I hated Mondays. And Tuesdays. I was even starting to hate Wednesdays a little. It seemed like anywhere I went, something or someone was getting on my nerves. Cara was at home and at work, and she wasn't in the best mood. It didn't take an empath to know that. I had tried to reach out to her, offering to rent a few movies and have a girls night last Sunday, but she barely paid any attention at all while we watched romcom after romcom. I didn't see her at the hospital much, but I was afraid that I would catch her in a bad mood if I did. Then there was Deborah, who was mostly out of my way, though still abrasive as ever.
Jasper had started being even colder than normal. Because my calculus grade was improving, he took it upon himself to ask Mr. Savrda if he could quit tutoring me already. Whether he knew I had been waiting by the door to have my weekly check in with Mr. Savrda, I wasn't sure. Either way, it still hurt my feelings that he had some personal vendetta against me. We were getting along fine, what was his problem?
Mr. Savrda, on the other hand, was pleased with the arrangement.
"You made a 90 on your last quiz. I'd say the tutoring is working, wouldn't you?"
I nodded and smiled a little.
"It is, thank you for suggesting it. I just wish...nevermind," I stopped before going any further. I'm sure my math teacher wasn't particularly worried about Jasper being an ass.
"You wish I'd paired you with a different tutor, don't you?" Mr. Savrda wore a knowing grin, as if he had expected us to not get along from the get-go. Had he known somehow that Jasper and I weren't the best of friends? We sat too far away from each other in class to talk, not that we would want to anyway. And the only other class we shared was AP English. We didn't talk in that class either. I nodded my head, unsure of where this was headed.
"Miss Walker, the thing is, Jasper is one of the best calculus students I've ever had. Sometimes I wonder if he understands the material better than I do. Given how much he's been able to help you in such a small amount of time, my suspicions may not be too far off. However, he never gives me more than just the surface. I think he's capable of more, a lot more. The performance he displays in class is phenomenal, but I want to push him to be his very best. Do you understand?"
I nodded again.
"Plus, he really has been an attendance issue. Of course, most of those attendances have been excused with a doctor's note from the hospital," he trailed off in a grumble. "Anyway, this has been a good opportunity to push him while helping you catch up. I think it's working well, but I'd like for you two to continue with your current schedule. I don't want you getting behind as we get into more difficult material."
I was afraid he was going to say that. On one hand, Jasper was a great tutor. I was starting to comprehend a lot more than I could have on my own. On the other hand, he would probably rather jump off the tallest building in Forks than spend another minute in the library with me. You win some, you lose some, I guess.
Matt wasn't too happy about the arrangement either.
"They're kind of weird," he had said during Wednesday at break. "Hale in particular. They've always kept to themselves until Bella moved to Forks. And then, there was the whole thing when they moved and came back. I've just never felt comfortable around them."
"What do you mean? Like you think they're dangerous?" Could it be that Matt also got a little apprehensive around the Cullens, like I had? That he was afraid of them?
"No, I don't think they're dangerous. But I also don't like the idea of you having to be alone with Hale for 30 to 45 minutes in the library every day."
I just shrugged. It was unpleasant but I would survive. I couldn't give up on my passing calculus grade now.
"Can I walk you down there from lunch? And then pick you up after?" Matt's hand brushed mine tentatively. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jessica give me a wink and then turned back to whatever she was saying to Mike. She was still trying to get him to ask her to the dance, though he hadn't yet.
"I don't think that's necessary," I laughed. "What's he gonna do with Ms. Fields there? Murder me?"
"I know, I know. I would just feel better seeing you before and after. And it's just something I want to do."
A weird feeling spread in my stomach, adding to the list of weird feelings I'd had since moving to Forks. I didn't think what Matt was suggesting was a good idea, but I didn't have a good reason, except that I wanted to figure some things out between Jasper and I that no one else would understand. I should want Matt to walk me to and from class; he was my date to the dance after all.
"Okay, I reckon that'd be alright. We meet in the library after lunch and throughout free period. Then I have art after, but I usually walk with Alice. I'm sure she won't mind if you join us."
I didn't miss the slight look of disapproval that Matt gave when I mentioned that I walked to art with Alice. I guess I didn't feel like getting into it with him at the moment. Plus, I couldn't blame him for thinking the Cullens were a little weird. They did keep to themselves at the lunch table, with the exception of Edward and Bella. Alice had also started talking to Angela and Jessica a lot more, with Angela being a little more open to it than Jess. But all in all, I could understand why people were wary of them.
