I Write Sins, Not Tragedies [An Emmett Cullen Love Story]

Chapter Seventeen

I Write Sins, Not Tragedies 

Chapter Seventeen: Deck the Halls with Blood and Peril

For the next two months school drug on, though much to my own surprise, I had actually managed to make a friend other than that of the Cullen's. That girl who introduced herself to Alice, Jasper, and I on the first day; Angela Webber. I liked Angela mostly because she was honestly nice. I hadn't heard her talk about anyone once, which was a major plus for me. Honestly, I didn't know how she did it with some of those friends of hers, especially Jessica Stanley. 

Jessica was the most popular girl in Forks. She was fairly good looking with curly dark hair, blue eyes, and a technically good physique. Jessica also had that typical and cliché popular girl attitude. Jessica wanted to know everything about everyone, she showed me that side on my first day of school. 

I was walking to the lunch table with Emmett when she stopped me as I strode passed. "Excuse me." Jessica was the one who bounded up from the table to block my path. Emmett simply continued on to sit with the rest of the family. "I'm Jessica." Her smile was so fake that I was honestly surprised that her face didn't crack in half. "I just wanted to welcome you to the school." 

"Um...thanks.." I tried to walk off, leaving out encounter at that, but she wasn't having it. Jessica took me by my elbow, leading me to sit down with herself, Angela, and two other guys. I smiled awkwardly as she sat me down. 

"So.." Jessica began with the barrage of questions as soon as she was seated comfortably. "Where are you and your family from?" 

My answer was short, "Portland." 

"And before that?" She asked. 

I was coming up with the best lies I could, knowing that Edward was listening and would fill in the rest of the Cullens so that we were all able to keep our stories straight if asked. I glanced over to the table where they all sat watching me carefully. Rosalie shot me a quizzical look and I shrugged. Edward nodded as if it were permission to tell her whatever I had to. "Nowhere, we've lived there our whole lives." 

"I see." Jessica said her fake smile faltering, she tiled her head as she asked me her next question. I could tell there was some skepticism in her voice. "Which ones are you related to again?" 

"I am Jasper and Rosalie's cousin." I informed robotically, then thinking it through and elaborating a little more. "Our fathers were stepbrothers, not blood." Hopefully that was sufficient enough to cover our wide gap in appearance. 

"Oh, that makes since." Gee, that was completely polite. 

"It must be really weird for you," Angela apologized politely, "We don't mean to pry, we are just curious." It was clear that she was really apologizing for Jessica's rudeness. 

Jessica added, "It just you are the one ... you're a little more..." 

"Approachable." I added understandably. 

"Very." Jessica agreed fervently. I saw her eye Emmett in awe. 

"Well, um.." I began awkwardly, standing up with my untouched tray of food, "I am going to go back over and sit with them, I guess." 

Just as I was walking away, Jessica sprinted up next to me, pulling me aside. "So um...I just wanted to know.. Emmett Cullen is off limits, right?" 

"What?" 

"You and him are dating right?" Jessica clarified as if it were an obvious question. 

I shot my eyes over to where he sat instinctively. It was clear by the tenseness in his posture that he was listening, though he was trying not to make it obvious. I wasn't exactly sure how to answer Jessica's nosey question, but I knew that whatever answer I gave, Emmett was well tuned in to.