Oh my gosh, you guys. There are no words to describe how amazing all of you are. I am so thrilled with the response this story has gotten! Thank you to everyone for your support and kind words!
P.S. For anyone curious as to how much extra detail I'm putting into the rewrite, the original version of When Nothing Crumbles was around 75,000 words long in its entirety. As of right now, we're seven chapters in with the rewrite and are already at 79,000 words. So yeah...big difference!
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.
Chapter Six
That night, after she had finished her homework and eaten dinner with her mother, Danielle lay in bed with her feet propped up on the headboard of her bed, her eyes staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to her ceiling and her cell phone pressed to her ear. After her mortifying day at school, there was only one person she had wanted to turn to for some words of reassurance - Tom.
"God, it was so embarrassing, Tom," she heaved into the phone, closing her eyes and shaking her head. She had just finished telling him everything that had happened, and it was just as horrible retelling it as it had been to actually experience it. "I just wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole."
"I'm sure it's not as bad as you're making it sound," Tom countered.
"Oh, no. It was bad," Danielle insisted. "There I was, word vomiting all over the place, while he just stood there and stared at me like a third eye had just popped out of my forehead. He looked damn near terrified that I had even dared to ask."
"Maybe you just caught him by surprise," Tom offered, which Danielle thought was an understatement. Jasper had been surprised, there was no doubt about that, but it had not been a good surprised. "Maybe he didn't think you'd want to go with him and didn't know how to react when you asked."
"Or maybe he thinks I'm an idiot for thinking he would ever be into me and just couldn't decide the best way to tell me to get lost," she retorted cynically.
Tom snorted. "Wow. Pessimistic much?" he said dryly. "You don't even know that he was going to say no."
Danielle pulled a face and dropped her feet from her headboard so she could sit up. "I'm sorry, but which part of this conversation did you not understand?" she asked sarcastically. "I asked Jasper to the dance and he said no. He doesn't want to go with me."
"No, he didn't," Tom countered patiently. "What he said was that he didn't know if it was a good idea or not, which isn't technically a no," he then pointed out.
Danielle rolled her eyes, trying not to feel annoyed. She appreciated the fact that Tom was trying to make her feel better, but what was the point in denying that Jasper had turned her down? "Okay, so he didn't outright say no, but he sure as hell didn't say yes, either," Danielle said.
"He might have if you hadn't hightailed it out of there before he had a chance to explain himself," Tom countered without missing a beat. "He was trying to say something to you before you ran away, right?"
Danielle pressed her lips together. Jasper had tried to stop her before she'd made a run for it, only she'd been so upset that she hadn't given him the chance to say anything else. "Well…yeah," she admitted reluctantly. "He was probably just gonna give me some lame excuse as to why he couldn't go or something, though," she quickly added.
"There you go assuming again," Tom said disapprovingly. "How do you know he didn't just need a few seconds to give it some thought? How do you know he wasn't gonna eventually say yes?"
Danielle heaved in response. "Because if he had wanted to say yes, then he would have said yes," she said, stating what she thought should have been pretty obvious.
Tom made a sound of impatience. "Look, has it occurred to you even once that maybe he's just as nervous about all this as you are?" he asked. "You said it yourself – you're basically the guy's only friend. What if he likes you, only he's afraid he'll screw it up and lose someone he really cares about in the process? What if he's just trying to be careful and make sure he goes about everything the right way?"
Danielle blinked in surprise, because that thought actually hadn't crossed her mind.
The hopeful side of her thought that Tom actually made a good point – was Jasper into her, only he was just being cautious about it? Was he just trying to make sure the friendship they had built remained protected? The part of her that was still very much wounded after what had happened that day instantly went into denial. No, if Jasper had liked her then he wouldn't have hesitated and he wouldn't have said no. He would have seen that this was a chance for them to take things a step further and said yes. The fact that he hadn't done that clearly meant he didn't feel the same way...didn't it?
Danielle sighed and rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on from all the going back and forth she'd been doing since she got home. "I don't know what to think anymore, Tom," she said helplessly. "This whole thing has turned into such a mess. I barely even know what's going on in my own head right now, let alone in Jasper's."
"Well, there's a simple solution here," Tom said. "Talk to him."
"And make an even bigger ass of myself?" Danielle retorted huffily. "No thank you. In fact, I might skip school tomorrow, maybe even skip for the rest of the week," she said. "Lord knows it's only a matter of time before word gets around that I was shot down by Jasper. I'll be the laughing stock of the school."
"You are not gonna skip," Tom said sternly. "You're gonna suck it up, put on your big girl britches, and face him at school tomorrow. And if he tries to talk to you, you're not going to run away again. You're gonna listen to what he has to say."
Danielle made a sour face in response to his bossiness. "Who are you, my mother?"
"I'm your brutally honest friend who is telling you to get over this little pity party you're throwing and give the guy a chance to explain himself before you go jumping off the deep end," Tom retorted. He paused, then spoke again. "Look, I can tell you really like this guy," he said, his tone a little more gentle now. "For the past month, all I've heard from you is 'Jasper this' and 'Jasper that'. Obviously he's someone who means a lot to you. Now I can't tell you for sure what it is that he feels for you, but just judging by what you told me, I feel like there's more to this story. And if you push him away before you even know what's really going on, then you're an idiot and you're making a huge mistake."
Danielle sighed heavily. "And what if there isn't more to this story? What if he's the one who pushes me away?" she asked.
"Then he's an idiot, and he doesn't deserve you," Tom said matter-of-factly.
Danielle flopped backwards onto her bed with a huff. "Why does stuff like this have to be so complicated?" she asked.
"Because it's high school. Everything is complicated," Tom said dryly. "You're not the only one dealing with something like this, trust me."
Danielle realized something after he said that. While she had spent the last handful of weeks blabbing away about Jasper, she hadn't bothered to ask Tom if there was anyone at school who had caught his eye. "How's your love life going, Pickles?" she asked. "Tell me it's better than mine."
Tom scoffed, which couldn't mean anything good. "I'll let you know when I actually get one," he said dismally. Apparently, they were both unlucky in the love department. "Anyway, it's getting late, and I still have homework to finish up."
Danielle cringed when she looked at the clock and realized it was past ten o'clock in Houston. "Why didn't you say something? I would've let you go a lot sooner if I'd known you had stuff to do."
"Hey, when my best friend calls and is in the middle of a crisis, that's way more important than some stupid assignment that won't mean anything to me after tomorrow," Tom told her.
Danielle smiled. "You're the best, Tom," she said fondly. "You know I couldn't live without you, right?"
"Course I do," he said cockily, which made her chuckle. "I really should go, but just...keep your chin up, okay? And keep me in the loop about Jasper. I wanna know what happens after you two see each other again."
"Okay. I will," Danielle promised.
After they said goodbye, Danielle ended the call and set her phone down so she could rub her eyes. Tom had certainly given her a lot to think about, that was for sure. Was he right about what he had said, though? Had she misinterpreted this whole situation with Jasper?
She had absolutely no idea. All she knew was that she was dreading tomorrow, and there weren't enough encouraging words in the world that would change that.
It took a lot of mental pep-talking and a significant amount of willpower, but Danielle managed to drag herself out of bed for school the next morning, even though going to school was the absolute last thing she wanted to do. For the first time in a long time, she was not in anyway looking forward to seeing Jasper, and she was not looking forward to having to sit through the classes they had together. They were going to be the worst, most painfully awkward moments of her life, she just knew it.
Once she was dressed and had eaten breakfast, she grabbed her backpack and headed out to meet Bella at the truck. Bella was waiting for her already, and as Danielle walked toward her, dragging her feet the entire way, she was certain her friend could tell that she wasn't in a good mood.
"Hey," Bella greeted gently.
"Hey," Danielle said back, trying not to sound as glum as she felt.
