"Aren't you cold?"
Joanna peaked her head out her bedroom window, looking down at Jasper who was standing near her willow tree in her backyard. His hair blew lightly in the wind as he stepped out. "In August?" He was amused and she rolled her eyes at him.
"I get cold easily," she retorted, her black locks being thrown everywhere as the wind hit them. Her gray eyes pierced through the night like the moon above them, being clear through the dark night. "What? Do vampires get cold, like at all?"
Through the dark, she saw him shake his head.
"That's neat," she decided to say before pushing herself back into her home. She picked up a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I know we barely know each other, but I care about safety, so if you want, you can come up here at any time." Looking down, she saw Jasper's figure disappear but then appear right in front of her. She fell back, giving him room to jump in, and he did silently. Somehow, that part spooked her the most.
"Thank you," he said. He took a seat on her desk chair, the farthest seat away from her. "Honestly, it's better to have me in here for better safety. In case anything happens." Slowly, she nodded and got under her blankets. She eyed him,
"Are you guys like... immortal?"
He nodded softly, "Yes. I was, uh, born in the eighteen-hundreds." Visibly, she was shocked. Her gray eyes widened significantly. Her mouth fell agape and she froze. "I can feel your shock, Joanna."
"I'm not gonna get over that. Fucking vampires have powers? Are you guys like superheroes?"
"More like we're the villains," Jasper said sarcastically, though he meant his words. "But yes, some vampires are born with gifts." Joanna doesn't answer back. Instead, she buries herself more under the covers and flicks on her string lights, lighting the room softly with a warm color.
Then she speaks moments later, "Does Edward have a gift? My guess is that he does but I just couldn't believe, you know? Vampires? Like, you guys are just horror movie crap. In all honesty, you are all pretty cool. But I'm still ticked off at Alice. She shouldn't force us to be friends."
"That's just how she is," Jasper muses, staring outside towards the twinkling stars. "She's always wanting things to be going in the right way she doesn't back down from things. She also holds a gift, too, the gift of seeing glimpses of a possible future."
"Wait," Joanna started to connect the dots, "don't tell me she saw us. Or she saw me." And by his silence, she groaned out loud. She was correct, Alice did see her in the future. "That's why she wanted to push us together!" Rubbing her hands across her face, she looked across her bedroom to find Jasper stiffening. "You good?"
"Your mother. She's just awake." He explains, slowly letting his taunt shoulders relax. "And I hear your sister. She's talking on the phone about..." He's frowning for a moment, "Edward. She's talking about him for some reason."
"Yeah, she's not a big fan of your brother's girlfriend." She smiled in a sad way, pitying her younger sister and her crush. "But Bella, she's a good person and I wish my sister saw her that way. Kinsley though, she just sees her as this skank. When Bella is nowhere near that."
Jasper nods softly in agreement because he has to agree, Bella was wonderful. Sure, she could be awkward, but those awkward moments were memorable. The brunette was a sweetheart and cared deeply for others; she was a superhero, overall.
"You'll have to meet her sometime. We're opposites. I'm not great at telling others about my past as I have difficulty with trust. No offense, but when I let out that I was adopted, I hated myself. Please, I'd rather you not share my personal life."
"Do you hate being adopted?" He questioned, not out of the idea that she would despise the idea of being adopted, but out of pure curiosity.
She looked taken aback. "Never." Then she's pulling the blankets closer to herself, feeling cold as the seconds tear by. Even when it was August, Joanna was shivering under the sheets. "Jesus. Why are my balls freezing?"
Across the room, Jasper rolled his eyes and plucked the blanket off of the chair he sat in. With quiet steps, he placed the blanket on her form, watching as she continued to shiver. He wandered over to the window and shut it, locking it in place. Then he found another blanket on her floor and placed it on her frame. "Better?"
"Slightly."
Nodding, the blonde wandered back to the chair, the sound of her shivering calming down flowing into his ears. "You're not sick, are you?"
"I've been this way for a long time, dude." Her shivers slowly faded away and she sighed as she curled deeper into the warmth of her bed. Sleep was covering her and the last thing she saw before she fell asleep was two piercing lights, both colored in a haunting yet beautiful amber color.
===
By the time she woke up, Jasper Hale left her room. Evidence of him being there was gone, all except for her window being unlocked and the blankets still being on her. She looked around the room, finding it off without him there. Joanna slowly climbed out of her bed and headed downstairs, everyone was already gone and she had work in a few hours.
Her mother was at work and her sister, most likely, was shopping with her friends. So the house was only to Theodore and her.
The house was surprisingly warm and she wondered if it was due to Jasper. She dismissed that thought and made herself some breakfast, which consisted of a bowl of Captain Crunch.
Work was boring, almost as usual. Nathaniel had called in sick and so Joanna was left to herself. Maggie was in the backroom, her snore evident that was she was fast asleep and so far no customers had made an appearance in the salon. Not a single soul.
So that's how Joanna found herself laying on the couch, watching videos on YouTube. She was watching something on drama in the beauty community and couldn't help but get drawled in.
The bell above the door and rang and she shot forward, staring into the eyes of Isabella Swan. As usual, she was wearing neutral-colored clothes and a style that Joanna always thought was extremely comfortable. Supporting a pair of blue skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt, Bella walked into the salon and toward Joanna.
"My guess is that you're not here to get your little nails done," Joanna states, sitting up and smiling at the brunette. "What's up?"
