𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 ; volturi kings

CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VII

Jasmine moved amongst the jumble of students, the crystal necklace she had on dangling delicately.

Shouts and laughs surrounded her but didn't address her- cocooning her into a world of her own, isolating her with her thoughts.

Her brunette curls bounced lightly, creating a cave around her face, blocking out the various characters of Forks High.

She wanted to be anywhere but here.

Anywhere but at home.

Anywhere but the Cullen's house.

But where else was there for her to go?

Lost in a solemn haze, she walked directly into a solid surface.

Oof.

"Hey!" The surface spoke, awkwardly smiling at her.

"Oh- hi, Emmet..." She brushed a stray hair out of her eyes as she attempted to recreate his boyish grin, with little success.

"Look... I heard about-"

She made a shushing motion whilst holding up her hands; "you look: I don't want some half-assed apology for something that wasn't your fault. Especially not here and now." She surveyed the crowded hallway, seeing if anyone had picked up on the awkward interaction.

"You know what?" The brunette boy asked. "You're right... let's get out of here."

Before he had even finished talking, he had gripped her wrist, pulling her out of a fire exit door with his inhumane strength.

"Wai- wha- Emmet, stop!" Her attempts to try and loosen his steel hold on her arm were practically non-existent.

"No way! I am not letting you sit there at school all day and mope-"

"You're being ridiculous!"

"I refuse Edward the satisfaction of seeing you like that."

She sighed lowly.

He was right, in a way. She had said already that she would rather be in hell than at school right now, and he was offering her an out.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

He had let go of her at this point, but she still followed shortly behind him, her heels struggling to keep up with his fast, wide steps.

The mesh of wildflowers and dull-colour leaves crunched beneath her feet as they travelled through the forest situated just outside of the school.

"Hmm... you wanna go get a milkshake?"

She scoffed. "How old do you think I am: 12?"

"I-"

"Of course I wanna get a milkshake." She cut him off with a small smile.

He rolled his eyes; "you're so over-dramatic sometimes..."

"Jackass." She piped back.

He had been right, though- it was much nicer outside than stuck in a cramped, dingy classroom, listening to some failed writer attempt to spark a love of poetry amongst depressed teens.

A speckling of sunlight caught on Emmet's skin, erupting into a glowing pattern of sparkling patches. Jasmine smiled at the sight.

It only took them a few minutes to walk to the nearest diner, where they sat down at a red velvet booth and both ordered large chocolate milkshakes.

As Emmet began telling a funny story involving him hiding all of Jasper's clothes, a shrill tone emitted from his pocket.

He slid the answer bar across the screen of the small device, as he mouthed at Jasmine "it's Rose."

She absentmindedly twirled the pink straw in the frothy milkshake as she gazed out of the window. The dusty roads outside the diner were quiet, with a majority of the regular customers all currently being at school.

She wasn't really focusing on her friend's discussion but could hear him chattering away lightly, chuckling at something his girlfriend had said.

It was then that she zoned back in and noticed an odd man standing across the road from the diner. His appearance wasn't odd, with blonde hair pulled back into a short ponytail, but there was something about him...

The way he was posed, crouching forward slightly, resembling a wild animal watching prey. The way his eyes, a bright scarlet colour, were squinting, glaring directly at her.

He was a vampire, Jas was no idiot.

"Earth to Jasmine Swan- I repeat- are you there, Miss Swan?" A bulky hand swept in front of her eyes, causing her face to snap away from the window.

"Shut up." She smiled at his childish behaviour, her stalker already long forgotten.

"Rosalie was wondering where I'd kidnapped you to." He joked.

"How does she know that I haven't kidnapped you, instead?" Jas raised an eyebrow at him.

"I think it would take a lot of convincing for anyone to believe that you could ever hurt somebody, let alone kidnap them, Jas."

As they laughed together in the brightly lit booth, she suddenly turned to him, curiosity in her eyes.

"Hey, what's it like having a soulmate?"

Her bluntness shocked him, as was obvious by his thoughtful pause; "Well... sometimes you feel like you're carrying the whole world on your shoulders, right?"

She nodded in agreement.

"And it's just been you, your whole life. But then, one day, someone else comes along- and, all of a sudden, it's just easier. You don't have to carry everything on your own, and neither do they. They take some of your burdens, and you take some of theirs. There's a beautiful vulnerability in it..."

She thought of Rosalie, who had told Jasmine about how sad her life had been before Emmet had walked into it.

"You also experience this sense of timelessness... Like you've known each other forever. That's despite the fact that everything also feels very new at first, and still does every day. You think you're gonna get used to it, but you still wake up every morning, and they somehow look even more beautiful than they did in your dreams..."

She sniffed lightly.

"Hey-" he rubbed her arm lightly. "Esme will kill me if she finds out that I made you cry."

"Oh, shut up." Jasmine piped back, tears in her eyes.

"Look, Jas... you are one of the most funniest, kindest, and strongest people I know. You've never had anything easy for you in life, but you're still so passionate and bright. And, if any guy doesn't think you're good-looking, then they'd have to be blind."

He intertwined their hands.

"You'll find someone one day, I promise."

It was lucky the diner was practically empty, as a light sob caught in her throat.

"You're such a fucking softie, Emmet Cullen." She smiled.