Bella looked like she wanted to ask her what was going on. Danielle, however, just kept her mouth shut and her eyes down as she set her bag in the bed of the truck, before heading for the passenger side door. Bella sighed and finally followed her lead, putting her bag in the back and then climbing into the cab.
They began making their way to school, driving along in silence at first. Danielle kept her eyes glued to the window, taking these last moments before school to mentally prepare herself for whatever she was about to face. She felt Bella's eyes on her, but she didn't meet her friend's gaze. Finally, when she seemed unable to stand the silence any longer, Bella cleared her throat and spoke.
"Jessica called me last night," she revealed. "She wanted my permission to ask Mike to the dance."
The comment was enough to make Danielle quirk a brow and turn a questioning look on Bella. "Why was she asking your permission?" she asked.
Bella shrugged. "I guess she thought I was going to ask him," she said. "I told her I wasn't going to the dance and that I thought it would be a great idea if she asked him," Bella said with a nod, which didn't surprise Danielle. She was sure her friend would be fond of any idea that would get Mike off her back. "I told her she should encourage Angela to ask Eric to the dance, too. After what we all talked about yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to get another person trying to push Angela in the right direction."
Danielle nodded. "Good idea."
Their conversation lulled for a moment. Bella kept her eyes on the road, while Danielle shifted in her seat and picked at a string that had come loose from the hem of her shirt.
"Are you gonna tell me what happened yesterday?" Bella finally asked.
Danielle hesitated, then finally decided she might as well tell Bella the truth. "I asked Jasper to the Spring Fling," she revealed, which made Bella look at her with wide eyes. Before Bella had the chance to ask what his response had been, Danielle frowned and turned her eyes back to the window. "He said no."
"Oh," Bella said quietly. There was a long pause of silence, then she said, "Dani, I'm sorry." Danielle glanced at Bella again, who was watching her with a sympathetic frown. "That really sucks."
Danielle mustered up a halfhearted smile in return. "Thanks," she said without much enthusiasm.
"Are you…alright?" Bella asked with concern.
Danielle shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not great," she admitted. "I feel pretty dumb, and I'm definitely not looking forward to seeing him. But…what's done is done," she said with a slow nod. "There's nothing I can do now but hope he doesn't hate my guts and hope we can still salvage our friendship."
"Jasper doesn't hate your guts," Bella said at once.
Danielle quirked a brow. "How do you know?"
"Because I see the way you two are together," Bella said matter-of-factly. "He's not going to suddenly hate you just because you asked him to a stupid dance. Things might be awkward for a bit, but…it'll get better," she said with optimism.
Danielle sighed. "Yeah, maybe."
Despite her friend's encouraging words, Danielle couldn't help the doubt still swirling through her veins. As much as she wanted to believe both Bella and Tom when they told her there was still a chance that all of this would work out in the end, after what had happened the day before, she wasn't going to get her hopes up. She had already let herself get her hopes up once and it had blown up in her face – she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle something like that a second time around.
When Forks High finally came into view, Danielle immediately felt her palms begin to sweat. The moment she had been dreading was drawing closer and closer with each passing second. Bella turned into the school parking lot and parked in the first available space she spotted, but neither one of them made any moves to get out the truck just yet. Danielle's eyes searched the lot for any of the Cullen cars, her heart launching up into her throat when she spotted a fancy vehicle parked only a few spaces over. Jasper was there already. And he probably wasn't looking forward to seeing her, either.
"Is it too late to make a run for it?" Danielle asked, turning helpless eyes on Bella.
Bella smiled sympathetically. "If you don't face him today, you'll just have to do it tomorrow," she said wisely. She was right, of course. "Might as well get it over with, right?"
Danielle seriously contemplated just chickening out and skipping school for another second or two, until she finally realized that skipping would solve absolutely nothing. She sucked in a deep breath through her nose, then let it out slowly, her eyes closing for a moment. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at Bella again, before nodding. "Alright."
Bella reached over to pat her shoulder, then opened the door and got out of the truck. Danielle followed her lead, and once they had collected their backpacks from the bed of the truck, they started making their way up to the school. As they walked, Danielle's eyes jumped all around, always on the lookout for a familiar head of blonde hair. When they managed to make it across the parking lot without running into – or even seeing – any Cullen's, Danielle began to breathe a bit easier. She knew she would still be seeing Jasper when she went to her first period class, but at least she had a few more minutes to get herself together before their impending meeting.
Unfortunately, any relief she felt was short lived. Because the moment she and Bella ascended the stairs that led from the parking lot to the school, she saw him.
Jasper was outside, standing by himself not far from the entrance to the school, his spine stiff as a board. When their gazes met he stood even straighter, his shoulders squaring a bit. He must have been waiting for her to show up, because he immediately came marching toward her with purposeful steps.
Danielle stood rooted to the spot at the top of the stairs, not even noticing when other students complained about her standing in the way as they brushed past her. Bella stopped too, her eyes darting back and forth between Danielle and the approaching Jasper. She seemed unsure whether she should stay or not.
Jasper finally came to a halt right in front of Danielle. The only sign that he was nervous came in the form of a gulp. Other than that, he was radiating nothing but pure determination.
"Can we talk?" he asked, his tone careful, but his eyes pleading.
Danielle immediately heard Tom's voice in her head. If he tries to talk to you, listen to what he has to say. Danielle was nervous as hell, but she cleared her throat and nodded her head. "Sure," she said. She glanced at Bella, who still lingered nearby, and motioned for her to continue on without her. "I'll see you in Spanish, okay?"
Bella slowly nodded. "Okay," she said. Bella gave Jasper one last look, then started to leave. She turned back whenever Jasper wasn't looking, however, and gave Danielle a discreet thumbs up. Good luck¸ she mouthed silently.
With Bella gone, Jasper gestured for Danielle to follow him off to the side, so that they wouldn't be standing right in the middle of the walkway anymore. Danielle went with him toward a spot where no other students were, where they would be able to talk without anyone overhearing them. Danielle crossed her arms over her chest as Jasper turned to face her, doing her best to keep her expression neutral.
For a long few moments, Jasper didn't say anything. He just looked at her, his eyes studying her face intently, his lips pressed together tightly. Considering the way he had approached her, she had thought he had planned out something to say to her. Now, however, it seemed like he didn't know how to put what was in his mind into words.
"Are you just gonna stand there?" Danielle finally asked, his silence only making her more anxious. "Or did you have something to say to me?"
Jasper blinked, then cleared his throat. "I do have something to say to you," he confirmed with a nod. "Danielle…I'm sorry," he told her sincerely. "All I've been able to think about is what happened yesterday." His eyes began to fill with regret now. "I hurt your feelings, I know I did. And I hate myself for it."
Danielle sighed heavily. She felt as though she could feel every ounce of Jasper's guilt and regret, as if the emotions were her very own. It made her feel guilty, too. Why should Jasper feel so guilty for turning her down? It wasn't his fault that he didn't feel the same way she did.
"You don't have to apologize, Jasper. It's not your fault," she told him gently. Danielle then gave him a sad smile and shrugged. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting you to say yes," she admitted. "The rejection really wasn't much of a surprise. Deep down, I think I knew it was coming all along."
Jasper hesitated, then gave her a very serious look. "That's where you're wrong," he said. "I wasn't rejecting you."
Danielle's brain instantly stopped functioning properly. She stared at him for a moment, completely caught off guard by what he had just said, her mouth opening and closing like a fish as she tried to make her vocal chords work again. "Wait…what do you mean?" she finally managed to ask.
Jasper raked a hand through his hair again, just like he had done the day before when she'd asked him to the dance. Danielle was beginning to suspect it was something he did whenever he was exceedingly nervous or frustrated.
"I already told you how I feel about school dances. I think they're awkward and ridiculous, and I have never felt the desire to attend them," he began to explain. Jasper paused, his gaze intensifying a little. "But this is different. You are different," he said, which made her heart skip a beat. He finally gave her a flicker of a smile. "Believe me when I say that I would love nothing more than to go to that silly dance with you."
