Turning Page - A Jasper Hale story

Chapter Four

"Well, what did you find out?" Jessica questioned the minute she sat down beside Jude at lunch. The girl began to choke on her drink, not expecting Jess to appear beside her. A few people turned to look at her as she choked, coughing and spluttering as Jess slapped her back (in a manner that definitely wasn't helping with the choking but somehow was still definitely going to leave a bruise).

As Jude managed to catch her breath back, the others took their seat at the round table, eyebrows raised in concern. 

"Well?!" Jessica asked again, pressing Jude to reply. She looked to her in confusion, a baffled look on her face as she began to question Jessica's sanity.

"Well, what? What do you mean, what did I find out?" Jude asked incredulously, looking around to the rest of her friends who looked equally confused.

"About the Cullens!" 

The attention of the rest of the table fell back to Jude, who suddenly felt put on the spot. She almost felt as if she wanted to keep her budding friendship with Edward (and Alice) to herself, reluctant to tell the others what had gone on that morning. She decided, she'd tell them the basics - the things they'd probably already found out, or worked out themselves.

Edward smiled from across the room. He had elected to sit with his siblings to avoid more direct stares in their direction and discomfort when they questioned his lack of eating.

"Well," she stumbled over her words, glancing at her friends, unsure where to start. "H-he's very polite, he likes to read... Alice is nice too - she's very friendly."

"You're friends with two of them?!" Jessica slammed her hands on the table in shock. At the other side of the table, Mike and Eric exchanged disdainful glances, unimpressed that Jude had spoken to the boy and was more interested in him than them.

"I think it's nice Jude's spoken to them," Angela rebutted, "nobody else has."

***

Biology followed lunch. Mr Molina, ever the stickler to the school rules, had created a seating plan for his lesson, similar to their homeroom seats - Edward sat in front of Jude, who sat beside Angela. 

Edward didn't speak to the pair much. He preferred it when it was just Jude, even though he did admit Angela seemed very sweet.

To Edward's chagrin, Emmett joined them in their last class - Spanish. In all the time he'd known Emmett, Edward had never once seen him be able to keep his thoughts to himself. And that was still true to this day. Jude hadn't even entered the classroom before Emmett had placed a large hand on her shoulder.

'These Cullens all bloody need to borrow my gloves.'

"You must be Jude," he smiled down at her. Edward felt compelled to step forwards, towards the pair, placing his hand on her other shoulder.

"Jude, this is Emmett, my brother."

Jude smiled at the two boys, patting their hands. She felt a shiver run down her spine and both boys lifted their hands immediately. They exchanged a look, not knowing what had come over them. How did this human girl have such control over them immediately? Theory was building in Edward's head with every interaction, Alice's visions playing on his mind. She was going to be turned, that much was certain, but the potential of a gift - let alone one as rare as hypnosis - was unclear.

Still, he did not want to subject her to his fate. He vowed, in his mind, to keep her safe. To do what he could to prevent her changing. Prevent her from becoming a monster like him. She hadn't even met Jasper yet - perhaps he could change their fate. If they were never introduced, maybe she'd never be changed.

"Edward's told me all about you. Alice too," Emmett said enthusiastically, snapping Edward out of his reverie, puppy dog persona taking Jude by surprise. She found it endearing - he was just as sweet as his siblings. 

"All good things, I hope?"

***

Jude made her way out to the parking lot, aiming her key at the old Beetle, unlocking it. She placed her bag in the trunk, rearranging the items she had stored in there previously, oblivious to what was going on around her. Oblivious to the five pairs of eyes watching her from beside the Volvo.

"You're sure?" he asked in a honey-like Southern drawl. "It's her?"

Alice nodded, her sincerity and joy hit him like a tidal wave. He felt his shoulders relax and the pain from his burning throat disappeared for a just a second. This relief, he decided, was something that was worth exploring - human or not.

"Do you really think it's wise?" Edward asked, narrowing his eyes at his brother. Jasper snapped his attention to the bronze haired boy, eyebrows furrowing at the hidden insinuation behind Edward's words. He inhaled through his nose, the scent of the nearby humans igniting the flame in his throat once again. His shoulders crumpled in defeat as he nodded his head to his brother.

Alice shot Edward a glare, unimpressed at his lack of tact and trust in his brother. Jasper would never knowingly harm anyone. The bronze haired boy turned his glare in his petite sister. She knew as well as he did that Jasper posed the biggest threat to the humans at Forks High School.

"Do you really think it's clever to even be friends with her?" Rosalie spat in retaliation to Edward, venom laced through her words. Images of any and all of the family attacking her ran through her head, and so through Edwards. He flinched at the image of himself sinking his teeth into her thin neck, her freckled arms, her muscular calves. Of Alice, breaking her arm and biting into her hand. Of Emmett being too rough, and it being too late. Of Jasper, watching her get a paper cut and losing all control.

"Stop," he commanded. "Just... stop. We'll... We'll just have to... we'll just have to ignore her."

***

Edward didn't come to school for the next three days. Jude worried for his health, hoping he hadn't caught some illness from the rain - it would explain why he was so cold, after all. She wanted to speak to his siblings, ask after him, but every time she attempted to approach them, a feeling of dread and discomfort fell over her in waves.

She wished it would stop, hoped and prayed even. She wanted them to speak to her again. She wondered if she had caused them offence in some way - perhaps when she had commented on how cold they were. Sometimes, the feeling would ebb away as she hoped and prayed - Emmett would give her a sympathetic smile or Alice would wave. But as soon as she stopped hoping, it was back to radio silence.

Jude told herself she would confront Edward the moment she saw him next. But each day, she arrived at school, to find his siblings there without him.

And each day, Jude's resolve wavered even more.