That afternoon, Matthew met me on the way to Angela's car. We had missed each other throughout the school day, especially since I skipped lunch to spend time getting a head start on the next calculus unit.
"How do you think you did?" He asked as I loaded my bag into the back seat.
"Mr. Savrda graded my test right away. I made a ninety."
"That's amazing! I knew you could do it!"
Matthew pulled me into a tight hug, which I gratefully returned. It was nice to have someone to hug. He planted a quick kiss on my cheek before taking a step back.
"I'm glad you're happy. Jasper acted like he couldn't care less."
I had expected Matt to be irritated on my behalf. What I didn't expect was him to be irritated at me.
"You told Jasper about your grade before you told me?"
His eyes were a mix of hurt and anger, something I hadn't seen from him in the past two weeks. My stomach plummeted. It'd never occurred to me that Matthew would be jealous of Jasper when the only reason Jasper and I tolerated each other was because it'd been mandated by a teacher.
"Yeah...I saw him in the hallway right after Mr. Savrda graded it. He is my tutor afterall." Perhaps if we talked it out, he'd realize that it wasn't a big deal. Instead, he pushed his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders.
"I was just hoping that I'd be the first person you'd tell. Does this mean that you don't have to spend your lunch in the library with him anymore?"
I chose my next words carefully so as to not cause more damage than I already had.
"No...not really. Mr. Savrda wants us to keep meeting indefinitely." His face didn't lighten up any. "Look Matthew, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you first. I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that Mr. Savrda likes to meet with both of us so that he can hold us accountable: Jasper for tutoring well and me for paying attention. I'll make sure you're the first to know after my next test, okay?"
That seemed to placate him enough that the cloud over his face lifted. Overhead, the clouds only darkened as thunder rumbled, promising yet another afternoon of rain.
"Okay, that sounds fair. Still want to meet for ice cream tonight?"
"Yes please. Pick me up at six?"
"I'll be there."
He planted another small kiss on my lips and turned to head to his car. Angela and Jessica who had been standing by the school doors headed to my car. I figured they wanted to discuss more about the dance, which would take way too many texts or way too long of a phone call. None of us could spare the minutes, and Cara would bark at me for hogging the phone if I used the landline.
"Okay, so, totally rude inviting Alice Cullen to get ready at Angela's house without consulting her." Jessica placed a hand on her hip and cocked it to the side. I turned my attention to Angela, who nearly lost her gum with her mouth agape like it was.
"I don't mind if Alice comes over! You're the only one that has a problem with her," Angela angrily whispered, furiously twisting her head this way and that to make sure none of the Cullens were in hearing range. It appeared that they were long gone already.
"Well, duh. She's kind of weird," Jessica said, then raised her eyebrows as if we were the crazy ones for not agreeing with her.
"Look, I'm sorry that I didn't bring it up to anyone else first. But I just thought she'd like to hang out with us since she missed the dress shopping trip. Besides, Alice has been nothing but nice to me since I've moved here."
Angela had used words like 'strong willed' and 'determined' when describing Jessica after we'd met. I was steadily learning that what she'd really like to say was 'stubborn.' What Jessica had yet to realize, was that I'd spent the last eighteen years cultivating an equally stubborn and headstrong personality.
"It'll be fine," Angela stepped in before either Jess or I could say anything else. "Besides, Alice probably has some amazing fashion advice she can give us while we're getting ready. You know she's won best dressed two years in a row."
That seemed to satisfy Jessica enough. She reminded us about the nail appointment we'd all booked on Saturday at noon before heading to her own car. For the first few moments of the car ride to the hospital, neither Angels nor I said anything. I was feeling guilty about inviting someone to her house without asking on top of not telling Matt about my test. Finally I couldn't stand the silence anymore.
"I'm sorry about inviting Alice without asking you first. Jessica's right; it's pretty rude."
Angela flipped between the stations on her radio before landing on soft rock. An acoustic Bon Jovi song filled the air.
"It's not a problem, Collins. Really. Jessica has had a hang up about the Cullens ever since she asked out Edward, and he turned her down. She does think they're a little weird, but I doubt she'd make such a big deal about it if that hadn't happened."