Danielle suddenly had to resist the urge to grin like an idiot. Jasper wasn't rejecting her. Jasper did want to go to the dance with her. "You do?" she asked, almost afraid that it was too good to be true.
Jasper nodded. "Yes." In the next moment, however, he frowned. "But just as I said yesterday, I'm not sure it's a good idea. I feel…" Jasper paused and pressed his lips together tightly, once again looking like he was struggling with what to say. "I feel it might be…unsafe," he finally said.
As thrilled as Danielle was with this unexpected turn of events, she still frowned with confusion. "I'm sure there's gonna be chaperones there," she said reassuringly, not sure she knew what Jasper was afraid of. "And considering nothing seems to happen in this town, I don't think anything crazy is gonna happen."
Jasper shook his head. "That's not what I'm worried about," he told her.
Danielle raised her brows unsurely. "What are you worried about, then?"
"Going to a dance requires, well…dancing," he said, and for one stupid moment, she thought his reluctance was due to him thinking she would judge him for his dancing skills…or, perhaps, lack thereof. "Dancing requires getting very close to one another, and it means a lot of touching," he continued. "And that might make things…difficult for me."
"I'm not following," Danielle admitted with a shake of her head. She was too caught up in the thought of spending an entire evening dancing with Jasper to understand whatever it was he was trying to tell her. How wonderful would it be, to be wrapped up in his arms? To be so close to him? To be surrounded by that wonderful piney scent as they slow danced together? It sounded downright heavenly.
Jasper closed his eyes for a moment, then gave her another serious look. "There are things you don't know about me, Danielle. Things I haven't told you."
His words were enough to bring her daydreams to a screeching halt. Her brows furrowed together and uneasiness crept into her belly. "What do you mean?" she asked uncertainly. "What kind of things?"
"Things that I'm not sure I want you to know about yet," Jasper said with a shake of his head.
Danielle pressed her lips together tightly, not sure she knew how to feel about what he had just said.
Whatever this secret of his was, it sounded serious. But what could it possibly be? Certainly it couldn't be anything too bad, right?
She suddenly remembered something Jasper had said to her several weeks ago, when he'd been walking her to her mother's bookshop. He had mentioned that before he had been adopted, when he'd still been living in Texas, that he hadn't been in a very good situation. It made her wonder now if maybe this secret of his had something to do with his upbringing. Had something happened to him before Carlisle and Esme had adopted him? Had someone...harmed him in some way?
As much as she didn't want to think about that possibility, if it was true, it would certainly explain why he was so reluctant to get too close to anyone. Did he not want to tell her because he didn't like to talk about it? Or was he afraid it was something she might judge him for?
Danielle's head was filling with questions, questions that she now very much wanted the answers to. But when she saw the vulnerability in his eyes, she held her tongue. Jasper was clearly way out of his comfort zone already – she didn't want to push him into talking about his past if it was something he wasn't ready to tell her yet. It would be torture, having all these unanswered questions in the back of her mind. But she cared about Jasper, and whatever his secrets were, she cared enough to wait until he was ready to tell her.
"Okay," she finally said, nodding slowly.
Jasper gave her an uncertain look. "Okay?" he echoed, as if he had expected her to pry and was surprised that she wasn't.
"Yeah," Danielle said with a nod. "I mean, I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not curious to know what exactly it is that you're talking about," she admitted. "But if you're not ready to tell me about it, I won't try to make you."
Jasper gave her a long look, as if he didn't know what to make of her. "Why are you being so understanding of all this?" he finally asked, sounding completely confused.
Danielle just gave him a shrug. "Because I trust you," she told him. "And because I care about you."
Danielle internally cringed as those last words left her lips. She hadn't meant to say that last part. It had just slipped out on its own. She held her breath as Jasper gulped again, waiting to hear what he had to say and praying she hadn't just put her foot in it again. Jasper stared at her intently, then finally sighed and shook his head, which made her heart freeze in her chest.
"I've never been in a situation like this before," Jasper revealed, motioning back and forth between them. "I've never allowed myself to become so…involved…with someone. In fact, I've never wanted to become involved with anyone. But like I said, you're different." Jasper looked down at her hand, then slowly, gently, reach out to grab it. The feel of his cold hand locking around hers sent tingles up her arm. "I care about you, too, Danielle," he admitted quietly, which made her heart instantly soar. "You're not just a friend to me. You're…more than that. But I don't know where we go from here," he said with a shake of his head. "I don't know how to handle this. I don't – "
"Jasper," she interjected gently, which made him fall silent. "This is all new to me, too," she admitted, because she had never had an actual boyfriend before, and though she wouldn't dare go as far as to say that Jasper was her boyfriend now, she very much hoped that their relationship was currently headed in that direction. "We don't have to figure everything out right this second, okay? There's no rush here," Danielle told him reassuringly. "Why don't we just…take it one day at a time?"
Jasper took a long moment to contemplate what she had said, then gave her a small smile. "I can agree with that plan," he told her with a nod of his head.
Danielle grinned, then shook her head in bemusement. This day had ended up going a completely different way than she had anticipated. When she had woken up that morning, she had fully expected that Jasper wouldn't want to even look at her, let alone talk to her. Instead, they had talked things through and worked things out. And the cherry on top? Jasper cared about her as more than a friend, and she had finally been able to admit her real feelings. It was more than she could have ever hoped for.
"I am so glad I didn't skip school today," she mused aloud, just knowing that she looked like a love-struck puppy as she stared into Jasper's amber colored eyes.
Jasper smirked. "You were going to skip?"
"After making such a colossal ass of myself yesterday? You better believe I was thinking about it," she said with a scoff.
Jasper frowned a bit. "If anyone was being an ass, it was me," he said.
Danielle just gave him a look. "How about we just say that we were both asses and leave it at that?" she suggested.
Jasper nodded. "Alright," he agreed, though he still didn't look convinced.
A momentary silence passed between them. Jasper stared at her, his eyes fixed on hers as if trying to peer into her very soul. Danielle just smiled back at him, delighted with the way things had gone. Tom had been right after all, which probably shouldn't have been a surprise seeing as Tom was usually right about everything. She made a mental note to text him the moment she got a chance and tell him how well everything had played out between her and Jasper.
"Thank you for talking with me," Jasper finally said to break the silence. "After what happened yesterday, I thought…" He paused, as if he wasn't sure how much he should reveal. Finally, he seemed to decide to just say it. "I was afraid maybe I had…lost you," he admitted, his tone betraying just how worried he had truly been.
Since his hand was still holding hers, Danielle took the opportunity to give his hand a comforting squeeze. "I'm not going anywhere, Jasper," she told him, giving him a small smile. "I'm not that easy to get rid of."
Jasper smiled, looking relieved.
Suddenly, completely out of nowhere, Danielle was hit with such a strong rush of affection that it damn near knocked the wind out of her. The feeling faded as quickly as it had arrived, leaving her to shake her head in complete and utter confusion and look at Jasper with dazed eyes, unsure what exactly had just happened. What the hell was that? And why did things like this always seem to happen around Jasper? Was she losing her damned mind?
The bell finally rang, which pulled Danielle away from her confused thoughts. They had been standing there talking for a while. It was time to get to class. "I believe that's our cue," Jasper said, frowning a bit as he glanced at the school.
Danielle sighed with disappointment, then nodded. The prospect of staying outside with Jasper, where they could talk and be alone, sounded far more appealing than going to class, but she knew they didn't really have a choice in the matter.
Jasper reluctantly released her hand, then they turned and started to slowly make their way toward the front doors, following the crowd of students that was now making their way inside. The two of them shuffled along with their classmates, walking close to one another, sharing small, discreet smiles whenever they caught each other sneaking looks. Danielle was so happy she felt like she was walking on air, and if the smile still playing on Jasper's lips was any indicator, he was happy, too.
