Bella had always suspected that the students at Forks High were gossipers with the way word spreads all over in a single day, sometimes it doesn't even take the whole day to happen. She can never understand how the news spreads like a wildfire in the school. Why would people even want to know such news? Most of the gossips aren't even accurate. One time, she and Jessica almost had an argument when people made a rumour about her dating Edward Cullen. Ew.
Don't get her wrong. Edward is far most one of the handsome guy she had ever met but the thought of dating him? No thank you.
Edward was a great company and friend. Nothing more, nothing less. Why would people start thinking that the duo are dating? Just because he offered to drive her to school when her truck was being fixed doesn't mean they're dating. She had expected that Alice saw a vision of her and had Edward offer to drive her to school. The Cullen's had been but a second family to her. Of course, she figured out that they are vampires after the truck incident but it's not like she wanted to figure it out. When she came to know of their existence she planned to stay away from them for their sake. Was she scared? A little bit. They are vampire's for pete sake but she didn't want to hurt their feelings by ignoring them so she continued to be friends with them though Rosalie seems to hate her with all the glares she's received. The only people she seems to get along with are Alice and Edward. The two treated her like family and she loved it. She was an only child so having two people treat you like you're their baby sister comforted her.
Parking her truck right beside her friends car, she got out and found the quartet leaning on Mike Newton's car. Jessica was the first to notice her and wave at her. The almost argument with Jess was heated and had her worried to lose her friend. Good thing they pushed past it and continued being friends although she would notice Jessica fidget whenever she's around. "Hey Bella." Jessica greeted followed by a chorus of 'hey' from the other three. She nodded at them with a smile as she approached them. "Great timing. I was just about to tell the guys something important." Bella rose an eyebrow in interest on what Jessica had to say. She knew that Jessica was one of the gossipers at school and would often find herself questioning if everything that Jessica has said was true or not. So far, the only gossip that was true was that the Cullen's keep to themselves, but for a great reason. "Something important?" She repeated and Jessica nodded. "We have new students." Bella frowned at that. How was getting new students something important. She was new and all she got was unwanted attention that had her squirming in her seat. "Jessica, getting new students isn't a new thing." Angela said in a motherly tone which made Eric smile at her as he wrapped his shoulder around hers. Jessica rolled her eyes and waved her hands. "I know but that's not what's important. What's important is who the new students are." Bella could tell that she was itching to just spit it out but wanted to keep the tension for dramatic effects.
"Harper's back." She said with a wide smile. Eric widened his eyes as Angela's jaw dropped and Mike froze beside Jessica. Bella was confused by their reactions so she spoke. "Who's Harper?" Jessica turned to her with the widest smile ever and couldn't help but wonder how her cheeks aren't hurting from the smile. "Harper Vanderson, daughter to one of the most influential family here at Forks." Jessica explained briefly. "The Vanderson family is one of the most influential and empirical families at Forks. There's also the Locke's, Smyth's and Wildrof's. The Wildrof's are the most powerful in a way. Those four families live in one house." Eric scoffed. "If you can call their place a house." Jessica ignored him. "They moved away two years ago to Switzerland, probably to branch out their business." "Business?" Bella asked as she adjusted her backpack. "All four families are involved with business. Mr. Wildrof's the best surgeon in town, Mrs. Wildrof's an amazing landscape architect. Mr. Locke's a successful lawyer, Mrs. Smyth is an owner of a law firm and company, and Mrs. Vanderson is a fashion designer." "They're technically billionaire's with how much money they make." Jessica glared at Mike and he held his hands up in surrender. "Don't let Harper hear you, she doesn't like that." Angela muttered. Bella let the information sink in but was still confused, the parents were great so how does this reflect their children. "But." Bella perked up at this. "All the children are adopted." He eyes widened in shock. "Like the Cullen's?" The group nodded in confirmation and this shocked her. A bunch of kids were adopted by those people, how lucky can they be. "Not that it's our business but I always wondered why they adopted." Jessica commented. "Harper told us that already. She said that the adults wanted to give orphan children a chance and they were chosen to be those children." Belle hummed at this. "So they adopted because they wanted to give a chance not because of something like infertility?" All nodded. She was worried that the family might be another coven of vampires, looks like she was jumping to conclusions.
"Don't look now. Here come the Cullen's." Mike warned and she rolled her eyes.
