alongside her.
"Is something wrong Johnna? Is this boy bothering you?" Jasper asked concernedly. All the students around them stopped to see what would happen. It was well known that the Cullen and Hales didn't talk to anyone. Johnna nodded and buried her head in his chest. He rubbed her back soothingly and murmured that he would take care of it for her. Alice had told him, that Mike had jumped out in front of Johnna and consequently made her scared stiff. Meanwhile, Mike nervously stood in front of the two of them terrified of what Jasper Hale was going to do to him. Jasper looked up from Johnna, his face full of fury. "Is this your idea of a proper greeting, to a young girl who just arrived from France a couple of days ago? " Mike began to stutter out an answer, but Jasper cut him off. It was rude, but he didn't care. "My French cousin isn't used to America, seeing as she's never been here before. You might not have noticed Mike, but for all her brilliance, Johnna is a fourteen year old girl!"
The French teacher, Madame Moreau came out of her classroom. "What is going on out here, Monsieur Hale?" Jasper bowed his head slightly. "Mike Newton here thought it would be amusing to frighten my cousin, Johnna, by jumping out in front of her." Mike said that he had thought it would have been amusing, but Madame Moreau stopped him and asked Jasper to continue. "Thank you Madame. As I was saying, Mike seems to have forgotten that my cousin is only fourteen years old and has only been in Forks and America in general for a couple of days." The whole time this was going on, Jasper had not stopped rubbing Johnna's back to try and calm her down. Madame Moreau looked from Johnna, whose face was still buried in Jasper's chest, to Jasper, who had begun to whisper comfortingly to Johnna and then finally to Mike, who was as nervous as one could be. "I am very disappointed with you Mr. Newton. Really, scaring a young girl on her first day of high school in a new school, not mention in a new country. I will give you a dention, if I ever hear from anyone that you are harassing Mademoiselle Pierre in any way or making her feel uncomfortable. Is that understood, Monsieur Newton?"
Mike bowed his head and nodded. Madame Moreau then turned to the crowd of students that had gathered. "Move along, off to your classes with you all." Then following her own advice, she walked back into her classroom. Johnna looked up at Jasper; her bright blue eyes were brimming with admiration and respect. She then caught him off guard by hugging him. "Merci beaucoup! Zank you, so much Jasper." Jasper smiled at her. "You're very welcome Johnna." He waited till her delicate looking hand was on the doorknob of her class, before heading to his own. Although Johnna was much older than him by at least a century, he saw her as a little sister, who was emotionally scarred.
Johnna now had a reason to trust Jasper other than because Carlisle did. Even though Jasper didn't know Johnna well, he still had confronted a student and a teacher about someone making her uncomfortable. It was this fact alone that had earned Jasper a place in Johnna's book.
"Êtes-vous mieux maintenant Mademoiselle Pierre?" (Are you feeling better, Mademoiselle Pierre?) Madame Moreau asked as Johnna handed her the slip. "Oui, beaucoup mieux. Merci beaucoup Madame Moreau." (Yes, much better. Thank you very much Madame Moreau.) Johnna replied in her perfect French. Madame Moreau smiled and assigned her a seat near the door, before starting class. Johnna didn't have to do much in class, since she had lived in France, Once in awhile, Madame Moreau would ask Johnna to answer a question, or to help the class learn how to pronounce a particularly hard word.
Jasper waited for Johnna outside the French classroom. He hoped that she wouldn't mind him walking with her to the library. When the bell rang, Johnna danced out of the door. She greeted Jasper with one of her rare eye twinkling smiles and once again shocked him, by slipping her tiny arm around one of his. As they walked at human speed, Jasper figured that this was another sign that he was on his way to earning Johnna's trust, because when Johnna first arrived in Forks, the only male she would allow to touch her was Carlisle.
"Would you mind if I joined you in the library?" Jasper asked as they reached the library. Johnna smiled. "Oui, Jasper, ce serait beau." Jasper looked confused. Johnna let out a little giggle, before answering "Yes Jasper, zat would be lovely."
They found a quiet empty table and sat down. Johnna set her tote down in the seat next to her, while Jasper sat down in the chair opposite Johnna. She took out her Trig homework, while Jasper picked out a book on the American Civil War. A few minutes later, Jasper heard Johnna making the same noise she had made yesterday when asking Carlisle a question. "Yes, you want to ask a question?" He was instantly rewarded with an excited noise and Johnna's whole face lighting up with happiness. "You recognized my sound and understood ets meaning!" Johnna softly exclaimed. Jasper simply nodded, closed his eyes and basked in the happiness Johnna was sending his way.
'Why?" Johnna asked suddenly and Jasper looked up at her. "Why did you 'elp me? Saving me from 'aving to talk to Mike. I know zat Alice probably saw et and told you. I also know zat I called out to you, you didn't 'ave to 'eed eizer request and yet you did. Why?" Jasper thought about how to answer her question.
"I promised along with Emmett and Edward to take care of people who made you uncomfortable. I heeded Alice's request because I love her and because she really likes you. Carlisle cares about you a great deal and I owe him for accepting me completely and for never giving up on me. I also did it because I want you to be able to trust me and be comfortable around me." Johnna's face lit up once again with happiness and Jasper was reward with another of her eye twinkling smiles.
"Merci beaucoup Jasper. I appreciate eet very much. Zank you also for not only doing eet just because I'm a good friend of Carlisle's."
