Opposites Attract

Chapter 3

--A/N

Here you will finally meet Tyler. Took a while, I know, I know! Enjoy :)

-M

"Hi Mary," Jasper greeted Sara's mum as she opened the front door. "Is she here?" he asked, peering into the house over Mary's shoulder.

"Come on in Jasper." Mary said, closing the door behind him. "She's been miserable ever since she got back. I don't even think she's had a shower!"

Jasper pulled a face and held his hands up in guilt. "That'll be my fault - I sort of yelled at her today in school..."

Mary pulled a puzzled face, waiting for Jasper to explain. "Long story short, she probably hates me this much because I told her everything that she already knows." Jasper held his thumb and index finger apart to signal to Mary and she rolled her eyes.

Hitting his chest with a rolled up newspaper, she ushered him towards the living room where Jasper saw Sara lying down on the sofa, flicking through the endless channels of cartoons and children's programmes.

"Just go sort it out! My daughter is a mess right now - she looks terrible!"

Jasper let out a little laugh; "I know," he replied.

"I can hear you both you know!" Sara shouted from the living room, making both her mum and Jasper chuckle. "I'm right here!"

Ignoring Sara's shouting from the other room, Jasper turned to Mary one last time: "Oh, and mum told me to thank you for doing the shopping last night. She only got back this morning."

Mary waved it off and pat Jasper on the back before returning to the kitchen. She called out from the kitchen as Jasper took his coat off: "Staying for dinner? I've got lasagne in the oven."

Jasper shook his head and whispered to her before placing a finger to his lips: "Party. Both of us." Mary nodded and returned to her work, acknowledging the fact that her daughter wouldn't be home for dinner.

Jasper plonked himself on the sofa next to Sara and grabbed the remote from her hand. Before she had time to protest, he covered her mouth with his right hand and held her down on the sofa with his left. For someone who wasn't on a sports team at school, Jasper was pretty strong and it only took one hand to stop Sara from wriggling about and escaping his grip.

She pouted at him as if to say 'Please let me go' but he wouldn't have it. Jasper shook his head. "My turn to talk. I'm sorry okay? Sorry I yelled, I guess I was wrong. But that's over now, it's behind us. Okay? Good! Now go and get ready, we're going to a party."

"You guess you were wrong?" She pointed a finger at him when she was finally allowed to speak.

"Yeah, I guess!"

Sara stared at him for a moment and then nodded. "Fine, fine!" She pulled Jasper in for a hug and he hugged her back, letting her arms drop down to his shoulders. She ran her hand through his long hair and sighed. "You really need to get that cut."

"And you really need to change! GO! Or I'll carry upstairs myself!"

"Pleeeaaase?" Sara begged, holding out her arms to that Jasper would carry her.

Rolling his eyes, he gave in and lifted her into his arms, carrying her up the stairs and into her room. Here, he let her drop down onto her bed and went over to her closet. As he opened it, a huge stack of papers fell down from the top shelf and scattered everywhere.

"SARA!" he exclaimed. "It's extra credit, NOT YOUR JOB!" She came over and helped him collect the papers into a pile by the corner of her closet.

"I know, I know! It just needed to be done."