Blood Moon (A Twilight Retelling)

Five

I couldn't help but frown. The bell had gone off long ago and I was finally in my most awaited class of the day. I wore the uniform given to me with pride, although it was a plain grey t-shirt and a pair blue shorts. I was excited to finally be able to return to the one thing I was familiar with and no one would be able to take it away from me.

That is until the coach told me they had no track team. "What do you mean you don't have a track team?"

He looked at me cocking his head to one side in questioning manner. "Have you seen the weather sweetheart? The Tracks are too slick for running, plus we don't have enough kids for an actual team." My frown deepened. Are you freaking kidding me? I felt my lip twitch and it took a good amount of restraint not to burst out into tears of frustration. My only outlet for everything that had happened to me was non-existent in this town. This. Stupid. Backwater. Town. 

"But," he continued after assessing my disappointed expression "We do have volleyball, basketball, oh and cross-country." I lit up at the latter. I used to run 400m so I had endurance built but cross country was a whole other level. I would need to practice more, maybe even wake up earlier to do so, but at least I'd be running, at least I'd be doing something I loved. I nodded enthusiastically in response.

"Sign me up for cross country coach,"

"You sure? We don't get a lot of people willing to run in this weather," I chuckled.

"Better than being sun burnt honestly," he cracked a smile and jotted something down on his paper, probably my name.

"Ok Lock, you've got spirit. I'll see you tomorrow after school, meet us at the front office. Now get ready for some volleyball,"

I nodded one last time before jogging away from him and towards Bella who was standing awkwardly in the corner of the court as if to avoid the ball. I picked up one of the stray balls from the floor and bounced it on the floor a couple times.

"Hey Bella," she looked at me with her wide eyes as if she were a deer caught in headlights.

"Catch," I said as I tossed the volleyball over to her. Instead of holding her arms out as I had expected and attempting to catch the ball she flinched and curled in on herself, holding her arms up to her face as protection. I paused as the ball bounced off her arm barricade and bounced once on the floor before rolling away.

"Bella are you good?" I quizzed bending down to pick up the ball then walk over to her.

"Yeah, I'm just not the most athletic person."

"Too un-athletic to catch a ball?"

She chuckled, "Apparently so,"

"Damn. Then we should get to work on that. Stand over there, I'll throw the ball over and you try to catch it this time, ok?" She caught her lower lip between her teeth in a moment of hesitation before nodding.

We spent some time tossing the ball between us. Bit by bit, Bella loosened up her defensive stance and seemed to be getting the hang of handling a ball and not being hit by it. 

The air seemed to suddenly change. A chill ran down my spine and the happiness I felt turned into anxiety. I didn't need to turn to know that  the Cullens had decided to grace us all with their otherworldly presence, most of all, that Jasper was probably glaring daggers in my direction right now. 

I turned around anyway, fingers gripping tightly onto the sphere of the volleyball as I observed the ethereal quartet. Rosalie was  smiling gently at Emmett as his mouth moved quickly, Edward came in after them and went to sit on the bleachers immediately.

"Look who the cat dragged in," Jessica's voice startled me.

I turned to look at her and she was already standing close by with a volleyball in hand. Her eyes flitted over every figure of the new comers before settling on Edward for a particularly long time. I glanced over back at them only to have my gaze held captive by the gold irises of a particular blonde boy. His eyes stirred with judgement before narrowing. I felt a certain intensity settle in my chest. As if I felt guilty for the simple act of looking at them...at him. I took a shaky breath and stared back in defiance. What was his problem anyway?  I haven't even spoken to him yet. Why did I feel so much hate from him?

A warm hand on my forearm snapped me out of my trance. "Are you ok Viv?" Bella's concerned voice inquired. I nodded shakily.

"Yeah. I think I need to go use the restroom. I'll be right back," I passed the ball over to her before making my way to the doors, making sure that I wouldn't make eye contact with that weird family again. 

As soon as I was out in the hallway the weight that had settled in my chest lifted and I could finally sigh in relief. I slowed my pace as I kept walking. The hallway was deserted sides lined with windows that provided a view of the rain gently pelting on the gravel outside. The air was cool, a pleasure to breathe in. I guess my mom was right about the air quality here, although the quality of the company might need some work.

The sound of the soles of my running shoes thumping gently on the tiled floors filled the otherwise quiet hall. Did I remember where the bathroom was? Most definitely not, but at this point walking about aimlessly like a lost wraith was better than facing Jasper and his judgmental  liquid golden eyes. 

In an instant the air was knocked from my lungs as my body got pushed against the lockers with so much force that I could feel the one I landed against rock gently. As if the mere action of thinking about him could summon him, Jasper. His eyes still held that intense fury that I had seen earlier as well as an incomprehensible hint of fear. He had his forearm against my throat, if he so much as leaned forward it would cut of my air supply and I would quite literally suffocate. 

"What the fuck is your problem?" I hissed, my eyes refusing to leave his for even a second. There I stood at his mercy, yet I could not bring myself to bow my head. No, I had done nothing to merit his behaviour towards me and if this bitch so much as left a mark on me, he would be reported for assault immediately.

"You're my problem," he managed to get out through clenched teeth. His voice was low, his speech slow and drawn out, it was almost like he had a southern accent. His eyes on the other hand, they looked almost feral, with his irises shaking and pupils going from dilated to contracted within seconds. Is this motherfucker high?! 

"You don't even know me, you piece of shit," I gritted as I lifted my chin and tried to get some space between his skin and mine. He noticed and leaned forward causing me to cough and gasp for air. 

"You're right. I don't. So why don't you tell me who you are. Don't even think about giving me that fake story about you moving here from California. You smell like her. Where is she?" His chest seemed to rise and fall rapidly, almost like he was hyperventilating but other than his eyes, his face showed no other signs of him going manic. What the fuck is he talking about?  I smell like who now? When did he get close enough to me before this encounter to SMELL ME?? I practically screamed in my head.

I was about to open my mouth to tell him how much of a crazy manic asshole he was when the weight that was on my throat suddenly left and the sound of two bodies colliding reached my ears.

"Jasper! Cut it out!" It was the boy with bronze hair that had tackled the blonde off of me. Edward had Jasper pinned to the floor and the latter thrashed beneath his captor. Running could be heard from where I had left the gym and Emmett came barrelling down the hall followed closely by Rosalie. I saw the head of Bella peak around the open gym door then her eyes widen in concern. She started jogging towards me. There was nothing I could do but press myself against the lockers, trying to make myself as small as possible, trying to disappear from sight.

My eyes wandered back to the adopted brothers only to find that the whole family had vanished. A shaky breath escaped from my lips and as Bella got to me I couldn't help but wonder what the fuck kind of town I had moved to, but most importantly, who was Jasper looking for?