VIII. Hit Crew For Hire

With Wednesday came the return of overcast skies and the Cullens' attendance at school. And other than dodging Jessica's questions as to why I wasn't riding with her and the girls to Port Angeles, the school day went without a hitch.

Perhaps, the fact that Edward hadn't bothered me during biology should've been a tipoff, considering there were no secrets amongst the Cullens and surely he knew of my plans with Jasper after school. But I was just relieved to get through the day and happy enough to go clothes shopping for the first time in months.

So, after seventh period, I returned home long enough to change into a fresh set of clothes, brush the tangles out of my hair, and shove Bella's wallet into my back pocket, before Jasper pulled up to the house in Edward's Volvo.

I locked up and hurried across the driveway, but when I pulled open the passenger door, I caught a glimpse of Edward and Rosalie sitting in the backseat.

I turned to Jasper with a narrow-eyed look.

"They have the most experience dealing with this sort of thing," he excused, offering me an apologetic smile.

I merely pinched my lips into an irritated expression, saying nothing as I slid into the passenger seat and shut the door―because how the hell was I supposed to respond to that?

Once my seatbelt clicked into place, Jasper took off, maneuvering out of the small stretch of neighborhood and back onto the highway. He didn't drive as fast as I expected of him and I could only guess he was trying to arrive within the same time frame as the girls. Unfortunately, that meant I was in for a longer drive, stuck between two Hales and a Cullen.

And I might have eventually been able to relax on my own, except Jasper decided to use his creepy empath powers to soothe my displeasure, which truly didn't take much effort on his part.

I huffed a sharp sigh as I sunk into an involuntary calm. "What's with the entourage?" I asked evenly, gazing out into the dense green walls of forest flying by.

From behind the driver's seat, I heard Edward say with an undertone of sarcasm, "You expect Jasper to hunt down a criminal all on his own?"

"He certainly appears capable," I answered dryly. But I didn't make any further complaints. If I believed them to be human like anyone else, I wouldn't have even asked Jasper for this favor, let alone expected him to apprehend a serial rapist all on his own. So, in that context, Edward's sentiment was more than fair. "Besides, I hired him as a bodyguard, not a hitman."

"We understand," Rosalie cut in, voice soft with appropriate sympathy. "But we did our research and as we see it, no girl in Port Angeles is safe with Orlando Wallace walking free."

I peeked over my shoulder and briefly eyed Edward and Rosalie. They wore identical expressions, features carved from stone, eyes glimmering with unequivocal malice. A numbing fear trickled down my spine, my hindbrain registering the very real threat they posed.

I forced myself to turn back around, attempting to settle more comfortably in my seat.

"So, you two plan on apprehending him." Really, I should have seen this coming. Rosalie was infamous for having murdered her rapists. And Edward had an even longer and bloodier track record than she did.

"You don't disapprove," Edward remarked.

"Should I?" I scoffed and continued before he could respond, "Kill him, for all I care."

Jasper eyed me from his peripheral vision. "You're serious."

"Even if he's incarcerated, it'll only be a handful of years before they release him again," I pointed out with a careless shrug, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm not asking you guys to murder him. But if you did, you wouldn't be hearing any complaints from me."

A strange, disbelieving silence followed my words. And a glance at the speedometer revealed that Jasper was barely going above the speed limit. I really was in for a long drive.

I dropped my hands to my lap and began to idly pick at the skin around my nails.

"Here."

I looked over my shoulder to find Edward offering me a small stack of origami paper.

"Thanks," I said meekly, readily accepting the colorfully patterned paper and ignoring the curious look he expressed in light of my reaction.

I turned back around, setting the stack on my lap and swiping the first sheet, mentally berating myself as I began folding from rote memory. Not that I typically caused myself to bleed when I picked at my skin, but it would've been monumentally stupid of me to risk that with Edward in the car. Fortunately, folding was a better way to keep my hands occupied, and the rice paper was flimsy enough that the possibility of a paper cut was unlikely.

When I finished my first paper crane, I leaned forward to set it neatly atop the dashboard and sat back to begin folding the next one.

"What do you have planned for tonight?" Jasper inquired needlessly. But it's not as though I was supposed to know about Alice's fortune telling abilities.

"We're shopping at Maurices'. Lauren, Jessica, and Angela will all be there." Changing the date had meant that Lauren was available to go shopping with us. "And then dinner somewhere nearby. Probably that little Italian place by the boardwalk."

"That's all?"

"It's a school night," I reminded him. "And as it stands, none of the girls know I'm riding with you guys. So, what's the story?"

Jasper smiled indulgently. "What do you want the story to be?"

I huffed a breath. Leaving all the work to me, huh?

It was when I moved to set the second paper crane next to the first one, that I said, "How about this: I wanted to clear the air with Rosalie and know what Emmett's deal was. And Edward is only here because he doesn't know how to mind his own business."

Jasper's mouth stretched into a wry grin, while behind him, Edward said in a displeased tone, "I think the second part is unnecessary."

I scoffed. "Of course it's necessary. You think those girls aren't going to interrogate me?"

"She has a point," Rosalie agreed tauntingly.

"Unless you have a better idea?" I asked.

"There's a records store not far from where you'll be shopping," Edward offered.

"That'll be a good cover story for when you two go rapist hunting," I decided as I began folding a third paper crane. "And seeing as they'll be extricating every little detail from me―Rosalie, what exactly is Emmett's problem?"

From behind me, I heard Rosalie heave a deep, exasperated sigh. "Emmett tends to have the worst sense of humor at times."

"So, he was playing a joke on me?"

"No, Emmett isn't cruel," she assured me. "He truly believed you two would have fun making a mockery of Forks High's social scene."

"That's unexpectedly sweet of him," I said, bemused. "But it might've helped if we'd had a single conversation prior to that."

Edward chuckled. "Emmett's impulse control is not what we would call 'favorable.'"

"Evidently," I said. "Next question: Would Rosalie have murdered me in my sleep if I'd said yes to him?"

"Murder ain't the answer to everything, Mar," Jasper reminded me, sounding somewhat disturbed.

I ignored him and looked over my shoulder, awaiting Rosalie's answer.

Sounding as though she were on the verge of laughing at me, she said, "No, I wouldn't have murdered you. Emmett would not have asked you to the dance if he believed I would have a problem with it. If anything, I'm offended on his behalf that you rejected him."

I stared blankly at her. "You would've preferred I'd said yes?"

"No," she answered, careless in her contradiction, "but I can't imagine how anyone could ever reject Emmett."

Edward loudly rolled his eyes.

"…Right," I said and promptly turned back around to continue working on my third paper crane, grateful I hadn't even considered getting involved in that mess. Once I finished and lined it up beside the other two on the dashboard, I leaned back and said, "Okay, last question: What's the story for Jasper hanging around the department store while you two are off hunting?"

"You mean, you hadn't thought of that already?" Edward asked, sounding a tad critical.

"The girls' questions weren't exactly my prevailing concern," I reminded him acidically.