I nodded my head along, feeling a little bit better.
"Well anyway, I'm still sorry, but I think we'll have a good time."
"I agree. It kind of reminds me of last year's prom. Bella had broken her leg in this freak accident and now you're in a boot too."
This wasn't the first time someone had mentioned 'Bella' and 'freak accident' in the same sentence, but it was the first time someone had mentioned her breaking her leg last year.
"What was the freak accident?" I tried to ask nonchalantly. My mind conjured images of Edward being the real accident. What if he'd done something to hurt her? He had been giving me weird vibes at lunch for almost a whole month now.
"I'm not sure; something about tripping down stairs when she and Edward went to visit her mom in Phoenix, I think?"
A slice of fear spread across my stomach. So Edward had at least been present when the accident had happened. The guy creeped me out for reasons I hadn't figured out yet, though it probably had to do with the way he looked at me. Like he knew what I was thinking at any given moment. Bella had probably gone to a hospital near the accident, but that didn't mean Forks Hospital wouldn't have received those records at some point.
Deborah was on it the second I walked through the doors. There was an exceptionally long list of visits from that day that needed to be recorded and a handful of phone calls that needed to be made to reschedule some appointments. The idea to take a peek at Bella's file popped up in my mind on more than one occasion, but I kept attempting to push it out of my head. Her dad was the chief of police for Forks; surely he would have noticed if something was off about Edward and Bella's relationship. Even still, the idea continued to linger until I couldn't resist it anymore. I needed a stack of files to record into the computer anyway.
The beginning of her file held the usual papers: copy of birth certificate, immunization records, a list of foods, plants, and medication that she was allergic to, and so on. It was a thicker file, with notes on doctor's visits from adolescence until young adulthood. Bella, it appeared, was an extremely clumsy person. At the very end was the paper I had been searching for. It was a fax from a hospital in California, where she had received medical treatment following a trip down several flights of stairs and-
I reread the previous sentence, believing that my eyes had misread.
-falling out of a window?!
How could someone manage to fall down stairs and then out of a window all in the same event? It's almost like someone would have to try to make that happen. Or, would lie to cover up the truth. It wasn't much to go on, but the information stayed imprinted into my brain long after locking the filing closet back and beginning on the fresh stack of files.
☽●☾
"He finally asked me! I mean, of course he did, but I was starting to think it wasn't going to happen," Jessica squealed, nearly knocking over the bowl of warm water her fingers were soaking in. Her manicurist shot her an irritated look before walking away to grab her supplies. The smell of acetone, acrylic, and nail polish burned my nose with every inhale. I loved it. It'd been forever since I'd gotten my nails done, especially with a group of friends. Jess and Angela sat on either side of me at a row of nail stations, waiting for our cuticles to soften. Jessica had picked a deep burgundy shade, Angela a nude, and I, a classic French manicure. Mike had just sent a text to Jess, asking if she'd like to go to the dance with him since neither of them had a date. Neither Angela nor I pointed out that he had literally waited until the last minute. She was too excited for us to throw a proverbial wet blanket on her.
"Are we still wanting to do a group date before the dance? Like dinner at the diner or something like that?" Angela asked from my right.
"Matt and I are," I replied as my manicurist started shaping my nails. Just then, my phone started ringing. I hit the 'answer' button and positioned the phone between my shoulder and ear as Jess and Angela continued to make plans about dinner.
"Hello?" I answered, wishing I'd taken the time to check the caller ID.
"Hey, biotch, why haven't you called me in the last month to let me know you haven't been mauled to death by bears?"
My face immediately erupted into a smile. It was Bethany. We hadn't talked other than a few text messages here and there because she was notorious for running out of her monthly allotment only half way through her billing cycle. I used to kid that it would be more cost effective for us to write letters.
"Hey, Bethany," I laughed back. "No, I haven't been mauled by bears, but I have landed myself in a walking boot from a volleyball accident. That's more or less the same thing, right?"
"Ohmigosh, tell me everything."
