Disclaimer:I do not own nor do I make profit off of Twilight. All rights belong to it's author Stephanie Meyer.
So this chapter is a bit short and I was also fairly frustrated while writing it, mainly because I currently HAVE NO POWER! I came to Starbucks to charge my devices and thought while I was here I may as well write, however I constantly kept checking to see if I have power back at my house and as I write this right now I DONT. I also wanted to get this up quickly before I leave Starbucks so if their is more grammatical errors than normal I apologize! The other reason I'm a bit frustrated here is because I did want to touch a little more on Jaspers past and unfortunately other than being in the Confederate army with Maria, theirs not much. I probably searched the internet for an hour trying to find anything about Jaspers childhood or where he stood on the subject of slavery and their was nothing so, whatever you read pertaining to the subject is really just what I would hope Jasper would say when reminiscing on his past during the Civil War. I hope I don't offend anyone here or make you uncomfortable and if I did I do apologize, I was just hoping that maybe Jasper would have spent the next 100 years of his life reviewing his choices and contemplating how it could have been different. Now I don't think theirs a part of Jasper that was racist or truly fighting for the rights to own people I like to believe it really was more just a product of his upbringing, but thats what I think! Only Stephanie Meyer really knows what he was thinking and what she believes when she created Jasper Whitlock and having him fight in the Confederate army. With that being said, please take this chapter with a grain of salt and let all be respectful!
Reviews:
Guest- Thank you so much for taking the time stop and leave a review, it really meant a lot to me and I smiled wide when I saw it! I really want all the Cullens to have their own bonding moments with Mare and thought, let's have Jasper being one of the first ones. He's kind of a mystery to me and I wanted to challenge myself and think outside the box. Again thank you so much for leaving a review, it really made my day!
Daydreamer003- Oh my goodness, thank you so much for your words! They made me smile and I was happy for days after reading it! It really makes my heart warm to see words like that and I can't thank you enough for making me so happy and for that I dedicate this next chapter to you! Again thank you so much and please ENJOY!
"No."
Three days have passed since the day Rose told Tandy to leave me alone, and other than the bump in the hallway, she's completely ignored me. Not a word, look or tap, and as Edward drives me home Friday I can't help the guilty feeling in my head. I'm enjoying school life and home life...but what bout my real home life? My mother and Matt? School? What are they doing? Are they as happy as I am lately, are they sad or hurt? How can I be living this life here, when I don't know about my real life back home in New York,
"How was school?" Edward asks, snapping me out of my thoughts,
"What?"
"What kind of homework do you have this weekend?" He elaborates all while keeping his eyes on the road. Odd, usually he keeps his eyes on me,
"Ummm," I lean back into the seat, clearing my mind "For English Mr. Johns wants us to go on a two-hour nature walk, no cellphones or iPods. Then we have to write an essay about it. I think I'll title mine, Laura Ingalls of the 21st century."
"Mr. Jones will like that." Edward snickers.
"I know." I lean my head back and look out the window. Minutes pass before Edward speaks again,
"Did anything happen today?"
"No," I answer without taking my eyes off the window,
"Are you sure?"
"Why?" I ask turning back to Edward, this time he takes his eyes off the road to look in my direction,
"You seem down."
"I'm always like this."
"You're a bit more mellow dramatic today,"
"Will you stop calling me dramatic all the time?" Edward smirks
"Stop being dramatic." Oh my god, it's Sheriff Swan and the drug talk all over again,
"Be nice to me, or I'll tell Esme you hit me," Edward smirks,
"She wouldn't believe you?"
"Wanna see?" Edward's smile falls,
"No." He pulls into the driveway and slows down,
"Have you talked to Rose this week?" This catches my attention because ever since I thanked her, she too like Tandy has been ignoring me.
"No."
"I saw you playing chess with Jasper a couple of days ago,"
"We played the day after that too." I watch the house come into focus and sigh, my emotions coming back to me. This house is huge, I have my room, with a fireplace and TV, and bookshelves that are slowly being filled. Back home I had a room, with a twin-sized bed with a brown blanket, an Ikea desk, and a matching dresser. I don't deserve any of this. We pull into the garage, other than Esme's car Edwards is the only other one here,
"The others went hunting," Edward answers, although I don't know if it's because he read my mind or just noticed me looking around. I grab my bag and open the door,
"Esme's out with them too, and Carlisle's at work. It's Friday you can just relax you don't have to sit at the table and do your homework."
"I'm alright, are you going hunting too." Edward nods,
"I just wanted to make sure you were home safe and sound," I smirk,
"I'm fine, go." Edward looks out the garage door before turning back to me,
"Someone will be home in an hour."
"Have fun, and don't kill Bambi's mom."
"Don't tell me what to do. Now get inside so I know you're safe before I leave." I roll my eyes and head off. I close the door and take the steps upstairs. I know what Edward said, but I'd rather get my homework done so I can focus on this stupid walk tomorrow, and then wallow on Sunday. I get to the kitchen and find a small note folded into a square on the island with my name in perfect cursive. I rip it open finding more perfect cursive,
Mare
There is a yogurt parfait in the fridge with a green juice next to it for your snack. If you're still hungry I have a bowl of freshly made trail mix in the pantry on the middle shelf. I will be home in time for dinner,
Love Esme
She's finished off the short note with a smiley face. For a second I think about crumpling the note, but slowly I fold it and put it back where Esme first placed it. Why am I feeling like this? I huff over to the table and sit down placing my backpack on the down and begin rifling through to find my homework. I lay everything out, before sitting for a second and then slowly make my way over to the fridge. If Esme came home and the snack she made me was still there...it could make her sad. I don't want that even if it is how I am...I shouldn't be sad..but I..just am.