Admittedly, Edward and Rosalie deciding to tag along was better for our cover story, otherwise I'd have had the entirety of Forks High thinking I was having some secret affair with Jasper. It was something I hadn't given much thought to since I knew far too well just how devoted Jasper and Alice were to one another, but from an outsider's perspective, it would be anything but.

"I can keep out of sight," Jasper offered.

"No, don't be ridiculous," I said. "People will talk regardless. We'll come up with whatever's most convenient."

"Do you consider yourself a good liar?" Edward asked.

I shrugged, keeping my eyes trained on the fourth piece of origami paper being folded between my fingers. "I wouldn't say so, but my general lack of facial expression always convinces people I'm telling the truth. So maybe not good, but good enough."

"That's all you'll need," Jasper assured me.

"And we'll take care of the rest," Rosalie tacked on.

"Thank you," I said, and without pausing in my folding, I asked, "hey Edward, you got any decent music in here?"

"Define 'decent,'" he answered testily.

"You're more than welcome to mess with the radio," Jasper said.

"Cool." I finished up my last paper crane and set it atop the dash, before popping open the center console to tuck away the remaining origami paper. Once my hands were freed, I leaned over and openly played around with the different radio stations.

When I chanced upon a country music station, I let it play long enough to watch Edward squirm.

The current song had been on for about thirty seconds when he snapped, "Is this what you consider decent?"

I grinned at him over my shoulder. "No. I hate country music."

The song continued to play, but what was true music to my ears, was the inaudible sound of Edward grinding his teeth.

Rosalie shot him a miffed look. "It's music, Edward, not a torture device."

"It might as well be!" he burst.

"Maybe you should switch to something else," Jasper suggested diplomatically, eyes flickering towards the rear view mirror with concern.

"Alright, alright. Keep your shirt on." I turned back around and elected to switch off the radio entirely. "Now I'm sure you won't mind showing me where you keep your music."

Behind me, I heard Edward heave an exasperated sigh. "Try the glove compartment."

"Knew you'd see it my way." I hit open the glove compartment, lugged the nylon CD case out, and began to casually flip through it. The music that I recognized (everything consisting of metal to rock to grunge to indie) was old and nostalgic, and could very well have had the ability to transport me back to a different time and place. It had been many years since I'd listened to any of these songs.

"Is none of it to your tastes?" Edward's feigned disinterest could not entirely masquerade the hint of insecurity in his voice.

But I knew all too well the vulnerability of sharing music that you enjoyed with others, so I didn't tease him this time. Instead, I answered honestly, "I'm not much of a classical fan, but the rest of your music is cool. I can't decide which album I want to listen to."

"Try Seventeen Days," he recommended. "That one was released just last month."

"Got'cha." I flipped back a few CDs until I found it again and carefully slipped it out of its sleeve, before popping the disk into the CD player.

Against my better instincts, I lowered the volume to something socially acceptable and spent the remainder of the car ride gazing out the passenger window and listening to the rock album, humming and mumbling half-remembered lyrics under my breath.

As I expected, no one bothered asking me for directions. Jasper appeared to know exactly where to go once we reached Port Angeles, and before long, he was turning into the parking lot of the local department store. We pulled in just as Jessica was parking her white Mercury near the front.

I shut off the music with a click. "Show time."

Though none responded to my words, I felt a distinct change in the air as we mentally prepared ourselves for what lay ahead.

Jasper parked one spot over from Jessica just as the girls were exiting the car, shooting bewildered looks in our direction. Without preamble, I pushed open the front passenger door and stepped out, causing Jessica to call out an astonished, "Mar?!"

I waved in their direction and shut the door. "Hey guys." Edging around the hood of the Volvo, I approached them, though by this point, their eyes were only for the single Cullen and Hale twins also rounding the car.

"Ladies," Edward greeted them with an attractive crooked smile that left them instantly stunned. And without allowing them the chance to formulate a response, he said to Jasper, "We'll be off."

Rosalie didn't even bother trying to exchange any pleasantries, simply turning on the heel of her boot and falling into step beside Edward as they headed off with long, graceful strides, seemingly towards the line of shops nearer to the boardwalk.

"Where are they off to in such a hurry?" I asked Jasper in a bland, conversational tone.

Catching on to my scheme, Jasper huffed out, "You know how Edward gets about his music."

"I guess." That would hopefully be enough to stall any questions about what those two were currently up to.

Fortunately, Jasper had taken my words to heart, and instead of trying to vanish from sight like he had offered, he took the spot to my left and asked the girls, "Would it be alright if I joined you?"

"Err…sure," Jessica breathed out.

"Whoa, what the hell is going on?" Lauren demanded, eyes darting between Edward and Rosalie's retreating backs and Jasper's towering figure at my side.

I shrugged. "It's a long story."

Of course, that did absolutely nothing to fend them off.

"We've got time!" Jessica assured me.

Angela was kind enough to say, "Hi, Jasper. How are you?"

"I'm well, Angela, thank you," Jasper answered politely, relying a little too heavily on his charming southern drawl.

Angela turned pink.

I clapped my hands once, gaining their collective attention. "Let's get to it, then?"

"You'll definitely need all the help you can get," Lauren sneered, eyeing my clothes with disdain.

I glanced down at my outfit―a formfitting black top tucked into a belted pair of wide-legged jeans. But, it wasn't as though I could expect Lauren, in all her rhinestone-encrusted denim, camisole layered tops, and squishy ugg boots-wearing glory, to appreciate the 90s grunge aesthetic I currently had going for me.

"Lauren," I said flatly, "truly, from the bottom of my heart, I could not disagree more with you."

She scoffed, plainly unconvinced and undoubtedly offended.

"Mar's right! Come on guys," Jessica giggled nervously, obviously not one to handle conflict with Lauren well. But once she took the initiative, it got everyone moving and we turned as one to head through the entrance doors.

Inside, the girls were waylaid by an eager store attendant. I neatly side-stepped them and made a beeline for the dress racks in the junior section. Like a shadow, Jasper followed behind me.

"Are you searching for something specific?" Jasper asked as I flicked quickly through every dress hung in the small-sized section.

I paused long enough to shoot him a look over my shoulder. "No, I'm just looking for something I like."

"You've barely given each a glance," he pointed out with an amused smile.

I shrugged and continued to flick through the dresses. "I know what I like―found it." I removed the hanger from the rack to fully display a simple, tulle ivory dress pleated with glitter that was clipped to it.

"That quick, huh?" Jasper mumbled. "You remind me of Alice."

I ignored his mutterings and instead turned towards the girls as they approached our direction.

"You could've waited for us," Jessica huffed as she and Lauren began picking through the dresses on the other side of the long rack.

Quietly, Angela began to sift through the dresses I had already steamrolled past.

"I could've," I agreed mildly. But that would've meant having to socialize with a stranger who had something to sell me, and that was never appealing in the slightest.

"You've already found something?" Lauren asked.

"Uh huh," I said as I idly continued to flick through the rest of the dresses even though I'd already found the one I wanted, wanting to make sure there wasn't another that might be a contender.

"Want me to hold onto that for you, Mar?" Jasper offered, indicating the dress slung over my arm.

