The same day, but the Cullens
In the living room, Alice was buzzing around her siblings, her obvious excitement was a point of confusion for everyone except Edward. Jasper noted that Alice was wearing one of her favourite Italian made dresses, something she typically wore only for special occasions. When pressed by Rosalie, Alice simply looked at Jasper and smiled serenely. If she’d adopted any other expression he would be concerned, but instead he felt himself grow agitated at how she could keep a vision to herself when it obviously involved him. Edward looked at him in amusement, he didn’t need to read his emotions to gather that much, but when he did read them, he got a faint feeling of mischief. He narrows his eyes at his brother before turning back to Alice and growling in frustration.
“Alice, your vision is clearly about me, so instead of keeping it a secret for whatever reason you’ve deemed wise, would you care to enlighten me?” He asks, watching as she doesn’t flinch away from his obvious frustration. Alice looks at him and rolls her eyes.
“Sorry Jas, it’s better for you if this one happens organically! Edward’s obviously aware but he knows better than to let the cat out of the bag. You’ll just have to wait and see!” She sings before giving his arm a squeeze and twirling away. Before leaving she leaves the room she turns back to him and says,
“Oh and Jasper, go put on your nice button up. Trust me! You’ll be happy you did! Don’t look so bothered because it’s not cute on you, be excited instead! When have I ever led you in the wrong direction?”
Jasper wasn’t excited, no, he was annoyed. Alice had always shared her visions with him, they were not only siblings but best friends as well, so her keeping it secret allowed his anxiety to fester. Sighing, he makes his way back to his room and changes his shirt. Even if he was resentful towards his sister he knew better than to not follow her advice. She was the whole reason he was even with the Cullens in the first place.
He was sitting in a diner, watching the humans around him, deciding rather begrudgingly on who would be his next dinner. Although he liked his ability of being an empath, it was useful more often than not, but he didn’t enjoy the burden of feeling the terror from his victims. It made his guilt intolerable, it made something as simple as feeding undesirable. The most he could do was at least choose people who were horrible, but it didn’t do much to lessen his feelings on the matter. As his eyes lock onto a man who is rather uncouth, his feelings being rather malicious and unpleasant towards the waitress making her rounds, he feels an overwhelming joy radiating off of someone who is quickly approaching him. He narrows his eyes before landing on a very petite woman with cropped hair. He knew instantly that she was a vampire like him from the way she had an unnatural grace to her movements, her pale stonelike skin, and from her big, round, red eyes. He looked back at her in shock, feeling an overwhelming amount of happiness from the woman.
“Hello, my name is Alice Cullen!” She had said excitedly.
“Jasper Whitlock ma’am.” He replied, his Texas accent stronger back then. Alice giggles at him and he raises an eyebrow in confusion. He can feel her amusement and interest.
“There’s no need for that Jasper, we’re going to be siblings and best friends! Isn’t that exciting? I’m not really a Cullen yet but I saw that I will be, and I saw you there too! I came to get you! And don’t worry, we're going to be vegetarians! I’ve already started practicing, it will be hard for you, but I know you can do it, I saw it after all.” Looking into her big eyes, seeing the way she looks at him, understanding that he’s been struggling with his lack of humanity, Jasper believes her, for the first time in his existence he felt hope. He gives her a smile as he stands to his feet and gestures towards the exit.
“Let’s get a move on then dear sister.”
His memory of that day always brings a smile to his face, remembering how alone he felt, how he wasn’t sure what to do with himself at that time. When he had been surrounded by newborns; guiding them through their new paths in Maria’s army, it had been easy to ignore the feelings of those he fed himself on. When you’re surrounded by hungry, ravenous vampires whose emotions were just that of thirst and satisfaction it was easy to ignore. When he was feeding alone, he became all too aware of the fear, of the pain and the dread that he was instilling onto his victims. It didn’t help that Maria liked to keep her rotation of newborn soldiers fresh. Jasper was forced to feel the pain and fear of those he had to kill, one’s he’d helped shape and mold into her ideals, as he killed them. His guilt manifested quickly, all building up to the point when he left the army. It wasn’t entirely for selfless reasons, when his friend Peter ran away with his mate Charlotte, Jasper had allowed them escape. Maria never fully trusted him again. She’d try to play it off that she did, forgetting that Jasper could read her emotions and so, knew the truth. And so he left, he left and his peace did not come quickly. No, it came when Alice saved him and brought him to their family.
