Chapter 14

<Callie Stevens>

The first thing I notice about Jasper's car is that it smells exactly like his house; a mixture of alcohol and smoke. He's staring dead-ahead, his blue eyes focused on the road ahead of us that's being washed away by the rain. I cough awkwardly and try to break the silence, but I'm not exactly sure what to say. I was surprised when he asked me if I wanted a ride; based on the way he's acted around me up until now, this circumstance never would've crossed my mind in a million years. I watch his profile for a few more seconds.

His jawline is discolored; an evil bruise tainting his otherwise clear skin. His eyes are still piercing and cold, but one of them is clothed in shades of purple and green; a reminder of what his father is willing to put him through just for standing up for what's right. Jasper's face is a mystery and a contradiction; I could sit here all day, staring at it, and that still wouldn't be enough time to unravel the layers that hold it together.

"Callie, will you please quit starin' at me? It's a little uncomfortable." Jasper says and side-eyes me with his one good eye.

"I'm sorry."

"This silence is irritating." He turns to face me as we come to a stoplight; the red shining through the smeared glass of the windshield. "You're usually jumping at a chance to have a conversation."

He looks at me curiously, as if he thinks there's suddenly something wrong with me.

"I'm not really sure what to say..." my voice trails off as the light changes and he begins to drive again.

"Well, I can tell you what not to say." He begins, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Don't bring up my dad; I don't want to talk about him and I don't think you want to either. Let's not talk about school because we both know that that place is a living hell..."

"You're not leaving much to talk about then." I say with a small smile.

"You're intelligent; I'm sure you'll come up with something."

"I think this is the most you've ever said to me in a conversation."

Jasper rolls his eyes and gestures for me to begin talking.

"Well, I moved here after living in California for my entire life."

"I'm sure this is quite the adjustment." Jasper chuckles, a small dimple appearing in his cheek before disappearing as quickly as it came.

"I like it better down here; it's more easy-going." I tap my fingers on the dashboard as I try to think of the right words to carry on with.

"I wouldn't know; this is the only place I've ever been forced to call home."

The car goes silent once again, rain beating down on the roof as we continue to drive; where, I do not know. After a few minutes Jasper breaks the silence.

"I'm sorry I'm such a downer." He mutters without looking at me. "I can't help it; I guess that's why no one wants to be around me."

"I thought you said it was easier to be alone." I look at him curiously, my fingers vibrating with the feeling that I'm onto something.

He gives me a quick look before turning back to the road.

"No matter what I say, Callie, being alone sucks."

"Well, I'm not going to let you be alone anymore." I whisper and set my hand softly on his shoulder.

"I don't doubt that." He says, a small smile passing briefly over his lips. "So, where exactly do you live?"

~~~~~

Jasper pulls up in front of my house almost an hour after school let out for the day. At first it was because we were driving around aimlessly and then it was because he got lost trying to find my house; he'd never been over to my part of town, so it took him awhile to navigate. At the moment, we're parked tight to the curb right in front of my house. Neither of us are speaking, but the silence feels comfortable instead of oppressive, for once. 

The rain is still falling in sheets and there have been a few cracks of thunder, but nothing majorly difficult to deal with. I continue to stare out the window, the rain puddling in the crevices of the street and turning the grass in front of my house to mud. I pick up my bag off the floor and sling it over my shoulder, my hand resting on the door handle.

"Thank you for not letting me drown, Jasper." I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear and smirk at him.

"Anytime, Callie." He says softly. "Anytime."

I sit there for a few more minutes, contemplating what to do next.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Provided you don't drown on your way up to the door." He tilts his head, indicating the mess my front yard is becoming.

"I'm glad you're so concerned." I chuckle and open up the door, rain immediately dotting my jeans and sneakers.

"Don't hurt yourself, sunshine." Jasper says, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he waits for me to finally leave.

"I'll try not to, thunderstorm."

With that, I close the door and race up to my front porch as I watch Jasper's truck disappear into the pouring rain.

My mom unlocks the door and lets me in, so that I'll stop being soaked by the rain. She smirks as I take off my shoes, ditching them by the door along with my soaking wet hoodie. I hike up my backpack strap and expertly avoid her motherly gaze, the one she uses when she's trying to coerce answers out of me.

"Henry," I coo when I see my little brother seated on the floor, playing with his trains.

He stands up and races towards me with a happy squeal. I pick him and hold him close, shielding myself from the questioning of my mom that's bound to ensue.

"I'd ask why you were late, but I already kind of figured that out for myself." My mom chuckles and leans on the doorframe that separates the living room from the foyer. "So, what's his name?"

"What makes you think it was a guy?"

"What makes you think you can change the subject?" My mom replies with a grin.

"His name is Jasper and he was only giving me a ride because, in case you haven't noticed, it's raining outside." I tilt my head and imitate her annoying little grin.

"Ah, yes, only..." My mom chuckles and takes Henry from my arms. "I'm sure there was absolutely no other reason."

"Mom, please, he was just making sure I didn't drown on my way home." I groan a little and begin to walk towards the staircase. "You're reading way too much into the situation."

Up until a few days ago he refused to acknowledge my presence unless I forced it upon him...

"You're not reading enough into it, sweetheart."

"I'm gonna go do my homework before this conversation gets anymore awkward." I shake my head and race up to my bedroom before my mom has time to ask any more questions.