"Sure. Thanks, Jasper," I said, turning to hand the hanger off to him.

"It's no fuss," he assured me, neatly draping the dress over his forearm.

"Why? Alice have you well trained?"

He snorted a laugh, but didn't bother dignifying that with a response.

"Speaking of," Jessica cut in with an eager smile, "are you and Alice planning to attend the dance this weekend?"

"Ah, no, I don't believe any of us will be attending," Jasper confessed.

"Then why did Emmett ask Mar out to the dance?" Lauren was quick to demand, shooting Jasper a short, scrutinizing look, before turning back to eye a dark magenta dress she had removed from the rack.

"That certainly had nothing to do with me," Jasper said evenly, "but I reckon Mar would love to tell you all about it later."

That was definitely payback for the Alice comment.

"Whatever," I grumbled, ignoring Lauren and Jessica's sharp looks.

The selection of dresses wasn't especially large, but I ended up choosing two backups that I also handed off to Jasper―a violet satin dress, and a sage green number with a long, asymmetrical skirt. The first one seemed like it might be too short to be comfortable, and the second one had a plunging neckline that I didn't trust, but they were both pretty enough that I decided they deserved a chance.

"Ugh, what does semi-formal even mean?" Jessica complained as she lifted up a knee-length electric blue dress hooked onto a hanger by its spaghetti straps. "Is this semi-formal?"

"Definitely," I assured her. "I'm going to go try these on."

"No, you should wait for us," Jessica said with a pout.

"She's right," Lauren agreed, a little more meanly.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine," I relented. "I'll go look at shoes for now."

I turned, and with Jasper at my side, we wandered over to the women's shoe display. I discarded the idea of wearing any of the tall, sharp-heeled shoes with a mere glance, knowing they would quickly become a pain. Most girls would end up removing their heels before the night was over and I refused to touch the cafeteria floors with my bare feet.

"What about those?" Jasper suggested, nodding over to a pair of white Victorian ankle-length lace-up boots situated further down the shelf.

"Oh, good idea," I complimented, moving over to scoop up one of the shoes he'd indicated and running a finger along the smooth white-dyed leather and over the small, pointed heel. "These are gorgeous."

Jasper smirked. "I've picked up a thing or two."

"I'm sure," I said dryly, returning the shoe to its rightful place and crouching down to pick through the stacked boxes underneath the display, just barely recalling that I would need a size six. After carefully tugging out the correct box from the middle of the stack, I moved to sit on one of the wide ottomans and kicked off my sneakers.

"What's the point of trying these ones on?" Jasper asked, indicating the other two dresses I'd handed off to him, casually leaning against one of the taller shelves while I dug out the Victorian-style boots from under the folds of tissue paper.

"You always need a backup plan," I explained, eyes down as I worked on loosening the laces of the boots. "Or a backup dress, as the case may be."

"You think you'll need a backup dress?"

"No. But it never hurts to be prepared," I said and shot him a brief look from under my lashes. "What's up with you? You're never this chatty."

"When we're at the library, you prefer silence."

"Yeah, because I'm doing my homework. What about it?"

"We're not at the library," was Jasper's cheeky reply.

"So what?" I said dryly. "You wanna get to know me or something?"

"Or something."

"Cryptic to the last, huh?"

Finally, both sets of laces had been loosened and I pulled the boots over my feet. Once I had them both tied up, I smoothed down the wide legs of my pants and stood to my feet, taking practiced steps back and forth along the small space of the aisle.

"These are cute and comfortable," I helpfully informed Jasper. "There is no greater combination than these."

Jasper's eyebrows arched in bemusement. "Is that so?"

"Yes Jasper, as a matter of fact, it is," I said as I took another turn about the aisle. But what does he know? It's not like a vampire needs to worry about physical comfort.

Once I walked back past the ottoman, I plopped down and removed the boots, carefully tucking them back into their box.

"What? No backup shoes?" Jasper teased when I lifted the shoe box, handing it off to him.

I tilted my head in thought as I leaned over to shove my sneakers back on. "Maybe," I hedged, "but that depends on which backup dress I choose. So we'll take a small rain check on that."

Jasper saluted me. "Yes, ma'am."

I made a face. "Are you always this annoying?"

"Are you always this huffy?"

I stood to my feet and smoothed my pants down. "Sometimes," I admitted, "but it's rarely to be taken seriously."

"I know."

Right. Creepy empath powers.

"Whatever you say, Jazz." I turned and headed back towards the clothing section, wondering if the girls would finally grant me the privilege of allowing me to try on the dresses I'd picked out.

"Mar!" Jessica called out with a wave of her hand. "Come on, we're just waiting for you!"

"Hear that, Jasper?" I mumbled under my breath. "They were waiting for me."

Jasper snickered. "How impolite of you, Mar."

I grumbled but hurried my steps at the sight of Jessica's ever growing impatience. We then headed inside the dressing rooms, while Jasper took a seat just outside, across from where the three-way mirror was set up.

Inside, I carefully hung up the dresses, before stripping down and shimming into the violet one first. It turned out to be shorter than I'd imagined, the satin barely managing to cover up all the important bits, so I discarded it as a lost cause. On the bright side, the green dress looked a lot nicer on me than it had on the hanger, and while the neckline dipped lower than I would normally like, Bella's chest size was small enough for it to be a nonissue.

At last, I tried on the first dress I had selected and as I'd suspected, neither of the previous dresses were as flattering as this one. The shimmering garment was off the shoulders with long, loose sleeves, the top of the bodice dipping slightly into an A-line, and cinching at the waist, the hem of the tulle skirt falling an inch or two above my knees. Its ivory shade was a nice contrast against Bella's brown tresses and brought out the pink tones of her skin.

"Mar! What's taking so long?" Jessica demanded from somewhere outside my fitting room.

"Huh?" With an exasperated huff, I threw open the door. "Jessica, what is it?"

"Wow! You look adorable!" Jessica squealed in astonished delight, abruptly grabbing onto my arm and towing me across the carpeted floors of the dressing rooms and back into the waiting area just outside.

Angela and Lauren were already examining themselves in the mirror, Angela outfitted in a long, draping, pale pink dress, while Lauren had squeezed herself into a small burgundy number. Meanwhile, Jasper was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest and head tilted back against the backrest, appearing as though he were ready to pass out from boredom, my shoe box set neatly on the ground between his feet.

"Finally," Lauren said waspishly at our late arrival, turning to inspect me with a critical eye, hand propped up on her hip. "That's…girlier than I expected."

"I have range," I said blandly.

"You'll need to grab some pasties to go with that dress," Lauren pointed out, shooting the black bra straps hugging my bare shoulders a judging look.

"I have a strapless bra at home."

"With your cup size, you won't need it," Lauren rightfully pointed out.

"Anything else?" I demanded tartly, eyebrows raised in question.

"Nothing that can be feasibly fixed before the dance," Lauren retorted, turning back and continuing to admire herself in the mirror.

"Lauren, that wasn't nice," Angela cut in, looking to her with a frown.

Through the mirror, I saw Lauren roll her eyes. "Chill out, Angie, I was just kidding. Mar knows that."