He glances at himself in the mirror, carefully patting down his shirt so that it clung to him neatly. He moves his hand to his hair, brushing his curls to lay as neatly as possible. He then rushes back downstairs and to the front door to follow his siblings to school.
He sat down in history, taking note of the empty seat on his left. Mr. Hartwell had mentioned that a new student would be joining them, and bitterly mentioned that he was late. Jasper had never really liked Mr. Hartwell, the man, always held feelings of disdain and disliketowards his students. He’d never understood why the man had decided to become a teacher when he clearly hated it. Perhaps he’d always felt he was destined for a more fulfilling career, perhaps he felt he was truly above teenagers trying to learn and become members of society. Jasper doesn’t know the answer, and quite frankly doesn’t care. Going to high school over and over was a chore; it was painful for him to be surrounded by emotional adolescents who smell ungodly appetiz–
His thoughts are cut off as he feels an overwhelming, all encapsulating feeling of anxiety. Someone around him was, to put it bluntly, freaking out. Their anxiety was suffocating, it caused him to perceive it as his own, to the point that if his heart wasn’t frozen in his chest he’s quite sure it would be thumping loud enough for the whole class to hear. Not wanting to feel the burden of the emotion any longer, he sent out a feeling of calm throughout the classroom and into the hallway. He closes his eyes, fighting the urge to sigh in relief. The classroom door swings open as a new face bolts in. He can feel the new student's anxiety come back in full force as he probably realizes that the entire classroom is staring at him.
“Ah mister Black how nice of you to grace us with your presence.” Mr. Hartwell's displeasure was evident in his voice from the way he drawled. Mr. Hartwell scowls at the student, he feels sadness, fear, anxiety radiate off the new student.
“Sorry Sir, I got a bit lost.” Oh, the new kid was British.
“Tsk Tsk. Very well. Since it’s your first day you won’t face any repercussions. My name is Mr. Hartwell. You will take a seat next to Mr. Hale and see to it you’re not late again.” He said pointing with his chalk to the seat next to Jasper. He felt annoyance flash through his new desk mate, but he himself felt surprised as he saw him keep his eyes firmly locked on the ground. He was shorter than Jasper, likely around 5’9, lean but he could sense his underlying strength.
“He’s cute.” He flinches when he realizes what he thought.
Jasper involuntarily sucks in a sharp breath and stiffens as he takes his seat beside him. He was surprised to find himself not drooling at the scent of a human. For once in his life he did not want to bite down on the flesh sitting next to him. Instead he was able to focus on the soft scent of mint shampoo and coffee, with a slight hint of alcohol and some sort of polish. It wasn’t a combination that should smell so delightful, but something about the way they intricately mixed was appealing. He found that breathing next to the new kid was easy, he couldn’t focus on any other scents around him. The new kid looked up, avoiding Jasper's eyes and flashing a tentative smile at him. He saw for a moment the blindingly green eyes that hid behind his thick eyelashes and circular glasses, their colour was something he’d never seen before in all his years on earth. He saw that peeking behind his mess of wavy black hair, was a scar that looked curiously like a lightning bolt. He noted the brief embarrassment that flashed through him, before turning his eyes back to Mr. Hartwell.
“I wonder what could cause such a scar, in all my time I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He tried to pay attention, really he did, but he felt himself constantly looking back at the new student. Realizing belatedly that he’d never introduced himself to the class, and found himself growing annoyed that he didn’t know his name.
Wonderful, Mr. Hartwell had noticed him not paying attention and tried to catch him off guard. Much to his teachers dismay though, Jasper answered his question quickly. If Mr. Hartwell wanted to catch him off guard, he would have to try much harder than that. Jasper has been ‘alive’ for 161 years, he’d lived through most of the history they learned about in this class.
A sudden groan shakes him from his thoughts and he looks back at the boy beside him, He can feel the embarrassment return ten fold, along with a hint of curiosity. Jasper knows that he can likely feel his staring, but is choosing to ignore it. He’s not sure why he’s so hung up on this new kid but knows he feels nothing but relief from not wanting to drink from him. In all his time as a vampire, he’s only ever known wolves to be unappetizing, never a human. He wonders what this could mean for him, if there were such things as singers, humans whose blood is so attractive to a certain vampire that they nearly go feral for a taste of it, that perhaps the opposite exists as well. He thinks about his own singers in the past, their scents were so strong that fighting against it was near impossible. He’d been eternally grateful that during their time in Forks another one hadn’t passed through. Jasper was the newest vegetarian in their family, and always struggled with his self control, even around ordinary humans. Maybe it helped that in school he was constantly bombarded by the fleeting emotions of his peers, and so never really had the time to stop and think about his hunger.