I spent the next twenty minutes juggling the cell phone between my one shoulder and the other while filling in Bethany about everything that had happened since moving to Forks, from needing a calculus tutor to getting a job at the hospital. I even mentioned Matt and the Valentine's dance.
"So this Matt guy, what's he like?"
"He's very sweet. Super doting and always offering to walk me to and from class and carry my books, especially since I've been on crutches," I described.
"Hm, not gonna lie, he kind of sounds like a golden retriever. Is he cute?"
"Well yeah," I said, laughing at her bluntness. "He's got brown hair and really nice green eyes."
"Hm, I guess he does sound cute. What about your math tutor? Can you set me up with him if I come visit?"
I had let it slip that Jasper, though he had been unsavory, was nice eye candy. The idea of setting him up with anyone made my stomach roll uncomfortably.
"He's a total ass. Trust me."
After a few minutes more of chatting and me promising to start emailing her to set up a visit soon, Bethany ended the call. I stretched my neck and placed the cell phone back in my purse, hoping no one else would call while my hands were occupied.
☽●☾
"What do you think about these?"
It stands to reason that someone who lives in a state where it rains 60% of the year wouldn't have very many pairs of sandals. Jessica Stanley was immune to such logic. She'd brought at least 10 pairs in various colors and finishes, and those were just the ones I saw before settling on one pair.
"Think these'll work just fine. Thanks for letting me borrow them."
"Ugh, don't even mention it. I just hate that you didn't get to wear those gorgeous heels you got the other day."
She was right; the heels I'd bought had been the perfect shade and would've made my legs look amazing if I hadn't broken my ankle. The sandals she'd lent me were white with a gladiator style. It was the only shoe so far that felt comfortable matched with my boot. I sat back down on Angela's bed to begin curling my hair, while Angela and Jess sat in front of the vanity, pinning their hair up into simple updos. Alice was supposed to be here any minute. When the front door bell rang, Angela hopped up to grab it.
"I can't believe she's here," Jess commented as Angela walked out of the room. "I don't think I've ever seen her outside of school. They like, never go to school events or just hang around town."
I nearly burned my thumb while wrapping hair around the heated barrel.
"Really?" I whispered back. "Why is that?"
She just shrugged her shoulders, more focused on jabbing a bobby pin into her hair at the right angle than my investigation of the Cullen family. A family of five foster kids that all looked vaguely familiar— but at the same time, not really— and kept to themselves was just a bit of a red flag. However, I didn't want to think badly about Alice since she'd become my friend.
"Hi!" her crystal clear voice rang from the door of the room as she walked in carrying a garment back over her shoulder and a black case in the other. I waved in her direction, as my head was now cocked to one side with the curling iron dangerously close to my scalp. "Do you need some help with your hair?"
"Yes, please," I handed her the iron as she walked in. I had been curling the back of my head purely by feeling which strands were still straight and which weren't, though I was sure I'd missed some pieces. Alice sat behind me and started where I had left off.
"Do you want me to hang up your dress so it doesn't get wrinkled?" Angela offered. Angela was always so attuned to other people, anticipating what they needed before I did.
"Sure! Thank you so much."
I looked over to see what Alice Cullen, the official best dressed of Forks High had selected as her outfit tonight. As Angela removed the hanger, Jess and I both let our jaws hit the floor. The dress was a mini black frock that sparkled from the small black jewels that covered the entirety of it.
"Is that a-"
"Dolce&Gabanna?"
"Yes! I love looking at their clothing in magazines! I've begged my mom to let me get one of their dresses for Christmas but she absolutely refuses."
Jessica had abandoned her hairstyling and stood up to examine the garment with the utmost reverence. He
"Oh, that one's from two seasons ago. I wouldn't miss it if you wanted to have it after tonight."
I'd seen D&G clothes in magazines too. That dress was easily a couple thousand dollars, not including the red bottomed shoes she'd brought to go with it.
"Are you freaking serious?" Jessica asked in an excited whisper. Alice nodded like it was no big deal. I guess it wasn't, if they were as rich as Angela had said. For the first time, Jess was looking at Alice as if they may have the potential to be friends, despite the fact that the dress most likely wouldn't fit Jess.