~~~~~

"I hear Callie had a fun day." My dad wiggles his eyebrows as I help my mom serve dinner onto four plates.

"You told him, mom?" I shriek and turn around, practically hitting her with the spoon I'm using to serve rice.

"Of course, we tell each other everything." My mom gives me a sly smile before high-fiving my dad.

"You two are despicable." I mutter and shake my head as I go back to dishing up rice.

"Oh c'mon, sweetheart, tell us all about him." My dad squeezes my shoulder and then grabs his plate from the counter.

"He has an X and Y chromosome." I reply as I take my seat at the dinner table next to my dad.

I catch my dad rolling his eyes as we all join hands for grace.

"Thank you, God, for this day and for bringing us all home safely. Please bless this food and the hands that have prepared it. In your son's name we pray, amen."

God, thank you for Jasper. Please keep him safe.

~~~~~~

It's Wednesday which means I have to suffer through anatomy while sitting next to the most obnoxious person in existence: Jesse Arnold. Thankfully, it's lunch right now, meaning that I still have a good half an hour to contract some illness to get myself out of that circumstance. Abigail and I walk out of our math class and fade into the crowd of people that's slowly making its way towards the cafeteria. Abigail is ranting to me about her grade on our last test, but I only hear a few words over the noise of the other high schoolers in the hallway. We finally reach the doors of the cafeteria and get shoved to the side while the rest of the crowd files in.

"Hey, Callie, I have a question." Abigail crosses her arms and leans against the wall.

"Okay, shoot; I think I might actually be able to hear it now." I smirk and imitate her stance.

"Why'd you get in a car with him yesterday?" She narrows her eyes.

"How'd you find out about that?" I ask self-consciously.

"It's all over school; someone saw you two in the west lot yesterday."

"I thought y'all didn't care about him; why is this suddenly headline news?" I huff. "Most of you guys don't even know his name."

"I know enough about him to know you shouldn't get involved with him."

"You know nothing about him." I hiss, my brown eyes glaring at her. "He was being nice, nothing more, nothing less."

"Callie, he's been nothing but an ass to you; he isn't going to change and you're the one who's going to end up getting hurt."

"It was just a ride," I say in a frustrated manner.

"Callie, people like you don't hang out with people like him; quit trying to upset the balance."

"You're acting as if this is World War three." I mutter as a blond head bobs out of my peripheral vision.

"He's an ass and I'm not going to let you waste your life on him; it's too short." Abigail calls while I begin to walk away from her.

"You're right; life is way too short and I'm going to stop wasting it on people who only care about themselves." I hike up my bag on my shoulder, my eyes glaring daggers at her. "I'm going to have lunch with him and I don't care who watches."

Abigail looks dumbfounded as I turn on my heel and march down the hallway towards the place where I know Jasper is seated. His bag is strewn next to him and he's hunched over something in his lap. He has the hood of his sweatshirt pulled down over his head and it looks as if he's trying to blend in with his surroundings. I slide down the wall next to him and neither of us say anything for a while; the distant chatter of people in the cafeteria filling the atmosphere. He's the one who breaks the silence a few seconds later with a sarcastic comment.

"Isn't it ruining your reputation to be this close to an ass like me?"

"I don't have a reputation to ruin and if I did, I wouldn't care." I reply and take off my backpack.

"Your friend seems to think you should." He mumbles and looks at me for a brief second.

"She can think whatever she wants; she doesn't control what I do."

"Well, maybe she's right; people like you don't normally hang out with people like me." Jasper says without a trace of insincerity.

"What exactly constitutes a 'person like me'?" I ask with an edge in my voice. "You both have said that and I'd like to know what you think I am that stops us from being friends..."

"You're happy." He states simply. "Most happy people don't want to hang out with a downer like me."

"You can't have sunshine without a little rain."

Geez, I sound like those cheesy posters on the walls of my speech classroom.

Jasper gives me a curious look and sets his notebook on the floor before shifting his weight so that he's facing me. He continues to stare at me, almost as if he thinks there's more of a reason than what I'm letting on. His eye is still swollen and his jaw is still bruised; no doubt from where his dad beat him up. I resist the urge to shudder as we maintain eye contact; I don't like looking at all of the pain in his eyes because it makes me feel guilty that I have such a good life in comparison to his.

"Callie, I'm screwed up; hell, most people wouldn't come near me with a ten-foot pole, but you've gone and done the impossible. You've proved that I can't shut myself out from everyone." He says, his eyes still locked with mine. "So, I just need to ask, why did someone with your potential waste it on hanging out with a low-life like me?"

"Jasper, do you think I'd still be sitting here if I thought you were a low life? Obviously, I think somewhat highly of you, otherwise I would've left a long time ago."

"You wouldn't be the first to leave me."

"You want to know why I decided to start hanging out with you?" I watch as he gives me a slight nod. "It's because I knew there was more to you than the mask you wear around school; that you're more than the rumors people spread. You're a mystery and a contradiction and everything that I'm not. I know it's hard for you to believe because you've been treated like crap your whole life, but I like you and I really want to get to know you, no matter the cost. I'm not going to stop until I understand who Jasper Coven really is."

"You're not going to like all of it."

"I don't have to, but I'm willing to accept every part of you; the good, the bad and everything in between."

"You're different, Callie." He tilts his head, his hand reaching to take off his hood.

"Isn't that a good thing?" I inquire and exhale deeply.

"On you it is." Jasper bites his lip and looks deep in thought as the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch.