Writer in the Dark - J. HALE

22 - ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ

A WEEK after the wolf mishap, Jasper arrived at Athena's house just as she stepped out of the door with both headphones in her ears. She had picked an absolute tune for the walk to school so her noise-cancelling headphones were on full volume, so she did not notice him standing at the bottom of her stairs as she danced down the steps. "Sweet Lucifer!" she exclaimed, almost dropping the notebook in her hand once she finally noticed him and the revenge motorbike that sent a shot of adrenaline down her spine.

"Having a nice dance there?" he chuckled, wishing that her cheeks could have flushed at the embarrassment she felt. Athena rolled her eyes, glad that she could not blush as she tucked her headphones away in her bag - there wasn't any need for them now.

"I did actually. Shame you can't dance to cowboy music," she shrugged, brushing all embarrassment away with a joke that had the corner of his lip turning.

"I don't-"

"Yeah, you do. Do you think I don't know that you made that playlist you always play from my favourite songs? I'm not that stupid," she paused. "Though it did take me a couple listens to realise it," she chuckled, fixing the single bobby pin that she had used to fix her hair out of her face that morning - it was one of those days where any hair touching her face just angered her. She couldn't explain it to anyone, not that she had even tried to do so.

It was Jaspers turn to thank the Gods that he could not show the embarrassment he felt as she hopped on the back of the bike - automatically locking her arms around his middle. "You can dance to cowboy music, trust me."

"Oh yeah? I'll believe it when I see it," she chuckled as he started up the motorbike. They drove quickly down the roads, winding between a few stopped cars along the way. Jasper made sure to slow down the bike as a car approached which, because of the time of day, had them plodding along at a snails (or mortals) pace for most of the journey. Something that Athena did not mind since it gave her the chance to watch the falling leaves.

Athena shook her hair free of the show helmet (a rule that came with taking the motorcycle to school that she hated) and walked into the school with Jasper, one-handed clasped around her notebook. They walked down the main hall and found Bella, Alice and Edward. Alice haded Bella a wrapped box and Athena immediately panicked, stopping in her tracks as she worriedly peered at the mortal. "Didn't she say no presents?" she spoke quickly, looking to Jasper with widened eyes and racing thoughts. "Shoot, I don't have-"

"Athena."

She sighed, wondering how she could have been so inconsiderate. "It's her birthday, I should have gotten her a gift."

"Alice already bought her one for you," Jasper responded before she could fall further down the hole of guilt that she had stepped into.

She raised a brow, letting her shoulders return to their usual resting place, "She did?"

"We were hoping you would come to the party," he replied with a soft smile, watching as her face momentary lit up.

"Bella's having a birthday party?" she asked, just making sure before she would let her excitement levels get too high. He nodded and a smile pulled at her lips, soon forming a grin. "I haven't been to one of those in ages!"

"Come on please?" Alice asked Bella, catching the attention of the two smiling Vampires who could influence Bella's reluctance in going to the event. "It'll be fun."

"Go go go," she whispered in a laughing voice, tapping his shoulder in happiness. She watched as Jasper squinted in Bella's direction, manipulating her emotions (or reluctance) with a single thought that didn't seem that difficult. For her, it was interesting to watch the whole interaction, to see Jasper's gift working on a moral instead of the many vampires who were already used to its power.