Strings || Jasper Hale

Behind the School

    He repeated once more, being careful not to mince his words. "Do you need something?"

  An inquisitive look crossed her faery-like face, and she smiled, sweetly. "Do you like shopping?"

  "Shopping?" The redhead blinked; it wasn't what he was expecting.

  "In Port Angeles."

  "Uh, not really." Creed shook his head, not sure where this was going. "You know... people, shops, social interaction... not exactly my thing."

  A frown became prominent on Alice's face, and for a moment, he felt bad. "Oh, well, that's a pity. I wanted to invite you to come with my sister and I this weekend."

  He brushed off his plethora of questions to close his locker and turn away. "Oh, thanks anyway."

     Just as he began to walk to his class, Alice tagged along beside him. They didn't share the class, of course, she was a Junior, and he was a Sophomore. Creed didn't want the added glares from Eric Yorkie's group of juvenile misfits either. It had become known to him that Jessica Stanley was practically in love with Edward Cullen, and had, on many occasions, made that known to him. He was yet to accept her advances in any way.

     "You could sit with us for lunch!" She grabbed onto his hand with excitement, and Creed froze in the centre of the hallway. Alice was like ice. Perhaps she'd first met Doctor Cullen in a hospital for her poor circulation. "Oh, I'd love your company!"

  "Sorry, but I don't actually know you." Creed rejected her platonic advances, retreating from her, and removing her grip. "I'll think about it, though, yeah? Thanks..."

     Every day that week, Alice had talked to Creed, slowly wedging her way into his routine. He'd almost come to expect her turning up by his locker door after second period, which he shared with her sister, to try and convince him to spend time with her and her family. After that, he was used to spending his last subject with Jasper, hardly talking about anything important.

     Jasper was much different to Alice. He preferred to keep to himself. He didn't speak unless spoken to, for the most part. His soul was soft, and quiet, and he appreciated that he wanted to keep to himself. If it were possible to achieve, Creed would have done the same himself.

     However, because he was spending his lunches in the cafeteria, things weren't as clean cut. He hadn't been eating properly again. Charlie had been working late, and he was forgetting that he needed to cook, or make something for himself. Creed was becoming severely undernourished and no one seemed to notice.

     After the weekend, Creed had wondered if Alice would give up on him. However, when Monday rolled around, she had made herself known again, and Creed couldn't help but be slightly relieved. He was supposed to leave Forks on Friday for his mothers wedding, but any excuse would do.

     "Creed!" She bounded towards him, a bounce in her step. "Will you sit with us yet?"

     It was the age old question. He'd been avoiding it so far, because he felt he owed Buzz and Connor for taking such good care of him. They'd been protecting him from Eric, Tyler and Mike. However, Alice's persistence was becoming more and more attractive.

     "I, uh... I don't think I can."

  "Oh, please." Her tone dropped like a pleading toddler, asking for a new toy. It was sort of disconcerting. "Even Jasper thinks you should sit with us."