Shortly after, the bell rang signaling the end of school. Johnna packed up her homework, while Jasper returned his book. He then walked with Johnna to retrieve her purse from her locker. They exited building with the junior lockers and could see the rest of the Cullen 'kids' waiting for them beside Emmett's Jeep. Alice kissed Jasper after they had reached the Jeep. He could feel that she was proud of him for earning Johnna's trust.
Alice and Johnna were bouncing around happily when they arrived home. Emmett teased Jasper as they entered the house, for being soft, because he had the biggest grin on his face. Jasper replied saying that he was simply basking in the happiness that was radiating off Johnna and Alice. "Yes, and that happiness is in turn radiating off on the rest of us. It's a very nice feeling.' Edward said with a smirk as he leaned against the banister. Esme rushed out of the kitchen towards Jasper. "I hear that Johnna had a very good first ever day of high school and also that you made a very big impression on Johnna." They then heard Johnna chirping happily up in her bedroom; it was as if she was agreeing with Esme.
" 'e recognized one of my many noises, Alice! No one but Carlisle 'as ever recognized a noise or sound and understands what eet means!"
"He's a quick learner, my Jazz is." Alice beamed. "You're worried." Everyone noticed then when the mood upstairs changed dramatically. Edward chuckled as he ascended the stairs up to his room. He had seen, through Alice's mind, that Johnna was pouting.
"Zank you very much for bursting my bubble Alice," Johnna sighed heavily. "You are right zough. I 'm worried. I've spent years behind ze mask I've created to protect my 'eart." Alice sat on the bed next to Johnna and gave her a huge hug.
"I know that I might not ever be able to completely understand what you've gone through, but I can sure enough try to. If there is one thing I know more than anything else, it is that you can trust Jasper. I trusted him with my heart since the day I first met him and he has never let me down. You at least have the satisfaction of knowing that he'll have to answer to Carlisle, if he does indeed hurt you. Physically or emotionally."
Johnna giggled softly. "Ah yes, mon cher ami. I 'ope for your sake as well as Jasper's, zat 'e never 'as to answer to Carlisle because of me." Alice then left to go hunting with Jasper. Johnna simply turned on some ballet music and began to dance.
When they came back hours later, they heard a conversation taking place in French. They entered the living room to find Johnna dancing around the room, talking excitedly with Carlisle who was sitting on one of the love seat with his arm wrapped around Esme's waist and an amused and yet wary smile on his face. "Pouvez-vous y croire, Carlisle? Il a reconnu l'un de mes sons. Bien que le cadre de ce pourrait être parce qu'il est un empathe." (Can you even believe it, Carlisle? He recognized one of my sounds. Although part of this could be because he is an empath.)
Carlisle simply shook his head and replied. "C'est un événement très rare. Si n'importe qui pourrait le faire, ce serait du Jasper. Je suis très heureux pour vous." (It is a very rare event. If anyone could do it, it would be Jasper. I am very happy for you.)
Carlisle turned to see Alice and Jasper in the living room. "Jasper, could I possibly have a word with you in my office?" When Jasper nodded, Carlisle got up from the love seat and walked ahead of Jasper to his study. "Ne pas être trop dur sur lui." (Don't be too hard on him.) Johnna called up to him. Once up in his office, Carlisle walked to stand behind his desk and turned around to face Jasper.
"Thank you for humoring me, Jasper. Johnna told me everything that happened today. I wanted to talk in here, so that it remains private. You've taken a huge step in earing Johnna's trust. It takes a while for Johnna to completely trust someone. It starts with little things and then gets bigger, all showing her that you care. It took Johnna a while to trust me as a human, seeing as we were from two different countries who hated each other and had been at war with each other many times." Jasper nodded and waited for Carlisle to continue. Carlisle's smile turned grave and serious when he continued. "As you know, I was there with Johnna for her last months as a human and later witnessed all the events that led Johnna to create her mask and hide her true self from the world. For the longest time, I was the only one who knew Johnna's true personality. Now that she has opened her heart to you, I have a feeling that she will start to lift her mask for everyone else in this family and will return to her normal self, while retaining the important parts of who she is now."
Carlisle walked back around his desk and placed a hand on Jasper's shoulder. "I am and will be eternally grateful to you for what you have done in showing Johnna that not all men, whether they are vampire or human, are the same. Please do all in your power not to lose Johnna's trust in you. For if you do cause Johnna to lose faith in you, you will not only have me to answer to me, but will also have many French, American, and Italian vampires after you."
Noticing that Carlisle was done, Jasper headed for the door, but just as he opened the door, Carlisle spoke again. "I do have a piece of advice for you."
Jasper turned and saw Carlisle smirking slightly. He raised an eyebrow in question.
Carlisle chuckled slightly. 'Johnna is very much like Alice. She looks like a delicate and fragile vampire, but behind her innocent appearance, Johnna is extremely mischievous and deadly."
"Thank you for the advice, Carlisle." Jasper said and walked to his and Alice's room. "Don't tell zem all my secrets, s'il vous plait, Carlisle." Johnna called from her bedroom. "I would never do that to you, ma petit chérie." Carlisle told her.
"How do you 'andle zees day after day, Edward?" Johnna asked later that night. "Turn up my stereo and try not to listen to their minds," was Edward's reply. Johnna then put her shield around everyone except Edward. She didn't need him to tell her thank you, she already knew.