…
"Are you done?" A voice asks once I've folded and placed the last of my math homework back into my backpack. Unlike last time, this voice doesn't startle me so much. The slight southern drawl alerts me to who it is. I turn to find Jasper in the same spot he was in the last time we played chess.
"With today's stuff anyway."
"Wanna play?" He jesters to the board.
"When did you get back?" As far as I was aware I was alone this whole time,
"A few minutes ago, Esme stopped at the hospital so she could drive home with Carlisle. The others are still out." I raise an eyebrow,
"You came back without Alice." His lips push just ever so slightly, "I didn't think you were ever separated, or at least not within the same vicinity of each other.
"You only had to say no," Jasper states without a hint of any emotion in his voice.
"I'm sorry." I push my backpack away and stand heading over to sit across from Jasper.
"You didn't offend me." He remarks taking his first move, "You seem to be in a different mood today." I sigh making my first move. My goal in this game is to just stay alive as long as I can,
"I don't know why I'm like this." It's out before I can think of a better excuse to give him,
"Do you miss where you came from?" He states simply moving a pawn forward. It catches me off guard. Even though mentally it seems like I've been waiting for someone to ask me that all day,
"I..I" I stutter searching for the right words to come out, "I think so." I'm almost embarrassed that, that's all I could come up with,
"What do you miss?" I sigh, this time searching for the words I want to say. It takes me a minute. "I don't miss it." I state taking one of Jaspers's pawns "I guess what I'm trying to say is...I want to know what's going on."
"Back you you're from?" He almost smirks as he takes my knight, damnit how did I miss that?
"If I'm here, where am I there?" I smile taking his rook, "I don't have lots of friends, but I have Matt."
"Brother?"
"He might as well be, and my mom...can I tell you something?" Jasper looks up and although he always has a serious look on his face, he seems to almost be silently telling me "of course"
"My life here is...I think I'm not really missing home or sad as much as I'm...I feel."
"Guilty," Jasper answers all without taking his eyes off me. I look up and slowly nod, and although I know I shouldn't, I can't help but bite at the inside of my cheek,
"Ya,"
"We've all felt that way at one time or another." I watch as he knocks over one of my pawns, but I could care less,
"Really?" He nods,
"All of us except Rose and Alice." I tilt my head silently begging him to continue, when he doesn't I lean forward and quickly take his rook,
"What does that mean?" Jasper grabs his king moving it forward,
"Check. This way of life wasn't always how we lived."
"Ya?" I move my queen away only to have Jasper follow her in his next move,
"Becoming what we are, meant leaving. Leaving your family, your friends, most of us live better as a vampire than we ever did as a human., but you still fell guilty for leaving." There it is again, that southern drawl, this whole conversation he's kept under control, but slowly, maybe without even realizing it, it's coming out.
"Where are you from?"
"Houston."
"Like Beyonce?" He looks up and this time, for the first time, his lips turn up in a half-smirk,
"Like Beyonce."
"That explains the sometimes accent."
"Sometimes?" He questions raising one blonde brow,
"Ya," He begins to follow my queen and again I move her away, "Certain words, they come out like a southern drawl."
"Old habits. Check."
"I like it. Can I ask how old you are?" Jasper seems to think for a second before answering,
"I am 161."
"That's older than Edward,"
"I'm the second oldest one here, however, I'm also the newest one to this lifestyle." I almost drop my queen,
"So..so you drank human blood the longest." He nods looking at my queen who still hangs over the board, quickly I set her down,
"What's it like?"
"It's hard to explain, It's been so long I can't remember human food or drink, so I can't compare...it's just-"
"I understand." I cut him off, grabbing my queen again "Can I ask, how you changed...You don't have to tell me, I'm just-"
"I was changed while serving time in the confederate army in 1863." This time I do drop my queen,
"Confederate?"
"I am a southern boy, born and raised."
"But...the confederate army..."
"I know, Slavery was only 10% of the problem. The Confederacy I was fighting for was for the souths right to govern themselves."
"It doesn't make it right." It's out before I can even think to say it, and quickly I search for something to say, "I mean-"
"I know what you mean Mare." I sigh,
"I shouldn't judge."
"I've been alive long enough now to know the South was wrong. I'm a product of how I was raised, but I'm the man I am now, on the knowledge I've learned and the steps I've taken to be better." I pick up my queen but I'm already lost on where I was going to put her, instead I set her on the side,
"I'm sorry."
"Don't," Jasper follows my move by picking up his queen and setting her off the side, "Tie?"
"There are no ties in Chess."
"There is now." I smile,
"Okay deal." A moment of silence passes us before Jasper speaks again,
"If need be, would you want to be changed?" This catches me off guard, it's not a question I thought about let alone cross my mind, but even without thinking about it beforehand, I know the answer and with a voice, just above a whisper I answer,
"No."