Red Reaper // Twilight J.H.

05 // IDLE CONVERSATION

//

Fourth period was an extremely awkward affair. Nikita was beginning to regret her decision to sit with the suspects, because although she was trained to be an assassin, even she had her limits with unspoken tension. Nonetheless, she did not move tables.

As Nikita sat with the three possible vampires, she couldn't help but feel a sliver of respect towards Rosalie. The blonde girl was fierce and vehement, showing no mercy. She probably would have made an amazing Red Room girl, if she learned to hold her tongue while speaking to superiors.

Meanwhile, Nikita was unsure how to feel about the other two. Alice seemed welcoming and kind, while Jasper was silent and broody. He wasn't quiet in a timid manner, but more of a 'I don't want to say anything to you' manner. Something about the male was drawing Nikita in, and it almost frightened her. Almost.

Alice kept trying to include Nikita in the conversation, and the Red Reaper couldn't help but wonder just how this girl was capable of enduring such awkwardness and taking control of the situation.

"So where did you move from?" Alice asked as they worked on the art project for that particular class. Rosalie and Jasper were silent, but Nikita noticed Jasper would occasionally glance at her.

"Seattle," Nikita lied without hesitation.

Alice hummed thoughtfully. "Must've been a lot busier there than here," she replied conversationally.

It was such a strange thing, Nikita realized. She was making small talk! For the first time in several years, she was making idle conversation. She would shut down Owen and Sarah's attempts at conversation, and in Red Room they only ever talked about important matters. Therefore, the brunette had not made small talk in quite a long while.

"Yes," Nikita agreed. "It was always noisy."

"Why'd you move here?" Alice queried curiously, pausing in her sketching and then resuming once she finished speaking.

'And cue the acting,' Nikita thought to herself. She faked a sorrowful expression, her gaze dropping and faux smile faltering. "My... um... my parents died," she answered quietly, acting almost flawlessly.

Alice immediately looked guilty. Rosalie paused for a split second, but then continued working, golden eyes never straying from her paper. Jasper stared at Nikita with a scrutinizing gaze, almost enough to make her fidget nervously. It was like he was reading through her, and there was a flicker of confusion across his features.

"I'm so sorry for asking then, Nicole," Alice murmured.

"I-it's fine," Nikita purposely stammered, mentally cringing at the weakness that was Nicole Reynolds. Nicole would have to be a weak, normal teenager. Meanwhile, Nikita was a tough, unique young woman.

Surprisingly, it was Jasper that spoke next. He spoke at a quiet volume but with a seemingly genuine tone with the words, "I'm sorry for your loss."

The Red Room girl paused. Was that a Southern accent she detected?

Nikita gave a shaky smile. "Thanks. I'm coping." Deciding to move on from the emotional stage of the conversation (mainly because she felt like she would throw up from the cliche bull crap), she queried, "Where are you guys from? Have you lived in Forks all your lives?"

Alice replied, "We moved here from Alaska a few years ago. Forks is rainier, but not as cold."

Rosalie abruptly spoke up, "How do you feel about the cold, Nicole?"

Nikita took notice that both Jasper and Alice were paying attention to her, waiting for an answer. Was this an inside joke? If they were vampires, were they asking about the cold as a bit of humor? Well, this was a good opportunity to get close to them.

"I love the cold," Nikita responded honestly. "It soothes me."

It was true. Russia was cold and bitter, but somehow, the temperature calmed her. It kept her awake and helped her senses stay sharp. She had spent many days trembling under a thin sheet on her tiny mattress, begging for warmth, until she finally accepted the freezing temperature as a piece of home.

After answering, Rosalie looked a bit taken aback, as if she was expecting a much different answer. Alice exchanged a discreet look with Jasper, but Nikita still caught it.

Before any of them could continue the conversation, the art teacher abruptly called for the students' attention. "Fourth period will be ending soon," the woman exclaimed. "Put your assignments in the tray and then return to your tables."

Nikita reluctantly ended her conversation with the three suspects. She still had two more classes to go, and perhaps she could find them in other classes. She had time to bond with these students and see if they had any useful information.

The Red Reaper stood with Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie. She turned her assignment in to the tray where others were placing their sheets of paper, then returned to the table.

"You should sit with us at lunch tomorrow," Alice suggested.

Immediately after speaking, Rosalie protested with a silent glare at Nikita. Jasper did not give such an outward reaction, but Nikita noticed how he tensed up.

"Maybe," Nikita replied slowly. "We'll see."

The bell decided to ring at that moment. Rosalie was the first out of the classroom, with Jasper following at a slightly slower pace. Alice strolled beside Nikita, saying, "Rosalie and Jasper might seem closed off from you, but they'll love you once you get to know them."

Nikita nodded. "Thanks..." She sounded awkward, unused to being comforted.

Alice smiled. "You're welcome. What's your next class?"

//

As it turned out, Alice was not in Nikita's fifth or sixth class. However, Alice had explained that Jasper was in her sixth class.

Fifth period passed uneventfully. Then came sixth period, and Nikita found herself being seated, ironically, right next to Jasper. However, instead of acknowledging her presence, he seemed to be ignoring her completely.

Jasper was leaning slightly away from her, and gripping his desk tightly. Nikita could have sworn she saw cracks forming in the wood of the pencil he was grasping.

Nikita frowned to herself, bewildered by his attitude. She was unsure why Jasper was acting so strangely. Maybe it was his blood thirst? After all, he had migrated one hand to his face and was leaning against it, as if casually covering his mouth and nose.

The Red Room girl decided not to engage in a conversation. If she did, it probably would not end well. So instead, she focused on the teacher and took notes. Sure, she would leave Forks and the continent altogether once her mission was finished, but she was curious about the education system here.

When sixth period finally ended, Jasper was practically a blur as he fled the room. Nikita sighed exasperatedly.

It didn't make sense! If Jasper was a vampire, that still didn't give any good reasoning as to why he was thirsty for her blood. Red Room injected Nikita with serums to prevent that issue.

What made Jasper so special?

//

Author's Note: Thanks for all the support so far guys! It means a lot. I know things are kinda boring right now, but it gets better :)