One of A Kind

Pre-Twilight: Chapter Twelve

Sunday was a pretty rough day. I slept all day and ate dinner. I'm so grateful I did all my homework Saturday afternoon, so I don't have to worry about it. When she was at home, Anna barely talked to me. Dad told me he spoke with her about Jasper and the Cullens in general and how she needs to overcome her prejudices. I understand that she has weird feelings about the Cullens. Hell, so do I. I know now that I don't have those feelings about Jasper, and I can tell he is not a danger to me.

It is now Monday morning, and I am excited to go to school. I look over at the clock as I wake up, wondering why my alarm hasn't gone off. 8:00 AM. Fuck. School starts at 7:45.

I jump out of bed and go and brush my teeth. After that, I throw some clothes on and run downstairs. As I reach the bottom, I notice my dad on the couch.

"Dad! Why didn't anyone wake me up?!" I said.

"I thought you had already left." He said, getting up off the couch.

"No. Where is Anna?"

"She had to go in early."

"Can you take me to school?" I ask.

"Yeah, sure. Grab your bag." He says. "You're lucky I have the day off today."

"Thank you. I thought I had set my alarm." I grab my bag, my jacket, and a protein bar. The car ride to school was filled with small talk and him going ten over the speed limit to get me to school. We finally get there, and I speed walk into the office and get a late pass.

As I walk through the halls, I feel huge waves of numerous emotions. I try to push them out, and I can for a few moments, and then they hit me again like a ton of bricks. I rub my temples as if that will keep them out, but it doesn't. I grab my stuff out of my locker and head to class. I look at my phone, and it is 8:30. First period ends in thirty minutes. At least I won't miss all of that class.

I walk into class just as Mrs. Smith says, "Books away. Pop quiz time. Hope you did your reading." Fucking hell. She looks over at me. "Good morning Janetta. Hurry to your seat." I walk through the aisle and reach my seat. I look up, and my eyes meet Jasper's beautiful eyes.

"Good morning, Janetta." He says, softly smiling. Ugh, my name sounds so good in his voice.

"Morning, Jasper." I smile back and sit down. I sit down, and the pop quiz is handed to me. I sit there and stare at the quiz. I can't focus on it. These emotions are messing with my head.

Okay, Netta. Try to focus on one person at a time. Maybe the others will dissolve away.

I slow my breath and try to focus on Jasper. It takes a moment, but I can focus on just him. He is feeling worried. Huh. What is he worried about?

I stayed focused on him as I completed the quiz very fast. I sit back and turn my paper over as I notice the people around me look confused at the papers in front of them. I can't help but feel a little smug. This would be a piece of cake if they read the book.

As I watch the minutes go by on the clock, I stay focused on Jasper. He is still worried, but he also seems proud. He must have finished his quiz as well. I decide to move my focus to Lyvia. She is feeling baffled but thrilled. Her date must've gone well because I catch her looking at Alice and smiling. I move my focus to Alice, and she is feeling ecstatic. Aw. It is so apparent they like each other.

I notice Mrs. Smith faces the wall, writing on the board for her next period. I slowly turn my head and look over my shoulder at Jasper. He is already looking at me. I smile at him, and he returns. He mouths Hi to me. I mouth back Hi. I smile even brighter and turn around. I focus back on him and notice his emotions shift more. There it is again! The emotions he felt after he kissed me. Admiration. Adoration. My heart feels like it swells, and I can't wipe the smile away.

The bell rings, and as I walk out the door when Jasper calls out my name.

"Yes?" I ask, the smile still evident on my face.

"May I walk you to your next class?" OMG. OMG. OMG.

"I'd love that."

We walk side by side down the hall. As we are walking, I can start to feel the emotions of others breaking into my mind. Ugh. The girls we pass by are feeling some inappropriate emotions while looking at Jasper. I can feel jealously bubbling up inside me. Without even thinking, I grab his hand. I look up at him, and he looks at me. Surprise plastered on his face. I instantly drop his hand.

"S-Sorry," I say, looking down.

"It's okay." He says. What he does next surprises me even more. He grabs my hand, holds it softly, and continues walking me to class.

At that moment, everyone else's emotions melt away from my mind, and the only one that remains is his. His are a mix of jealousy and smugness. The smugness overpowered the jealously. As I feel that, my mind goes back to that image I got of Jasper in a meadow with me. Another smile reaches my face, and it stays there. I peek up at him, and he is smiling. We get to my class and stand outside the room, a few more minutes remaining before class starts.

"Thank you for walking me," I say.

"You're welcome. Thank you for allowing me to." He smiles at me.

"Any time." We stand there for a moment.

"Would it be too much to ask for me to ask to kiss you?" He whispers to me.

"Not at all," I reply, smiling. He slowly moves his hand to my chin and tilts it up. I stand on my tippy toes, and he kisses me softly. His lips linger on mine for a moment and then slowly pulls away.

"See you later, Janetta." He smiles at me and walks away. As he turns the corner, I look around and notice everyone looking at me. I roll my eyes and walk into class just as the bell rings. This has been a terrific start to my day.