Asteraceae

SEVENTEEN

Kim Joshua was a handsome man, and since he was a handsome man there was bound to be someone that would soon take interest in him. They would snatch his attention, with pretty smiles, and fluttering eyelashes, it was annoying to watch, and irritating when physical touch was involved-but what can anyone do? Kim Joshua is a popular man, a man that would draw attention anywhere he goes, no matter what he wore, or what he did.

Alice Cullen on the other hand, she was beautiful also, maybe not as beautiful if compared to the man himself but she was still pretty amazing to look at. The people that took interest in her never received it back, they never got a chance to gaze upon her face because she would turn around, they never got to fully talk to her because she would ignore their presence, they never got to even touch her because she was quick to avoid them. Alice Cullen was popular, but she wasn't as popular as Kim Joshua. Their interest in her probably didn't annoy him like it annoyed her, the constant touches and the lustful gazes that always seem to be stuck on the only single female Cullen.

"You're thinking too hard." Edward had whispered casually into her ear during English class, the two of them relaxing in the back and ignoring the bald man up front that seemed to be screaming his head off for a reason they didn't care to discover, "it's a little too much."

"I'm sorry." She just couldn't help thinking that maybe things weren't going as smoothly as she believed it to be. Just a few months back when she had gone with her family to welcome him to Forks, the man had been sweet enough to them. He took the dessert, complimented it, and even held a small conversation with them about his experience so far. He even smiled at her.

"He is your teacher, people will talk if he shows more interest in you than normal." The man avoided all the young girls in this school, but there were glances from the school nurse that didn't go unnoticed by everyone in the family, "give it time."

"How much time though? I have yet to even kiss my mate." She had always expected that the girl was supposed to be chased, but here she was doing the chasing, "no matter how much after school tutoring I do he still hasn't made a move." She had one year in this school, and it was already November. Time was surely running out and then how was she going to interact with him.

"Humans don't feel what we feel, he's not feeling horrible about not interacting with you, but he might feel a bit under the weather." The man looked perfect, and acted perfect, but he didn't need to be a Jasper to understand that things were starting to take a toll on his body.

"But still." The most she's managed to get out of him was holding his hand a minute longer than anybody else had ever managed. It was sad and she was starting to feel a bit defeated. She had imagined her love coming into her arms at once, no waiting involved, "I wish he would at least touch me." A hug, or even a small shoulder pat would do, but he never made a move to do that either.

"I guess," Edward just believed that leaving him alone to live his life was better, the man didn't seem to have any interest in her, so maybe that was her sign that he wanted to remain human and live a live human life. Damning one soul wasn't something he was interested in, he didn't want it to happen to his own mate if it already wasn't done by someone else, "do remember not to draw suspicion though, we can't risk a case." Neither could he, and he was positive the man didn't like his reputation being messed with over something as small as a girl not liking that he wasn't giving her any attention.

"I know." She tried focusing on anything else but this place, her eyes glazing over in search of a future where the two of them ended up together in each other's arms...so many possibilities but the most she could see was her 'sleeping' in those familiar silk black bed sheets. She didn't mind the wait, but it felt longer than anything she had ever felt before, it was painful to think that she could've had him, but fate had other plans and those plans meant that she would have to wait.

Complicated was one word that Edward was positive he felt, he was happy that it was taking so long for her to even get the man to notice her, but he felt a bit wrong that he was rooting for her failure. He thought his own life was hellish, and to have another person brought into this world made him feel some type of way, made him feel horrible in general even though he knew she had been waiting for this.

This would be his chance to give Jasper some justice, but Alice didn't look to be in the mood to hear anything that wouldn't speed her progress with the man she was pining after. He didn't want to upset, or worse make her suspicious as to why he would even bring the subject up; those conversations at night that she had with Rosalie and Esme were loud no matter how hard he tried to tune them out. She would tell Rosalie, she would tell Esme, and she would tell Carlisle, their parents wouldn't be happy to know he was tampering with problems that didn't concern him, and Rosalie would have a lecture ready for him no matter how much she probably agreed with him.

He worried for her health though, she didn't drink as much blood as she usually did, and anytime that she had available was always spent annoying the man that didn't seem to want anything to do with her. Was Jasper a good choice to bring up, or should he wait? A few concerns would always come and go, but he felt like this one would stay longer than the others, and the topic of his own mate showing up soon was still floating around in the forefront of his mind.

"Have you at least seen Jasper's mate?" He tried smiling, removing the suspicion that he was sure would come from asking such a question.

"Jasper? No." She hadn't focused on anyone's future but her own. She couldn't bring herself to care after a while and guilt started to eat away at her for forgetting her other two brothers that were lacking in their love life also, "I'll be sure to check though." But like always, a blank slate would appear, clear blue skies being the only thing she could see.

"Okay." Edward grimaced, that sky had always seemed to destroy his eyes, it was brighter than anything he had ever seen and that was saying a lot, "keep looking please." For the sake of everyone she could keep looking for any clues. 

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If you've been seeing updates, it's just me doing some editing.