She saw the siblings arrive and smiled at her two friends. Alice waved her over and she smiled as she turned to her friends. "I'm gonne go talk to them." They all nodded. "Tell them about what I just told you." Bella chuckled and nodded. "I will." She didn't need to. Alice can see the future, she would know by now about the new students. Standing in front of the Cullen's, Alice hugged her while the rest greeted her. Rosalie only nodded to her. Bella was used to it already. "So what was that about?" Alice asked as she glanced at the four humans who were now talking among themselves. Bella furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she pulled away. "You didn't see it?" She asked in pure confusion and Alice now also had a lost expression along with her siblings. "What do you mean Bella?" Edward asked as he stood beside her with an expression that was asking for explanation. "We have new students. They used to live here but moved out two years ago then came back." Alice was confused. She did not see a single vision but she did remember having a glitch like vision during their shopping. It came and disappeared, she saw nothing of it. "A family? Alice?" All eyes were on Alice as she shook her head. "I didn't see anything." All heads suddenly turned towards a car, a black Lexus, as it parked on the parking space near the Cullen's.
All six of them watched as three people came out of the car. One was a girl and the other two were boys. The girl was partially tall as she wore heels so that the boys wouldn't tower over her. All three looked stunning as they walked past the Cullen's. All had some kind of aura of authority around them as they walked with grace and their chins held up high. To Bella, they looked like a bunch of elites that didn't fit in with them. Just by the way they walked, they gave the impression of a noble walking instead of a student.
When Alice said she didn't see any vision, this worried Jasper. Were these people a threat to his family? Alice's gift worked wonders and it never ceased to amaze him how powerful her gift was. But hearing that she saw nothing, something was wrong. When he saw the unfamiliar car, he guessed that those were the new students. He waited for them to leave the car, to observe if they are a threat of any sort but when his eyes landed on the tallest of the group, he gasped. He knew the others were staring at him but he didn't care. He was focused on the sight of the tall pale boy with black hair and dark brown eyes captivated him. When the trio passed them, the scent of sweet orange, cinnamon, and rosemary hit him. He stared at the back of the head of the tall male in longing. An ache in his non-beating heart had him longing for the boy.
"Jasper?" He turned to Alice and saw confusion. Jasper noticed that everyone else was waiting for him to speak. They knew that he would observe them but instead of observing them he was staring at him. His mate.
Edward read his thoughts and his eyes widened as he glanced at the trio before turning to face him. "One of them's your mate." Everyone was now looking at Jasper in shock. Alice, especially since she didn't see any kind of vision. "The tall one. He's my mate." Jasper whispered as he stared at the direction of the boy. Alice had a look of worry in her eyes as she glanced at the direction of the trio before shaking her head. "I didn't see their arrival. Not even a glimpse. Something's not right." All heads turned to her. Rosalie agreed with her words. Something wasn't right. "We'll just have watch out in case they might be trouble." She muttered and everyone nodded. Bella glanced back at the trio as they entered the school after the girl waved at Jessica. It was odd. How come Alice didn't see them coming?
Another sound of an incoming car had them turning again as a blue Lamborghini Gallardo parked at the free space beside them. They all were waiting for the person to come out. A male with shoulder length hair and dark brown eyes. He was in corporate attire as he had a briefcase bag on his shoulder.
"Come on Lil'lad. We haven't got all day." They all rose eyebrows at the obvious accent of the man as he closed the door while wearing his blazer. The other door opened and they heard a voice. "You worry to much. We still have a few minutes till classes start. And you forgot your tie." Edward tilted his head at the familiar voice. Only when the other person stepped out did he recognise the person. "From the bookshop." He muttered as he dismissed the glances from his siblings.
The familiar fragrance of lavender and vanilla hit him but it somehow had a hint of peppermint.
"What? Oh forget the bloody tie." Carter chuckled as he shook his head at his brother. "Calm down brother." He said as his brother was busy checking for his things in his bag. "If you can't tie the... bloody tie." He sneered the word just like David did. "Then just say so. No need to be fussy." David sighed as he turned to his brother with a smile. "Not like that'll help. You're stubborn." His smile vanished as he glared at his brother. "I'll make sure your life during my class is hell." Carter snorted. "If I'm in your class." He said smugly and David growled. "You found out." Carter smiled brightly at him as he and David left the car park.
Edward swore when he saw Carter's bright smile. Though he was a bit disappointed that it wasn't directed towards him, he still felt his non-existent heart flutter at the sight of the boy's smile. "Edward?" He mumbled as he stared at the back of Carter.