☽●☾
Matt sat with us at lunch. I don't know how it could have been more awkward.
Thankfully, Jasper wasn't there. He had taken to going straight to the library instead of coming to the cafeteria, so Matt took his seat. He didn't seem too pleased to be sitting beside Alice, and come to think of it, neither did she. Like Jess, Angela, Mike, and Eric, Matt had been in the Forks school system since kindergarten, and everyone knew of him, even if they weren't friends. The similarities seemed to end there. Matt kept trying to steer the conversation towards baseball. As much as I loved baseball, no one else had any interest in the Fork's varsity end of season stats. I shoved carrot after carrot into my mouth so I wouldn't have to make any comments one way or the other. Even Bella, who normally ignored everyone else and focused on Edward, seemed annoyed. I wanted to crawl under the table and stay there, but settled on keeping my mind occupied with the article I had printed out on Friday. I had almost started laughing again when thinking about vampires being mentioned. Shape-shifters were bad enough, but I'd heard enough wendigo stories to make me doubt my own skepticism. Witchcraft wasn't completely out of the realm of possibilities either. People practiced witchcraft, that was nothing new. And the fact that I had some type of supernatural or psychic power made the existence of a true witch more believable. But vampires? Again, I pictured Nosferatu, Dracula, and Count Chocula, and had to stifle a laugh. Edward must have noticed, because his eyes quickly locked onto me from across the table. I hated the way I felt when he looked straight at me. It felt....invasive.
Finally, lunch was drawing to an end, and I stood, saying bye to everyone but Matt, who also made a move to follow. The look of relief on everyone's faces didn't go unnoticed.
"Not a talkative bunch, are they?" Matt asked, completely oblivious.
"I think they're just not really interested in baseball. Maybe you could try volleyball with Jess? She was team captain this last season I think."
At the door to the library, Matt kissed my cheek and told me he'd meet me right when the bell rang. My stomach did a little flip, but I still wasn't sure about my feelings for Matt. He seemed to like me just fine, I knew without needing to read him.
You're just nervous. This is all really new, I told myself, then tried to push the whole thing out of my head so I could focus on getting through free period. Jasper was sitting at our usual table, looking as gorgeous as ever in jeans and a blue button up shirt. Ugh, how could someone so attractive on the outside be so unattractive on the inside? It wasn't fair. I watched his jaw stiffen and brow furrow in concentration. He had a nice jawline, sharp and angular.
Geez, Collins. Chill.
He turned his head in my direction and raised one eyebrow. I returned the look and tilted my head to the side slightly.
"What?" I asked, a little on edge. It came out sounding more angry than I had meant it, but he had been plenty rude to me in the last few weeks. He could handle some hostility for once.
"Nothing, just thought loverboy might be joining us," he turned back to the notebook with a small smirk.
"His name is Matthew," I retorted, sitting down and pulling out my own notebook and calculus text.
"Oh, my apologies, ma'am. I hope I haven't offended you," he answered sarcastically. I tried my best to ignore the way his accent sounded. Despite both being from the South, a Texan accent and an Alabamian accent are pretty distinguishable from each other, especially if you have one of them yourself. I hated how much I liked his.
"Like you'd care if you offended me," I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Here, he gave me a funny look, like he wanted to say something but then thought better of it.
"Just...start writing."
☽●☾
Matt showed up right on time to walk me to class. He insisted on carrying my books for me, even though I was more than capable of doing it myself. As Jasper walked out the door, I noticed the way he smiled at Matt and I, like something was funny. I knew I shouldn't, but I felt a little self conscious. I shouldn't care about what Jasper thought about my...relationship with Matthew, if that was even what you could call it at that point.
One Cullen was quickly replaced by another as Alice appeared by my side.
"Hi Collins. Matthew," her tone switched from joyful to completely uninterested. Why was I having such a hard time balancing my could-be boyfriend and friends?
"Hey, how was your free period?" I tried to act as naturally as possible, but both the people walking with me couldn't have made me feel any more uncomfortable than I already was. I hoped that by ignoring it, things would smooth over a little.
"I skipped out for a minute to pick up Jasper's migraine medicine from the hospital. He's been having some issues lately."
I wondered if that was why he had been extra irritable. There were times when we studied that he seemed to be uncomfortable, almost acting as if he was in pain. But I had assumed that if it was bad enough, he'd leave school. Well, that didn't absolve him from being guilty of being an ass, but it did explain some of it.