"Hey, is Jasper coming to the dance?" I tried to ask nonchalantly. I didn't really care if he wasn't there, but if he was, it'd be best to avoid him to prevent the night from turning sour.
"I don't think so. It's not really his thing."
I breathed a sigh of relief as she finished the last strand of hair, though some small part of me was disappointed. My words to Bethany earlier had described Jasper as eye candy and eye candy only, given his tendency to have mood swings as often as migraines.
Alice offered to do my makeup, seeing as hers was already done. I noticed that her hands were just as cold as Jaspers tended to be as she rested one on my cheek to smudge a deep brown shade of eye shadow over my lid. Alice's emotions had always been generally happy and optimistic, though that had recently changed. She was vaguely anxious about something, as if she didn't know what exactly she should be afraid of.
"Your hands are freezing," I hissed through gritted teeth, trying not to move my mouth. "Poor circulation?"
"Huh?" Her perfect brows furrowed in question. "Oh, that. No, just anemic I'm afraid."
Hm, I hadn't seen anything like that in her medical records, though that didn't mean it wasn't true. Perhaps Carlisle had diagnosed it outside of the clinic.
The clock was approaching five when Alice finished with my face. It was time to start getting dressed, as the guys would be there any minute to pick us up. Once I stepped into my dress, sprayed my upside down head with hair spray and shook it out, and slipped into my lone sandal, Alice allowed me to look in the mirror at her work.
"Woah," I whispered. My makeup had never looked so perfect, but it stood to reason that Alice was good at makeup; her own was always done to a T. And the dress...I'd almost forgotten how great it had looked. My hair framed my face in a halo of curls, held in place by the generous hairspray. I looked like Carrie Underwood, winning American Idol.
"Oh I almost forgot!" Alice said from beside me as she donned her earrings. "I brought you something."
I watched as she produced a small white box. Underneath the top lay a pair of delicate vintage white lace gloves. I was almost afraid to put them on for fear of tearing the thin material.
"Alice," I breathed,"where did you get these? I can't...You shouldn't..."
"Oh, it's nothing. I saw them at this little thrift store I frequent and just knew they'd look perfect with your dress. Aren't they amazing?"
All I could do was nod my head and run my hands over the beautiful gift.
☽●☾
"You look fantastic," Matt whispered to me for what must have been the fifth time as we walked up to the doors of the venue downtown. Dinner had thankfully gone smoothly between all three of us couples. Matt had finally gotten better at finding a common topic of conversation with most everyone in our friend group, even Eric, who couldn't have been more different than him. I shivered in the cold night air and wished I'd brought a more substantial jacket instead of a wrap.
Inside, the lights were turned down low so that the spotlights could really shine. Pink, purple, red, and white decorations covered every inch of wall and ceiling. Balloons, streamers, and even confetti were strewn all over the place. Large heart candle holders sat in the middle of each table. Music played loudly from the speakers near the DJ' corner, making my chest vibrate with every beat of the drum. Most of the school was already here, milling around and sitting at tables. We spotted Angela and Jess and headed in their direction.
"Let's dance!" Eric shouted over the music, grabbing Angela's hand and walking out onto the dance floor. Just as I had suspected, my boot made dancing a little more than awkward.
"Sorry," I apologized each time my foot knocked into Matt's. We were having luck with slower songs that only required rhythmic swaying instead of fast movements. Matt didn't seem to mind, especially since I had to stand close to him to keep my balance without my crutches. I'd decided to leave them at home since we would only be out for a couple of hours. Alice, who to my knowledge hadn't secured a date, stood on the outskirts of the crowd, seemingly surveying all of the dancers.
Matt's hand on my waist slowly made its way down a few inches.
"Stop it," I hissed, laughing a little but sincerely hoping no one had seen.
"What? Why?" he asked, as if he genuinely didn't know what he had done wrong.