Feeling a pair of eye on him, Carter turned around and saw a familiar face. He smiled and nodded at Edward which caught the other off guard as he nodded back. Once Carter's back was facing him, Edward let out a sigh out of habit. Habits die hard. Once the brothers were hone he turned to meet the curious and questioning gaze of his siblings (and Bella). Edward chewed on his lower lip out of nervousness. Jasper felt his nervousness and let a wave of calm relax the other. Edward sent Jasper a look of appreciation. Jasper returned his look of appreciation with a smile. "That boy just now, he was the one I met at the bookshop." The mixed expressions of shock and happiness on their faces told Edward they figured it out. "He's my mate." Alice, despite the frustration of not being able to see her brother's mates in a vision, she still felt happy for them.
Engulfing Edward and Jasper in a hug, Rosalie narrowed her eyes. "They're humans." Just hearing those two words changed everything. They were vampires and their mates were humans. They could be placed in harms ways because of them. Bella almost got in trouble with the Volturi when she discovered their identity. They were all in a state of panic when Alice received a vision of four agents of Volturi coming to their home to dispose of Bella, luckily he was there.
"You won't reject them will you?" Bella's voice cut through the silence and the two turned to her. "We're a danger to them Bella. They might go through what you did." Rosalie said with a hiss as her eyes narrowed at the girl. She couldn't believe this girl was one of her siblings mate, and he isn't even here with them at Forks instead he's out the country. "I understand that but-" "No Bella." She turned to Edward and saw him with a frown. "I'm a danger to him. I can't put him through the same thing you did." Edward's tone held no argument and Bella looled at him in disbelief before turning to see how Jasper reacted. Jasper had a look of agreement with his brother and Bella couldn't help bit feel sympathy for the two boys. She understood the feeling since he was in a different country to ensure her safety. He moved into a different country for her safety. He didn't want to hurt her. He has no idea how hurt she is when he left. Him leaving her was more painful than rejecting her.
"Don't worry Bella. You can be friends, we won't stop you." Bella lightly smiled at Alice and nodded. Rosalie rolled her eyes while Jasper and Edward grimaced. A wave of envy washed against them as they clenched their fists. Hearing the school bell ring, all headed towards the building. Bella was letting out a thick wave of worry and sympathy as she walked the halls that were filled with students.
Jasper caught on to her emotions and couldn't help but feel guilty for his decisions. He was mad at him for deciding to leave the country, to leave her, his mate alone.
Alice knew the look in Jasper's eyes and reached out to hold his hand. He looked up at her and smiled lightly. Alice returned the smile and turned away but found Carter and Zion talking to each other as Carter laughed lightly at something Zion said. Alice furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at what Carter found silly since Zion had an annoyed look and a sneer. They were odd to say the least but who was she to judge?
"I swear. If people aren't going to stop staring I going to snap." Zion snapped. "No you won't." Zion only rolled his eyes at his cousin. With his shoulders shaking and a hand over his mouth, Zion stared at him at his failed attempt to hide his amusement. "I'm glad you find amusement to my displeasure of coming to this ... school." He said the word with a sneer. Carter shook his head at Zion as he closed his locker. "Why do you hate school so much?" Zion sent him a pointed look. "I do not directly dislike school. I dislike people thus the reason why I dislike school." Carter shook his head at the vague answer of his cousin. As far as he knows, Zion dislikes people and any kind of contact with people in general. He never understood why Zion refuses to interact with people outside the family. He was the only one who has never really shared his past, not even a hint. Well, him and Alexis. The duo disliked being around strangers. They seem to share a bond of being there for each other with Kelsey as their support. "Must you be so vague." Carter muttered and Zion shook his head and looked around before his eyes landed on a group of teens strutting down the hallway. Since when did this place become a runway? He thought as he noticed the bunch were a group of good looking teens, well except to one. She looks beautiful but at the same time plain. Make any sense? The blondes stood out the most from the group. The female's looks reminded him of a model in the front page of a magazine and the male reminded him of one of those businessman who charm the customer with their looks. He huffed as he watched them closely.
