Tattoos & Scars [1] | Jasper Hale

-08-

"Aren't you cold?"

Joanna peaked her head out her bedroom window, looking down at Jasper who was standing near her willow tree in her backyard. His hair blew lightly in the wind as he stepped out. "In August?" He was amused and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I get cold easily," she retorted, her black locks being thrown everywhere as the wind hit them. Her gray eyes pierced through the night like the moon above them, being clear through the dark night. "What? Do vampires get cold, like at all?"

Through the dark, she saw him shake his head.

"That's neat," she decided to say before pushing herself back into her home. She picked up a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I know we barely know each other, but I care about safety, so if you want, you can come up here at any time." Looking down, she saw Jasper's figure disappear but then appear right in front of her. She fell back, giving him room to jump in, and he did silently. Somehow, that part spooked her the most.

"Thank you," he said. He took a seat on her desk chair, the farthest seat away from her. "Honestly, it's better to have me in here for better safety. In case anything happens." Slowly, she nodded and got under her blankets. She eyed him,

"Are you guys like... immortal?"

He nodded softly, "Yes. I was, uh, born in the eighteen-hundreds." Visibly, she was shocked. Her gray eyes widened significantly. Her mouth fell agape and she froze. "I can feel your shock, Joanna."

"I'm not gonna get over that. Fucking vampires have powers? Are you guys like superheroes?"

"More like we're the villains," Jasper said sarcastically, though he meant his words. "But yes, some vampires are born with gifts." Joanna doesn't answer back. Instead, she buries herself more under the covers and flicks on her string lights, lighting the room softly with a warm color.

Then she speaks moments later, "Does Edward have a gift? My guess is that he does but I just couldn't believe, you know? Vampires? Like, you guys are just horror movie crap. In all honesty, you are all pretty cool. But I'm still ticked off at Alice. She shouldn't force us to be friends."

"That's just how she is," Jasper muses, staring outside towards the twinkling stars. "She's always wanting things to be going in the right way she doesn't back down from things. She also holds a gift, too, the gift of seeing glimpses of a possible future."

"Wait," Joanna started to connect the dots, "don't tell me she saw us. Or she saw me." And by his silence, she groaned out loud. She was correct, Alice did see her in the future. "That's why she wanted to push us together!" Rubbing her hands across her face, she looked across her bedroom to find Jasper stiffening. "You good?"

"Your mother. She's just awake." He explains, slowly letting his taunt shoulders relax. "And I hear your sister. She's talking on the phone about..." He's frowning for a moment, "Edward. She's talking about him for some reason."

"Yeah, she's not a big fan of your brother's girlfriend." She smiled in a sad way, pitying her younger sister and her crush. "But Bella, she's a good person and I wish my sister saw her that way. Kinsley though, she just sees her as this skank. When Bella is nowhere near that."

Jasper nods softly in agreement because he has to agree, Bella was wonderful. Sure, she could be awkward, but those awkward moments were memorable. The brunette was a sweetheart and cared deeply for others; she was a superhero, overall.

"You'll have to meet her sometime. We're opposites. I'm not great at telling others about my past as I have difficulty with trust. No offense, but when I let out that I was adopted, I hated myself. Please, I'd rather you not share my personal life."