"Honestly?" I said. "It's hard to tell sometimes."

"Anyway," Jessica piped up with a nervous laugh, "what was it that took you so long, Mar?"

"Oh, I was trying on the other dresses."

"What?! And you didn't let us see?!" Jessica demanded.

"Is that the one you're going with?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah," I said, running my hands across the shimmery fabric of my tulle skirt. "I tried on some others just in case, but I was planning on going with this one from the start."

"You look lovely, Mar," Angela said with a sweet smile.

"Thanks," I said. "I hope you're planning on picking that dress, Ange. It's pretty."

Angela beamed. "Thank you."

"Well, I for one, can barely breathe in this," Lauren huffed, "but it's cute right?"

"It'd be cuter if you sized up," I said.

"Not on your life, Mar," she snapped and marched back into the dressing rooms with an air of offense.

Angela shook her head in incredulity and followed after Lauren, though whether it was to change back into her street clothes or try on more dresses was beyond me.

Jessica then proceeded to drag me over to where Lauren and Angela had vacated their spots in front of the three-way mirror. "What do you think?" she asked, twisting this way and that to examine the satin folds of her electric blue dress.

I observed her reflection in the mirror and said, "It brings out your eyes."

"Does it?" she gasped and turned to me with a wide grin. "I thought so! But first, let me show you the other one I picked out. Wait here, okay?"

"Let me just go get changed―"

"No way! You take too long, Mar!" Jessica suddenly grabbed onto me again and whirled us around so that our backs were to the mirror. "Jasper! What do you think of Mar's dress?"

Jasper lifted his head in a languid manner, hair slightly tousled as though he'd run his hands through it, giving the false impression of a lackadaisical human. After briefly eyeing my dress, Jasper grinned charmingly and said, "It's real pretty, Mar. Good pick."

I smiled. "Thanks, Jasper."

"I agree!" Jessica giggled, finally releasing my arm and flouncing back into the dressing rooms.

I looked after her thinking, What a weird girl.

"How were backups?" Jasper asked.

With a sigh, I decided to do as Jessica had requested and instead of heading back inside to change, I padded over to sit in the chair next to Jasper's. "Definitely the green one," I told him, arranging the fabric of the skirt around my lap.

"So…green shoes?"

I snorted a small laugh. "I don't think so."

"Reckon I haven't learned enough then."

"Like that matters."

Jasper eyed me curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Be honest, Jasper," I said, momentarily meeting the honey gold of his eyes, "do you even pick out your own clothes?"

Jasper abruptly broke out into laughter as he asked, "How on God's earth did you reach that conclusion?"

"I doubt everyone in your family all has the exact same taste in fashion," I simply pointed out, allowing my gaze to lower until it was at level with his jawline.

"That obvious?" he chuckled. "I do pick out my own clothes in the morning, Mar. I'm not a child. But Alice loves shopping, so she tends to buy clothes for everyone at the house whether we ask her to or not."

"So, you never buy anything for yourself?" I asked curiously.

Jasper shrugged, arms still crossed comfortably over his chest. "I rarely get the urge to," he admitted. "I'm not really one for fashion."

"Not even cowboy boots?" I teased.

Jasper's expression turned unexpectedly fond. "That actually doesn't sound like such a bad idea."

And suddenly I understood Alice's plight. If she didn't buy clothes for Jasper, he'd likely show up to school decked out in full cowboy gear.

Oh brother.

Jessica, followed closely by Lauren, finally returned, both changed into entirely new gowns. This time, they wore floor-length dresses, Jessica in a strapless black number that flared out below the waist, and Lauren in a form-fitting mauve-toned slip, leg exposed by a long slit cut on her right side. She at least looked like she could breathe in this one.

While they examined themselves in the mirror, Jessica asked, "Mar, what do you think?"

"It's nice," I told her, "but that one is more formal. Might work better for prom."

"Hm, yeah you're probably right," Jessica decided. "But we'll need to go somewhere nicer for prom dresses. The selection here is so small!"

"That I can agree on," Lauren scoffed and twisted around to meet my gaze over her shoulder. "Well?"

It took me another second to realize she wanted my opinion. "I like it better than the first one," I said, based solely on the fact this one didn't threaten to crush her ribcage. "The color compliments your hair."

Lauren ran a hand over her long, silky pale blonde hair. "You're right," she decided imperiously and sashayed back into the dressing rooms.

"I'm decided as well!" Jessica needlessly announced and quickly followed after her.

"And that's my cue," I told Jasper, rising to my feet.

Jasper acknowledged me with a single nod and I went back inside into my fitting room. After changing back into my own clothes, I brushed the static out of my hair and clipped my chosen dress back onto its hanger. Both the white and green dress were then carefully draped over my left arm, while I held the hanger of the violet one in hand, ready to be hung on the dressing room rack with all the other rejects.

By the time I made it back out, the girls were all waiting for me, their chosen dresses in hand.

"Mar, we're going to go look at shoes now," Angela said.

"Sounds good," I replied, bringing up the rear as they began moving towards the shoe displays. Jasper joined my side, shoe box in hand, wordlessly taking the dresses from me.

"Thanks," I said to him.

"Are you buying them both?" he asked. "I thought you only needed backups in case you didn't like the white dress."

"And I decided I want both," I said, casting a quick eye across the shoe shelves, already having an idea of what I wanted.

"Are you positively sure you don't want to go shopping with Alice?" he asked with a teasing smile. "It'd be all expenses paid."

"I'm sure," I said flatly and edged around the girls when I spotted a pair of shoes that would go well with the green dress. To my surprise, Jasper didn't hang back and easily followed despite how narrow the aisle was.

I decided to simply ignore him, crouching down and digging up a box labeled in my size, before standing to go back to one of the ottomans. Jasper dutifully followed after me, though he thankfully gave me space once I sat down to remove my shoes and peel off my socks.

"Why?" he then asked me, refusing to drop the subject.

I shot him a look. "Why do you care?"

"I don't," he admitted, "but Alice does."

I dug one of the shoes out from under the folds of tissue paper and unbuckled the thin strap. "And you really think it's a good idea for Alice and I to be friends?"

"What I think," Jasper said, "is that Alice is sure about you. And I'm not one to bet against Alice."

I slipped the shoe over my bare foot and buckled the strap, before holding out my leg and pulling back the wide leg of the pant to admire the nude-colored strappy shoe, the heel a low three inches.

"I don't know what Alice thinks she knows," I said, lowering my foot and tilting my head back to meet Jasper's eyes, "but not even Alice can claim to be infallible."

Jasper's eyebrows arched in bewilderment. "You told Alice it wouldn't be a smart idea to spend time together," he recalled. "Care to elaborate?"

"No, not really," I said, slipping off the heel and tucking it back into its box.

"Mar, what do you think?" Angela asked, walking by as she tested out a pair of low pink heels.

"They're the exact same shade as the dress you picked," I noted. "You should get them."

"They'll never match anything but the one dress," she mused, "but I think I will."

"They have a sale going on. Might as well," I said as I pulled my socks and sneakers back on, while Jasper scooped up the second shoe box before I could say a word to him.

