Impudent [Jasper Hale]

zero ; big girls don't cry

Phil insisted on carrying my bags, despite my protests and the fact he agreed the Bella, my sister,  will carry her own. I was more capable of Bella in pretty much any way, yet Phil, who was my step-dad, looked at me like I was a porcelain doll.

"I am capable of carrying my suitcase," I pressed gently, making Phil smile gently at me.

"Alright sweetie, but we're already almost there, let me carry it for now." I paused in my steps, looking at the man in shock. I mouthed something unclear to myself, and turned to look at Bella, who glanced at me at that very moment. 

I sent my sister a begging look, hoping she would trip and Phil would take the bags from her, leaving me to carry my own, but for once in her life she walked straight.

I wouldn't go as far as say Bella and I have some sort of mental link that people think twins have, but I'll give Bella the credit for knowing when people's eyes were on her.

I heard someone call my name, and turned around, to see my whole class running towards us, balloons and a jar of cookies. 

"Please be chocolate chips," I mumbled to myself, before realizing there were people with those cookies. "Hey guys!" I called back, and basically felt the awkwardness radiating from Bella. I was scooped into the arms of Jared, and he easily lifted me off the ground, now matching his 6"5. 

"We heard that you're leaving today," Abby spoke up from next to him. "We were super scared you left already and we missed you."

I smiled warmly at them, even though they drifted apart from me after the incident. Maybe I drifted apart from them?

"Thanks for seeing me off," I said, hugging all 34 of them as hurriedly as possible. I was leaving my whole life behind, and as much as it hurts, I knew it was for my benefit. 

I needed to get away.

"Oh, hey Isabella," Abby called over to my sister. Abby was always the sweetest cheerleader to walk the Earth, and she seemed to think I cared about Bella's unpopular state despite whatever I said, and always tried to include her.

To Bella's dismay.

She smiled back, waving lightly. "Just Bella," I corrected my friend.

"Oh, sorry," Abby laughed.

"It's okay," she muttered. I frowned at my sister. She was too awkward for her own good.

"Call us," Jared instructed, hand reaching out to mine. I barely realized I was flinching away from him, so he quickly returned his hand to his side, and continued like nothing happened. "Often. Every day if needed. Send us loads of pictures."

"And loads of mails!" Maggie continued, she hopped for yet another hug as Bella said that our flight's about to leave.

"Don't worry, I will," I assured all of them. The gap between us was very wide, but as long as they were willing, I was too.

"I'm so sorry we drifted apart," Maggie whispered.

"It's okay," I tried reassuring her, pushing on a fake smile. "What do you say to the girl that almost got murdered, right?"

Maggie frowned, her short hair framing her tanned face. "Let's not grow further apart."

"Alright," I nodded, hugging Jared once more, allowing his lips to flutter over my forehead.

"Bye babe," he whispered gently, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't see it," Phil spoke, making us laugh. I heard a smack, and assumed mom did it. 

"Bye," I called over to them, waving.

"Bye Ashley!" after a pause of a moment, as though in an afterthought, they added a "bye Bella!"

All of us waved goodbye to them, and with a smile I turned to the terminal, and started walking to the gate.

"How come only Ashley's friends came?" Renee, our mom, asked.

"Because Ashley actually has friends," Bella muttered back, shifting uncomfortably under the gaze of our mother.

"You have friends too," Renee protested, frowning.

"Yeah, but not like she has. It's like... school friends."

"You think our flight will crash and we'll have a whole Lost situation?" I questioned, making Phil snort.

"You're gonna be like the one singer who always sings his song."

"YOU ALL EVERYBODY!"

"You're such a dork," Bella muttered. I huffed, crossing my arms together. A strand of my brown hair, one of the only things Bella and I actually shared, fell on my eyes,

"Yet I am still cooler than you are."

"True."