"Trying to put your hand on my ass in the middle of God and everybody is trashy," I said in a half whisper, feeling a little irritated that he asked for a reason why. First of all, I didn't need a reason. And second, the reason was pretty obvious. He was annoyed and a little angry, the feelings evident on his face and through his skin, but at least he didn't protest. My insides squirmed a little, though I tried to ignore the feeling. We hadn't exactly established boundaries yet, and maybe it was my fault that he hadn't known that wasn't okay. After about six songs, my ankle started to throb painfully in its boot. Leaving the crutches at home hadn't exactly been congruent with doctor's orders, and I could now see why. As we sat down to take a break, Matt offered to grab us a drink, which I gratefully accepted.
I tried to ignore the pain in my leg and spent a few minutes people watching. Angela and Eric were still on the dance floor, looking adorable. Jess and Mike were nowhere to be found, and I was not about to go looking for them. Matthew stood by the refreshments table, his back turned to me as he was talking to one of his team mates. As my eyes scanned the rest of the room, a pale figure in the corner caught my attention.
I took one look at Jasper Hale and immediately regretted it.
He was standing by the door as if he'd just walked in, dressed from head to toe in black. His eyes slowly scanned the room until they landed on me. I gulped as our eyes met, then glanced away, as if I hadn't noticed him, but the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end. He was walking my way, I knew it. I felt it. Unable to just sit there and wait, I stood and looked towards the refreshment table, but didn't see Matthew. Even if I had, it was too late. I couldn't exactly make a speedy getaway in my boot, and Jasper was already less than a few yards away. Then, he was directly in front of me, close enough to touch. My skin prickled at the idea.
"Ol' Loverboy stand you up?" he asked with just a hint of teasing. Jasper was always on edge, back straight, eyes focused. Now, his posture was more relaxed and his eyes were trained on one thing: me. No matter how handsome he looked, the question ruffled my feathers.
"He's getting drinks. What made you decide to show up? Alice told me this wasn't your thing."
"Valentine's Day isn't my thing. I like dancing all right, though I'm accustomed to music that's a little more...country. And a little slower."
I imagined Jasper square dancing in a bustling saloon somewhere around Houston, but the image didn't fit. If anything, it was a bit comical. He was too serious, too stoic, even in his somewhat relaxed mood.
"I'm more for slow dancing myself. It's easier in this," I gestured towards my right foot and tried very hard not to think about mine and Matthew's laughable attempt at anything above a crawl on the dance floor. The song that had just started was slow, perfect for injured friendly swaying in one spot, if only Matt would hurry up. My heart was beating out a fast rhythm the longer that I had to talk to Jasper. He had been aloof all week, choosing to talk only when absolutely necessary, and completely blowing me off after our test.
"Care for one of those slow dances with me?"
I blinked, not knowing if what I'd heard and seen were reality or a figment of my imagination. It sounded like Jasper had asked me to dance, and it looked like he was offering his hand out to me. Those two things would've made a lot more sense if he hadn't acted so dodgy and uninterested in any interactions with me this past week. And now he had the audacity to stand there, looking like a ten, and ask if I'd like to dance?
I bit my tongue in thought.
Oh, there was a rational part of my brain saying that it was a bad idea and that it might piss Matthew off. That was the same part of my brain that held a grudge for every snide comment he'd made, every eye roll, every time he acted like I had the plague. But the other less logical part of my brain reminded me of the butterflies I'd felt—and currently felt—whenever he was near. Of how helpful he had been when taking me to the hospital, even if he'd gotten on my nerves right after. And, though less importantly so, how good he always smelled. My eyes glanced over his outstretched arm. His hand looked worn and rough, like he was used to working outside rather than with pen and paper in a library. Despite the roughness, they were nicely balanced hands with long, slender fingers, the same that had been known to do unusual things to my head. But perhaps the thin lace material of my gloves would be enough to prevent that from happening now. I extended my hand and let it rest in his palm.
Nothing.
For the first time, my skin was touching Jasper Hale's, and it didn't make me feel like the world would tip over. I did however feel the rhythm of my heart increase even more as he led me away from my chair. He gratefully stopped before we got to the center of the dance floor. My leg was slowing me down; I also didn't want everyone staring in our direction. Jasper being here was out of the ordinary enough for a small town high school to take notice. Especially as he positioned a hand on my waist.
