Love in Cold Blood
Chapter 17: Testing
Chapter 17: Testing
“Students, pencils down.” Said my math teacher as several students tried to scribble down final answers.
I was done, a big ‘Thank God’ to Alice who was a big help when it came time for studying. We were near the end of Final Exams and graduation was near. I sighed as I handed in my booklet and number two pencil. Alice hopped up beside me.
“Math was your last one, right? You’re in the clear!”
“Yeah, I guess I am.” I said turning towards her. “You must be seriously bored with taking Finals. You’ve taken how many?”
She just giggled. “All the answers are so clear, it’s funny putting in wrong answers so they don’t think I cheated or am a complete genius!”
“That must have been so hard.” I muttered
“Don’t worry you did fine, on all of them. You’re in the top of our class.”
“Thanks.”
We walked out of the classroom along with plenty of other students, happy for all the testing to be over.
Jasper can up behind me, hooking his arm against my waist, my boyfriend. He had forced me to tell my mother a couple months ago. It went better than I had thought.
2 Months Before
“You really should tell her.” Jasper whispered in my ear.
We were outside his house in his extensive lawn. It was a bright Saturday (well, bright for Forks) and, we were lying in a patch of wildflowers.
“Why?” I asked
“Why not?” He countered
“I could think of a few reasons.”
“Oh she couldn’t really respond that badly.”
I scooted up to a sitting position. “Do you want to know why no one wanted to date me?”
He raised his eyebrows. “No one wanted to date you?”
“No one.”
“Go on.” He prodded honestly curious now.
“First date.” I said “Tenth grade. His name was Kyle and he was my age. We were friends since the beginning of the year and close. He asked me to go out with him. I was happy. I thought this relationship could last because; hey he had been my friend. We had fun together. That could have been true if not for…”
I paused. Jasper urged me to continue.
“The talk.” I said ominously
Jasper burst out laughing. He laughed so hard his beautiful white skin was almost flushed. But, slowly he quieted looking at my face in which the whole time was seriousness.
“The talk?” He repeated.
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“He came to pick me up to the movies and my mother invited him inside. She had seemed cool so far but then she asked him to go into the other room with her, alone.”
I shivered
“What did she say?” Jasper asked
“That’s it, I don’t know. All I do know is that when he came out he had no intention of dating, or even seeing me anymore. Then, he spread around school my mom was a whacko. She ruined not only our friendship but any hopes I had of dating.” I looked him in the eye. “I don’t want that to happen to you.”
He smirked. “Do you really think your mother could keep me away from you?”
I tried to add up how much he was capable of with how much he could do in front of my mother, the risks and what she was capable of. Before I could find an answer Jasper responded.
“You really have to think about it? She seemed nice enough when I had seen her before.”
“That was when we were friends and, Alice was with you.”
He smirked and pulled me to my feet.
“Let’s go!”
“What? Where…. Now?!”
“I want to take you to a movie. Let’s see ‘Get Smart’.”
“You better ‘Get Smart’” I said “and figure out a way to cool my mother down.”
“Oh, it won’t be that hard!” He laughed and ran me to the car.
“You ready?” I asked turning to Jasper. His god like face full of humor.
“Of course.”
I sighed and unlocked the door. “Mom?” I called ushering Jasper into the kitchen.
“Yes, Hun. What’s up?” My mother called coming into the kitchen. She stopped short when she saw Jasper.
“Hello there.”
“Jasper.” He informed her smiling.
“Yes, hello there Jasper. How are you today?”
“I’m fine Ma’am. How are you feeling?” He said smirking, like he didn’t know.
“I’m great and, please call me Mary.” Responded my mom flushing.
“Oh my God.” I thought. “Is my mom seriously blushing, over my boyfriend?”
“Mary.” Began Jasper and my mom giggled. (She giggled!!) “I just wanted to inform you of my wish to court your daughter.”
I stared at Jasper. Did he just ask my mother for the right to court me? Court? Was this the 17th century?
My mother was frozen for a moment. Her blue eyes flashed between my face and Jasper’s. I have no idea was my face revealed but Jasper face showed true sincerity.
“Well.” My mother began. “Would you like to talk to me in the parlor? Alone.”
I groaned while Jasper smiled. “I would love to ma’am.”
While my Mother turned and opened the separating door, Jasper turned and smiled. He quickly kissed my forehead and followed my mother.
