Right, you guys have officially killed me! I am dead, thank you so much for all of the reviews, and I am glad you all like it so much! I love you guys!
~Chapter Four~
"I. Hate. Math. Have I ever said that? No? Well, I do! I hate it with a burning passion! And I don't even like the word hate, but I do, I hate math!" I state as I join Bella on the way to lunch.
"I still find it funny that you have two math periods, that aren't even back to back. Have you tried talking to the counselor about it?" I nod as I clutch my books to my chest.
"No luck in changing, apparently, I need these classes to graduate. I hate my old school for holding me back a year." Bella laughs at my grumbling. "Hey, miss genius. Let's not discount my string if bad luck, due to my appearance!" She rolls her eyes at me. "What about you?" I ask.
"My grades a fine, my school in Phoenix was way ahead of this school's curriculum." Bella answers as we duck under into cafeteria.
"Arizona?" My brow furrows.
"Yeah. You?" She asks.
"Texas, it's too rainy here for my tastes." I answer, causing her to nod.
"Yeah, I think so too. Oh, hey look-!" I slam into a brick wall, falling backwards to the floor as my books sprawl, and my bag falls open, knocking my lunchbox out of it as I groan. "out." Bella finished lamely as I slowly sit up.
"Ow." I groan as I press a hand to the back of my head, having hit it on the hard linoleum flooring.
"My apologies, ma'am." A sweet, honey coated, southern accent slowly breeches my ear, drawing my attention as a head of curly blonde hair is before me, the owner of said hair is gathering my things with Bella's help, before he looks up to reveal Jasper Hale. 'God, he's hot!' I think, suddenly he tilts his head at me, a shy and somewhat awkward smile comes to his handsome lips. 'Can lips be handsome? I don't care, his are!' I find myself staring as he chuckles. "I suppose I should say thank you, for finding me hot, and my lips handsome?"
My face deadpan, blood runs from my face, leaving it only in my cheeks flushed. 'Oh. My. God.' My brain screams as I force a shake smile to my lips. "This isn't happening." I mutter as I scurry to my feet. "Thus isn't happening, this is just... a dream! Yeah, a dream. I'm dreaming again, and of course I have him in my dream, he was in the last one, why not this one?!" I shake my head as Jasper Hale continue to stare. "I'm going to walk away now, and maybe go slam my head in a car door." I go to leave, when he clears his throat, holding my stuff out to me. "Thank you." I state as I grab my things, keeping my head low as I walk away.
"You're welcome..." He trails off as Bella giggles beside me.
"Is he gone?" I ask.
"Nope. Staring." I groan as we join the others at the table. "He's at his table now." She states.
"Hey, anyone else notice Cullen's disappearance?" Mike asks, and instantly Bella is hooked on the conversation as I drop my head on the table, groaning in embarrassment, and noticing my lack of appetite. 'He's gotta think I'm some kind of freaking fan girl or something.' I think, which draws another groan from me. Lunch went relatively slow due to my immense embarrassment, the fact that Jasper's eyes have been on my back this entire time, and the fact that I kept staring at the clock. Two minutes before the bell rang, I was up, put of my chair, and ducking out the cafeteria door with my hands in my pockets, hood drawn, and flaming face low.
"Hi!" I jump at the small, pixie-like girl, that suddenly is at my side, she's in a knee-length, dark blue dress with short sleeves, a pair of black nylons, a black half-coat over her arms, her eyes are the same butterscotch as Jasper's were earlier, and her brown bob has a blue baret in it, black three inch heels make her taller than me by two inches at least.
"Uh... hi?" I murmur as I tug at my hood.
"Listen, I wanted to talk to you about what happened with Jasper earlier, I-" I feel my face flush as I cut her off.
"Listen, I'm sorry for referring to your boyfriend as hot, I-" Alice's bell-like laughter interrupts, causing my face to burn even more.
"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you!" She grabs my arm with a petite hand. "It's just, Jasper isn't my boyfriend. I have a girlfriend." My eyes wide at Alice's explanation. "We're far apart for now, but I hope to be with her one day soon." I feel my heart ache for this stranger, I grab her hand between both of my own, she grimaces at the chipped black nails polish on my fingernails, while I try not to cringe at her ice cold hands.
"I am sure you'll be together soon! I just feel it!" I say to get her to smile, which she does, her beam spreads across her beautifully pale pink lips, shining rows of white teeth nearly blind me. "I'm Lilith, by the way."
"Alice. Alice Cullen." She says as I drop her hands. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that you don't have to feel any sort of embarrassment about earlier, Jasper definitely was flattered by your thoughts of his appearance, even if you didn't mean to say them allowed." I blink rapidly at her.
"Oh, thanks. I suppose." I still feel slight embarrassment at it.
"We have gym next, right?" I'm caught off guard at her question.
"I do, yeah." We start walking again.
