Sign Of The Times || Jasper Hale

chapter 053

"Why is he sitting with her?" Alex mutters while she takes her place next to Jasper in the cafeteria. As always she had just a few minutes left. The teachers somehow always held her back, or she had to grab something from her locker. Anything to make her late for her own lunch.

"He is doing something." Emmett grins but his eyes widen as Alex glares at him. "Not for himself." He raises his hands and Alex frowns. She didn't want to hear the conversation, she knew what Edward's problem was.

Even though Bella was his blood singer, she was also his mate. And she saw what mates could do to you. Emmett made Rosalie a better person. Just one example. She knew that it was harder for Edward, but she had hoped for some sort of solidarity. She'd ask him later.

Alex places the glasses back on her nose and grabs one of the notebooks before sliding it towards Peter.

"This right?" She had grown slightly more confident in asking for help ever since Jasper had helped her with Religious Studies. And though she didn't ask just anyone, she was more open to ask in front of others.

"If you," Peter grabs her pen and writes a few numbers and words down. "Research these things. It might help you." She grabs the notebook and leans back, slightly to the left, letting Jasper read the note. He taps the second line and nods.

"I have a book on this, you can ride with us and I'll give it to you." Alex looks at him and smiles before giving him a slight peck on the cheek. Something that she wouldn't do if it were anyone else.

"PDA. Please give my eyes some rest." Emmett says as he looks at the two and Alice chuckles.

"This is nothing with what we have to hear from you two." She retorts and everyone chuckles at Emmett's defeated face.

"Oh you're skipping too right?" Alex frowns as she looks at Alice.

"Why would I skip?"

"Edward is skipping because Banner is doing the drop blood thing again." Alex shakes her head confused. "Bella's blood will be out in the open."

Jasper notices how taken aback Alex is as Alice tells her the news. He knew that Alex was better with blood than normal vampires and it hurt her to have to make exceptions because of this one girl.

"I guess I am skipping." She leans back into her chair and shrugs. Jasper narrows his eyes at Peter and he makes a gesture with his head.

"I could skip with you." Jasper suggests and she smiles at the man.

"You know I got to leave the school right? And you're just getting the hang of the incredible arts?"

He chuckles and nods. "I bet you'll be a better teacher."

"I gotta talk to Nedward first." She hears a scoff from the direction where he is sitting and smiles, it was the reaction she had hoped for.

As it turned out, Edward had been having trouble in staying away from Bella. But he also made the decision to help Alex. A week and a half from now was the Spring Formal.. and though normally Alex didn't attend any ball and or prom, Peter had told Edward that she had wanted to go though being slightly prohibited by the fact that Bella might be there. So Edward had gone out of his way to make sure that Bella wouldn't be there, he'd drive her to Seattle himself.

So now was her chance, he had told her, to ask Jasper to the formal. Peter and Emmett knew of the plan and somewhere inside, Alex was touched. All because they knew how much she couldn't stand Bella's blood.

Alex left quickly after that, getting in the car and waiting for her boyfriend. The word still held a foreign feeling to her. And he had told her that he loved her. Something not so foreign, but she was still scared. He knew.

"So what are we doing?" Alex jumps and slaps the person next to her, only for him to grab her arm just quick enough.

"I hate it when you do that." She mutters before starting the car and he smiles at her.

"I know." He wanted to respond with 'but you love me' yet it wasn't what she needed at the moment. Alex knew exactly what he wanted to say, he had done it many times before. But she adored the fact that he didn't. She just had to find a way to ask him to the formal now. "Want to go get a drink?" Alex turns her head and notices the sincere look. She knew that he didn't mean an alcoholic beverage but as the youngsters these days would do on a date.

"Let's."

They arrived at a small cafe just out of Forks and it seemed to be almost abandoned. It was perfect. Jasper decides for them to sit inside and Alex starts to order though she doesn't know what Jasper would want to be seen with. "One Coke for me please," she looks at the menu and chuckles softly. "And one Iced Tea please." The young man behind the counter starts making the drinks and she quickly looks over to a fake annoyed Jasper.

"You think I'd drink Iced Tea?" Alex shrugs.

"I think you'd prefer beer or bourbon but since we are supposed to be teenagers.." he nods and looks past her. Alex turns and sees the jukebox. "Mister Hale, you fancy a song?"

"Actually it's Whitlock." Alex smiles at him and notices the pride as he wants to be called by his own surname.

"Tell me something that you remember."

And he did. He told her all about how one of his friends wanted to see how long he could ride a bull and though it wasn't very long they had the time of their lives. Alex can't help but look in awe at the man in front of her. He had chosen her. He wanted to be with her. It was something that she sometimes failed to come to terms with. But she was learning. And this moment with this man was certainly helping.