When I stood up, I realized Lauren and Jessica seemed intent on trying on every available heel displayed on the shelves, Angela forced to walk back over every scattered shoe and box like it was a landmine. So, I turned and wound around the other aisles before they could drag me into it.

"You said something similar to Edward, didn't you?" Jasper continued to say as he shadowed my steps. "That it was better if you weren't friends."

"I did," I said evenly, pausing to browse when I reached the jewelry stand. I planned to wear my hair up, so a pair of earrings and a small necklace would be suitable. And since the tulle of my dress was pleated with silver glitter, I wanted something that matched.

"And you rejected Emmett's invitation to the dance," he added.

"That's correct." I picked up and examined a small, rhinestone-encrusted pendant hanging from a silver snake-style woven chain. "Are you going to continue stating the obvious?"

"Since you refused to elaborate, I figured I'd paint the picture on your behalf," Jasper replied, unexpectedly curt. "Forgive me if I find it curious that you appear to want nothing to do with my family. Or am I wrong?"

I set down the necklace and turned to face him, tilting my head back to meet his eyes. "And you'll have to forgive me if I find it curious that none of your family wants anything to do with anyone from Forks High. Or am I wrong?" I held his gaze stubbornly, observing the way surprise colored his features and wariness crept into his eyes.

At last, Jasper tilted his head and smiled amusedly, as though my words entirely lacked substance. "Is it really that strange?"

"And is it really that strange that I'm not interested in talking to Edward, or shopping with Alice, or attending the dance with Emmett?" I shot back.

"And yet, you asked me to accompany you here today," Jasper reminded me.

I gritted my teeth, my chest constricting and angry tears pricking at my eyes. "That's different and you know it," I forced myself to say, gaze dropping to the collar of his jacket.

A soothing calm abruptly washed through the fear cutting my chest, until it was dislodged entirely and I could breathe easily.

"I apologize, Mar," Jasper murmured regretfully. "You're right. And we're all glad that you told someone. Coming out to Port Angeles without protection would've been dangerous."

I cleared my throat of all lingering emotion. "And that's why I made an exception."

I turned and began picking through a few more necklaces, though I found most too gaudy for my tastes.

"But what I want to know," Jasper said, deciding to switch tracks, "is why I'm the exception. Why'd you allow me a spot at your table in the library?"

I took a steadying breath and asked in return, "How did we first meet, Jasper?"

"In the library," he answered, completely unperturbed.

"And how did that go exactly?"

"You said I could sit with you as long as I was quiet," Jasper recited, seeming exasperated but willing to humor me.

"No, Jasper, before that." I looked back at him, but Jasper merely gazed at me with a contemplative face. Quickly, I lost my patience and snapped, "You followed me. You were watching me. Without my permission."

All expression instantly drained from Jasper's features. "Ah."

"And as you can imagine, I didn't think a simple 'leave me the hell alone' would accomplish anything," I continued, "so I figured that if I allowed you to sit with me, then I would at least know when you were there, rather than having to worry about looking over my shoulder at a later date."

Jasper appeared appropriately stricken. "Mar, I wouldn't have stalked you."

Yeah? Well I can't say the same for your brother, I mentally scoffed. What I actually said was a flat, "And I was just supposed to know that?"

Before he could respond, the girls appeared from around the corner of the neighboring aisle, Jessica and Angela with their dress and shoe box in hand, while Lauren held an impressive stack of three boxes clutched to her chest, dress carelessly flung over her shoulder.

"Mar, look at the shoes I picked out!" Jessica called, rushing over to my side and flipping back the lid to reveal a sparkly pair of silver six-inch heels.

"Those are pretty," I said, trying to infuse enthusiasm into my voice, though my expression felt brittle.

"I know!" Jessica beamed. "I'm going to pick out some matching jewelry before we go."

"I was just doing that," I said, though at this point, I had lost all enthusiasm for shopping.

But I sucked it up and continued browsing jewelry with Jessica, helping her pick out a matching rhinestone necklace and bracelet set to go with her dress and shoes.

"I wish I'd brought more money," she said with a pout, eyeing the glittering array of hair accessories.

"You don't want people to mistake you for a disco ball," I told her.

Jessica snorted in laughter. "Yeah! I'm impressed though. I didn't expect you to have such good taste considering the way you dress, Mar."

I frowned. "I am not thanking you for your backhanded compliment, Jessica."

"But it's true!"

"Hey, we're pretty much done here," Lauren said, approaching us with Angela at her side. "You guys ready to go?"

"I am. My budget is at its limit," Jessica lamented with a sigh.

Angela giggled. "Mine too."

"Uh, yeah, just hold on a second," I said, backtracking to where I'd been looking through the selection of necklaces earlier. "There was something I wanted, but I don't know where it went…" I trailed off, trying to dislodge the sting of disappointment.

"The necklace, right?" Jessica said, to my surprise. "I'm pretty sure Jasper grabbed it."

"Oh," I said and looked around. "Speaking of, where did he go?"

"He went to drop your stuff off with the cashier sometime ago," Angela helpfully informed me.

"Let's go then," Lauren said bossily and began leading the way towards the register.

"It's not even dinner time yet. Why are you in such a hurry?" I asked as we followed her.

"Her dad put a limit on her credit card," Jessica revealed with a snicker. "I think if she stays in here too long without being able to buy more things, her head will explode."

"Shut your mouth Jess, or I won't buy you these stupid shoes you wanted," Lauren snapped over her shoulder.

"Shutting up!"

At the register, all the girls lined up in front of me. While I waited for them to make their purchases, my eyes darted across the store, but I failed to spot Jasper, which should've been impossible considering how tall he was. By the time it was my turn to pay, I had just barely caught a glimpse of him through the glass doors, standing outside and leaning against the driver's side of Edward's Volvo. But it was brief, as the girls soon blocked my view, standing by the doors while they waited for me.

"Here you go, ma'am."

"Oh uh, thanks," I said, turning to retrieve my shopping bags from the attendant standing behind the cash register. "How much?"

"It's already been paid for by your boyfriend," she revealed with a girlish giggle.

I stared blankly at her, until I realized she was referring to Jasper. "He's not my boyfriend…"

Now she looked at me as though I were the one who was slow on the uptake. "Of course not," she agreed with a delayed, but polite, smile. "Have a wonderful day."

"You too," I mumbled and went to join the girls.

"Mar was right though," Jessica was saying, "it's still too early for dinner."

"Why don't we visit the area by the bay," Angela suggested.

"Yeah, let's do that," Lauren said, "and then we can walk to the restaurant when we get hungry or whatever."

"Sounds good to me," I said, putting in my two cents.

"Let's go drop our stuff off in your car, Jess," Lauren decided as she lead the way outside.

While they went to crowd around Jessica's car, I approached the Volvo where Jasper was already popping open the trunk.

"Why did you pay for my stuff?" I asked him, allowing him to take the bags from my hand.

Jasper carefully stowed away my shopping bags and shut the lid of the trunk, before he turned to face me, a frown marring his features. "I'm sorry, Mar," he said with what sounded like sincere remorse, "I never meant to make you feel cornered or like you needed to tolerate my presence."