He sniffled and scrunched his nose. What was that smell? It smells like rain but ... sweet? The smell of sweet rain tainted his senses and he closed his eyes. He could make out the scent of lemongrass, lemon, and eucalyptus. His senses basked in the wonderful scent that had corrupted his mind. He wouldn't mind relinquishing to the scent any time but something felt off. He felt a piercing gaze directed at him so he opened his eyes. His dark brown eyes met honey topaz eyes and his breath hitched when he saw longing and want in them. Why? He had no clue why the owner of these pair held such emotion in them.
Jasper saw his mate glance their way but merely scanned the people, including him and his siblings. He saw his mate scrunch his nose adorably and he bit back the smile that wanted to show. He saw his mate close their eyes and took the opportunity to try and understand their emotion. When he tried to feel he was pushed back by a barrier. The barrier was sudden as he didn't feel it around the boy at first. He blinked before trying again but he couldn't feel his emotion as the thin barrier protected him like a sheet of blanket. He stared at his mate in wonder as the barrier seemed to wrap around his mate in comfort. It was like something or someone was protecting his mate. Or maybe it was his mate protecting himself, like a defense mechanism. He continued to stare at his mate until his mate opened his eyes and locked on with his. He heard the hitching of his mate's breath as he stared into his dark brown eyes.
His dark brown eyes was a swirl of emotions. He couldn't pin point the exact emotions but he caught a glimpse of fear and doubt in them. A sliver of something like self-hate was also caught but then it suddenly disappeared. The emotions in the eyes of his mate were suddenly gone in the blink of an eye. He was shocked by the sudden coldness in his mate's eyes. They held no warmth or love. They seemed to be an isolated place full of nothing but the cold. He became weary of the sudden change from his mate. His mate rose an eyebrow at him like he was challenging him to say something. He felt a bit intimated when his mate straightened his posture to his full stature making him look authoritive. Despite being a few inches taller, the way his mate narrowed his eyes and lips thinned made him feel small. For the first time in all his vampire years, he felt himself cower from the gaze of a person, his own mate no less. His vampire instincts suddenly worked up as he slowed his pace and lowered his head as he passed his mate. It felt odd. Why was his inner vampire cowering at the sight of his mate when all he did was narrow his eyes with a calculating look in them.
"Zee, stop." Zion snapped his gaze away from the unknown male and turned to his cousin. Carter had a worried look etched on his face as he placed a hand on Zion's shoulder and offered a small smile. "You'll do fine." Zion blinked. "What are y-" "I know this is a whole new world to you but you've got us." He narrowed his eyes at his cousin. Carter's blue eyes were gave away the message to 'play along' and so he did. "Harper's a chatterbox. Maverick gets on my nerves. And you." Carter waited as he paused. "You keep reminding that I'm in hell." Carter gave an innocent smile. "I thought I was your angel?" Edward narrowed his eyes at his mate. Were they dating? He asked himself but seeing the look.of disgust from the other male told him otherwise. "Angel? You're more of a tormenter than an angel." Carter grinned. "That's the most heart warming compliment I've received from you Zion." Carter said with an innocent smile to which Zion scowled. "Why do I even bother putting up with you?" He muttered as Carter finally started to walk away from the lockers with him on his side. "Hmm. Let's see. Because you love me." Zion gagged which caused Carter to chuckle as he slung an arm on his shoulder.
Edward and Jasper narrowed their eyes on their mates as they walked past them with long strides.
"Because were family." Zion rolled his eyes with a light twitch of his lips to prevent himself from smiling at his cousin's words. "Because I'm your favourite cousin." He scoffed. "As if." A pout was in Carter's face as he turned to his cousin. To Zion, he looked like a kicked Siberian husky puppy with those blue eyes of his. "Quit the puppy eyes. You look like Caramel." The mention of the puppy had Carter smiling brightly. "Of course we'd look alike. She's my baby." Another scoff. "She's an energetic puppy you were given on your birthday." He reminded and Carter had a smug look in his eyes. "You mean given by you?" Zion groaned and picked up the pace. "Hurry up. I don't want to introduce myself to class." Carter laughed as he jogged after his cousin.
Edward and Jasper watched their mates go with a look of relief. They had assumed their mates were dating. That would've been a problem since neither of the two wanted to share their mate and a possessive feeling took over their mind. To hear that they were family and cousins brought relief upon the two vampires. Edward however became rigid when his mate said the b word only to feel silly after the other mentioned a puppy. At the mention of the puppy, Edward saw the eyes of his mate lit up as he stated the fact that the other was the one who gave him the puppy as a birthday present. As much as he wanted to ignore the ache in his chest he had to be resilient with his decisions. Seeing his mate so happy made his decision of staying away more reasonable. He didn't want the happiness his mate have as a human be taken away when he's with him. A vampire. A predator. A monster. His hands clenched close at the thought of his mate getting hurt because of him. He wanted his mate. But he knee he shouldn't or else he'd end up hurt because of his monstrosity.