Once they were in the school, they started toward Danielle's locker first. When they passed by a big sign for the Spring Fling, she was struck with the realization that she still didn't know if they were actually going to the dance or not.
"So wait," Danielle said, looking at Jasper curiously. "Just to clarify…are we, or are we not, going to the dance?"
Jasper blinked with what seemed like surprise, as if he had forgotten about the dance, too. Considering the direction their conversation had gone, she couldn't blame him for forgetting about it. He looked down at her and quirked an uncertain brow. "You really want to go?" he asked.
"Only if you do," Danielle said with a shrug.
Jasper took a moment to think about it, his expression a bit hesitant. Finally, he nodded. "Alright, then," he said. "We'll go."
Danielle fought the urge to grin with joy, instead raising her brows at Jasper questioningly. "You're sure?" she asked. "I know you weren't really sold on the idea. I don't wanna make you do something you don't really want to."
Jasper gave her a look. "Danielle," he said, his tone gentle, but firm. "It's fine. We'll go to the dance."
Danielle did grin then. Jasper smiled back, then turned his eyes forward again.
Suddenly, Jasper stopped. Something down the hall had caught his attention, making him freeze in place. Danielle stopped next to him and frowned with confusion, before following his gaze to see what he was looking at. It didn't take long for her to discover what had caught Jasper's eye, and when she did, she felt her stomach turn uneasily.
Rosalie and Alice, Jasper's sisters, were standing a little ways down the hallway. Both of the beautiful girls had spotted them, and though Alice – whom Danielle still had not formally met – was eyeing her and Jasper with a little smile on her lips, the same could not be said for Rosalie. The blonde had her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her eyes narrowed with disapproval as she looked first at Jasper, then at Danielle. After a moment, she scoffed and shook her head, before storming off. Alice hesitated, then quickly hurried after her.
Danielle and Jasper watched the two go, before turning a look on each other. "And you say Rosalie doesn't hate me?" Danielle asked with skepticism.
"Just ignore her," Jasper said, looking none too pleased with the way his sister was behaving. "I'll have a talk with her later." Danielle started to tell him that wasn't necessary, that she didn't want there to be even more drama with Rosalie, but before she got the chance to say anything, Jasper motioned her forward with a nod of his head. "Let's go before we're late for class."
Danielle hesitated, then finally nodded and followed him.
Eventually she was able to push any thoughts of Rosalie to the back of her mind for the time being. Was she still vaguely aware of the dark looks being tossed her direction from Jasper's twin during first period? Of course she was – there was no way Danielle wouldn't be able to notice the fact that Rosalie seemed to be doing her best to burn holes into her head with her eyes. But Rosalie sending her death glares wasn't anything new, and considering how incredible of a morning Danielle was having, she didn't think there was anything in the world that could have dampened her spirits.
Nothing was going to rain on her parade today. Not even Rosalie Hale and her glaringly obvious dislike for her.
She ignored Rosalie's presence in first period, and noticed – but didn't care – that Jordan had switched seats in second period, so that he was no longer sitting behind her. Other than that, her focus was solely on Jasper. Danielle smiled like an idiot during both classes and kept sneaking glances at him every two seconds. Paying attention to her teachers proved to be an impossible feat, so much so that she eventually gave up altogether.
How was she supposed to focus on schoolwork when Jasper was sitting right next to her, looking insanely gorgeous and shooting her charming smiles whenever the teacher wasn't looking? It was impossible.
"You're bad for my education," Danielle commented after English was over and they were headed toward her third period class.
"How so?" Jasper asked with amusement.
"Because you're distracting," Danielle told him bluntly. "I couldn't tell you one thing that either of our teachers said in the last two classes," she admitted.
Jasper smirked, and if she wasn't mistaken, he looked mighty pleased with himself. "I'm sorry," he said with a shrug, though she didn't think he sounded all that apologetic. Suddenly Jasper leaned a bit closer, so that his lips were only mere inches from her ear. "But just so you know, you're not the only one who was distracted this morning," he confessed suggestively.
Danielle flushed bright red, not sure which affected her more – his close proximity, that piney scent that always made her brain go a little fuzzy, or the sound of his deep, smooth voice in her ear. It was the first time Jasper had been openly flirtatious with her, and the effect it had on her was palpable. "You're making me blush," she said, stating the obvious.
"You blush quite a bit, in case you hadn't noticed," he said, his tone teasing now.
"Trust me, I'm aware," Danielle shot back. "It's one of the downfalls of being a redhead. Blushing is as easy as breathing for me."
Jasper's smirk widened. "Want to know a secret?" he asked. He leaned close again. "I rather like seeing you blush."
Danielle looked at him, her mind going a little fuzzy at the mischievous look in his eyes. Jesus. She was kind of glad he'd never flirted with her before. If he had been flirting with her all this time, she would have gone braindead ages ago.
"Well, well, well," someone said behind them, making them both jump in surprise.
They looked back to see that Emmett had appeared and was walking behind them, though Danielle had no idea how long he had been there for. She would guess he'd been there long enough, since he was looking at them with what she could only describe as a big, shit-eating grin.
"What do we have here?" he taunted.
Danielle blushed for a new reason now, while Jasper shot his bigger, taller brother an annoyed look. "I'm walking Danielle to class, just as I always do," he said evenly.
Emmett's eyes were sparkling with amusement as he pushed his way between them, much to the dismay of both Danielle and Jasper. "Is that so?" he asked, before turning his attention to Danielle. "Is this guy bothering you, Dani?" he asked, jerking his thumb toward Jasper. "You want me to rough him up for you?"
Jasper heaved and rolled his eyes, which just seem to tickle Emmett even more. Even though part of her was a bit disappointed that Emmett had interrupted their little moment, she couldn't help but laugh at her friend's antics. It was obvious that he took great pleasure in giving Jasper a hard time. It was also obvious that Jasper didn't care for it very much. Deciding to come to Jasper's defense, Danielle stopped laughing and quirked a brow at Emmett.
"What if you're the one who's bothering me, Em?" she countered. "Who do I get to rough you up?"
Jasper smirked and immediately gestured toward himself. "I would be more than happy to volunteer for that job," he told her with a nod, which made Danielle laugh again.
Emmett huffed and shoved his brother's shoulder. "I'd like to see you try, Jazzy-poo," he challenged. Danielle snorted at the nickname Emmett had given his brother.
Jasper raised his brows and shoved Emmett back. "Are you forgetting how many times I've put you in your place in the past, brother?" he shot back.
Emmett shoved him yet again and started to say something else in response, but Danielle finally stepped in front of them and held a hand up to make them both be quiet. Jasper and Emmett looked at her with raised brows. "Alright, boys. There's way too much testosterone flying around right now. Knock it off. Both of you," she said authoritatively.
Emmett shared a look with Jasper, then snorted. "You sound like our mother," he said accusingly, before moving past her and continuing on.
Danielle looked at Jasper, who just shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry. Emmett and I tend to get a little…competitive with each other," he admitted as they resumed walking next to one another, trailing behind Emmett as he led the way to History.
"I can see that," she said with a smirk. "I'm sure your parents just love it," she added jokingly.
"Course they do," Jasper confirmed, though the way Emmett chuckled ahead of them and the twinkle in Jasper's eye told her that wasn't even close to being true.
Eventually the time came when they reached her and Emmett's next class. Emmett said goodbye to Jasper and strode into the classroom, but Danielle lingered outside as long as she could. She wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to him yet. Not for the first time, she found herself wishing they had more classes together, just so she could see more of him throughout the day.
"You'll sit with me at lunch today?" she asked hopefully.
Jasper nodded and smiled. "It would be a privilege and an honor."
"Great," Danielle said, smiling widely. She glanced around, saw that the halls were starting to empty out, and knew it was almost time for class to start. "You should get going before you're late," she suggested, even though the last thing she wanted was for him to leave. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"
Jasper nodded, then, after one last lingering look, he finally strode off. Danielle sighed happily to herself, then went into her History class.