"I'm not exactly a spring chicken in this thing," I mentioned as we started slowly swaying. It was hard to ignore the pressure of his fingers just above my hip, no matter how lightly they were placed. And his scent....God, he always smelled amazing but now we were so close that it was the only thing that filled my nose. The logical part of my brain worked extra hard to remind me of his standoffishness this week.
"I think we're doing mighty fine as it is, but you can stand on my feet if you want."
I rolled my eyes at the notion. As if he would be able to move his feet with me on top of them.
"So what's with you this week? And don't say migraines, because I'm not inclined to believe that you came to school for five days straight with one."
He smirked just slightly, seemingly amused.
"I've had a lot on my mind. Sometimes it's easier to figure things out when I'm not so distracted," his eyes flickered from over my shoulder to my face. I had to look away. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows because of course they were. It was impossible to not notice his toned forearms, something I'm sure he was aware of. A blue light over head reflected off of a small patch of skin on his arm. The skin looked shiny, like an old scar. Actually, it wasn't the only one; there were two or three, barely visible when the light hit just right. I had scars like that on various places from childhood sport injuries, but the ones on his arm looked different somehow, though the low lighting made it hard to determine what specifically gave me that impression.
"So does the fact that you're acknowledging my existence mean that you figured something out?" I glanced back up at him. Jasper still had his eyes trained on my face. It took everything in me to meet his gaze. After a moment, when it was his turn to look away, I exhaled a breath of relief. What would he be figuring out that caused him to act like he had all week towards me?
"I reckon you could say that. Still needs a little pondering, though."
"Are you going to tell me what that is or do I have to drag it out of you?"
Jasper smiled more genuinely, and his eyes sparkled with amusement. I was just close enough that a strand of his straw colored hair tickled the skin just above my eyebrow.
"Where's the fun in that? I think I'd rather keep you guessing."
"Well if I had my druthers, you'd give me only straight, honest answers when I asked you questions."
We'd turned slightly, and now I could see that Matthew had returned to our table with two cups of red punch. A slight guilty feeling gnawed at the bottom of my stomach.
"It's a good thing that you don't get your druthers, then. Is it time for a twirl?"
I narrowed my eyes at his puzzling remark and question. He was playing with me in a game where only he knew the answers, and I was left guessing half the time.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I can't twirl as of right now."
"I didn't ask if you could twirl, I asked if you wanted to twirl. Can I get a straight answer?"
I rolled my eyes at his use of my own language. Hello Pot, meet Kettle.
"Fine. Yes I suppose if I could, right now would be a great time for a twirl."
The song had reached its last play through of the chorus. My back was turned to Matthew again, and I had a sneaking suspicion that Jasper was glancing at him over my head. I studied his face as lights and shadows moved across it. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and his eyes drifted back to me. I barely had time to lift an eyebrow in question before his arm slid across my back. He pressed my body against his, and the next thing I knew, I was being spun around in a completely weightless circle before being softly returned to the floor. As the song ended my heartbeat pounded in my ears the loudest it had all night. My face flushed until it felt like a million degrees. Jasper was still looking down at me with the same expression, but he had stepped back and released the hand he'd been holding.
"What was that for?" My voice sounded breathless even to myself. I tried to ignore Matthew's look of incredulity just out of the corner of my eye. Jasper shrugged as if lifting my full body weight off the ground and spinning around had been a perfectly easy thing to do, never mind rational.
"You wanted to twirl, so you did. Nothing to it."
Admittedly, I'd loved it. It made me feel like a princess, especially in my poofy dress. But I knew Matt would be upset and I couldn't blame him. I would be angry and embarrassed if he was spinning another girl around the dance floor while I had gone to get him something to drink. We walked in silence back to my chair. It was entirely possible I purposefully walked much slower than necessary to prolong the trip.
"Hey Matt," I said as cheerily as I could, "thanks for getting my drink."