I sat nervously on the couch looking up at the clock on the wall. With every swing of the pendulum I grew more nervous. They had been in there for over ten minutes. I jumped when I heard the door open and stared wide eyed when I heard the laughter.
“And then she said “I love kittens, not cats. Boo-boo will never change!”” My mother sat down laughing in the chair across from me and Jasper folded himself laughing on the cushion next to me. My mother quieted.
“That’s a good boy you got there missy.”
“God.” I silently corrected her
“You two are free to go. Be back in good time and, tell Alice to come down some time.” Said my mother sounding like a jail warden.
“I’ll be sure to.” Said Jasper steering me towards the door.
Jasper never told me everything my mother said to him only it was no big deal.
Present
“Lunch time.” Whispered Jasper in my ear as we walked into the cafeteria. Nobody paid us any notice anymore. Everyone was so busy with final Prom arraignments and graduation announcements.
“Are you still a no go on Prom?” asked Jasper as I sat down next to Alice.
“I say ‘No’ everyday. I’m not going to change my mind!” I laughed. Everyday he asked me. He’s been trying to somehow convince me to go, futilely.
“Are we allowed to have a graduation party?” Asked Alice, again.
“No.” I told her sternly. He pushed her bottom lip up in full pout and turned. Then as quickly as possible she flipped back around, smiling.
“You have the 10th through the 25th of June marked right?”
“Yes, of course Alice.” That was the date of our ‘family trip’.
“You to Bella?” She asked flipping her head toward Bella.
I laughed and took a bite of my granola bar. I smiled content.
“You are really happy?” asked Jasper smiling.
“Yes. I love this; I never want this to end.” I smiled looking up at his face. I expected him to be exuberant but instead his face was hard, and sad. I reached my hand up to touch his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked
“Nothing.” He said quickly smiling “have you sent out your graduation notices?”
“Yes. My mom and dad know of course but, I sent one to my older brother and my Aunt.”
We continued to chat lightheartedly the rest of the day, going over graduation orders, caps and gowns (how absolutely hideous they were) and other meaningless trifles. But, the whole time I wondered at Jasper’s facial expression. I NEVER wanted this to end. Was Jasper thinking of my choice, did he think I was ready for his ‘forever’?
I knew it before I asked myself. Yes, yes I was ready for forever. Forever and always, whatever it costs.
“Students, pencils down.” Said my math teacher as several students tried to scribble down final answers.
I was done, a big ‘Thank God’ to Alice who was a big help when it came time for studying. We were near the end of Final Exams and graduation was near. I sighed as I handed in my booklet and number two pencil. Alice hopped up beside me.
“Math was your last one, right? You’re in the clear!”
“Yeah, I guess I am.” I said turning towards her. “You must be seriously bored with taking Finals. You’ve taken how many?”
She just giggled. “All the answers are so clear, it’s funny putting in wrong answers so they don’t think I cheated or am a complete genius!”
“That must have been so hard.” I muttered
“Don’t worry you did fine, on all of them. You’re in the top of our class.”
“Thanks.”
We walked out of the classroom along with plenty of other students, happy for all the testing to be over.
Jasper can up behind me, hooking his arm against my waist, my boyfriend. He had forced me to tell my mother a couple months ago. It went better than I had thought.
2 Months Before
“You really should tell her.” Jasper whispered in my ear.
We were outside his house in his extensive lawn. It was a bright Saturday (well, bright for Forks) and, we were lying in a patch of wildflowers.
“Why?” I asked
“Why not?” He countered
“I could think of a few reasons.”
“Oh she couldn’t really respond that badly.”
I scooted up to a sitting position. “Do you want to know why no one wanted to date me?”
He raised his eyebrows. “No one wanted to date you?”
“No one.”
“Go on.” He prodded honestly curious now.
“First date.” I said “Tenth grade. His name was Kyle and he was my age. We were friends since the beginning of the year and close. He asked me to go out with him. I was happy. I thought this relationship could last because; hey he had been my friend. We had fun together. That could have been true if not for…”
I paused. Jasper urged me to continue.
“The talk.” I said ominously
Jasper burst out laughing. He laughed so hard his beautiful white skin was almost flushed. But, slowly he quieted looking at my face in which the whole time was seriousness.
“The talk?” He repeated.
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“He came to pick me up to the movies and my mother invited him inside. She had seemed cool so far but then she asked him to go into the other room with her, alone.”