As she eased into her seat, she was not the least bit surprised to see the knowing smirk that Emmett was shooting her way. Danielle calmly unpacked her things for class, unable to wipe off the smile that seemed permanently etched onto her face. When a few seconds passed and Emmett still had not turned his gaze from her, she looked over at him questioningly.
"Something on your mind?" she asked.
Emmett's smirk grew. "You and Jasper looked pretty chummy," he commented. "I take it things are back to normal now?"
Danielle cocked an eyebrow at him. "Jasper told you what happened yesterday?"
Emmett huffed. "Dani, he's my brother," he reminded her. "Believe it or not, we actually talk to each other and turn to each other for advice when we need it. And when it comes to Jasper needing advice about you, who in the Cullen family do you think he goes to?" he asked with a meaningful look.
Danielle made a sound of understanding. Of course Jasper would turn to Emmett for advice. She and Emmett had gotten close, which made him one of the few people in Forks, Washington who knew her the best. It made perfect sense that Jasper would go to him to figure out the best way to mend things between them.
"You make a good point," Danielle told him with a nod. "And to answer your question, yes, things are definitely back to normal." But then she thought about everything she and Jasper had discussed, and how different everything had felt between them since. She smiled sappily, her cheeks turning a bit pink. "Actually, things are better than normal."
Emmett smiled, and this time there was no sarcasm or teasing behind it. He seemed genuinely pleased. "So then what happens next?" he asked curiously.
"I don't know," Danielle told him honestly, her shoulders shrugging. "We'll just have to wait and see, I guess."
Emmett nodded his understanding. "Well, just so you know, you've got my support in all this," he told her with a firm nod. "There are…some…in the family who might not see things the same way I do," he admitted, and she had a very strong feeling he was referring to Rosalie. "But I've seen a huge change in Jasper since you came along. A good change. This is the happiest I've seen him in a really, really long time. And at the end of the day, that's all I want for my brother. For him to be happy. That's all I want for you, too," he told her seriously. "So whatever happens from here on out…I'm rooting for you guys."
Danielle felt of rush of both gratitude and fondness for the Cullen sitting next to her. Emmett was usually a sarcastic, cocky, and, at times, annoying goofball who didn't take a lot of things very seriously. But there were times, like now, where he showed a more serious, heartfelt side to himself. The truth of the matter was that Emmett Cullen could be downright sweet when he really wanted to be.
"Wow," she said, having to clear her throat. "Thanks, Em," Danielle said, giving him a grateful smile.
Emmett just smirked and inclined his head. "You're welcome."
It was a little easier to concentrate in History because Jasper wasn't there, but not by much. For the most part, Danielle was able to listen to the teacher and actually process what she was teaching, though there were still plenty of times where she caught herself tuning the teacher out completely, her mind filling with thoughts of Jasper while she absentmindedly doodled little hearts on the corner of the paper she was supposed to be taking notes on. Just the mere thought of him made her smile to herself, made her heart flutter in her chest.
When History was over, she said goodbye to Emmett and headed toward Spanish. It was a class that she always hoped would go by quickly, simply because by the time she made it to fourth period, she was almost always starving and eager to get to lunch. Today, however, she was anxious for Spanish to pass by quickly so that she could reunite with Jasper, who she missed probably more than was acceptable. It was silly, of course, to miss him when he was in the same building and she'd seen him only a few hours ago, but she just couldn't help it.
Usually Bella beat her to Spanish and was already sitting in her seat by the time Danielle arrived. Today, however, she was surprised to see that Bella was waiting for her outside the classroom, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. When she spotted Danielle, she immediately rushed to meet her halfway.
"I've been dying to talk to you all morning," she said in a rush. "What happened with Jasper after I left?" she then asked, looking very eager to know. "Is everything okay?"
Danielle grinned and nodded her head. "Everything is great," she said. She quickly summarized what they had talked about, not wanting to go into too much detail simply because there were certain parts of that conversation that she felt had been just for them to know about. When she was finished, she smiled again. "So everything is good, really good, and Jasper and I are going to the dance together," she concluded. "All is right in the world again."
Bella gave her a relieved look. "I'm so happy to hear that, Dani," she told her earnestly. "I'm really glad you guys talked everything out."
"Me too," Danielle agreed.
"So what now?" Bella asked as they walked into class together and slid into their desks. "Are you guys…" She paused and glanced around, then leaned forward. "Are you guys together now?" Bella asked, lowering her voice so nobody would be able to eavesdrop.
Danielle shrugged. "Technically? No, I don't think so," she answered. "We're just taking things one day at a time right now."
"Got it," Bella said, nodding in understanding.
The bell rang after that, and Danielle had never been so happy for Spanish to start. She settled in and focused on the lesson, thinking that maybe if she paid really close attention that the time would go by faster. That worked for all of about five minutes before she found her eyes drifting to the clock hanging above the chalkboard. Five minutes down, forty-five to go, she thought to herself. But who was counting, right?
Between constantly watching the clock and her own growing impatience, Spanish absolutely dragged. But finally, mercifully, the bell rang and it was time to go to lunch. Danielle quickly packed her things, then practically jumped out of her seat. She and Bella left class together and started making their way to the cafeteria, but in her eagerness to get to lunch and see Jasper, Danielle set a quick pace that left Bella struggling to keep up.
"Dani, slow down!" Bella pleaded. "Your legs are longer than mine! I can barely keep up with you!"
Danielle gave her a sheepish smile as she forced herself to slow down. "Sorry. I'm just – "
"Ready to see Jasper again?" Bella interjected, accurately predicting what Danielle had been about to say. "I don't blame you. I'd probably be the same way if I was in your shoes."
They walked in silence for a few moments, this time walking much slower. Danielle looked over at Bella and noticed that her friend had a pensive look on her face now, as if she had started thinking about something. That something, whatever it was, appeared to be bothering her a bit.
"What's on your mind?" Danielle asked, nudging her with her elbow.
Bella blinked and looked at Danielle, then sighed. "I was thinking about…" She trailed off, then shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important."
Danielle gave her a knowing look. She'd seen this sort of evasiveness from Bella before, and they'd had this conversation – or, rather, non-conversation – enough times for her to know exactly what Bella was thinking about. "You're thinking about Edward, aren't you?" Bella hesitated, then nodded. "Has anything changed with him? Anything at all?" Danielle asked.
"No," Bella answered. "He just keeps on ignoring me, like he does every single day."
Danielle sighed and shook her head. "I've said it before but I'll say it again – I just don't get it," she said with a clueless shrug. "What's his deal?"
"If I knew, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Bella replied dryly.
Danielle pursed her lips thoughtfully as they walked, before turning a look on Bella. "Do you want me to try asking Jasper what's going on with him?" she offered.
"No," Bella denied at once. "You've already tried asking him and Emmett, and neither of them had an explanation. If you keep asking him, he might tell Edward. And the last thing I want is for Edward to think that I'm pestering people for information about him," she explained quickly. "So thank you, but…no."
Danielle nodded. "Alright, I won't say anything. But if you change your mind, the offer is still on the table. All you have to do is ask and I'll start snooping around."
Bella gave her a halfhearted smile. "Thanks."
They bumped into Angela and Jessica again a few minutes later, who joined them on their journey to the cafeteria. Angela told them that she had spoken to Eric and Mike about their upcoming trip out to La Push and that she had more details about the get together. Mike's father owned a store in town, and the plan was to meet there around ten in the morning on Saturday before they would all carpool to La Push. They were going to go to a beach called First Beach, where they would have a picnic, surf, hike, and just generally have as much fun as possible. It sounded like it was shaping up to be an all day affair.