"I just wanted to check on you after everything. I know it's, um, odd to believe it all and it's kinda silly knowing that you know well the unbelievable truth." Her smile is shy and she fidgets in her spot. "I mean, one day you're kinda annoyed with Alice and the next she's protecting you? Kinda strange, isn't it?"
Joanna responded with a firm grin. "Oh, and that's another thing! They're still protecting you in case of her. I know after the events I took part in," something flashes in her eyes before she continues. "She doesn't like me at all. She plans to do awful things to me since we killed her mate. I'll have to explain everything since you're probably really confused."
Joanna remained silent, watching as Bella fumbled over her words, obviously nervous for something she couldn't see. Her eyebrows were pulled together as she said, "Yeah, explaining would be nice. It's just kinda stupid, honestly. One day, a random woman takes me and suddenly I'm being under watch by the Cullens? And suddenly they're vampires?" A small laugh fell from her lips. "I'm really confused, Bella, really confused."
The brunette smiled in understanding before offering her to come over to the Cullen household.
"I'm not sure," Joanna answered, looking down at her shoes as she twisted them on the heel. "I'm still annoyed with Alice. Sure, she may be nice and protective currently, but she's pushing something that shouldn't be pushed. Jasper doesn't seem to want to really be whatever Alice has in mind for us and neither do I!" It seemed, from Bella's features changing quickly, that she understood what Joanna was going through. As if she knew that this was how Alice was sometimes. Because Alice Cullen was someone who didn't back down, and when it came to someone like Jasper, there was definitely no signs of her backing away from her plan. Though, no one knew what the plan was besides Alice herself and Edward.
"I'm not going to force you into anything," Bella explained, her eyes holding visible truth. "I was just wondering. They want to meet you, especially Carlisle. He didn't have that much of a chance to introduce himself."
"Well, I already know who he is." Joanna lifted up her hand, making her fingers dance. "I broke my ring finger in eighth grade, actually. I was skateboarding and wasn't paying attention. Hit a curb and went flying, landed on the finger the wrong way and well, Dr. Cullen fixed me right up!" She smiled fondly at the memories before letting her arm fall back at her side. "I'll let you know about it all. Besides, Alice gave me your invitation."
Groaning, Bella backed away and muttered something under her breath. It made Joanna's lips curve wider. "No, no, why? I told her already and she still does it. I understand how you're annoyed with her." Bella grumbled, shaking her head at the thought of what Alice had done. "I have to go. As you said, number is on the invitation." And just like that, Bella was slipping through the front doors and onward to her car.
===
It was nearly six o'clock in the afternoon when Bella arrives, her red truck crackling the gravel of her driveway. Joanna sat on the porch, observing her old car with a smile as Bella, after the call, offered her a ride. Even if Joanna had her own car, she still accepted the kind offer.
Bella's looking at her with a small, shy smile. "Come on in," she chirps when she rolls down her window, the wind pushing around her dark locks. Swiftly, Joanna made her way over and slid into the car, smiling at the interior. "It was a gift," she admitted before pulling out of the Hodgson's driveway and down toward the Cullens' home.
The ride was silent, they only talked when they arrived and Joanna felt her mouth falling agape once again. Even though she saw the exterior before, she always found herself in shock due to the beauty. Their home held beautiful rustic colors, a modern style planted right in the middle of a forest and her lips curved upward.
"Let's head on in."
Bella held the door open, watching as Joanna hurried inside and looked around. Only Edward was downstairs, making his way toward Bella and placing a kiss to her temple. Joanna could hear him murmuring to her, but she didn't listen. She took a seat on one of the comfy leather couches that made her skin rise in goosebumps.
"Evening, Joanna," her eyes wander up to find Esme Cullen descending down the stairs. She wore a beautiful summer dress, coated in a pig-pink color that made her hair stand out. Behind her stood Carlisle Cullen, who smiled in acknowledgment at Joanna. "Are you hungry at all?"
"I don't suppose you have a snack I could munch on?" Joanna asked, a small blush covering her cheeks and nose. The mother of the household smiled fondly at her, gently taking her hand and leading her toward the kitchen. In there, she opened up cabinets to offer a small, hot wide range of food. "Even if we don't eat food, we still keep in stock for Bella and even you, if you ever come to join us. Just as you have today."
"Thank you," the dark-haired girl spoke as she grabbed a granola bar and started to unwrap the treat. She took a bite and moaned softly at the taste. Esme laughed faintly behind her before escorting her back to the living room where more of the household was in.
"Sup," Emmett spoke up near Rosalie, speaking to her for the first time. Joanna smiled and waved off at him. Feeling awkward then, she took a seat on the couch once again, cuddling into the cold. "She's shy."
"Mhm," Joanna hummed, slipping out her phone to check her notifications. "I'm shy and other things. Label me as whatever, I guess."
"Oh," Emmett barks from his spot in the room. "You're a fun lady. I like her. Sorry, Bella, she's now my favorite human."
"You barely know me."
"Time to do some digging then," Emmett mused, snickering when Rosalie smacked his chest. The blonde spared a glance at Joanna before abruptly leaving the room. Joanna found this strange. Before, Rosalie was on terms with her, laughing and sharing gossip in the salon. Yet now, after their secret was exposed, she's held this hatred on her that makes Joanna question everything.
"Don't worry," Emmett assures as he passes her to go after Rosalie. "She's just very protective and when our secret was let out, she's been on edge. It's a dangerous world sometimes." His figure is gone after his words are spoken and when Joanna twists her head to peer at the other Cullens, she makes eye contact with the only Hale who appeared in the room.
"Evenin'."