"Ah that makes sense. Hopefully the medicine works. His migraines have really been affecting his moods, I think."
I wasn't 100% sure what Alice said next, but it sounded along the lines of, "Yeah, it's the migraines."
At art, Matt placed my books on mine and Alice's table and left me with another kiss on the cheek. As sweet as it was, I kind of wished he would nix the PDA. It was a little over the top for us to not officially be dating.
"I don't like him," Alice admitted bluntly. "He's not a good match for you."
I knew Alice wasn't a fan of Matt but I hadn't expected her to say it with such certainty.
"And just who do you think would be a good match for me? Jasper?"
She cut her eyes in my direction as if I were being ridiculous but neither confirmed nor denied it. Nothing in art seemed to go the way I wanted. Everything I started on didn't look right about halfway through. I ended up throwing paper after paper away, not feeling satisfied with my work. We were starting a section on shading and highlighting, something that I never had trouble with in the past. Well, until today.
After art, Matt walked me to my AP science class. This time, I ducked in with a quick "bye!" over my shoulder before he could plant one on me. I didn't have any friends, or enemies for that matter, in this class, making it easier to focus. I had really started to like anat & phys, even though we were starting to dissect animals.
I met Matt in the classroom for English. Jasper had beat me there as well. I couldn't tell if I was imagining it or not, but he seemed to be paying attention to me and Matt this week. I never caught him staring, but I had the impression that he was only doing so when I wasn't looking. I really wished the boys in Forks could get it together.
☽●☾
That afternoon at work, something happened that didn't sit well with me. Part of my job had been to transfer records from the filing cabinet to the computer database. The other, smaller, part was to update that database with visits from that week, including the day I was working. At the top of my stack was a folder marked with a fresh label.
Jasper Hale
I hastily opened the record and began reading through the history. There was a schedule of postnatal and adolescent vaccines and when they had been administered. There were notes from doctor visits, starting today and dating all the way back to when he was two. There were records of a prescription strength migraine prevention and treatment injection, with records of refills for it every month, the first dose being about two years ago.
Was it just a coincidence that Alice had picked up Jasper's refill right after I had snooped for information? Had someone known? But nobody could have. I was, theoretically, just doing the job I'd been given. The fact that I took special notice of the absence of Cullen and Hale medical records was inconsequential.
Cullen medical records.
"Hey Deborah?" Debbie made a grunting noise, merely to acknowledge that I had spoken. "Can I borrow the key for stored records? I think I made an error with some of the files."
Of course Deborah would believe that I had made a mistake; she had been waiting for it since I started working at the hospital. Without looking my way, she reached her hand out in my general direction, the key dangling from a telephone cord-style lanyard. I grabbed it and headed to the closet that held physical copies of paperwork and patient records. As I flicked on the light and walked to the filing cabinet that held all patients with surnames beginning with "C," it felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I knew what I would find, but needed to see it for myself to confirm.
Behind the divider, there were five files with the name Cullen, each organized alphabetically.
Alice, Carlisle, Edward, Emmett, and Esme.
Each file was filled with the same data as Jasper's: vaccination records, charts from office visits, though some were from other offices and hospitals, and general patient information. I checked the "H" drawer next. Sure enough, another Hale had been added since Saturday: Rosalie, Jasper's sister.
Why had these records suddenly showed up? Physicians and hospital staff like Cara had access to them at their leisure, but it was too odd that the entire family had been pulled at the same time. Were they in group therapy with Cara? That would make a little sense, but I couldn't just ask her that without breaking a privacy law. No, there was some other reason all of the files had shown up, and I knew it would bug me until I figured it out.
☽●☾
That Thursday, I had wanted to try and ask Alice some questions to see what information I could dig out of her, but Matt got in the way. He had taken to walking me to and from EVERY class. It was a sweet gesture, I will admit, but it was as if I had a golden retriever puppy following me at all times. Alice had already voiced her disapproval, and stuck to her guns by avoiding me during classes. When Angela tried to catch up with me on the way to government, I noted how her face fell when she realized that Matt was also walking with me.
"Hi Collins. Hi Matthew," she greeted both of us politely.
"Hey Angela, can I get your opinion on something?" Matte asked before I got a chance to say anything. I wondered what Matt would need to talk to Angela about and prayed that it wasn't the starting line up for his next game, or else she might never talk to us again.