I lifted the cup to my mouth and took a long draw. The not-quite cold fruit punch slightly irritated my throat, and tasted of pineapple, cherry, and mango. It was only when I needed to come back up for air that I stopped drinking. Jasper had disappeared.
"What was that about?" Matt asked, already looking peeved. "Why were you dancing with him?"
I hid my hands under the table and wrung my fingers together.
"He asked me to dance, that's all. It was nothing."
'Nothing to it.' That's what Jasper had said after he'd twirled me around. But had he only been talking about that, or was he referring to the entire dance? Better yet, was he talking about the dance at all?
"Was the twirl really necessary? How would you feel if the roles were reversed?"
I took another drink of the punch, not loving the taste but needing something to distract me for a second while I came up with a satisfactory response.
"I didn't know he was going to do that, and by the time it happened, there was nothing that I could do about it. I'm sorry if it hurt your feelings; it didn't mean anything, really."
He took a long sip of his drink, too, seeming to debate in his mind between continuing to be angry and letting it go. He ran a hand over his face and let out a long sigh. I waited for him to speak, not sure which direction this would go.
"It's fine. How's your ankle?"
I downed the last of my drink, the taste hardly registering this time and hastily stood up.
"Much better actually. I really like this song; we should get back out there."
I hated this song. It was an overplayed and over hyped John Mayer original, but Matthew seemed pleased at my enthusiasm to dance. Mike and Jessica were back on the floor near Angela and Eric, so I steered us in that same direction. Angela caught my eye as I rested my head on Matt's shoulder. Her eyebrows shot up in question, as if to say "what was all that about?" I shrugged my shoulders and worked on keeping my boot from tripping both of us as we slowly moved our feet. I hadn't had to worry about that with Jasper. He seemed to know exactly how to move so that neither of us stumbled.
We danced to three songs before Matt offered to grab more refreshments. I must have been getting tired, because by the time I reached my chair, I was having trouble keeping from tripping myself with my boot.
"Is everything okay? I saw the thing with Jasper." Angela took a seat beside me with Eric following behind.
"Yeah, it's fine I think. I didn't know that Jasper was going to pick me up like that or I would have ended the dance sooner. Matt's kind of pissed."
I turned my head as he approached with another round of punch. I had to grab the table to steady myself. It was as if when I turned my head, the image needed a half of a second to catch up.
"Here ya' go," Matthew smiled as he sat the cup in front of me. I quickly drank from it, not minding the taste as much now that I was so thirsty.
"This stuff isn't so bad after a few rounds of dancing," I mentioned while popping a cheese cube into my mouth.
After a few minutes of sitting and chatting with Angela, one of Matthew's favorite songs came on, so of course we started dancing again. I noticed Jasper looking our way once or twice, doing a not-so-great job of hiding behind a cup of water. Alice was beside him, seemingly deep in thought while talking to him, though I doubted he could hear her in the crowded room with such loud music. My boot caught on the floor for what felt like the millionth time and I nearly took both Matt and I down in one motion.
"Woah, you good, Collins?"
I normally wasn't so clumsy, but tonight it was like I increasingly found it harder to move my feet and hands correctly. When I looked up at Matthew, the image once again took longer than normal to catch up with the movement of my head.
"I think so. My head feels a little fuzzy though."
A giggle escaped my mouth at how badly I was staying upright, though I couldn't explain why that should be so funny. Even my tongue seemed to not be working right, which was more concerning than humorous. But who cared? Everything was getting more fun by the second.
"I think I need to use the bathroom, my eyeballs are floating," I suddenly blurted without a care. Matthew placed a hand on my elbow and started walking in that direction.
"I'll make sure you get there in one piece."
He led me to the darkened hallway where the bathrooms were located. I nearly took out a girl with the door as she exited. Something wasn't right for me to be acting so strangely, but just as I started to worry, the care slipped away and I felt the sudden urge to laugh at how I was feeling. It was a miracle that I made it to and from the toilet without pissing myself. I examined my reflection in the mirror as I did a haphazard job of washing my hands. It was difficult to stay focused on one detail at a time, but the most noticeable feature was my rosy cheeks and flushed chest. Who knew slow dancing was such a workout?