I sighed. "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have―"

Jasper quirked an eyebrow. "Shouldn't have what?"

I shouldn't have assumed you were Edward.

"I shouldn't have assumed you would be unreasonable," I settled on saying.

"Are you guys coming or what?" Lauren called from where they were already crossing the parking lot.

"We're right behind you," I called back, hurrying to catch up to them, Jasper falling into an easy stride beside me.

"I can hardly blame you," Jasper said as we walked behind the girls. "With the way my family has been so persistent, you weren't entirely off the mark."

"I'm aware," I said resignedly.

"But listen, Mar," Jasper said, lowering his voice as we paused by the crosswalk at the intersection, though I doubted the girls would be able to overhear much above the sounds of late afternoon traffic, "if you would like me to leave you alone, consider it done."

I shook my head. "It's already too late for that."

"What do you mean?"

As we crossed the street, I reminded him, "It's our deal. You get to sit with me, for whatever strange reason you have, I don't really care to know. And I get to hire you as my bodyguard whenever situations like these arise."

While I absolutely didn't want to get involved in the mess of book canon, at least having someone like Jasper on my side, in case things went south, would be reassuring. And Jasper wouldn't make it weird like Edward or Jacob would be sure to. Best case scenario, I wouldn't need Jasper's protection at all after this, but I wouldn't be stupid about it if I could help it.

When I glanced up, it was to find Jasper staring down at me with concern. "...Do you foresee needing my help again?"

"Let's put a pause on that conversation, yeah?"

And to my relief, Jasper let it go, though I could tell by his expression that he didn't want to. But they would all meet James soon enough. I just hoped I would be as far away as possible from them when they did.

"I find your presence calming," Jasper then said, unprompted, "that's why I like sitting with you."

"Oh," was my underwhelmed response. But I had reached a similar conclusion about two minutes after Jasper had sat at my table for the first time. It wasn't exactly breaking news.

"At school, I can practically feel everyone's stress," he continued, "but you…you're always so unbothered. I find it…restful."

"Uh, thanks?"

Jasper smiled. "You're welcome."

After crossing the next street, we finally reached the boardwalk overlooking the bay. The breeze was more brisk out here, street lights bright above us and the ocean a darkening maw as night quickly fell. The girls had continued their quick pace up ahead, almost like they didn't want us to catch up to them entirely. Going by their giggles and Jessica occasionally peeking over her shoulder to glance at us, I could take a guess as to why.

Unfortunately, with the night also came the dropping of temperatures. I pulled the long sleeves of my shirt over my hands and when I saw Jasper move to take off his jacket, I said, "Please don't."

"Why not? You're cold," he rightfully pointed out. "Why didn't you bring a sweater?"

"I forgot," I bit out. It was a bad habit I had yet to fully rectify. I used to run hot in my old body, so I wasn't accustomed to needing a jacket unless it was to shield myself from the rain.

"And why can't you borrow mine?"

"Because," I snipped, gesturing towards the girls' backs up ahead, "you already know what they're saying. You'll just add more fuel to the fire."

To my dismay, Jasper began to laugh.

"It's not funny," I huffed.

"It is a little," he chuckled, finally shrugging off his jacket and offering it to me. "You know the truth and I know the truth. Don't let it get to you."

I reluctantly took his proffered jacket and slipped my arms through the wide sleeves, the sweet, addicting scent of vampire invading my nostrils. As I expected, it was cold, but the heavy fabric was a safe haven from the sharp wind.

"It's a small town, Jasper," I reminded him wearily, taking the time to roll up each of the too-long sleeves. "There's only so much you can avoid."

"You didn't seem bothered when I first started hanging around you," he recalled.

I shrugged and tucked my hands into the large pockets of his jacket. "Honestly? I wouldn't have even noticed anything different if it weren't for Jessica."

"Exactly my point," Jasper said. "You're strangely oblivious at times."

"To a fault," I confessed. "But I'm the one who's going to be interrogated as soon as you leave. You weren't planning on joining us for dinner, were you?"

"Why? Trying to get rid of me already?"

"No, obviously not," I said with a roll of my eyes, "but I sincerely doubt you'd want to join us."

"You're not entirely wrong," he agreed with an amused smile. "However, I do have to track Rosalie and Edward down. I haven't heard from them since we last saw them."

I frowned. "Not even a text?"

Jasper shook his head. "No. But don't worry your head about it, Mar. I'm sure they're perfectly fine."

Needlessly, a wave of comfort washed warmly over me. "Okay, Jazz."

Although the ocean and sky now blended into one dark smear, I gazed out into the horizon, once again wishing I could escape. There seemed to be no end to this dream and I was beginning to realize that the possibility was decreasing more and more with every day that passed. But Jasper's temporary comfort made my worries fleeting and difficult to focus on.

"Mar, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"You don't actually believe Rosalie and Edward planned to kill that man, do you?"

What a stupid thing to ask, I immediately thought, until I realized Jasper was being serious. Because anyone else who wasn't privy to their secret wouldn't have even thought to suggest something so violent and immoral.

Knowing I would have to tread carefully, I kept my eyes locked ahead as I said, "I believe that anyone can do anything in the right circumstances. But no, I wasn't being entirely serious."

"It didn't seem that way," Jasper pointed out grimly.

I scoffed and said derisively, "Forgive me if I have precisely no sympathy for that sick man."

"Believe me, none of us do," he assured me. "I was merely concerned that that was where your thoughts went."

Of course he should've been worried. And I should've kept my mouth shut. "Well," I hedged, "you saw the way Rosalie and Edward looked. Is it really so surprising that my mind went straight to murder?"

"Perhaps not," Jasper reluctantly agreed.

"But whatever it is that they got up to, I won't ask any questions." Hopefully, that would be enough to ease Jasper's worries.

Or, maybe not.

"And why's that?" he asked, unwilling to merely take my word for it.

I didn't answer immediately as we looped back around to walk along the other side of the boardwalk, closer to the line of shops and restaurants where larger crowds of people frequented. I hurried my pace a little so as to not be separated from the girls, and Jasper did likewise.

Finally, I said, "It's not something I really want to think about, I guess. All I want to know is that he won't be a problem anymore. For anyone."

"He won't be," Jasper said plainly. "It's not something you need to worry about, even now."

"Then I won't," I told him, because if there was anyone I could trust to take care of a man like Orlando Wallace, it was undoubtedly Rosalie and Edward. "Thank you," I added, glancing up to him with a sincere expression.

"There's no need to thank us," Jasper said kindly.

We fell into a comfortable silence as we continued our stroll along the clapboard path. It had grown even colder since we'd left the department store, my face feeling as though it would crack with every gust of wind, and I was immensely grateful to be wearing Jasper's heavy jacket.

More than that, I was glad to have asked for his help. I couldn't avoid Port Angeles for the rest of my time here, especially if this situation was permanent, and I had always preferred to rip off the bandaid, so to speak. Now, it would be one less thing I'd have to worry about.