"Yeah sure. What's up?"
"Don't you think there's something up with the Cullens? Aren't they a little off?"
"Matthew!" I hissed. Despite the fact that I was suspicious of the Cullens' medical records and had been investigating whatever weird interactions Jasper and I were having, him asking Angela a point blank question like that was incredibly rude. Angela and Alice certainly weren't best friends but they had warmed up to each other a lot in the last week or so. I knew Angela wouldn't be comfortable with Matthew putting her on the spot like that.
"Uh, I don't know. Alice is pretty nice and Edward cares a lot about Bella. And Jasper has really helped Collins with her calculus, hasn't he?" She turned to me, hoping for backup, I think.
"Yeah, I would've been a goner without him. I mean, without his help," I corrected my initial statement, afraid that it would make Matt jealous. There was no reason to be, since Jasper had made it clear that he didn't even have the intention of being friends. But I couldn't deny that without him, I'd be up a shit creek in cal. "Can we not talk about this? Alice is our friend and Edward's dating Bella."
Although, saying Bella was my friend felt like a bit of a stretch. She sat with all of us at lunch, but I had barely said three words to her since school started.
"Sorry," Matt apologized as we reached government. "See you after class?"
"Of course," I waved goodbye and entered the classroom. As we both sat in our usual seats, Angela gave me a look not too different from the one Alice had yesterday.
"He's a little...attentive, isn't he?" That was putting it nicely, considering that we had only started talking to each other a week ago.
"Yeah, I think he's just trying really hard to impress me. That's not a bad thing, right?" I had gotten the feeling that Matthew was an insecure person. It was something I could sense when he touched my hand or kissed my cheek. I thought that, perhaps, he was trying really hard so that our date to the dance would turn into a more long term situation. Angela mulled this over for a minute, then shrugged her shoulders.
"I guess not. I wish Eric would carry my books to class. They get so heavy at the end of the day."
I managed to miss Matt during our midmorning break by taking the long way around to the library. It was nothing against him, I just wanted to read my book instead of risk discussing whether or not the Cullens were weird. They weren't weird, per say, but some things surrounding their lives in Forks were questionable, to put it nicely. Because Matt didn't know to look for me in the library, he missed me on the way to the gym as well. By the time he spotted me, I was walking onto the volleyball court from the locker room, changed and ready to burn some energy in a friendly two on two volleyball match. Lily, Megan, Ashley, and I had been playing every day we were allowed to. They were pretty talented for freshmen and made our frequent matches interesting.
The score was 20-21, my team was losing. If there was one thing that Cara and I shared, it was our competitive nature. Even in a PE volleyball match, I always remembered to bring my knee pads so I could lunge and dive if needed. Megan set the ball up near the net, in the perfect place for Ashley to jump up and spike it. I had anticipated that, but was too far away, and so was Lily. There was a small chance I could reach it if I dove, so I did. As I pushed off, my back foot slid on a miniscule amount of sweat on the floor. There was a sickening crack and pain immediately radiated through my foot, worsening as I landed on the floor from my botched dive.
I had missed the ball.
My body instantly curled into a ball, hands pulling my right leg into my chest as I rolled onto my back. I hated crying in front of people, but as my coach and several students in the gym crowded around me, I didn't care about the tears flowing down my face. Coach was the nearest person I could make out before shutting my eyes and clenching my teeth in pain.
"Collins, are you alright?" She bent down, trying to steady my body as I went to roll onto my other side.
"No," I managed through my gritted teeth. I knew before I tried that I wouldn't be able to move my foot without excruciating pain. I peeked one eye open and saw that it was already swelling and bruising.
"We're going to have to get you to the hospital." Coach went to stand and clear the area. "Alright! Back up and give her some space!"
The pain radiated up my leg to my knee, worse than any injury I could remember at that moment. Students backed up, giving me some space to cry and wallow while Coach radioed down to the office on a walkie-talkie.
"I've got a student with a possible fracture. Can you send the nurse?"
Several painful moments later, the nurse, an older lady in her mid-fifties that mainly handed out peppermints and let students nap in her office if their stomach hurt, jogged through the gym door with two students in tow. Jasper and Edward, who seemed to be disagreeing about something. As if things couldn't get any worse.
"Oh dear," Nurse Myra squatted down to examine my ankle, her kind face wrinkling in concern. "I'm afraid this is a little above my pay grade. We're going to have to get you to the hospital, but I'll need to wrap it in some ice to stabilize it and reduce the swelling. Is that okay?"