While Angela explained all the details, Danielle was suddenly struck with the idea to invite Jasper to tag along. She hadn't thought about it the day before because she'd been worried about other things at the time, but now that things were good between her and Jasper, she thought it would be really nice to have him there with her. Sure, he didn't know the others and might feel awkward, but she didn't think it would hurt to try. It would be the perfect excuse to hang out with him outside of school.
Danielle made up her mind quickly. She was going to invite Jasper to join them in La Push.
They reached the cafeteria, and to Danielle's delight, she saw that Jasper was already there and had already claimed their table. She signaled that she would be there shortly – she mentally patted herself on the back for learning from her mistake the previous day – and followed her friends to the lunch line to get food. Once she had her food, she said goodbye to her friends and headed toward Jasper, determined to get there before anyone could stop her this time.
Unfortunately, she didn't succeed. She made it only about five steps when a very pretty girl with short, dark hair and a friendly smile practically appeared from out of nowhere.
Danielle stopped in surprise. It was Alice Cullen.
"Hi," Alice said, smiling brightly.
Danielle, confused, glanced over her shoulder just to make sure that there was no one behind her and that Alice was actually talking to her and not someone else. When she saw that nobody was behind her, she turned back to Alice, who was still smiling at her.
"Er…hi," Danielle said unsurely.
"I'm Alice, Jasper's sister," she introduced herself.
"I know," Danielle said without thinking about it. When she remembered that that wasn't how she was supposed to respond in situations like this, she tried again. "I'm Danielle," she told her.
"I know," Alice echoed. She tilted her head curiously, her eyes narrowing a bit with thought. Danielle noticed that just like all of her brothers, she too had amber colored eyes. Strange that they all have the same eye color when most of them aren't really related, she thought to herself.
"What do you like to be called?" Alice asked, drawing her from her thoughts. "Jasper always calls you Danielle, but I hear everyone else call you Dani," she pointed out. "Which do you prefer?" she asked.
Danielle blinked with surprise – it was only now that she was realizing that Jasper was the only person she knew who still called her Danielle. She found herself wondering why that was. "You can call me Dani if you want," Danielle answered.
Alice smiled brightly again. "Okay," she said with a nod. "Sorry to catch you off guard," she then apologized. "I've just heard so many good things about you from Jasper and Emmett. Jasper talks about you so much I feel like I already know you," she admitted with a tinkling laugh. "I've been dying to meet you, so I finally decided to just come over here and introduce myself."
Hearing Alice say that made Danielle smile and glance toward Jasper. He was watching them closely, looking mildly alarmed by the fact that she was currently talking to his sister. "Well, I'm happy to finally meet you," Danielle said, shifting her attention back to Alice. "I've heard a lot of good things about you, too." Which was mostly true – Jasper and Emmett always spoke highly of her, but everyone else in school thought Alice was just plain weird.
"Oh, that's good," Alice said. She still hadn't stopped smiling. "Most people think I'm strange, so it's nice to know at least someone is saying something good about me."
Danielle blinked at her, then smiled, finding that she kind of liked how blunt and straightforward Alice was. "Strange isn't necessarily a bad thing," Danielle offered. "As a good friend of mine has said many, many times, normal people are boring," she joked, thinking back to all the times she'd heard Tom say that in conversation.
Alice laughed that same, tinkling laugh, her eyes shining with humor. "I like the way you and your friend think, Dani," she said. "Normal people are boring, aren't they?"
Danielle nodded, then unconsciously glanced toward Jasper again. He was still watching them, though now he looked as though he was contemplating coming over to intervene. Alice, noticing Danielle's distraction, followed Danielle's gaze to her brother. When she turned back to face Danielle, she raised her brows.
"Jasper looks a little anxious," she said observantly. "Perhaps we should go and see him?"
Danielle, who didn't need to be asked twice, nodded. "Sure."
With that, they began walking toward the table Jasper was sitting at. Alice walked next to her, hands clasped together, her eyes studying Danielle with interest. "How do you like Forks, Dani?" she asked conversationally.
"It's nice," Danielle answered. "I mean, it was a bit weird at first, but I feel like I've settled in pretty well."
"It's very different from Houston, I imagine," Alice commented. It didn't shock Danielle that Alice knew where she was from. "The gloom and the cold don't bother you?"
Danielle thought about it, then shrugged. "I do miss the sun," she admitted. There hadn't been one truly sunny day since she had moved to Forks, which was a bit depressing. She was almost starting to forget what it felt like to have the warmth of the sun on her skin. "I'm getting used to the weather out here, though. The rain isn't quite as annoying as it used to be, and the cold isn't quite as unbearable these days." She paused, then gave Alice a curious look. "When does it start to warm up around here?"
"It'll be a while yet, unfortunately. And if you're looking for a Texas kind of warmth, I'm afraid you won't find anything like that here," Alice said with a smirk.
Danielle gave her a look. "Trust me, I'm okay with that. Texas heat is brutal. Getting away from triple digit temperatures was about the only thing that I looked forward to when my mom and I moved," she assured Alice firmly.
Alice grinned. "Then it sounds like you've come to the right place."
They finally reached the table where Jasper sat, and almost immediately, he stood from his chair. He gave his sister a look that seemed mildly suspicious, then shifted his attention to Danielle. "Hello again," he said, giving her another one of his charming smiles.
"Hi," she said with a grin, setting her tray and her books down on the table. "I finally met your sister," she added, nodding toward Alice.
Jasper looked at Alice again, his smile faltering a bit. Alice just looked back at him, her expression perfectly innocent. "Yes, I can see that," he said slowly. "I had planned to introduce you to her myself, but it seems someone was too impatient to wait," he told her, his eyes never leaving Alice.
Alice tilted her head at him, one brow arching upward. "I told you I wanted to meet her and you kept saying no," she said with exasperation. "So I finally just decided to take matters into my own hands," she finished with a shrug, looking thoroughly unapologetic.
Danielle looked at Jasper in surprise. "Why did you tell her she couldn't meet me?" she asked.
Jasper quickly turned his eyes to her. "I didn't tell her she couldn't meet you," he clarified. "What I told her was that I didn't want her to meet you yet."
"But why?" Danielle asked again, still not fully understanding.
Jasper started to answer, but Alice beat him to the punch. "Basically Jasper knew that if we met we'd become friends," she interjected with a sweet smile. "He didn't want me hanging around stealing all your attention away from him."
"Alice," Jasper said sharply, looking both exasperated and embarrassed now.
Danielle pressed her lips together, trying very hard to resist the urge to laugh. Though she felt a little bad for Jasper for being embarrassed by his sister, this conversation just sealed the deal on her feelings toward Alice – weird or not, she liked Alice Cullen. She was nice, but also seemed to have a hefty dose of sassiness to her. Danielle had a feeling that she'd probably be a lot of fun to hang out with.
There was a moment of silence where Jasper glared at his sister, who smiled back at him serenely, and where Danielle glanced back and forth between the two, doing her best to hamper down her amusement. Finally, she cleared her throat and looked at Alice.
"Will you be joining us for lunch?" she asked. Really, she would have rather had lunch with just Jasper. But seeing as Alice was standing right there, inviting her to join them seemed like the polite thing to do.
"Well, since you asked – " Alice began to say.
"No, she won't," Jasper quickly interjected, which made Danielle and Alice both raise their brows at him. "You have somewhere to be, don't you, Alice?" he asked pointedly, the gleam in his eyes clearly telling his sister to scram.
Alice seemed like she wanted to say something, but then she just smirked and nodded. "Yes, I do," she confirmed. Danielle was pretty sure that she was lying and just saying that to appease her annoyed brother. "Thank you for the invitation, though."
"No problem," Danielle said.
When Jasper gave Alice another look, she finally took a step to leave. "I'll leave you two alone now. Have a nice lunch," she said. "Oh, and Dani?" she added. "I hope we can talk again soon."
Danielle smiled. "Me too."
Alice left after that, practically gliding away as she went to reclaim her seat at the normal Cullen table. As Danielle and Jasper sat down, Danielle couldn't help but give Jasper an amused look. When he saw the way she was looking at him, he heaved.