"I do too, I skipped yesterday due to... my family pulling my out of class yesterday." Alice beams at me once more. "Hey, you live with a foster family, right?"
"They just adopted me last week." I answer causing her to nod in thought. "What about you, your siblings and you were foster kids too, right?"
"Something like that." She answers as we duck into the locker room.
"I never thought I'd find someone who would understand." I state once we are changed.
"Understand?" Alice asks as we enter the gym room.
"What it's like to want a family, to fit in, to want a home so much, like I do." I answer, causing her to go silent as she looks like down, appearing to have slipped deep into thought. She stays like that until gym class starts with a dodgeball game, I mostly hid behind Alice, who gracefully danced out of the way, each time she'd pull me along, until we were the only two standing on our team, then the other team decided the rush me all at once, I got pelted by nine dodgeballs at nine different spots, I left gym feeling very sore.
Rubbing my bruised skin, just above my tattoo of an native American dreamcatcher, on my forearm, as I walk into my A.P. U.S. History, I flop down into my seat, pulling out my binder and a pencil, I don't even notice it at first, until I feel eyes being burned into the side of my head, and I look over to find a pair of golden brown eyes staring at me, belonging to ONE Jasper Hale. "You do know it's still impolite to stare, right?" I inquire, his lips twitch as he turns away just as the teacher comes in to start class, I attempt to stop staring, but I can't help but find my gaze drawn to his as class continues to go.
"As you all have probably heard, about my LOVELY semester long assignments, I will be giving one out!" All the other students groan. "I don't care if you don't like it, I have been doing it for 35 years, and I will continue to do it until I am either dead or retired. Now, the person at your desk is your partner, you will work TOGETHER on this, no one of you do this, the other does that, no halfassed work- this is 80 percent of your grade." More groaning. "I want you to select an important event, something in U.S. History, that had to do with it changing- I don't care what, so long as it's not about the Revolutionary War, which we will be learning more about this semester. Now! Take out a sheet of paper, write twenty questions on it, and ask them to your partner, I want you to write them down, and get to know each other. Then, select your subject for your project. You have the rest of class...go!" I feel my face flush as I hurriedly scribble the first questions that come to mind, then turn to find Jasper is sitting there, waiting for me, and I find myself staring again.
"Weren't you the one who said that it's still impolite to stare?" Jasper teases, his lips twitching into a smile, my face floods with heat as I drop my gaze to the table, biting my bottom lip while he chuckles. "I am joking, you realize?" I lift my head to his, now looking into his burning amber eyes. "Ladies first," He gestures to my list of questions, I nod twice as I flip the side of the paper, reading off my first question.
"How old are you?" I ask.
"Really?" His teasing is evident. "Nighneteen, I'm nighneteen." His southern accent causes chills to race down my spine, and I suppress a warm shutter. "Mah turn. What's your favorite gemstone?"
"Topaz or Opal." I answer instantly, causing him a bit of a shock. "Where are you from?"
"Texas." He answers, his jaw set firmly as I realize that is all I'll get as an answer, my gaze inexplicably drawn to his lips as he speaks. "What are your parent's names?"
"Sheryl and Matthew Jefferson." That stops him short, he tilts his head at me, eyes narrowed in consideration as I lean away from him as he leans a bit closer, his eyes seem to darken a shade or two. "Wh-What?"
"You biological parents." He specifies.
"I-I... don't know." My head falls, my now loose hair falls to make a curtain. "Um... Who are your parents?"
"Esme and Carlisle Cullen." He answers, soon we're through the twenty questions, facing down a final one. What is our Essay on?
"What about... Civil War? I know tons about it." Jasper smiles.
"So do I. I like that- Civil War it is!" I agree almost instantly, looking around at the others, I realize we're the first done, causing me to slump into my seat, staring at the clock for about two minutes, when I get woken from my reverie at his voice.
"Alice told me that you got rushed in gym," I look over the end him looking out at the window beside him. "how are you feeling?" His ivory fist is holding his head, his elbow on the table as he stares out the window, his hand in his lap is clenched tight, and he's now angled his chair away from me.
"I'm fine," I pause, just now realizing he's in a brown jacket, a white hoodie underneath it, and a light blue shirt peeks out from under that, he has on gray jeans, and black boots. 'My Lord, he is cute!' I think to myself as I continue. "I have a few bruises developing, but nothing that I haven't been able to deal with before." I rub at my tattoo on my forearm, unconsciously, as his head whips around to stare me, eyes now a flaming bronze color, as though metal being struck by an ironworker, and I feel myself swallow thickly.
"You are used to bruises?" He demand, his jaw set, and a hard tone in his voice.
"No, I meant pain." That make the bronze flame to life once more, spark a gold color almost. "It's a given with tattoos." His eyes widen, before he turns his head away, as though ashamed of his reaction, before he clears his throat.