She placed a hand under my shoulder, helping me sit up straight.
"What is he doing here?" I purposefully asked as if Jasper walked to my side. Edward had left.
"Oh, he was in my office. I can't disclose the reasoning, dear. Jasper, would you mind helping me?"
I glanced up at Jasper, who looked like he would much rather wrestle a bear than help her bandage my ankle. I saw the look in his eyes, the hesitation. Even still, he kneeled down and strategically placed one hand under my knee pad and the other under my calf, his jacket sleeve creating a barrier between his skin and mine.
"Easy does it," the nurse muttered to herself as she unwrapped a length of ACE bandage. "This is going to hurt, but I need it to be stable so we don't cause any more damage, okay?"
I just nodded my head, trying to steady my breathing and stop crying. Matt called my name from the sidelines, where Coach was hoarding students onto the bleachers and away from me. I didn't bother to look his way, my mind was too preoccupied by the pain in my leg. As Nurse Myra gingerly touched my ankle, the pain didn't get any better but it didn't get any worse either. I kept nodding my head as she paused to check in on my pain levels. By the time she was finished, the pain had subsided a little more, making it just bearable. The small ice pack was freezing against my skin. She clipped the bandage together with a safety pin and sat back.
"Is there someone who can drive you to the hospital?" Nurse Myra asked. I looked over to Matthew then, thinking he might be willing. Before I could get one word out, Jasper had spoken.
"I'll drive her. I can call Carlisle and let him know we're on the way."
Maybe it was the pain from my ankle or the weird complacency that usually came over me after I had been crying, but I didn't refuse his offer. Though I did give him a side eye that could rival my mother's. It didn't make any sense to act like he had been and then offer to drive to the hospital when I was hurt. I could've asked Matt or Angela or even Mike instead. Lily had already gotten back from the locker room, my clothes stuffed in the bag with the rest of my stuff. Jasper proffered his hand. I tried to prepare myself, but nothing could ever prepare me for how I felt when I touched his skin. Once I was upright on one foot like a flamingo, he released my hand, pulling my arm over his shoulders. No more skin contact. No more dizziness. I swung my bag over my left shoulder and put the slightest bit of weight on my left foot. As the toe of my tennis shoe touched the floor, pain flashed through my ankle again. I winced and let out a small yelp.
"Here," Jasper wrapped his arm around my waist and grabbed my wrist. I noticed that he was sure to keep his fingers on the material of my long sleeved Under Armour shirt. One step at a time, we hobbled towards the door and out into the chilly Washington weather. It was absolutely freezing in spandex shorts and the thin shirt I always wore for volleyball. Nurse Myra walked ahead of us to let the office know we would be leaving campus.
"This is going to take forever," Jasper sighed. It was true that we hadn't made much headway between the gym and the parking lot at the other end of campus.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, feeling tears well up in my eyes again. The adrenaline rush from earlier was quickly wearing off, leaving me feeling pretty lousy, worsened by the fact that I couldn't do anything about our slow progress.
"Just...let me carry you to the car. It'll be a lot quicker and keep you from getting pneumonia out here."
Again, I complied. I placed my hands on Jasper's shoulders and hiked my injured leg up by his hip. As he grabbed my leg, I leaned forward and swung my perfectly healthy leg around to his other hip. He caught it effortlessly, not having to stumble or readjust the combined weight of my body and bookbag. He was no shrimp, but neither was I. Jasper walked as if I wasn't on his back at all and was able to keep my ankle from jostling around too much. I noted that his hands were, again, carefully placed on my knee pads, avoiding contact with my skin.
I rested my chin on his left shoulder, feeling worn out as the last of my adrenaline faded. I breathed in Jasper's scent, the same as it had been in the library, and all thoughts in my head dwindled to nothing aside from how nice he smelled. There was that same feeling I always had in the bottom of my stomach, but it was overshadowed by the fog swirling in my head. Why did someone who looked and smelled so nice have to be so rude? But maybe he wasn't always rude. He was carrying me on his back to his car so he could drive me to the hospital for medical treatment. A mean person wouldn't do that, unless they had some ulterior motive. Maybe he had an ulterior motive. Oh, whatever. I didn't have the energy or the brain power to care. I took another deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent and let my head drop.
