Fatal Affection (yandere Alice Cullen and Yandere Jasper Hale x male oc)

[4]

Lying on my bed, I stared at the ceiling, reflecting on my first day back at school. It had been... different. I wasn't sure how to feel about everything that happened. There were new faces and new interactions, Alice and Jasper especially. I had to admit. It felt nice that they said goodbye and even offered me a lift home. But I'd politely declined. It just seemed too soon, too much.

"Bennett, sweetie," my mum called from downstairs, pulling me from my thoughts, "dinner's almost ready. Your brother's joining us tonight, so be good and go wash your hands."

I rolled off the bed, rubbing my eyes. "Okay, mum." I was already feeling the fatigue creeping in. My medication always made me drowsy around this time, but I didn't want to seem out of it at dinner.

The air was thick when I made my way to the table. It always felt that way when Mark, my brother, was around. The tension didn't come from Mum or me but from Dad. He barely looked at Mark, and when he did, it was like there was something unresolved simmering beneath the surface.

After we'd said grace, we all started eating. The room was filled with the sound of cutlery and quiet chewing, the usual when Mark was home. The silence dragged on until Mum finally broke it.

"So, Bennett," she began with a smile, breaking the tension in the air, "how was your first day back?"

"It was good," I answered, though my eyelids felt heavy. The medication was hitting harder now.

"Did you eat lunch with Jessica?" she asked, chewing on a forkful of green beans.

"Yeah, I did."

"Must've been more to your day than just that," Dad chimed in, his eyes flicking over to me. His tone carried the weight of expectation, like a school day needed to have more meaning to be worthwhile.

I hesitated, then smiled a little. "I think I made some new friends."

Mum's face lit up. "Oh, Benny, that's wonderful!" she said, using the nickname I hadn't heard in a while. "What are their names?" She asked; it wasn't hard to figure out that I didn't have friends.

"Jasper and Alice," I said quickly, making sure to mention Jasper first, hoping it wouldn't raise any suspicions.

"Last names?" Dad asked, his gaze sharp. He liked to know everything, always needing control, especially under 'his' roof.

"I didn't get their last names," I admitted, suddenly feeling foolish. "They're new. I didn't think to ask."

"Oh, they might be that new family Elizabeth mentioned at church," Mum said, glancing at Dad. She always found out about town changes first, somehow. "You know, the ones who moved into that big house up on Elmsly Street?"

Dad's eyes narrowed. "The large house near the woods?"

"That's the one. Elizabeth said they've got quite a few kids," Mum replied, then turned back to me. "Do Jasper and Alice have any siblings?"

"Yeah, I think so," I said, remembering the lunch table filled with people I didn't recognise. "I saw them sitting with a group during lunch."

"Makes sense," Mum said, nodding. "With a house that size, they must be well-off. I'll ask Elizabeth about them at book club tomorrow."

"Were they nice?" Mum asked back to me, her voice gentle.

I nodded. "Yeah, they were."

"Well, that's all that matters," she said, smiling again, though the tension between Dad and Mark still hung in the air like a storm cloud.

"And how's Mary?" Mum asked Mark, shifting the conversation to my brother and his wife. She always tried to talk to him when Dad wouldn't.

Mark cleared his throat, his voice quiet but steady. "She's doing well. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and after that, we're helping her parents paint their house."

Dad muttered something critical under his breath. I could tell by the tone, but it was barely loud enough to catch. He always muttered like that when Mark was involved. The rest of us weren't allowed to, but Dad's grumbling was the one unspoken rule in the house.

The rest of dinner passed in near-silence, the usual undercurrent of awkwardness lingering until we finished.

.

After I showered and got ready for bed, I picked up my phone to see that I'd received several texts from Alice.

-Alice- 'Hey Bennett, it's Alice. It was nice meeting you today!'

A second text quickly followed.

-Alice- 'I was wondering when you wanted to work on the project. Jasper and I are free tomorrow, and we'd love to help. We can come to your house if that's okay, especially since your mum doesn't want you out.'

I stared at the messages for a while, a strange feeling gnawing at me. I wasn't sure if this was normal. I'd never really had friends before, so maybe it was. But something about how fast this was moving made me uneasy.

Before I could think too deeply about it, my mum knocked on the door and entered with a basket of clean clothes.

"You alright?" she asked, noticing my troubled expression as she set the basket down.

"Um, yeah. I've got a school project with Alice," I began, my voice sounding uncertain even to myself.

"Oh?" she asked, folding some clothes. "What's it about? Do you need help?"

"It's for literature class," I said, shaking my head. "No, I'm okay."

"So what's bothering you?"

I hesitated before replying. "She wants to come over tomorrow with Jasper to work on it. But... I only met them today, and they're kind of... pushy. It feels strange."

Mum paused, then gave me a thoughtful look. "It's not necessarily a bad thing, Benny. Friends are good for you; maybe they just want to ensure you don't feel left out. It's nice they want to work on the project right away. It shows they're responsible."

"You think?" I asked, not entirely convinced.

Mum nodded. "Absolutely. I know it feels fast, but that doesn't mean it's wrong. And if you're ever uncomfortable, you can always tell me, okay?"

I nodded, feeling a little better. "Okay."

"Tell them they're welcome to come over after school," she added, smiling warmly. "I'll make dinner for all of you, and they don't have a choice in the matter."

I chuckled. "Thanks, Mum."

"Good. Now put your clothes away and get your bag ready for tomorrow," she instructed, brushing her hand through my hair before heading to the door. "And don't forget to say goodnight before you go to bed."

"I won't."

As she left, I stared down at Alice's texts again, the uneasy feeling still lingering, though less sharp. Maybe Mum was right. Maybe Alice and Jasper just wanted to be my friends. But even as I began typing my response, I couldn't shake the feeling that something more was happening, something I couldn't quite put my finger on yet.

Please vote and I hope you have enjoyed xxx
13th october 2024