For the first time in a very long time, he’s surprised when the bell rings.
He sits down at the same table he and his siblings always occupy. Alice happily skips into the cafeteria, swiftly plopping herself down in the empty chair next to Jasper. She’d been excited all day for her brother, she knew that this new student was his true mate, and the thought of getting them together brought her endless joy. She shared a look with Edward who also seemed pleased, she knew that even if he was envious, he was still happy for Jasper.
“So Jas, how was your morning?” She asked, smiling brightly, eyes swimming in excitement.
He looks at her and scowls, “I’m sure you know the answer to that dear sister, it was basically the same as always.” He was definite;y still bitter at being left out from their shared knowledge.
“Really, no one interesting caught your eye? Nothing new happened?” She asks, feigning confusion. Jasper narrows his eyes at her, feeling the amount of excitement and delight coming from her.
“I’ll repeat, I think you know the answer to that.” Though this time, there was no bite behind his words. His mind lingered back to the raven haired boy that infiltrated his every thought.
“Well, I’m sure your first class with Harrison was thrilling!” She exclaims, big eyes staring back into his.
“Oh, his name is Harrison, is it?” He questions lightly. Of course, he did come to know that rather quickly, after all, Harrison Black was being talked about by seemingly every student in the school. He looks around the cafeteria and sees Harrison caught in the grips of Jessica Stanley and instantly feels bad for him. Even if he wasn’t an empath, it was clear as day that Harrison was deeply uncomfortable around the bubbly abomination.
“Yep! And just so you know, I’ve had even more visions of him, but I’m not spilling a thing. All you need to know is you won’t regret knowing him.”
“Not at all” she thinks, lips pulling slightly at the corners. Edward turns to his sister and smirks, he knows Alice’s latest vision, and while he was happy for Jasper, he couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.
Jasper whipped his head towards his brother after sensing the feeling flash through him and raised an eyebrow. Edward merely shook his head as if to say ‘don’t worry about it’.
“Oooh is something exciting happening to my baby bro!” Emmett says happily.
“Baby? I’m older than you Emmett,” Jasper scoffs before adding quietly, “by quite a few years.”
“Pfft, maybe mentally but I’m still bigger than you.” Emmett replies, his smugness was evident.
“Yeah well, I’m smarter than you.”
“I’m stronger than you.”
“I’m a better fighter, brute force has nothing on strategy.”
“Oh please, Emmett has a strategy. His strategy is just being so brainless that they never know what to expect.” Edward chimes in, sending a quick wink at Emmett. Jasper chuckles as Alice smiles in amusement.
Rosalie scoffs, affronted on her mates behalf.
“Emmett is not brainless, I call him lovably dense. Besides, he’s quick and strong, most people wouldn’t know what hit them until it was too late.” She juts her chin in the air before turning to her mate and kissing him on the cheek.
“Thanks babe, you always know what to say!” Jasper rolls his eyes at his brother's enthusiasm.
“Also, why are we trying to get Jasper close to a human? It seems like the worst idea you’ve come up with in a long time, Alice.” Rosalie said coldly. She always was jealous of humans; they get to grow old, change with time, not remain frozen in it. Rosalie always wanted children, something that was taken from her the day she became a vampire.
Alice giggles, “Rosalie, it’s not up to me! I saw it, Harrison becomes important to us! Even you, but especially Jasper.” She adds with a wink towards him.
“Yeah sure, I can’t see myself becoming close to any human. That’ll put our family in danger, you know, something we’ve avoided for a hundred years.” Rosalie scoffs, though Jasper did sense a faint curiosity coming from her, it seems that she’s caught on to whatever it is Alice knows about he and Harrison. Jasper feels put off being the only one out of the loop.
“I’m still not sure I get what’s going on here.” Emmett added, confusion lacing his words. Well apparently he’s not alone in his lack of understanding. Though it being Emmett who’s also confused does not help him feel better, in fact, it’s almost worse.
Rosalie pats his arm, “Don’t worry hun, I’ll fill you in later when we go hun– to dinner.” She adds, hastily covering up her near fumble. It was hard sometimes, to remember to be a normal human when you weren’t. Even though Rosalie was the second sibling in the Cullen family, she still had to remind herself to blend in. It was hard to go against your nature no matter how long you’ve been doing it.
“It’s weird but for some reason, I can’t read Harrison's mind easily. Sometimes I get fragments but for the most part, there’s nothing.” Edward says suddenly.
