empathy

ONE

"How pathetic does one have to be to sink on your level?" 

Jessica flinches at the clinical tone in Anastasia's voice before hastily turning around.

"Doesn't it embarrass you? Knowing you are a failure not just to yourself but your father and your mother as well. Even Mike thinks you aren't good enough and he surely isn't one to have high expectations." Anastasia's dispraising voice sends more tears down Jessica's cheeks.

"What do you want?" Jessica spits out and it's only then Anastasia stalks out of the shadows the trees are bestowing her. 

Her jet black hair reaching down to her hips is falling over her shoulders in its natural straight nature. Her seemingly deadly green eyes that tend to have the ability to stare right into one's soul are focused on Jessica's blue ones. The all-black outfit composed of a pair of jeans, a turtle neck and a leather jacket hug her curves perfectly and her high heeled boots make her even taller and therefore even more intimidating than she already is. 

"Believe it or not but I want to help you." Anastasia holds her hand out for Jessica, who looks at it in uncertainty. "You just insulted me." Jessica states flatly while wiping away her tears. "I was being nice. In comparison to how I usually am." the dark-haired girl shrugs and pulls her hand back again; letting it disappear in the pocket of her jacket.

"But really, I want to help you. You... actually look quite beautiful and Mike, as well as the new idiot, must really be brainsick not to realize that." Anastasia tells her light heatedly.

Jessica isn't sure what to make out of this. Anastasia isn't one to be nice and yet she seems to be honest about what she said. But why?
Brushing those thoughts off, she ungracefully gets off the dirty ground and nods.

"Alright." she agrees. "Great." Anastasia's eyes sparkle for a second before she turns sharply on her heels. "We'll have to work on your confidence..." she starts, trusting Jessica to follow after her. "and your independence." Anastasia adds an afterthought.

"My independence?" Jessica parrots with a frown. "Independence from guys. You have to learn who you are rather than pretend to be someone you aren't to be liked by some boy. You can't let a guy's opinion affect your life like this. It may be working at the moment but what will happen when you leave for college or university? Are you gonna pick your courses based on what the one you will fancy signed up for? Your dependence will jeopardize your career if you don't take care." Anastasia points out, not bothering to turn around. 

"Mind if I pick you up tomorrow? We can ditch school and go shopping. And get you a new haircut, this... thing has to go." she comments as they already arrive at where the Stanleys live.  "Uhm, sure. I guess." Jessica agrees reluctantly. She isn't one to ditch school.

Not bothering to bid goodbye, Anastasia leaves Jessica behind; a self-righteous smirk tugging on hers and a happy smile dancing on Jessica's lips. 

-----

Jessica is nervous. No. Scratch that. Jessica is anxious.

Sitting in a car with Anastasia, her legs rocking up and down at a rapid pace, her clammy palms unable to decide in between wiping over her pants and playing with a strand of her hair, her breath faster than healthy and her eyes darting repeatedly from the road to the speedometer.

86 mph. 98 mph. 110 mph. 124 mph. 130 mph.

"Don't... don't you want to slow down?" Jessica finally forms her worry into words as Anastasia continues to speed up, the trees of Olympic National Park nothing more than a blur of brown and green. 

Anastasia's eyes fly towards her for the split of a second, taking in her clearly distressed form and for a moment it seems as though Anastasia's eyes twinkle in annoyance, tenseness and uncertainty. 

As though she thinks Jessica's question was supposed to criticize her and her driving style before she slowly steps off the gas. 

Gratitude forming Jessica's frown in a smile.

Pulling down the sun visor, Jessica slides open the small mirror; critically observing the way her dark brown hair falls to her shoulder blades in big waves.

"Stop fudging." Anastasia slaps her hand away as she goes to push it back. The feeling of having hair hanging in her face is quite unfamiliar to her. "You look... better." Anastasia adds, clearly struggling to get the words off her tongue. "The blonde didn't do you any good, made you look too pale. And the length? Awful. Especially with those split ends you maintained." she points out.

"I liked the blonde." Jessica mumbles simply, not knowing whether to feel guilty for the fact that she indeed loved the blonde or if she should rather worry about if she actually looked as awful as it sounds.

"I'd worry about your taste but that's a lost cause." Anastasia shrugs. "Your recent interest is one of the new guys, isn't it?" she questions, turning towards the newly brunette.

"His name is Edward." Jessica nods. "Tell me about him." Anastasia's flat voice surprises Jessica. Though, it is more so the interest in gossip than the complete disinterest in her voice; an indifference she chooses to overhear.

"He is totally gorgeous. Marble like skin, messy bronze-coloured hair, a face too perfect to not be angelic and those muscles..." Jessica swarms, not noticing the way Anastasia's nose scrunches up in disgust. "Muscles?" the black-haired girl parrots, one of her brows rising in wonder. "I stumbled into him in the hallway. He was hard as stone." Jessica replies as though she is talking about a dress she is fancying at the store rather than a human being. 

Admittedly, Anastasia likes that.

"And the rest of the family?" Anastasia attempts to change the subject slightly. "Adopted family." Jessica corrects. "Beautiful as well. Not as handsome as Edward but real close. Though, it really is disgusting how they are screwing each other. I mean, they are siblings, isn't that considered incest?" Jessica's voice is filled with distaste. "I thought they are adopted." Anastasia sighs, starting to get really annoyed. 

Honestly, what was she thinking inviting Jessica to Seattle? 

"Still disgusting." said girl shrugs nonchalantly. "Anyways, there are Rosalie and Emmett. People have dubbed them the icy bitch and the teddy bear. Then there are Alice and Aurelia, probably the most despicable ones out of them. They are like... dating. But how does that even work? A girl with another girl, that's just wrong!" Jessica rambles. "And then we have Jasper and Edward. Jasper is actually sort of hot in a weird way. He should cut his hair, though. It's longer than that of some girls."
she ends. Or maybe she doesn't and Anastasia just shut her out. 

"Okay, we're here." Anastasia eventually speaks up, stopping down the street of Jessica's house; not wanting to turn into it as the street she lives in is in another direction. "Oh. I quite enjoyed today. Maybe we can... do this again sometime?" Jessica turns to Anastasia, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face, and Anastasia once again slaps her hand away. "Maybe." Anastasia nods at her to get lost before driving off the moment Jessica closes the door.

---

So, what did you think about the first chapter?

Do you like Anastasia's personality? 

Do you not? 

Also, I would like to add that I am in no way homophobic or judgmental; I just thought it would fit Jessica's character!