Coruscate || Jasper Hale [ON HOLD]

Lovely Beings

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.
Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow.
Let reality be reality.
Let things flow naturally forward
in whatever way they like."
Lao Tzu

Elle and Bella walk to their lockers from Gym together when the former's left ear feels full and starts ringing.

"Code red," Elle states as she slowly lowers herself to the floor.

"Is it bad?" Bella asks as she looks down at her twin, glancing around the empty hallway—everyone being in the cafeteria for lunch.

"I'm fine," the younger Swan comforts, "I'm just going to sit here and wait it out. As per usual."

"I'll wait it out with you," Bella declares as she sits beside her sister, "As per usual."

"How's your head today?" Elle asks, her eyes focused on the floor as she recalls Bella's confession to falling off a motorbike.

Bella rolls her eyes, "It's fine. I don't have trouble with my vision or a headache."

The sound of footfall garners the twins' attention, and Bella turns to find their friends walking towards them.

"Hey," Jessica greets in confusion, "What are you guys doing here?"
"We got worried when you two didn't show," Angela states earnestly as they come to a stop in front of the twins.

"Uh," Bella stutters as she tries to come up with a feasible excuse, "We, uh, we wanted to—"

"Don't worry, Bells," Elle interrupts, surprising her sister, "I think it's time they learn the truth. I have Meniere's disease, which is a disorder of the inner ear."

Angela and Jessica sit down in front of the twins, Mike and Eric sitting at the sides facing each other as Bella starts explaining the disorder.

Elle pays no attention to the explanation happening in front of her, reaching for Bella's wrist and focusing on her pulse as she breathes rhythmically.

"How long has Elle had Men-ears?" Mike asks, causing Jessica to roll her eyes, "It's pronounced Meniere's, not Men-ears."

"Since we were twelve," Bella responds, her dark brown eyes flitting to each person sitting in the hallway, "Elle doesn't mind people knowing, but she doesn't like it advertised either. She doesn't want to be treated differently."

"She's having one of those vertigo episodes now?" Angela questions with a quirked head.

"Yeah, which is why she's focusing on the floor and taking my pulse."

"Feeling a pulse calms her, right?" Jessica reiterates, "Does it have to be yours, or can it be anyone's pulse?"

Elle reaches her hand to her left, where Mike sits, taking his wrist in her hand and feeling his pulse as she responds, "It can be anyone's pulse. The feeling of life calms me."

Mike's heart rate picks up at Elle's touch, but the youngest Swan disregards it as a shock at her sudden touch.

Eric seems to ponder something for a moment before questioning curiously, "If the feeling of life calms you, would like, touching grass and nature stuff count?"

The snort that escapes Elle surprises them all, and they all start laughing.

As they laugh, Elle can't help the smile that graces her face as she thinks about how lucky she is for knowing such accepting people.

✯✯✯

"Five hikers were killed," Elle tells Sam through the phone, sipping at her tea before continuing, "Everyone thinks it's a huge jet black bear—AKA, you—but it's a vampire, right? It's got to be."