"I'll head off once we reach the restaurant," Jasper murmured as we left behind the boardwalk and joined the other pedestrians walking along the strip of shops, a warm glow of lights cast over us. "I know I said I didn't want you to worry, but for my peace of mind, please don't wander off. Once I locate Rosalie and Edward, I'll come back to fetch you."

"Sounds good to me," I said. "And it's too cold to be wandering, so I'll be thawing out if it's all the same to you."

Jasper smirked, the silent 'I told you so' heard loud and clear.

I huffed, but forced myself to say, "And thank you for the jacket. You were right."

"You're welcome," he said, gratified.

Ahead of us, the girls began navigating the pathway up to the entrance of La Bella Italia, before pausing, finally allowing us time to catch up.

"Mar, Jasper!" Jessica called. "You guys like Italian, right?"

"Italian's good," I said as we joined their little huddle.

"I apologize, I won't be able to join you," Jasper said, hovering at my side. "I have to go look for my sister and Edward."

"Are they alright?" Angela asked with concern.

"They are," Jasper said reassuringly, before turning to me, "Mar, we'll come back around to pick you up at seven."

"Sure. See you then."

"Enjoy your dinner," he said to the girls as he backed up a step, before turning and quickly striding off, soon swallowed up by the pedestrian crowds.

"Oh my God!" Jessica suddenly squealed, jumping forward and grasping my arm. "Mar! You have to tell us everything!"

"Let's get inside first," I said, trying to hold her off long enough to at least get comfortable. "It's freezing out here."

"I know! I can't believe he gave you his jacket!" Jessica gushed, but thankfully moved with me as I walked up towards the restaurant doors, Lauren and Angela following behind us. "Wow! It smells so good!"

I finally dislodged Jessica's grip. "Quit sniffing his jacket you weirdo!"

"You're lying to me if you say you haven't already done it," Jessica said with a pout.

I pulled open the door, calling over my shoulder, "Think what you want."

Inside, I spotted a blonde hostess standing behind a small podium and before she could greet us, I said, "Could we get a booth for four, please?"

"Of course," she agreed with a welcoming smile. "Please, follow me."

She lead us through the dining floor and over to one of the booths nestled below a tall window, allowing us a picturesque view of First Street. I slid in to sit by the window, Angela at my side, while Jessica and Lauren moved to sit across from us.

"Your server will be right out," the hostess assured us once we were all settled, before returning to her post.

I picked up the menu and began browsing, while across from me Jessica leaned forward. "Okay, Mar, spill!"

I sighed. "Let me decide what I want to eat first."

"Jess, Mar is right," Angela said, coming to my rescue, "we should be ready for whenever the server comes to take our orders."

"Ugh, fine," Jessica relented with a pout, picking up her own copy of the menu.

It took me about two seconds to decide what I wanted for dinner, but I pretended to keep browsing so as to avoid the inevitable inquisition.

"Hello. My name is Amber and I'll be your server tonight." A girl with short black hair appeared by our table, notepad in hand. "What can I get you girls to drink?"

When I felt her gaze land on me, I said, "I'll take a sprite, please."

Amber swiftly jotted down our drink orders and said, "I'll be right back with that."

Once she vanished, Jessica leaned forward again and asked me, "What are you getting?"

I sighed. "I'm getting the chicken scampi."

"Great!" Jessica plucked the menu from my hands and slid it to the side. "Now, spill."

I folded my forearms comfortably along the edge of the table. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"Is that a joke?" Lauren scoffed, casting aside her own menu. "You showed up riding with Jasper and Rosalie Hale and Edward Cullen. How about you start with that."

"Yeah!" Jessica jumped to back her up. "Weren't you the one that said that you didn't want to deal with the likes of Rosalie Hale?"

"I did," I said, "back when I thought she'd kill me for even considering the idea of going to the dance with Emmett."

Beside me, Angela straightened up, angling herself more comfortably towards me. "You decided to clear things up with her?"

Bless Angela. "Yes, that's exactly it."

"And that actually worked?" Lauren asked, sounding less than impressed.

I turned to gaze at Lauren with a sarcastic smile. "Yes, Lauren. Believe it or not, Rosalie Hale does not feel the slightest bit threatened by me."

"Oh. Well, she does have a point there," Jessica conceded while Lauren merely rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm happy for you, Mar," Angela said sweetly.

"Uh, thanks."

"Wait, so did you find out why Emmett asked you to the dance in the first place?" Jessica asked, before her eager smile abruptly dimmed. "He wasn't pranking you, was he?"

"No," I said while I tried to find a simplistic way to surmise Emmett's bizarre behavior. "He's obviously not interested in dating me, but he was serious about going to the dance together."

"Why?" Lauren asked, as similarly taken aback as Jessica and Angela.

"...He thinks I'm little-sister-shaped."

"What?!" Jessica screeched. "That is so cute!"

"Oh my gosh!" Angela gasped. "Mar, do the Cullens want to adopt you?"

Lauren started laughing. "Now that I'd like to see!"

Fortunately, our waitress chose that moment to return to our table, a tray of drinks balanced in one hand and a basket of breadsticks held in the other, causing the girls to behave themselves for at least a moment.

"Here you go, ladies," Amber said, setting the basket down at the center of our table and passing out our drinks. "Are you girls ready to order?"

We went around, reciting our orders as the waitress jotted everything down, before she was off again, leaving me to fend for myself against their mounting questions.

"So you wanted to clear things up with Rosalie, whatever," Lauren said dismissively around a sip of her iced tea. "What do her brother and Edward have to do with any of it?"

"Mar is friends with Jasper, Lauren," Angela was kind enough to remind her.

I bit my tongue before I could rebuff her statement, as it really wouldn't help my case.

"Yeah, Lauren, they literally study everyday together in the library," Jessica said.

"Right. Study," Lauren scoffed, emphasizing the word in a way that implied we were doing anything but.

I refused to dignify that with a reply, knowing anything I said in my defense would merely be twisted by her.

"So did Jasper set this whole thing up?" Jessica asked.

I took a long sip of my sprite, thinking of a couple of different ways I could answer that. Ultimately, I decided to go with a version of the truth.

"I got angry with Jasper," I revealed, much to Jessica and Lauren's delight. "I thought he knew what Emmett was planning to do that day in the cafeteria, but it turned out that no one did."

"Aww, it's so sweet of Jasper to do this for you," Jessica sighed, resting her cheeks between her palms, expression dreamy.

"Sure," Lauren said dryly, "but what does Edward have to do with any of it?"

I shrugged, folding the straw wrapper between my fingers. "There was some records store he and Rosalie were planning to check out. It was Jasper and I who were uninvited," I said reluctantly, knowing it would align better with whatever tale they had formulated in their heads, despite the fact that it had been Edward and Rosalie who had shown up unasked.

Jessica suddenly gasped. "That's why you wanted to wait until Wednesday to come to Port Angeles! You guys had this planned out all along!"

It took me a second to realize that she had technically caught me, but I quickly recovered. "Well, duh," I said, as though it should've been obvious, "you think I wanted to hang out with Edward and Rosalie all afternoon?"