Ever since he was turned he had always believed that he was a monster. A monster that feeds on blood. A monster that was dangerous. A monster that wasn't easy to kill. A monster who would live a long life without aging. He was an immortal. A vampire. He was not human. A single slip up and his mate would be in danger. He couldn't imagine what he would do if he accidentally hurt his mate. Would he end himself? Would he follow his mate's faith? Would he be consumed by despair and end up killing off people like a newborn? Would Carlisle kill him? Every option that came to mind was negative. All options pointed to death. He was scared. Of losing his family. Of losing his sanity. Of becoming a monster. Of forgetting Carlisle's teachings. Of killing others. Of hurting people. He was scared of so many thing that he could write an endless list of them but what he fears the most was something he hoped to never happen. He was scared to lose his mate because of his actions. His greatest fear was losing his mate to his monster. He didn't want that. He didn't want harm to come to his mate. He didn't want his mate to be involved with him and be troubled because of him. He had to do what he needed to do is he wanted to keep his mate safe. He had to keep his distance. He had to pretend to not see him. He had to pretend he didn't care. The bright smile of his mate suddenly entered his mind and he clenched his jaws as he felt venom starting to pool. This is gonna be hard.
Parting ways with his siblings and Bella, he went in to his first class and froze when he caught sight of his mate, his beautiful mate who sat on the space beside his and internally groaned. His mate was busying himself by reading the provided book for their class. With a look of boredom as he skimmed through the pages. Ignoring the secretive glances, flirtatious looks, attempts to hold conversations, and attempts to seduce him, Edward could feel pride at the way his mate ignored everyone but then it dawned onto him. He mate was ignoring everyone, who's to say he wouldn't ignore him. Oh wait, he will be ignoring him once he tells the boy to not get involved with him.
Edward stalked up to his seat which was beside his mate with a new profound confidence to keep him safe from him. Student's who noticed him slowly fled from the desk of his mate and sat on their own, chatting among themselves all the while glancing at him as he reached his destination. He placed his bag by the foot of the desk and sat on his chair and stared out the window. He could hear the students whisper about him and his mate.
"I almost forgot Cullen takes the seat beside him."
"Poor guy. Hopefully Cullen doesn't scare him away."
"How unfortunate of him to be seated beside Edward."
"I heard from Jessica that he's really sensitive. One wrong word and he might blow a fuse, she said."
Edward ignored the whispers when all he heard was how pitiful his mate was to be his seatmate. The students in his class are hilarious. They all assume that he's dangerous. Which he is. They all pity the people who are seated next to him or any of his siblings. Like that one time in Biology II with Bella, everyone said the same thing for Bella when she was assigned to be his lab partner. Luckily for him, Bella and him hit it off quickly and became friends. She however had decided to change Biology II with History when Edward informed her that she was his blood singer and that she was in danger around him. She heeded his warning and changed her class. Now, he's partner-less in Biology II.
"I'd say it's pleasant to see you again but I don't think you looked pleased to see me." Edward snapped his attention from the scene outside the window to his mate who was now leaning on his right palm with his elbow on the desk to balance himself.
Carter knew from the moment they locked eyes in the car park, this was the person he talked to in the bookshop. Edward. He didn't know his last name but he was glad to at least know his first name. He was glad to see a familiar face in class, he didn't have to worry about getting along with a few students. So when Edward sat next to him he smiled and turned to talk to him but then he saw Edward looking out the window with a determined expression.
His determination for whatever was strong.
Carter suddenly felt unsure to speak to him since the boy literally ignored his presence once he settled on his seat. But because he wanted to speak to the boy, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind was urging him to say something. So he did.
Carter felt a little bit pleased when Edward turned to him with a hint of shock in his eyes when his expression hid it. Edward only stared at him with a look of contemplation on what to say. He then remembered.