"I wasn't trying to keep you from meeting her, I promise," he insisted. "I just know how Alice can get. Sometimes she says things she isn't supposed to, and I was afraid she might…scare you away," he admitted.
"I'm not upset," she told him reassuringly. "In fact, I thought the whole thing was kinda funny."
Jasper pulled a sour face. "Well, at least one of us did," he grumbled. He shot a glance in his sister's direction, then shook his head. "Let's talk about something else," he suggested, clearly not wanting to spend their time together discussing Alice.
"Okay," Danielle agreed. "I have a question for you," she said, wanting to find out why Jasper didn't call her Dani like everyone else. "Why do you call me Danielle and not Dani?" she asked curiously.
Jasper seemed caught off guard by the question at first, then gave her a lopsided smile. "Your friends call you Dani," he said, before giving her a look that made butterflies erupt in her belly. "Seeing as you are more than just a friend to me, calling you Danielle seems more appropriate."
Danielle blushed immediately, finding that she liked his reason for disregarding her nickname quite a bit. "That's a pretty good reason," she said with a smile.
Jasper smiled back, then reached into his lunch bag to produce an apple. "How has your day been?" he asked to change the subject.
Danielle smiled brightly and nodded her head. "It's been great, though I've been super distracted," she admitted, reaching for the sandwich she'd bought for lunch and taking a bite. She chewed for a moment, then swallowed her food and flashed Jasper a playful smirk. "Some really great guy told me he liked me and that he wanted to go to the dance with me. It's put me in such a good mood that I can't really focus on anything else."
Jasper smiled widely, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Is that so?" Danielle nodded in confirmation. "Well, I think this guy, whoever he is, sounds very bad for your education," he teased, throwing her words from earlier back at her.
"Oh yes, absolutely horrible," Danielle agreed. "But I still like him."
"I'm sure he's very happy to hear that," Jasper said matter-of-factly.
They shared a smile, both amused by their little inside joke. Danielle shifted in her seat after a moment, then felt her heart jump when her knee bumped against his. One of his eyebrows lifted just a fraction of an inch at the contact, but he didn't move his knee away from hers. Danielle didn't move her knee either.
After eating some more food, she peered at Jasper questioningly. "Do you have plans for this weekend?" she asked, remembering her previous decision to invite him to the beach outing.
Jasper shrugged. "Emmett and Edward are planning a long hiking trip, and they've asked me to come along. I haven't decided if I want to go, though. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was talking to Angela about the beach trip and got some more details. We're leaving at ten on Saturday morning, and we're probably gonna be there for most of the day. There's gonna be surfing and hiking and a picnic," she listed off. Jasper nodded as he listened to her. "I was wondering…are you interested in coming along?"
Jasper's expression quickly turned to one of uncertainty as he considered the offer. "You said you're going to La Push?" Danielle nodded in confirmation. Jasper then pursed his lips. "I don't know, Danielle," he said hesitantly. "I've never been much of a beach person myself. And I don't really know anyone in that group."
"You know me," she argued.
Jasper smiled a bit. "That is true," he conceded. "But a few of the people going seem to have strong opinions when it comes to my family," he reminded her. "I'm not so sure they'd appreciate me tagging along."
"If I told them to play nice, they would," Danielle assured him. "Besides, this would be a good opportunity for them to finally get to know you. I'm sure those opinions might change a bit if they actually had a chance to talk to you."
Jasper wasn't convinced though. "I appreciate you offering, but I don't think I should go," he gently declined. "In fact, I should probably tell my brothers that I'll go hiking with them. I think they'd be upset if I ditched them to go frolicking on the beach with you."
Danielle rather liked the thought of frolicking on the beach with Jasper. "I'm sure they'll get over it," she said, hoping it might change his mind.
Jasper quirked a brow. "You do realize we're talking about Emmett here, right?" he pointed out. "He'd never let me hear the end of it."
Danielle laughed a bit. "I guess you're right." She sighed, then nodded, feeling slightly disappointed. "Alright, fine," she gave in. "You're off the hook. Go have bro time with your brothers this weekend."
Jasper leaned a little closer and gave her a small smile. "You'll still have plenty of fun without me," he said reassuringly.
"Yeah," Danielle agreed. "But I'd have a lot more fun with you," she insisted, giving him a meaningful look.
The smile on Jasper's face faded some, and his gaze suddenly seemed a bit more intense than it just had been. It made Danielle's breath catch in her throat. "I'll make it up to you," Jasper told her, his deep, smooth voice sending pleasant shivers down her spine. "I promise."
Danielle couldn't seem to remember how to speak for a moment. Finally, she nodded. "O-Okay."
Jasper just smirked at her, then relaxed in his seat again. "So," he said, his tone easy and conversational now. "Are you going to try surfing?"
It took a second, but Danielle was eventually able to get her brain working properly again so that she could respond. From there, they had a perfectly normal conversation, talking about surfing and hiking and whatever else came to mind while they ate lunch. Well…Danielle ate lunch, anyway. Jasper just picked at his food, as he always tended to do. She had expressed concern over his apparent lack of appetite once or twice, but he always just waved off her concerns and insisted that there was nothing to worry about, that he just didn't have a big appetite at this time of day. Danielle had eventually gotten to the point where she stopped bringing it up altogether.
After lunch was over, Jasper walked with her to her locker so she could get her books for Physics, then insisted on escorting her to class. She pointed out the fact that it would probably make him late for his own class, but he didn't seem to care. He simply reached over, grabbed her things so that she wouldn't have to carry them, then set off toward her class. Danielle smiled to herself, then, since she didn't have any other choice, she went with him. When he finally dropped her off at Physics, he left her with a sweet smile that had her daydreaming for the rest of the class period.
By the time Gym rolled around, Danielle's mood had not dampened in the slightest. She was still smiling to herself and still walking with a bounce in her step.
She stepped into the girl's locker room, humming a song under her breath, and made quick work of changing into her gym clothes. Just as she finished changing and started to store her normal clothes and her physics book into her gym locker, Bella came storming in. Her friend set her Biology book on the bench that ran between the rows of lockers with a loud BANG, then roughly opened up her locker to start yanking out her gym clothes. Danielle, who had frozen on the spot in surprise at her friend's noisy arrival, raised her brows with uncertainty.
"Bella?" she asked unsurely. "You okay?"
Bella looked over at her, her eyes alight with anger and annoyance. "No, I'm not okay," she said with a heave.
"Care to elaborate?" Danielle persisted.
Bella heaved again, then sat down heavily on the bench. She shook her head and gave Danielle a helpless look. "Edward finally talked to me," she revealed, which made Danielle's eyes go wide. "Don't get too excited. It did not go well," Bella said, her expression going sour again.
Danielle sighed and sat down on the bench next to her. "Tell me what happened. I'm all ears," she said with a nod.
Bella shook her head in frustration as she launched into the story. "There I was, just sitting there minding my own business while Edward ignored me, just like he always does. Suddenly Mike comes out of nowhere and says that Jess asked him to the Spring Fling, but that he hadn't given her an answer yet because he wanted to know if I had plans to ask him. So I tell him that I'm not going because I'm going to be in Seattle that day – "
"You are?" Danielle interjected with confusion. This was the first she was hearing of Bella's plans to go to Seattle.
"I figured it was the best way to get out of having to go to the dance," Bella explained quickly. "Anyway, I tell him I'm going to be in Seattle and that he should go with Jessica. Mike says he will and then goes to sit down. Suddenly I look over and Edward is just staring at me," she said, her brows furrowing together. "Like, intense staring. Like there's something about me he can't figure out and it frustrates the hell out of him."
Danielle said nothing, just nodded her understanding as her friend continue to talk.
"When class is over, I fully expect him to just get up and leave like he always does. But he doesn't. He suddenly starts talking to me, saying how he knows he's been acting really rude by ignoring me, but how it's better if we don't talk and if we're not friends," she revealed.