I shivered
“What did she say?” Jasper asked
“That’s it, I don’t know. All I do know is that when he came out he had no intention of dating, or even seeing me anymore. Then, he spread around school my mom was a whacko. She ruined not only our friendship but any hopes I had of dating.” I looked him in the eye. “I don’t want that to happen to you.”
He smirked. “Do you really think your mother could keep me away from you?”
I tried to add up how much he was capable of with how much he could do in front of my mother, the risks and what she was capable of. Before I could find an answer Jasper responded.
“You really have to think about it? She seemed nice enough when I had seen her before.”
“That was when we were friends and, Alice was with you.”
He smirked and pulled me to my feet.
“Let’s go!”
“What? Where…. Now?!”
“I want to take you to a movie. Let’s see ‘Get Smart’.”
“You better ‘Get Smart’” I said “and figure out a way to cool my mother down.”
“Oh, it won’t be that hard!” He laughed and ran me to the car.
“You ready?” I asked turning to Jasper. His god like face full of humor.
“Of course.”
I sighed and unlocked the door. “Mom?” I called ushering Jasper into the kitchen.
“Yes, Hun. What’s up?” My mother called coming into the kitchen. She stopped short when she saw Jasper.
“Hello there.”
“Jasper.” He informed her smiling.
“Yes, hello there Jasper. How are you today?”
“I’m fine Ma’am. How are you feeling?” He said smirking, like he didn’t know.
“I’m great and, please call me Mary.” Responded my mom flushing.
“Oh my God.” I thought. “Is my mom seriously blushing, over my boyfriend?”
“Mary.” Began Jasper and my mom giggled. (She giggled!!) “I just wanted to inform you of my wish to court your daughter.”
I stared at Jasper. Did he just ask my mother for the right to court me? Court? Was this the 17th century?
My mother was frozen for a moment. Her blue eyes flashed between my face and Jasper’s. I have no idea was my face revealed but Jasper face showed true sincerity.
“Well.” My mother began. “Would you like to talk to me in the parlor? Alone.”
I groaned while Jasper smiled. “I would love to ma’am.”
While my Mother turned and opened the separating door, Jasper turned and smiled. He quickly kissed my forehead and followed my mother.
I sat nervously on the couch looking up at the clock on the wall. With every swing of the pendulum I grew more nervous. They had been in there for over ten minutes. I jumped when I heard the door open and stared wide eyed when I heard the laughter.
“And then she said “I love kittens, not cats. Boo-boo will never change!”” My mother sat down laughing in the chair across from me and Jasper folded himself laughing on the cushion next to me. My mother quieted.
“That’s a good boy you got there missy.”
“God.” I silently corrected her
“You two are free to go. Be back in good time and, tell Alice to come down some time.” Said my mother sounding like a jail warden.
“I’ll be sure to.” Said Jasper steering me towards the door.
Jasper never told me everything my mother said to him only it was no big deal.
Present
“Lunch time.” Whispered Jasper in my ear as we walked into the cafeteria. Nobody paid us any notice anymore. Everyone was so busy with final Prom arraignments and graduation announcements.
“Are you still a no go on Prom?” asked Jasper as I sat down next to Alice.
“I say ‘No’ everyday. I’m not going to change my mind!” I laughed. Everyday he asked me. He’s been trying to somehow convince me to go, futilely.
“Are we allowed to have a graduation party?” Asked Alice, again.
“No.” I told her sternly. He pushed her bottom lip up in full pout and turned. Then as quickly as possible she flipped back around, smiling.
“You have the 10th through the 25th of June marked right?”
“Yes, of course Alice.” That was the date of our ‘family trip’.
“You to Bella?” She asked flipping her head toward Bella.
I laughed and took a bite of my granola bar. I smiled content.
“You are really happy?” asked Jasper smiling.
“Yes. I love this; I never want this to end.” I smiled looking up at his face. I expected him to be exuberant but instead his face was hard, and sad. I reached my hand up to touch his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked
“Nothing.” He said quickly smiling “have you sent out your graduation notices?”
“Yes. My mom and dad know of course but, I sent one to my older brother and my Aunt.”
We continued to chat lightheartedly the rest of the day, going over graduation orders, caps and gowns (how absolutely hideous they were) and other meaningless trifles. But, the whole time I wondered at Jasper’s facial expression. I NEVER wanted this to end. Was Jasper thinking of my choice, did he think I was ready for his ‘forever’?
I knew it before I asked myself. Yes, yes I was ready for forever. Forever and always, whatever it costs.