"I never got the chance to introduce myself, now, did I?" He spoke with a lighthearted chuckle. Edward stiffened before he relaxed. "I'm Carter. Carter Wildrof. A new student but not exactly new at town." Edward only stared at him. Ignoring the lack of response he continued. "Once again I am sorry for bumping into at the bookshop and another sorry for not introducing myself sooner." No response. He spinned the pen in his hand as a sign of nervousness. "If I had known we'd see each other here I would've asked your hand in friendship." The pen spinned a bit faster as a sign of his nerves growing. He didn't like this. The lack of response. This wasn't what he had expected.
While his mate spoke, Edward had focused on trying to read his mind but he couldn't. Something was stopping him from doing so. Despite his mate carrying in with speaking, he had been trying to read the mind of his mate but he couldn't. It was like he was locked out from the boy's mind. He was starting to grow frustrated and it showed on his face. Not knowing that he was expressing his emotions, he was startled when Carter's eyes met his and they had a hint of panic in them. The boy suddenly stammered and bent down to grab something and on instinct, Edward also bent down and grabbed the fallen object.
He was first to grab the object, a pen so when Carter's fingers brushed against his, a spark of electricity caused him to shiver as he slowly moved to once again lock his gaze with Carter. He was met with crystal blue eyes that gleamed with innocence and kindness. Just by the look in his eyes, Edward knew his mate was a loving person to the core. The way the light illuminated his mates facial features Edward came to a conclusion. His mate was ethereal. His beauty was out of this world. The perfect brows, the high cheekbones, the sharp jawline, the straight line of his nose, the kissable lips, the skin that seemed smooth to touch, the messy locks of light brown hair, and the crystal blue eyes that seemed to be more of a bluish-gray when inspected up close. His mate was perfect. His mate was an attractive individual. No wonder some of the boys tried approaching him.
"Alright, I want everyone to settle down now. Class will be starting soon so please, do pay no mind to me while I set up my materials." Shuffling could be heard as everyone calmly walked back to their respective seats. Edward and Carter also stood up with Edward handing him his pen and awkwardly seating next to each other. Carter muttered a small 'thanks'. Edward wanted to keep his word to ignore him but he didn't want his mate to think he was rude. He had no idea what to do in response that would make his mate comfortable so he opted with a gentle smile. A smile that made Carter at ease. A smile that others saw. A smile that would brew a whole new gossip.
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When Zion and Carter parted ways for their first subject, Zion had the urge to turn back and call Serenity to pick him up from hell. He hated going to school because he didn't like interacting with other people. He also didn't want to have any contact with other people aside from a few members of the family.
He wanted to back out from entering the gateway of torture when he was suddenly thrown off by someone hugging him from behind. The familiar dainty hands with painted fingernails gave him a hint on who dared to touch him: Jessica Stanley.
"I missed you!"
Never in his entire life did he expect to be hugged as a form of greeting. He never liked contact but Jessica Stanley was an exception. He held a soft spot for her that left the others in confusion. Not even Alexis or Kelsey knows this fact. The girl was a chatterbox like Harper, no wonder they're, as people call, best friends. The two share the same trait of having a loose tongue. They could talk all day and wouldn't even bother to grab a glass of water to hydrate themselves.
He swore when a teacher told them to get in class. There goes my chances of escaping. Zion had planned to immediately take a seat but luck wasn't on his side when the teacher, who he just realised was David Wildrof, called him for self-introduction. He sent David a glare while the man was unfazed as he had been used to the deadly stares he'd receive from his mother whenever he did something wrong. Zion clicked his tongue when he noticed how everyone in class had their eyes trained on him and he hated it. The attention. The gaze. The eyes. The spotlight. He hated it. He huffed as he introduced himself with a cold expression which served as a warning to the students to not try and get along with him.
Jasper was surprised when he saw the look of promised death sent to their new teacher by his mate. His mate seemed to hate being the center of attention with how heated his glare was on the man. He wanted to growl at the teacher for angering his mate but held back. He couldn't expose himself now. With a huff, his mate put on the coldest look he had ever seen. "Zion Smyth." The deep voice of his mate held a venomous tinge to it as his eyes were calculating when it scanned the room. When the pair scanned his way, Jasper subtly gulped the pooling venom in his mouth as his mate's eyes seemed to have darkened when it landed on him. Not the person beside him, in front of him, or even behind him. They landed perfectly on his rigid form. He didn't know what to make of the darkening in his mate's eyes. He didn't want to know. As curious as he was, he didn't want to know what made his mate's eyes darken.