Danielle frowned with confusion. "But why?"
Bella threw her hands up. "I don't know. It doesn't make any sense," she said with frustration. "So of course I got mad and said something I shouldn't have, which just made things even worse."
Danielle gave her a wary look. "What did you say?"
Bella hesitated, looking a bit embarrassed now. "I said…" She paused, then heaved. "I said that if he didn't want to be friends, then it was too bad he hadn't figured it out earlier. Then he wouldn't have had to spend all this time regretting the fact that he saved my life."
Danielle looked at her sharply, her jaw dropping in shock. "You seriously said that?" she asked incredulously. When Bella nodded, Danielle whacked her shoulder. "Dude!" she scolded.
"Ow!" Bella said, rubbing her shoulder with a shocked look. "That hurt!"
"It was supposed to," Danielle said with a frown. "That was not cool, Bella," she said. "Edward might be a jerk, but he doesn't want you dead. How could you accuse him of that?"
"I don't know!" Bella said with exasperation. "I don't know why I said it, okay? I'm just…irritated with him. I mean, the guy saves my life one day, then spends every day for the next month and half treating me like I've got some contagious, flesh-eating bacteria. Then, out of the blue, he decides to start talking to me again and starts saying a bunch of things that don't make any sense? I mean…how am I supposed to feel about that? Like I'm dancing on rainbows?" she asked angrily.
Danielle sighed, her momentary irritation fading away as she saw how frustrated her friend was. "Look, I get why you're angry, I do," she said understandingly. "But fighting with Edward won't make things better. I mean…don't you want to at least try to talk things out with him?"
"I have tried, and it's never gotten me anywhere," Bella reminded her pointedly. She shook her head and scoffed, her brows still stitched together with irritation. "After what happened today, I'm not so sure I want to try to work things out anymore. If he's going to be a confusing jerk, I don't want anything to do with him," she said with a note of finality.
Danielle just sighed in response, unable to think of anything to say back.
The coach stepped into the locker room after that and called for everyone to get to the gym, effectively putting an end to their conversation about Edward. After Bella changed, they joined the rest of the class in the gymnasium, where they spent the rest of the class playing a slow-moving, low-scoring game of basketball. Danielle could tell Bella was clearly still thinking about Edward – she was distracted the whole class period and ended up accomplishing little more than a number of clumsy, ungraceful tumbles to the ground, sometimes falling on her own, other times managing to take down a few people with her. By the end of the class period, Danielle could see a number of bruises appearing on her friend's knees and elbows.
When school ended, they changed back into their normal clothes, went to their lockers, then headed out to the parking lot. As worried as she was for her friend, Danielle couldn't help but feel her spirits lift again when they stepped outside and she saw that Jasper was waiting for her. Bella took one look at him, then continued on without Danielle.
"I'll see you at the truck," she muttered, before breezing past Jasper without making eye contact with him.
Danielle sighed as Bella left, then walked over to Jasper. Jasper stared at Bella's retreating back for a second, then turned an uncertain look on Danielle. "She seems very angry," he commented.
"That's because she is," Danielle said. "Someone in your family is giving her a hard time and she doesn't really appreciate it," she told him, cocking an eyebrow as she glanced past Jasper's shoulder and saw his siblings hanging out by their car, which was parked a few spaces over from Bella's truck. Edward was watching Bella, his eyes following her unblinkingly. "I don't wanna name any names, but I can give you a hint – it rhymes with Shmedward."
Jasper looked amused at her not so subtle hint, then sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Things with Edward and Bella are…complicated," he told her.
"Well, could you do me a favor and tell your brother to un-complicate it?" she asked. "It kinda seems like he's toying with her, and she doesn't like it. And neither do I," Danielle said with a frown.
Jasper nodded once. "I'll talk to him," he said reassuringly.
Danielle smiled gratefully. "Thank you." She paused for a moment, watching from a distance as Bella talked with someone by the truck. For a split second she thought maybe Edward had gone over to talk to her, but it wasn't him. It was just Eric. Danielle looked back to Jasper, then sighed and flashed him a look of apology. "Sorry if it sounded like I was biting your head off," she said quickly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just – "
"Looking out for your friend," Jasper finished with a small smile. "Don't worry. I understand."
"Thanks," Danielle said with relief.
He smiled, then motioned for her to walk with him. They began to slowly make their way down to the parking lot, walking side by side.
"I spoke to Emmett and Edward about hiking this weekend. I told them I would go with them," he revealed. "We'll be leaving on Friday."
Danielle frowned, immediately disliking the thought of having to suffer through an entire school day without Jasper. "You're gonna skip?" Jasper nodded in confirmation. "And your parents are okay with that?"
"As long as our grades don't suffer, they don't mind," he said with a shrug.
"Oh, okay," Danielle said. She then gave him a look, just knowing her expression betrayed how disappointed she was. "You do realize Friday is gonna suck now, right?" she asked.
Jasper smiled. "It won't be much better for me, either," he admitted, which made her feel a little better. "So I was thinking," Jasper continued, looking the tiniest bit nervous now. "Maybe tomorrow I can drive my own car instead of carpooling with my siblings. If you'd like, I can pick you up in the morning and take you home after school."
Danielle stopped and looked at him in surprise. Jasper stopped as well, waiting expectantly to hear what she had to say in response. "Really?"
Jasper gave a little shrug. "If it means spending a little more time with you before I leave, then…yes," he told her honestly. "What do you say?"
Danielle immediately nodded. "Yeah, that sounds great," she said, ignoring the way her heart hammered against her ribs. "Let me just write down my address for you."
She quickly delved into her backpack and pulled out the first notebook she found. After locating a pen in the depths of the bag, she scribbled out her address, mindful of the fact that Jasper was watching her every move. When she finished writing the address, she tore the paper out of the notebook and handed it to him. Jasper looked at it for a moment, smiled, then folded it up and slipped it into his pocket.
"I'll come pick you up around seven-thirty," Jasper said. "Is that alright?
Danielle nodded. "Sounds perfect."
"Great," he said, smiling widely.
The sound of a horn honking made them both glance over. Danielle saw that Jasper's siblings had piled into their car and were currently holding up traffic as they waited for Jasper. Bella, she noticed, had gotten into her truck and was stopped behind them, though she appeared to now be talking to Tyler, not Eric, through the driver's side window. A number of cars were lined up behind them, and as they grew more and more impatient with the fact that traffic wasn't moving, more horns began to beep.
"We should go," Danielle suggested. "Our rides are causing a traffic jam. People might start to riot."
Jasper nodded his agreement.
They headed across the parking lot, then said goodbye to one another and veered off toward their respective rides. As Jasper got into the car with his siblings and they drove away, Danielle stepped around the front of Bella's truck and climbed into the cab on the passenger side, unable to help shooting a curious look at Tyler's retreating back as he went back to his own vehicle. As soon as the door was closed, Bella hit the gas and surged forward. Bella looked even more irritated than she had when they'd parted ways.
"What did Tyler want?" Danielle asked.
Bella just waved her off. "Nothing important," she said quickly. "Don't worry about it."
Danielle could sense she wasn't being totally honest, but nodded anyway. Bella never pressured her to talk whenever she didn't want to, so she decided to give her friend the same courtesy and let the subject drop.
They drove home in silence, Bella looking tense and agitated, while Danielle stared out the window with a small smile on her lips. She felt a bit bad for her friend simply because she'd had a rough afternoon, but it wasn't enough to thwart the happiness that had been radiating through her all day long. It had been a damn good day, and now that Jasper was going to be taking her to and from school tomorrow, tomorrow was already shaping up to be a good one, too. Just the thought of being alone in a car with Jasper, away from prying ears and prying eyes…butterflies filled her stomach as Danielle's smile widened, which she made sure to hide behind her hand so that Bella wouldn't see.
She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.
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