"How many ya got?" My eyes widen a fraction at his question, before my cheeks flush as I look away.
"Three. I've got three tattoos, a vine that goes up my right leg, a Native American dreamcatcher on my left forearm, and this heart wrapped in a thorny vine," I move my black and purple hair off the right side of my neck, angling my head so the light catches the tattoo on the side of my throat. "I was planning on getting another one." I state.
"You have a lot of piercings too." He states, causing my to nod, vaguely wondering why he has such an interest in me. I twist a snakebite with my tongue, causing his eyes to fill with mirth.
"Five on each ear, and my snakebites." I answer his unspoken question, causing his eyes to crinkle just by his temples as his lips twitch at the corners of his mouth, and he lets out a quiet chuckle. That chuckle, it is smokey and rough, like sandpaper, it rubs against my skin as though it is satin, and causes my cheeks to burn as his sunset gaze holds my aqua one, trapping me with those expressive orbs of his.
"You are not as I expected you to be," He states. "I figured the quiet girl that came with the batch of new students would be different, perhaps darker, and more reclusive then anything." He reaches out, placing a cold hand over my own. "I am happy to say, I was wrong, and I like this girl much better." My ears are starting to burn as well, as I try to look away, feeling my gaze still trapped by his, an unfamiliar expression in his eyes as I attempt to choke out a response.
"I...uh... I-I... that-" The school bell rings, causing me to snap my gaze away, as though breaking a spell as I launch to my feet, gathering my papers and books, before hurrying to make my escape from the warmth that seemed to be our own little universe, only to catch the toe of my boot on the leg of a table, tumbling to the floor with my belongings strewn everywhere. With a sigh, I curse under my breath as I start to gather my belongings, only to pause as Jasper is beside me, holding the other half of my things out to me, causing me to blush as I take it. "Maybe I really should be smashing my head into a car door by now." I quip, causing him to give me a very amused, crooked smile, and my heart stutters in my chest at his bright teeth and amazing smile.
"You do seem to have made a habit of this." He adds as we stand, my face still feeling very hot as I give, what I hope is, a relatively shy smile to him.
"I...better go, yes, I better go before I... um... I'm late." I stammer unintelligibly as I turn away, books tucked under my chin as I hurry towards my final class, which is my Spanish class. After Spanish class ends, I find my way to the front office, where I look at all the different colored flyers for after school clubs. Pottery, too messy. Poetry Slam, not good at rhyming. Thespians, not good at acting. This goes on for nearly an hour, until I realize that there are no clubs that I would join, along with the fact that it is now raining heavily out.
With a heavy sigh, I step out of the office, thankful for the cover the side of the roof provides as I open my umbrella, stepping out into the neatly deserted parking lot to start my walk home. I make it three blocks down the street, when a red BMW glides right past me, it's new with a glossy red paint job, a tan convertible top pulled up, and the large Jeep following it stops before me, Jasper Hale and Emmett Cullen are in the front seats, Emmett rolls down the window from the driver's seat, Jasper leans out it to talk to me. "Now, what's a pretty southern gal like you, doin out in this storm?" If my cheeks weren't red before, they are at the word pretty.
"Walking home, if I don't hurry, then I could get stuck in the serious part of the storm." I answer with a semi cheeky grin, causing him to nod as he suddenly opens his door, climbing out on to the sidewalk as Emmett rolls his eyes, seeming to groan as Jasper closes the door as I lift my umbrella enough to block him from the rain.
"Would you like a ride?" He asks in all seriousness.
"Me?" I point to my chest. "In that monster?" I point to the large Jeep, that has a step, that seems to sit three feet off the ground itself, then shake my head with an incredulous laugh. "No way. I think I'll walk." Jasper frowns for a moment.
"Then... at least let me walk you." He offers., but Emmett honks the Jeep's horn in impatience.
"I... don't think that's a good idea. Your brother seems to not like you even talking to me at the moment." I point out, Jasper sighs, then rubs the back of his neck with a nod.
"Right. And, you don't feel comfortable around me." His good eyes are sad.
"That's only because you are a stranger, it's not you I'm uncomfortable with though, it's... two of my foster sisters are crushing on you, you walk me home, and, well... I'm afraid they'll tie you up in our basement and never let you leave." He chuckles at that.
"Got it. Another time then?" Emmett honks again, causing me to realize that we were slightly leaning toward each other, and I jump back a bit as soon a Jasper turns to look at Emmett in annoyance.
"Yeah. Um, I'll... see you later." I start to walk off before Jasper can respond, hearing him huff a sigh as he climbs in his brother's Jeep, they drive off, leaving me alone as I start hone again. A rattling, old, rust red pickup truck stops beside me a few minutes later, the truck backfires as I look up to find Bella waving me over, I look both ways for other cars, before stepping into the street, and she forces her window down halfway.