At my car, Jasper very carefully lowered my left leg to the ground, followed by the right. I leaned against the side of the car, rummaging through my bag for the keys. He helped me into the passenger seat, keeping a hand firmly grasped around my forearm, then lifting my ankle to rest beside the other. For a few seconds, I relaxed against the supple leather seat. It still had that new car smell. Then Jasper hopped into the driver's seat, and we were on the way to the hospital. If I wasn't in pain, I might have felt embarrassed that someone who came from a family that drove vintage bikes and brand new Porsches and Volvos was having to drive my old Maxima. Before turning out of the parking lot, he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and hit 1 for speed dial. The other person picked up almost immediately.
"I'm headed up to the hospital with Collins. No, she's fine, just a fractured ankle. Yes, she's conscious. No, I don't think so. Okay, bye."
Thankfully my ankle fracture had happened after volleyball season, but as I sat and thought about how much my ankle still hurt, the possibility that I wouldn't be able to play the sport, or any sport, the way I had occurred to me before we hit the main road. The tears came again and started spilling over onto my cheeks. God, it had been a horrible week. Cara and I couldn't get along, my friends were having a hard time warming up to Matt, I was having a hard time warming up to Matt, and I had very few leads on why Jasper and I couldn't (or shouldn't) have skin to skin contact. Weird things were happening at work, again because of the Cullens, and I was getting a little skeeved out by it. And of course, having to spend free period with the one person from school that seemed to despise me was the gift that kept on giving. My ankle throbbed, and I had to clear my throat to muffle a sob. I turned my head towards the window, not wanting Jasper to know that I was upset, though it was pretty obvious. I could feel his eyes on me as I watched all of the greenery whoosh by on the way into town. My body shook slightly from the effort it took to keep from crying.
"Are you okay?" he asked plainly. I swallowed hard, hoping that my voice wouldn't sound weepy.
"I don't want to talk about it," I said while trying to shift my legs without disturbing my ankle. He didn't prod any further, but I knew he was still looking my way. Slowly and steadily, the need to cry slipped away and my body stopped shaking. It was like my mood had suddenly improved, like the sun coming out from behind an expanse of clouds. In some detached way, I knew that it wasn't natural, but it felt so much better. It was the second time I'd felt that way around Jasper.
Forks was a small town, and we arrived at the hospital in about ten minutes. Dr. Cullen was standing at the front doors as we pulled up. I don't think I'd ever not be surprised by how handsome he looked. Once we stopped, he opened my door and started to help me out of the car. I hoped the cold air would keep my cheeks from flaring up too badly.
"Hello, Miss Walker," he said in his beautiful voice. "It seems we've had a bit of an accident?"
I couldn't help but smile, now that I was in a much happier mood.
"Yes, doctor. It seems we have."
I propped myself against the car as he went to retrieve a set of crutches leaning against the building. The icy wind blew relentlessly between the car and the building. In just a few seconds, I was shivering. The ice around my ankle wasn't helping either.
"Here," Jasper appeared on my right side, offering me his sweatshirt. I was too cold to let my own pride stand in the way of being slightly more comfortable. His scent was much stronger on the fabric; I tried not to breathe too deeply. It hung almost midway down my thighs and instantly made me feel warmer. I placed the crutches under my arms and tested them out with a few practice steps. Much quicker than having to lean on someone, much slower than being carried.
"That's the ticket. Let's get you inside for an x-ray and see how bad the damage is. Jasper can join us in a bit."
I followed Carlisle through the doors and the foyer of the hospital. Deborah looked up, and after seeing it was me walking in, promptly looked back to her computer screen, clearly uninterested. The farther we walked, the worse I started to feel again. The pain in my ankle only grew until it was near the same level as when I had initially attempted the dive. The last thing I needed was to start crying again in the middle of the hospital.
Deep breaths, blink blink blink. Deep breaths, blink blink blink.
"Luckily, today has been rather slow," Dr. Cullen commented as he led me through a door marked "Radiology Room." He helped me hop on the table and prop my leg up before unwrapping the bandage. It felt amazing to have the ice removed, though more feeling started to return to the area. He positioned the machine above my foot and then retreated into the side room where a tech waited to capture the images. They had me turn my leg this way and that until they were satisfied with the results.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as he helped me off the table and handed me the crutches back.
"I'm fine. Thank you for getting me seen so quickly. I'm sure you've got other patients waiting on you."