“That is weird, I can see him perfectly fine in my visions. Though there have been a few with black spots. For the most part they’re clear as day.”
“I can sense his emotions, he feels them so strongly.”
“I’m going to have to try harder, I don’t like not being able to read people easily.” Jasper has to bite back a growl, who does Edward think he is? His brother is staring at him, shock clear on his face.
“You will do no such thing. What if you hurt him trying to force your way in? Get over it.” He whispers angrily.
“Yeah bro, that’s messed up. Leave the new kid alone.” Emmett adds, Jasper shoots him a thankful look.
Edward sighs, Jasper can feel his reluctance so he faces him with a scathing glare.
“If you do anything to him, I will kill you.” Edward looks towards Harrison and Jasper tenses. He has a bad feeling that Edward will not move on easily. He’s always enjoyed reading people's minds, he never gets surprised. Jasper can admit that his powers have helped their family numerous times over years, but the thought of him actively forcing his way into someone's mind left a sour taste in his mouth. He knows his brother, he’s infuriatingly stubborn, and he knows he’s going to do something idiotic at some point.
His siblings move on, Alice begins chattering excitedly about how excited she is to meet Harrison, Edward listens intently although he does still have jealousy mixed with reluctance radiating from him, Emmett and Rosalie practically coo at each other. They always were so sickeningly in love with each other. It was sweet most of the time, but lately Jasper has been jealous. He feels his own longing for a mate creep up on him until he’s practically glowering in their direction. He frees himself of his thoughts and glances around the cafeteria. His eyes land on Harrison, who he is surprised to find still sitting at a table with Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley.
“Hmmph, probably for the best. You won’t get anywhere hanging around them. I don’t mind keeping you.” He can feel fear rise up from Harrison, he can feel his anxiety growing again. Not that he blames him, Lauren Mallory is not a good person. She feels that she’s the most important person at this school; that she’s above everyone else and therefore, everyone should bend to her will. He can sense her feelings of smugness, joy and hostility towards him and it makes his eyebrows furrow. He’s not sure why Lauren would feel so much hostility towards Harrison, maybe it was due to the fact that he was shiny and new in this school, and so everyone's attention was on him and not her. All he knows is Harrison seems far too good for either of them.
He’s brought back to reality for the second time today, by the bell ringing throughout the school. A sudden crash rings out and they all whip their heads to the sight of the new kid, Harrison, scrambling to flee the cafeteria. Jasper can feel the overwhelming pressure of his anxiety, and before he knows it, he’s on his feet following him out, ignoring Rosalie's calls.
He follows the anxiety towards the boys bathroom on the ground floor, he stands outside the door feeling the thick veil of emotion around him. Cautiously, he opens it and finds Harrison hunched over the sink. He’s not sure why he does it; he only knows that his hand is suddenly reaching out to grasp the one closest to him. He can hear the boy's breath shudder, he can feel his apprehension and embarrassment.
He knows that he told him to breathe, he knows he made him laugh briefly, and he knows that he feels a pull towards this person. He breathes in deeply, once again surprised at the lack of bloodlust he feels towards this human. Time passes slowly for once, and as soon as Harrison has lessened his anxiety enough, Jasper sends another wave of calm towards him. As much as he wanted to do it much sooner, he didn’t want it to come off as completely unnatural. Most of the time, it’s easy. As long as someone isn’t feeling too strongly he can just send them out, but in a case like Harrison where the person is so overwhelmed by emotion, it would seem completely unnatural to suddenly be calm. He realizes that he doesn’t want to seem unnatural or weird to Harrison and it quickly embarrasses him. He’s not sure what compelled him to follow after someone he doesn’t know, he just knows he doesn’t want him to be unhappy. He can see Harrison has started to lift his head, likely to thank him for his help, but Jasper feels a moment of panic before deciding to flee.
He’s not sure why, but he doesn’t want this to be the first time they officially meet each other. Remembering that Alice had said he wouldn’t regret knowing him, he figured that Harrison is likely to become someone important to him, as well as his family. He wanted their first real meeting to be nice and pleasant. He knows it's not common to think this much about a person you don’t yet know, but Jasper doesn’t care. Nothing about his life is normal or sane, not when you’re a bloodthirsty vampire who’s over 150 years old. He wants to know the person whose blood doesn’t make him irrational or hungry, the person that for whatever reason calls to him even if he can’t look him in the eyes.
Jasper rushes off to his next class, confused at his own feelings while thinking about Harrison the whole time.
‘I will know you, Harrison Black.”