"Ugh, you should've," Lauren griped. "Think of all we could've learned about their weird little incest family."

"I don't think so," I said flatly.

"You're no fun," she sniffed.

"Who cares?!" Jessica said, an enthusiastic grin still in place. "You spent nearly all afternoon with Jasper Hale!"

"Yes, Jessica, I was there," I said in a bland tone, hoping to curb her enthusiasm.

"You have to admit, Mar, it was really sweet," Angela said with a giggle, utterly failing to help my cause.

"I guess," I agreed reluctantly.

"What did you guys talk about?" Jessica demanded to know.

"Um," I mumbled, rolling up the straw wrapper between my fingertips, "I don't really remember."

Lauren scoffed. "Oh, you're so full of it."

"Lauren," Angela scolded her with a reproachful look.

Jessica, of course, was undeterred. "What did he say when he gave you his jacket?" she asked instead.

I flicked aside the balled-up wrapper and dragged my drink closer. "I told him I didn't want it. He thought I was being silly and insisted."

Jessica squealed something unintelligible and then said, "Angela, you need to smell it!"

"Jessica, stop," I said.

And then, Angela quietly confessed, "I can already smell it from where I'm sitting. It's really nice."

I sighed. "You guys are freaks."

"I'm serious! I wonder what kind of cologne he wears," Jessica giggled. "The rest of the boys at our school could learn a thing or two."

"Speaking of boys," I said, idly swirling my straw through the bubbling sprite, "how did your date with Mike go?"

Lauren groaned, "Please don't get her started."

"Shut up, Lauren," Jessica huffed, "Mar hasn't heard the details yet!"

I smiled, eyes still trained on my cup of iced sprite as I listened to Jessica gush, going over every excruciating detail of her date with Mike. Our food arrived not long after and I was able to eat peacefully, only needing to throw in the occasional question or comment to keep Jessica going. I did feel a little bad for Lauren and Angela, who had both clearly already heard every word, but it was either this or being on the receiving end of their questions.

I kept a close eye on my wrist watch, and when it was only a few minutes to seven, I put down enough bills to cover my meal and tip. "Sorry guys, I gotta go," I said. "Angela, can you let me through?"

"Aw, it's already that late?" Jessica realized with a disappointed frown.

"Yeah, we should probably get going as well," Angela suggested sliding out of the booth long enough to allow me to make my escape.

"Sure, but like, can we not keep talking about Mike on the car ride home?" Lauren complained.

I didn't stick around to listen to the rest of their argument.

"I'll see you guys at school," I said, before booking it as they called out their various goodbyes.

Once I'd made it safely outside, I paused to catch my breath and took a careful look around, until I spotted the familiar Volvo parked a little further up the street. As I began making my way over, Jasper exited the car and met me half-way.

"Did I keep you guys waiting too long?" I asked when we were within speaking distance.

Jasper turned to walk beside me, back the way he'd come, and shook his head. "No, don't worry about it. We just got here."

"Okay," I said, and as promised, didn't ask any prying questions.

"You didn't run into any trouble while we were gone?" he checked.

"No, we were fine," I said. "I'm just beat and ready to go home."

"Then let's get you home," Jasper agreed, pulling open the front passenger door on my behalf.

"Thanks," I said, lowering myself into the seat. Once he shut the door, I looked over my shoulder and offered an awkward, "Hey."

"Mar," Edward greeted me politely, sitting in the same spot as before. "Did you enjoy your time with your friends?"

"I did," I said and turned back around to pull on my seatbelt just as Jasper entered the driver's side. "Thank you, again."

"There's no need for that," Rosalie said from behind me with what sounded like grim satisfaction.

I didn't know what to say to that and so, I popped open the glove compartment once more and began browsing through the rest of Edward's music under the dim lights of the dashboard. It wasn't long before I found something I wanted to listen to and I changed out the CD from the previous one, before settling back.

The entire ride back to Forks was quiet, but any discomfort I might've felt was easily soothed away by Jasper. Relaxed, I merely gazed out at the bright, blue-tinted headlights illuminating the curving black road and listened to the old, familiar music. Sooner than I expected, Jasper merged out of the highway and pulled into my neighborhood, before slowing to a stop in front of my house.

As I unbuckled my seatbelt, I turned and briefly said to Edward and Rosalie, "Goodnight guys."

"Goodnight, Mar," Edward said kindly.

"Sleep well," Rosalie added, a touch gentler than I would've expected of her.

When I slipped out of the car and shut the door, Jasper was already popping open the trunk and gathering my shopping bags. In return, I removed his jacket and joined him at the back to make our exchange.

"Thanks," I said, hooking the bag handles over my wrist and fishing my house key out of the front pocket of my pants. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Same time," Jasper said with a wry grin as he slipped his jacket back on.

"Same place," I agreed with a reluctant smile. "Goodnight, Jazz."

"Goodnight, Mar."

I headed across the driveway and up the porch, unlocking the front door, and offering one final wave before slipping inside.

From the living room, Charlie called, "Bella?"

"It's me," I said, walking in and rounding the couch to plop down beside him, where he was watching the baseball game.

"You're home early."

"And happy for it," I snorted.

"Did you girls have fun?"

"Yep," I said and slightly lifted the shopping bags still hanging from my wrist. "I got two dresses, two pairs of shoes, and some jewelry." At least, I hoped Jasper had picked out the jewelry I'd liked. I had yet to check.

Charlie's eyebrows arched with what looked like concern. "I didn't give you enough for all that, did I?"

"There was a sale going on," I said, dodging the question. The only thing I'd spent money on, after all, was dinner.

"Ah. That's good," he offered, eyes trained on the game once more.

"Yep. I'm gonna head up," I said, reluctantly peeling myself off of the comfy couch. "Night, Dad."

"Night, kiddo."

I dragged myself up the stairs and made it safely into Bella's room, where I proceeded to methodically admire everything I'd picked out. It wasn't until I'd hung up the two dresses in my closet and stowed away the shoe boxes, that I found a jewelry set at the bottom of one of the bags. It was the necklace I had liked, and with it, a small pair of matching stud earrings I hadn't previously spotted.

I lifted the white cardstock through which the earrings were pierced, examining them with an admiring eye as a few certainties became evident.

First, as of tonight, none was the wiser that I knew about the existence of vampires. Second, Edward would not be picking me up tomorrow morning for school as he had with Bella. And third, I would be spending the upcoming weekend with the kids of Forks High, rather than following a bloodthirsty vampire into a meadow or joining said vampire's family for a game of baseball that would ultimately end in calamity.

I smiled and set the jewelry aside on top of Bella's dresser, making a mental note to purchase a jewelry box.

All in all, things were looking pretty good.


A/N: *throws this monstrously long chapter at you* I hope you enjoyed!

Seriously, this chapter is nearly as long as all the previous updates combined. Please don't ask me how that happened. I was held hostage by the whims of this chapter and had zero say. And as reward for my suffering, I humbly request reviews, please and thank you.

I'm jk, but for real, I hope y'all liked it. I'm not sure when I'll update the last chapter I promised you guys, but thank you for your patience with me. Until next time.