Louder (Jessica Stanley X Edward Cullen)

1. Home for Good (Or bad)

Mom's reaction to my return was expected. Her bratty 20 year old daughter had dropped out of college, ended an almost 3 year relationship, and come running home with her tail between her legs. Of course she was dissapointed. She would already have some little lie crafted, I was sure. Something to deflect the onslaught of gossip that would most certainly follow my untimely return.

I had only been home an evening and Mom was already drunkenly watching sad movies alone. Dad was of course nowhere to be found. No doubt making out with his secretary somewhere. I was tired of being home already even after a few hours. I had a late night hankering so I decided ice cream was my answer. It just may cure my boredom, my sadness for mom, and of course the craving to shove hot fudge down my throat.

Mom didn't look up as I slipped past her and out the door. Maybe because Rose was holding onto poor freezing Jack for dear life and mom was watching the entire thing with such rapture that just maybe Leo wouldn't die in the end. (Oops, spoiler alert). I headed to my car and got in. Driving to the ice cream shop, I distracted myself with an old burned CD featuring my old playlist. It was luckily still open- tourist season hours maybe. Forkes had seen an odd rise in the number of tourists in recent years. I walked in and walked over to the counter.

The girl behind the counter looked pretty young. Probably too young to be working a late late shift, but I was too tired to go on a rant about Child labor laws. "Um two scoops of the cookie dough?" I told her with a polite smile. As most tended to react to my voice, she grimaced, but she moved to scoop the ice cream.

"Jessica Stanley?" I turned slowly to see Doctor Cullen and his stunning young wife Esme. It had been a long time, Bella and Alice's wedding probably, that I had seen them. "Hi, Doctor Cullen. Mrs.Cullen." I took on a tone of surprise. I had rarely seen them out and about so casually in my youth.

"Great minds think alike." Esme held up a cone. "I was snackish. Well, he was snackish." She rubbed a round baby bump. Last I had heard, the woman was unable to have children, which made this odd. Not to be rude though, I gushed, "Oh congrats!" I wasn't sure how I didn't notice that before. But I was actually happy to see them have a kid.

"Thank you." Esme beamed. "What brings you back to Forkes?"

A mental breakdown, I thought. "I'm taking a gap year. I left Mike and I needed some time off." Mom had wanted me to lie, but I wasn't able to lie to these two. It was almost like they were able to pull the honesty from my lips. Kind of spooky if I was honest. And annoying. I hated confessing that.

"Young relationships are so hard. Can't blame you for taking a gap year. Self  care is the best thing for you." Esme smiled.

I had to return that smile. Her smile was quite infectious. I could see why the Doctor had married her. "Thanks. Not many are going to see it that way though." I turned to pay the girl who was scowling at me with my rapidly melting ice cream in hand. "thanks." I quickly handed her what I owed her. "Keep the change as tip." I told her quickly.

She seemed pleased with that, maybe it was enough to forgive me for allowing the ice cream to melt.  I watched her shove what was left in her apron. I was glad she would have it. Maybe she would have better use of it than I did.
  "How's everyone?" I wasn't sure what to call their children, so I just said everyone. God, how I was useless at small talk.

"Amazing. Things are changing rapidly." Esme gushed, "Rosalie is engaged, Bella and Alice are home from living in Europe..." She looked so happy. Good for her. She deserved it.

"Wow Europe?" I wasn't too shocked though. It kind of fit the young couple. It was sophisticated and cultured. Which certainly fit them perfectly. Bella was all about education, and Alice about glamour. Europe seemed a great combination of both.

Esme nodded. "We're happy to have them back though. We missed them."

"Oh. Well how are Emmett and Edward?" I only asked because I thought it might be rude to leave them out. She looked a bit sad though which made me wonder if I should've avoided the topic.

Carlisle stepped in. "Emmett is great. Actually we're all getting together soon. Might we invite you to join us?"

I was a bit surprised. Partly because of how smoothly he brushed off the comment that seemed to upset his wife, and also because they were inviting me to their home. I had been there twice. Once when they held a graduation party, and the next time for Bella Swan's wedding to Alice Cullen. "I would love that." I replied anyway, maybe a little too loud. They both grimaced. I looked down, embarrassed.

There was some remorse I noticed in Esme's face when I glanced up again. "Sorry." she told me.

"No no. I'm used to it." My voice caught though, betraying me. "I better get home." I walked out and practically ran to my car.

When I got home Mom and Dad were shouting. I walked into the kitchen to clean my hands of the sticky ice cream that I had stupidly let melt on me while talking with Esme and Carlisle. I finished and almost went straight to my room when I saw a pile of open folders on Dad's desk. There was a school photo, a candid, of Edward Cullen cut from a yearbook probably. Maybe even mine. I picked it up and examined it along with some other things. Fake documents under his name, a few signatures. A sticky note: J. Jenks is the key. I pocketed the picture quickly and moved cautiously out of the kitchen to my room.

When I checked my closet, I did in fact find my yearbooks. Every photo that ever had Bella, Alice, Edward- any of the Cullen family, was now cut out. I was so freaked out by this this that I dropped the box on my foot. I cursed and shut my closet quickly. What the hell was going on here?

An hour or so later I was still puzzled. Maybe I would ask Dad. After all it seemed to be his doing. His briefcase was there. But, Dad was a business man. What the hell was he doing looking into Edward Cullen? I jumped at the sound of a knock on my door. "Jessie, you didn't say hi." It was Dad.

"You were busy." I replied with a sigh.

"Sorry Pumpkin."

"I'm used to it."

"Do you want to talk about Mike?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"What can I say? He was cheating on me the entire time we were in Seattle. I had time to be over it and I finally decided to leave him. I'm fine." I was kicking the jeans that held Edward Cullen's picture under my bed as I said this. I could only deal with one heavy conversation at a time. Asking Dad tonight seemed wrong.

"I'm more worried about the break ins." He sighed.

"Oh." Those. I hadn't told him for a reason. I had told mom because she forced it out of me. "They were nothing..." Not true. There was a guy in Mine and Mike's apartment several times. Changing the locks never seemed to help. And I was always home alone when it happened.

"You could have been hurt." he disagreed.

"But I wasn't. Dad, please drop it. I'm okay." I told him and hugged him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Pumpkin. Get some sleep okay?"

I nodded. "Okay, Dad. Night."

He walked out. I flopped onto my side to do just as he had suggested. Goodnight, Dad, I thought with a yawn.

:: Its been so long, but Jessica is back. Again. I heavily edited the chapter and I'm feeling a lot of muse! Hopefully you will see more from me here!