Almost Human | Jasper Hale

Chapter 7

The final chime of the ending school bell echoed across the fields and hallways inside and out of the school. Jasper and the Cullens had left class quicker than everyone else, no surprise there, and were standing in front of both of their cars. Emmett spoke up first. "Jasper? What's wrong? You look less alive than usual!" He laughed at his own joke receiving no reaction from the others.

Edward glanced over at his brother with a small smirk which faded as quickly as it showed. "Jasper is going to be taking his little human to her house to finish a project." Jasper shot him a glare for reading his mind as he spoke to defend himself and Meg. "She's not my human, besides don't lecture me Edward, you're the one who can't contain his feelings for Bella. At least I haven't run away."

"Yet." Edward scoffed at him and lowered the sunglasses previously on his forehead to over his eyes. Rosalie seemed to be the only one with a real problem with Jasper and Edwards actions. "Yeah and what happens if you're on a little meeting and one of you break? huh? You're both risking exposure. I cant believe you're ok with being in a car with her Jasper! Have you ever even been alone with a human?"

Alice put an arm on Rosalie's shoulder "Rose if anything was going to happen I would've seen it coming. It's all looking okay for now. I believe Jasper when he says it's just for his project." Though she wasn't confident in her visions at this time, she didn't want to worry Rose or the rest of them. If anything were to happen, they would just pack up and move and that would be that. Alice shot Jasper a small wink outside of Rosalie's vision.

Emmett's gaze was broken from the group as he looked up to see the tall brunette girl approaching from across the parking lot. "Hate to break up this fun little argument but she's coming." He put an arm around his wife, Rosalie and led her to his jeep behind them, sending her reassuring words as they walked.

Jasper was focused in sending all his family members calming waves to ease the tension though it seemed more difficult than he expected. Once Emmett and Rosalie loaded into the jeep Alice moved her hands onto Jaspers shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

She didn't need to be an empath to sense his nerves. "Jasper, it'll be alright, you won't hurt her, if you feel uncomfortable she can just come to our house!" Alice gave him a gentle and uplifting smile which he partially returned.

"Thanks Alice, I think I'll be alright tonight. I think I've learned my lesson before." Alice's smile turned sad as her hands fell from his shoulders and she climbed into the jeep with Edward.

Jasper leaned against the other car and watched the white blur of a jeep drive away with Emmett standing through the top window, laughing as he went. He turned to Meg and gave her a large, overdramatic wave before they disappeared into the street. Once the jeep passed, only the image of Jasper in front of his car was left.

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"Did your family take you driving me home well? It must be a lot for the four of them to pile into that car just for you." Meg smirked, moving a step forward and looking him in the eyes once and then down at the gravel near the converse on her feet.

"They were fine with it, we should head out." He said blankly, opening the passenger side door. No matter how stiff or emotionless he seemed, he always held that irresistible southern charm. Meg was now realizing why it was called "charm."

"Okay..." she dragged the word out with a sigh as a response to his short answer. He seemed sweet and upbeat at lunch but now he was back to his original cold state. Meg slid into the car seat, placing her backpack on the floor and letting him shut the door behind her, which he did quite violently.

Meg jumped slightly and began questioning her choices that led her to be in the passenger seat in the car of a strange boy she met yesterday. She moved her buckle and it clicked into place when Jasper at last made his way into the car as well.

Her legs moved away from him, towards the door as she looked out the window, a force of habit for what she does when she's nervous in a car. Usually the car rides were with social workers or ticked off ex foster parents but this felt the same.

The blond boy clicked in his own seatbelt and shifted the car into gear before tensing up as if an anxious chill traveled down his spine. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" She turned just her head towards him so she could meet his vision. Her anxious feelings left and she felt comfortable. Her thoughts were still anxious, but her body felt otherwise. It was unusual.

His eyes opened, a deep color again as if the previous gold flecks never existed. "Well I was a little harsh I guess, as you can tell I'm not good with...people." Jasper pressed the gas and left the school parking lot, turning onto the busy road.

Meg replied with a nod showing she was listening but unsure of what to say next. Mostly because her thoughts stuck to his final sentence. There it was again, not good with people. What did that mean? Carlisle said it and now him? Both about himself? Maybe she's just overthinking-

"So how do we get to your house exactly?"

"Hm?" She looked at the road before processing what had been asked. "Oh right just follow this road for a mile or so and turn right, then follow that road another mile and when you feel like you're about to hit a tree you're there."

Jasper let something of a chuckle escape his lips before clearing his throat and quickly returning to how he sat before, as if he wanted to hide something.

The rest of the ride was silent until they pulled into the small log cabin Meg called home. She thanked him for the ride and got out of the car herself, dragging her bag out after her. Jasper slowly did the same and followed her to the stone path lined with dying flowers before halting completely.

Meg turned to him with a confused stare as she motioned towards her house.

"Are your grandparents home?" he asked with a clenched jaw and eyes that seemed deeper if that even was possible with their black color.

"Yes but they're friendly and- oh right." Meg remembered his 'not good with people' comments and chalked his nerves up to social anxiety. "Look I don't normally do this, but I would like this essay to at least be halfway done by tonight." Jasper gave her a gentler look which urged her to continue. "The woods, well specifically the tallest tree in my backyard, it's where I do my thinking so it may be beneficial here." She waited for a reply, which didn't happen, she got was she assumed to be a nod which was enough for her.

Meg marched over to Jasper, a bit annoyed with his silence and lack of cooperation. One moment he was her friend the next he acted like he never saw her before in his entire life. She braced herself before grabbing his wrist. It was cold as she expected, like holding an ice pack between her fingers. It was sort of exhilarating in a way yet she had a bad feeling about it.

Jasper was not braced and her warm touch nearly sent shivers down his spine. He felt the blood coursing through her veins and had to clench every muscle in his body to prevent from lashing out. He didn't want to, by doing so he would've hurt a human and proved his family right as well as himself. He was a monster. Doing this, doing normal teenage things that's what made him feel almost human, though he knew he was far from it.

A/n This was a looong chapter by request of my friend E, shoutout to her for being soooo supportive, reading this story and voting for it :) Thanks to all of you for reading it as well. Love Always- M