David followed Zion's gaze and it landed on a blonde male who was stiff under the calculating gaze of his cousin and adoptive brother. Clearing his throat, he had allowed Zion to go and take a seat on any space available. The poor boy that Zion had stared at was unlucky as Zion chose to take his place behind him seeing as it was at the back corner near the window. David bit the inside of his cheek to refrain from letting out a snicker when he noticed how annoyed Zion was with him by the narrowed eyes that had a glint of burning annoyance in them.
When Zion had settled in his seat, David introduced himself as their new teacher and then started with a roll call. Zion's eye twitched. "He just had to let me introduce myself when he could've just saved me the trouble by doing the bloody roll call." He muttered with a hint of irritation as he leaned back on his seat with a huff. Feeling a wave of calm, he sighed as he relaxed in his seat. His eyes fluttered close as he relaxed before they snapped open and his eyes narrowed at the male in front of him.
"Jasper Hale." "Here." Zion rose an eyebrow when the male timidly raised his hand before retracting it back. He leaned forward and places his elbows on the desk as he stared at the back of Jasper's head.
"Zion Smyth." "Present." He sneered.
He could tell by the way Jasper would move that he felt discomfort by his gaze so he stopped and instead listened to whatever David had to spout. Not that he needed to properly listen in class about history. He was there when history happened. He's two hundred and forty-two (242) years old for pete sake.
No longer feeling the piercing gaze on the back of his head, Jasper closed his eyes in relief. He didn't know what would've happened if it continued. He just hoped that his mate wasn't annoyed by his presence. He assumed that. Judging by the way his mate gaze him the cold stares, he had assumed that the boy wasn't fond of him. His heart ached at the thought of his mate not liking him. Sure he planned to not get too close with his mate but he at least wanted to get along with him. He didn't have the heart to ignore his mate like Edward had when he spoke. Like Edward, he had always longed to meet his mate. Despite what the school says about him and Alice dating, they are wrong in so many aspects. Alice was but a sister to him. She saved him when he roamed the continent as a nomad and with her, they found peace with the Cullen's. He was grateful for her appearing in his life. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have had the loving family he has now. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have met his mate.
"Alright I'll be assigning you by partners to write up an essay regards to what you know and have learned, even just a mere fraction, about civil war. The essay would be sized legal of three pages. Deadline is two days from now."
Jasper had snapped his head up with a slightly bewildered look on his face at the sudden assignment. Zion had scoffed at the announcement and dreaded at the thought of having to work with a total stranger.
David let out a sly smile at the expected groans and moans of complaint from his students. He picked up his log book and began to assign students after seeing that the class had enough students to be paired.
"Cheney and Blanchard."
"Anderson and Parker."
"Evans and Pierce."
"Montez and Bolton."
"Crowley and Bradford."
"Newton and Stanley."
"Taylor and Brown."
"Jones and Davis."
"Miller and Wilson."
"Smyth and Hale."
"Moore and Jackson."
"Martinez and White."
Jasper and Zion went rigid at the mention of their names together. Everyone else glanced at them and Zion glared at them.
Just when David was about to give further instructions, the bell rants and the students all stood up and he grinned at them. "Make sure to pass you essays on time! I don't like late submissions." A chorus of 'yes sir' had him smiling as the students slowly filed out of the room. Jasper was just waiting for everyone to leave before doing so to get to his next class. He didn't expect his mate to do the same as he marched to the front with a glare on his face.
"How was my teaching Zion?" David asked, not looking up from the list of names for his next set of students. "Don't know. I wasn't listening." David pouted at his cousin while Zion rolled his eyes. "Carter won't be in any of your class if that's why you looking through the catalog of the students names." David paused mid skim and turned to Zion in disbelief. "You're kidding." "I don't kid." David let out a dramatic howl of disbelief as Zion made his way out with Jasper just behind him.
"Sheesh. To think that man's related to me." His mate muttered. Jasper chuckled and it caught Zion's attention as he swiftly turned around and Jasper froze when they were so close to each other. Zion didn't give a damn. Jasper didn't know what to do but stand still as his mate stared at him for a few minutes before he hummed. "I want to work on the essay as much as possible so are you free after today's class?" Jasper was caught off guard by the question. His mate narrowed his eyes at him. "Unless you're busy I don't mind doing the work myself. I always preferred to work on my own anyway." "I'm free." Jasper blurted out and Zion arched an elegant brow. "Your place or mine? I don't really care where we work on it."
Lie.