"It's no problem," he dismissed me with a wave of his hand. "Having Jasper call on the way helped me to rearrange some things and clear out some time. We'll get those images read while you wait here. Your sister should be by soon to check on you; she was in a meeting when I left a message on her phone."
I nodded, then plopped down in the chair of the examination room we had just entered. He shut the door behind him, leaving me alone for the first time in the last hour.
Several thoughts occupied my mind as I waited for the tech to diagnose my ankle. First, Jasper wasn't being an insufferable ass. He wasn't being the most pleasant, but I was very grateful that he'd been with the nurse when he had and offered to drive me. Second, we had made contact again when he helped me off of the gym floor, and then he had been very careful not to do so after. Third, being around him was getting confusing. I couldn't be sure which Jasper I'd be getting: the irritable one, the mysterious one from the other day in the library, or the one I had today, who was being helpful. Fourth, and the least pressing, Matt. I hoped he wouldn't be upset that he hadn't been the one driving me to the hospital and waiting with me while my x-ray was read.
The most pressing issue was that Jasper had been lying about not knowing what I was talking about when I had confronted him about the "incidents" that happened every time we touched. I wasn't 100% sure yet, but hoped that I'd be able to gather a little more information in the next few weeks, if only I knew how.
My phone beeped from the pocket of the sweatshirt. It was Matt, checking in on me.
Matt: did u make it?
Me: yeah, waiting on dr rn. had an xray. will keep u upd8ed
There was a knock on the door, then Cara peeked her head around.
"Collins! What happened? Are you okay?"
She let herself in and hopped up onto the bench covered in paper that I hadn't been able to get on. Her eyes were trained on my ankle where it looked like there was a softball under the skin.
"I dove for a ball in a volleyball match at PE. My foot slipped and," I gestured to my ankle, "well, that didn't go too well."
"Obviously not. How bad does it hurt?"
"About a seven on a scale of one to ten. But it's kind of come and gone."
There was another knock on the door, and then Dr. Cullen returned with a series of x-ray images tucked in a manila envelope under his arm.
"Hello ladies," he addressed us both. Cara's face immediately lit up and she stood. Dr. Cullen placed the sheets on the light box and dimmed the overhead light so we could see the results. "Collins, it appears that you have, in fact, fractured your ankle."
He pointed to a thin dark line running across the white bone.
"Yup, definitely felt like a fracture," I agreed.
"The school nurse did a lovely job wrapping the injury, but it's still very swollen. I'd recommend a walking boot which will allow you to ice your ankle every so often. However, I think it'd be best if you primarily walked with crutches for the next six to eight weeks. We can reevaluate in three to see how everything is healing and decide if surgery is needed. Would you mind if I had one more look at it?"
I extended my foot so he could get a better look. His fingers gingerly touched the skin around my ankle. It hurt like a son of a gun, but I was more surprised by how cold his hands were. They were just as bad as Jasper's. The blue and purple bruising was a stark contrast to his pale skin, but I was more focused on Cara, whose eyes were staring dreamily at the doctor. After a moment, he stood and made a note on a little pad at the counter.
"I can write you a prescription for the pain. I'd recommend naproxen for the inflammation and to keep your foot elevated as often as possible. Try to remember to ice it every night for about forty minutes, or as long as you can handle it."
He ripped a slip of paper from the pad and handed it to Cara. Her eyes still hadn't blinked and her hands were shaking slightly. Her face split into a smile so big, I thought her cheeks might crack.
"A nurse will be in soon to get you fitted with the boot. Cara, if you'd like, I can go ahead and get that prescription filled at our pharmacy."
He opened the door and she walked through without giving me another look.
"I've let Deborah know that you won't be in this weekend, so try and get some rest. Jasper will meet you when you check out."
I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn't need Jasper to meet me anywhere and would rather phone a friend to pick me up, but he was gone before I could get the words out. A nurse almost immediately entered with a walking boot and sock. In no time but plenty of pain, my foot was encased in enough plastic to survive getting trampled by a horse. She handed me my crutches and led me out of the door where Jasper was waiting at the counter for me to check out. Luckily, Cara had already given them my insurance information. I handed over my debit card for the copay and intentionally avoided looking at Jasper, who seemed to avoid looking at me.
On the car ride home, I sent out a text to Matt, Angela, and Jess about my new right shoe.
Angela: oh no! so sry that happened. let me kno if u need a ride tmrw!