"Hey, need a ride?" She offers, I hesitate, before I nod as she points to the opposite side of the bed, rounding the front of the truck, I open to squeaking old door, slamming it shut ine I've gotten in, after closing my umbrella. Stuffing it in my bag, she cranks the heat all the way up, I lift my hair from my coat, and warm my hands by the heater.
"Thanks." I state as we start down the road, she smiles at me.
"No problem, if you ever need a ride, you can count on me." She answers as I give a thankful sigh.
"You have a cell phone?" I ask, causing her to dig in her pocket of her oversized, brown coat, and hold it out to me. "I'll put my cell number in it, and send a text to my phone so I have your's, that way we can talk more." She nod in understanding as I hand it back to her once ? I've finished, and pull out my phone, saving her number as I lean back in the comfortable, old seats, it smells like tobacco and motor oil, causing me to smile as I enjoy the old smell.
"So, how was the rest of your day?" She asks curiously.
"I got beat up in gym, paired with Jasper Hale in A.P U.S History, and hit in in Spanish, that's about it. You?" She laughs.
"Gym class seems to be the place we both fail in." Bella answers, causing me to laugh.
"We played dodgeball today." I look out the window.
"Volleyball." I wince at that.
"I have gym class with Alice Cullen." I state, causing her to glance at me in disbelief.
"Jasper's girlfriend?" Bella's voice is pitched in surprise.
"No, get this. Alice is dating a girl, she's a lesbian." I turn my body to look at the brunette beside me, her eyes widen at this. "I love how open she is about that, I mean she doesn't have a problem with it, so why should I, or anyone for that matter, but people are silently bashing lesbians and gays, even transgender people- it's not okay for them to do that, people love who they love, and are who they want to be, this is America, people are supposed to be free here, and be who they want to be!" I realize my voice has been steadily raising, and now I am speaking a bit too loud, causing me to wince. "Er... sorry, I didn't mean to yell."
"No no! That's totally fine, that is definitely how I feel too, you know?" Bella adds.
"Turn into the house here." I point to my house, and she nods, staring at the large house in shock once we get to the end of the drive. "Did you want to come in, or...?"
"No, thanks. I've really got to go. I have grocery shopping to do." She answers, I smile as I nod.
"Alright. Hey, can you give me a ride the next week?" I ask, causing her to look at me confused. "I'm not exactly comfortable with riding with eight other people everyday." I explain.
"Oh, yeah. Be here at seven?" She inquires.
"That works for me," I open the door, hopping out into the rain. "thanks again, and I'll see ya."
"See ya." I slam the door behind me, rushing across the muddy and wet grass, up to the porch as fast as I can, and open the front door only for Sheryl to be waiting for me with a warm, dry towel in hand as I toe off my boots, dropping my wet coat onto the mud catcher bench, where I hang my backpack. Taking the towel, I send her a thankful smile as she leads me into the kitchen, where the others are sitting at the counters, drinking hot chocolate and white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies, and I join them with the towel draped over my shoulders, my soaking hair over it.
"So, how was everyone's day?" Sheryl asks as I sip my cocoa, then join the others in a chorus of 'Fine', and sit there, listening the everyone's day with the after school snack. Melody is joining the math team, which meet every day after school from 3 to 5, then Mary is now part of Thespians, while Max and Zeke have joined Video game club, Jason has found an indoor skateboard club, and Jennifer has even joined photography club, all eyes are now on me.
"I...have a semester long project that I will be doing most days, with a partner." I say with fake enthusiasm.
"Who's your partner?" Jennifer asks, causing heat to bloom across my face, looking down into my mug of cocoa.
"Jasper Hale." Mary and Jennifer let out a cry of disappointment.
"What?!" Mary cries.
"Noooooo!" Jennifer whines as I bite my lip to keep from smiling. "He's soooooo cute!" Jennifer says.
"So not fair!" Mary states, crossing her arms.
"Um... I'm gonna go do my homework now." I state, sliding off my stool, Sheryl places a hand on my shoulder as I walk past, after grabbing my backpack, I start up to my room. My homework is done by dinner, which is a relatively quiet even, then I head upstairs to take a shower, crawling into bed, and falling fast asleep. The week seems to continue in a similar fashion with little to no change, Bella comes to get me for school, we have class, gi to lunch, I get beat up in gym class with Alice, then go to A.P. History with Jasper, before riding home with Bella, where I have an after school snack with my new family, do my homework, have dinner, and go to bed, only to wake up, and do it all again the next day. Almost like I've developed a new schedule, one I seem to actually... like? I have a feel things will never be the same again.
Right, I am still dead. This chapter is just an allusion, you guys have killed me so hard! Thank you all for following this story, and sticking around, I will be working of chapter five now, so please enjoy this chapter, and I hope it's long enough for you all as a treat! 2 reviews=1 new chapter!