Zion actually didn't want to go to another person's place. He only suggested it because he didn't want his partner to think he didn't give a shit, which he really doesn't. He was being generous enough to suggest it. He just hoped Jasper would pick his place.
Jasper was conflicted with his choice. His home or his mate's. If he chose his place, Rosalie would berate him after his mate left. Not to mention that his mate would probably feel unease when with Alice since he seemed to be the type of person who didn't like people touching him. He would also have to use Edward's Volvo on the way to their house. He had no idea how the others would react to him though, he is human. But then if he chose his mate's place he would have to ride in the car with humans and wouldn't be able to concentrate when the smell of blood would conquer his senses, he might kill them and expose himself. This was a very hard decision, he just hoped his mate would understand.
"Is my place alright?" He held back a chuckle when he saw the fingers of his mate twitch. "... Sure thing." He could tell that his mate was already not looking forward to it with the way he paused before answering. As much as he wanted to change his mate for his mate, being in a place full of humans didn't sit well with him.
While his mate was still caught in space about his answer, Jasper took the time to take in the looks of his mate. His mate was attractive to the eyes. He was tall and handsome, with place skin, jet black hair, and dark eyes. He was going to be the talk of the females that's for sure. The way his bangs would fall over his left eye in a wavy curl, the way his brows were formed to make him look more intimidating, straight line of his nose, full luscious lips that always seemed to be in a thin line, his dark eyes that covered up every emotion he expresses were mesmerising. In his eyes, his mate was made just for him. Jasper couldn't see his mate with someone else other than him. Staring at his lips, he began wondering if his mate ever smiled genuinely. If so, to who? Who had been the first person to witness it?
"Well that is all I needed to say. Excuse me." Jasper snapped out of his stupor and nodded at Zion as he turned on his heel but then Jasper stopped him. Zion turned to him with an arched brow. "Can I see your schedule?" Zion knitted his brows in confusion before handing it to the male. Jasper took it and quickly memorised everything but didn't have to. "We share all classes." He muttered and Zion heard this as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Really now?" Jasper nodded as he returned the schedule. "Do you know your way to Mr. Mason's class?" At the shake of Zion's head, Jasper held back a smile. "Why don't we walk together?" His eyes narrowed and Jasper felt that he just suggested a death wish. "Why?" The question was out of the blue that had Jasper tilting his head to the side. "Why not? Like I said, we share all our classes together." Zion stared at him before humming. "Lead the way."
Jasper smiled when his mate's back was turned to him. Jogging after his mate, Zion glanced at him and Jasper caught this. Jasper gave a small smile and Zion averted his gaze away. Something about Jasper's smile made heat crawl up to his cheeks but he held them back and his gift acted on instinct by cloaking his emotion. Many years of keeping his cold demeanor only for it to crack by a single smile from this man. Something was wrong with him. Zion shook his head as he and Jasper entered a classroom. He didn't know who said it but he heard it with his enhanced hearing.
"Is that the new guy? He's hot."
"I wonder if he's single?"
Zion huffed as he found a free seat that was at the centre. He grimaced as he sat down and internally groaned when a few students crowded him. Bombarding him with questions.
"What's your name?"
"Where you from?"
"Wanna hang out later?"
"Wanna join me for lunch later?"
"Are you single?"
"Can I have your number?"
It went on and he clenched his jaw as he stared at everyone with a blank expression. He waited for when everyone would notice his silence while mentally counting the seconds. When he reached counting to a hundred and eighty-three second (183 seconds/3 minute and 3 seconds) he sighed which caught the attention of Jasper. Deciding to move to another seat, he noticed the only free seat was beside Jasper and clenched his fist. Better him than these people. He thought as he stood up and grabbed his bag, which made the crowding students to shut up, and made his way to the free seat beside Jasper. "Is the seat free?" He asked Jasper and felt relief when the blonde nodded. He sat down and was finally at peace when no one bothered to approach him due to his rude behaviour of walking away.
Jasper glanced at Zion when he sighed. Turning to face him, Jasper rose an eyebrow at the determined look in his mate's features. "Are the seats beside you on the other classes also free?" Jasper nodded not knowing where his mate was coming from. Zion hummed as he leaned on his table. "Looks like we'll be seatmates for the rest of the school year." Jasper's eyes grew at the statement. He felt his heart soar in happiness and couldn't help but smile at Zion. He didn't care about his promise to not get along with his mate, he was happy. He get's to be around his mate for the rest of the year.
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