Jessica: bummer, wat r u gonna do abt the dance? no heels 4 u :(
Matt: i was gonna get ur work from the classes u missed but alice cullen beat me 2 it. i'll c u tmrw <3
Ugh, the dance. I hadn't even thought about it until Jess sent that text. I could still go, especially since Matt had already bought the tickets, but I wouldn't be in any condition to dance all night long, and there was no way I could wear even one heel. I hoped Matt would be okay with that, especially since Alice had robbed him of the opportunity of bringing me my school work. And school! I was going to have to figure out a ride until the boot came off. Driving was completely out of the question for several weeks at the least.
As Jasper pulled into the driveway, I sent a text back to both Angela and Jess.
To Angela: may need 2 take u up on that ride tmrw. thx!
To Jess: need sum cute sandals. any ideas?
I didn't wait for Jasper to open my door, though I was stuck in the car until he grabbed my crutches from the back and handed them to me. It wasn't too bad until I got to the stairs. I handed one crutch back to Jasper and grabbed the railing for support. Little paint chips flecked off as I made my way up to the porch. It was too awkward having Jasper walk into my house with me while carrying my backpack. It was like he should only exist within the walls of the school, and outside of them, he shouldn't. At least not for me. He'd been so rude at times, I didn't want him invading my own home.
"I think I can make it from here. Is Alice on her way to get you?" I clumsily tried to turn around and nearly tripped. Jasper caught my elbow, helping to steady my balance. So much for getting the hang of these.
"Sure you don't have a concussion?" he asked facetiously.
"Are you sure you have a heart?" I retorted with an eye roll. He was standing too close, and it reminded me of the other day in the library when I was looking for my book.
"I think the phrase you're looking for is 'thanks for taking me to and from the hospital, Jasper.'"
"You're the one that offered. There were several people that could have taken me," what good is a nice gesture if someone was going to throw it back in your face?
"Oh like Matthew Reese? You'd still be in the school parking lot hobbling to your car if it were up to him." There was the barest hint of a smirk on his face. It infuriated me.
So much for being nicer. I hastily grabbed the hem of the sweatshirt and pulled it over my head.
"Here," I balled it up and pushed it into his chest. His hands caught mine. Uh oh. It happened, again. This time, there were much fewer emotions swirling by. Instead there were only three or so, but they were mixed together to the point that I couldn't decipher one from the other. There weren't hundreds racing through my mind, but one that was a combination of several. Whatever it was, I mainly felt it near the pit of my stomach. It was still dizzying; I pitched forward into Jasper's chest where he caught me and righted my balance once more. I looked up and felt my stomach drop, this time from an emotion that was all my own. His eyes were darker like that time in the library, but I figured it was due to the lack of overhead lighting. I took one inhale through my nose, and suddenly, my brain was clouded. I couldn't look away from his face, and he wasn't looking away from mine. Any trace of mirth from his expression was gone. Rather, he was staring at me intensely.
There was a knock on the door. I turned my head and Jasper took a step back.
"That's probably Alice," he said just loud enough for me to hear.
"Come in!" I called from my spot. Alice whooshed through the door, letting in fresh air and a fresh spirit. The clouds faded around my mind.
"How's your ankle? I heard you have a nasty fracture."
I indicated the boot around my foot and shrugged.
"Yeah, I'll be on crutches for a while, but it shouldn't be too bad. Thank you for bringing all that school work," I glanced over to Jasper while Alice set my textbooks and papers on the dining room table. He had turned away, but I noticed the muscle in his jaw flexing.
"Oh it's my pleasure. And if you need a ride, I can come pick you up tomorrow. Ever ridden in a Porsche?" Alice raised her eyebrows excitedly, making me smile.
"No, I haven't, but Angela's taking me. Thanks for the offer though. Maybe we can joy ride one day. Alice nodded and turned toward the door.
"Anyway, we'll let you get some rest. See you tomorrow?"
"See you tomorrow," I echoed and waved as they exited through the front door.
A/N: Full disclosure, the only bone I've ever broken was my nose. I don't know how the hell to write about a fractured ankle but I did some research (about as much as Bella does in Twilight to figure out what Edward is) and tried my best. I could ask my doctor sister, but then she might find out I write Twilight fanfiction O_o. I hope it isn't as bad as I think it is lol. This is also a super long chapter because I wanted to get a lot done without it dragging the story along too much. I love a slow burn, but there's gotta be a lil' something something to string readers along ;) I'm not 100% satisfied with this chapter and may revise it in the future. Thank you and happy reading!