"Better?"
By now, I was miles away from better and quickly approaching much worse. My head was spinning, the multicolored lights over the dance floor not helping at all. Another funny thought occurred to me: my head was all dizzy and Jasper wasn't anywhere near me! Maybe my hunch about him was all wrong. At least Matthew seemed to be in a better mood. His face had turned into a mask of concern as he took my hand to help steady my walking.
"Are you feeling alright? Do you feel a little dizzy?"
I nodded my head but that only worsened the streaks of color dancing across my vision.
"Let's get you to the car if you're not feeling well."
Matthew easily led me to the doors, given my delusional state. The cold air that normally put me in a horrible mood didn't even register as he opened the exterior door and began walking to his car. Something wasn't right, but it was getting increasingly harder to suss out what it was.
"Wait," I stopped in the middle of the parking lot. "I think I left my purse inside."
The words came out as little more than a slur, and the only word fully recognizable was "purse." Matthew continued to tug at my arm.
"I'll run back and get it. Let's get you to the car first."
"No, I want my purse."
The words and my mind were clearer this time, but only marginally. Still, he should've been able to understand what I was saying, or at the very least, that I didn't want to keep walking forward. He tugged on my arm harder, nearly tripping me again.
"Stop it, Matt!"
The sentence sounded whiny to my own ears. Slight panic caused a painful streak to run through my chest. Matthew was overpowering me. I moved this way and that as he tried to get his arms around me to move even further. Not a single soul was in the parking lot to hear the commotion. A slap landed across my cheek, not hard enough to make me see stars but enough to stun me. Matt pulled me a few steps nearer to his car, just feet away from where we were standing. Hot tears leaked from my eyes and down my cheeks. I knew I needed to do something but fear and whatever had my mind all messed up wouldn't let me think clearly.
Before we could take another step, something colder than the Washington air grabbed my upper arm and pulled me away from Matthew. I spun and caught a glimpse of short hair.
"Collins, are you alright?"
It was Alice, her eyes switching between my face and whatever was going on behind me. I heard a shout that was quickly silenced by a nearly inaudible thud. There was a scuffle too, but it was too much for me to divide my concentration between. My hand rubbed at the spot where Matthew had slapped me, and suddenly, the tears were cascading down my face. I sobbed into her shoulder as she pulled me into her arms.
"It's okay, it's okay. I saw that you left your purse and ran out to give it to you. Let's get you somewhere safe."
I knew we must have walked to the shiny black car in the lot, but couldn't remember the steps in between. Alice opened the door and helped me sit inside, careful to keep my head from banging against the top of the car. The seats were amazingly soft, but chilly. I shivered and continued to cry without abandon.
"I'll be right back okay? I need to make sure Jasper hasn't killed Matthew."
Her presence retreated along with the spicy scent that always surrounded her. There was a feminine shout, surely Alice, and then a low conversation that rose in volume as it got nearer. Instead of trying to decipher what exactly they were saying, I let my body lean over until I laid across the back row of seats. It helped the spinning in my head slow down, but then came a slight nauseousness. Two people entered the car, that much I was aware of. One of them started the engine, and the other lifted my head up before resting it back in their lap.
"I wasn't going to kill him."
That was Jasper's smooth voice, near to my head.
"Jazz, trust me when I say you were going to," Alice's much higher voice answered. I wanted to turn and confirm it was Jasper's lap I had my head in, but moving only worsened the dizziness and nausea.
"She's pretty drunk. I don't think her sister is going to appreciate seeing her like this." That was Alice again.
"Then she doesn't have to."
I wanted to stay awake and hear what else both of them had to say, but a cloud of strong drowsiness washed over me.
This chapter has only been proofread by me; apologies if there are any errors in continuity or grammar. I am a SUCKER for some cliche plot lines, as is obvious in the above chapter. For everyone that is super annoyed at Matthew or just flat out hates him, I'll throw you a bone ;) What the hell is Jasper doing? You'll have to stay tuned to find out <3