ೃ⁀➷ ˗ˏˋ 'ˎ˗
oh merde
( twilight. eclipse )

chapter six.
date with the stars

     IF you'd have told Georgine Brodeur, only days ago, that she would be be having to momentarily live in the same house as the Cullens... she'd have called you crazy. It was a weird experience, if she way being honest, but it was something the rest of the Cullen family had almost been expecting, by the seems of it.

     When her and Jasper walked through the front door to the vampire home, only an hour after they had left it to begin with, everybody had came to greet them, except for Bella. (She must have already left to see Jacob, Georgine guessed.) Each of them smiled at her kindly, but with a hint of sympathy━━something Georgine didn't want people to feel for her, then. She was in danger, and because of it, she had to leave her mother, all alone, in their home. She had to lie, and pretend that both of their lives', along with Bella's and Charlie's, weren't teetering along the edge, waiting to crash land and, inevitably, be pronounced dead.

     The only think keeping her going was the reassurance from Jasper.

     He, along with the rest of his family, promised to protect Georgine, and her mother, like their own lives depended on it, once they had seen the look on the girl's face. It was twisted; concern laced within it, and light sweat dripping from it. She wanted to be sick, even just a little bit, because something like this shouldn't have been happening to someone like Georgine Brodeur. It shouldn't be... but, it was. Georgine had originally forced herself to get involved with everything that was happening to Bella, and because of that, she was smack bang in the middle of the problem. Don't get her wrong: even now, when she knows every secret and understands every whisper, she wouldn't have (if she had the opportunity to) gone back in time to change anything. Being involved meant she knew; she knew how in danger every living human currently was in their small, remote town, and she knew why Bella had been avoiding her━━for her own protection.

     She wouldn't have changed anything, even if she could.

     (Despite the sickness, building up in her throat, trying to tell you otherwise.)

     Once smiles were exchanged, Carlisle asked for Jasper's presence in another room, signalling that he needed to speak to him about something important, along with Edward and Emmett. He left, reluctantly, but only after Alice and Rosalie comforted him in the idea that Georgine was going to be safe in their hands. As he left the room, turning his head to catch one last glimpse of her figure, Rosalie took the small bag Jasper had been previously holding into her own grip, walking a few paces ahead, whilst Alice slung her arm through Georgine's, and the trio began walking in a direction the human hadn't been in before.

     They reached the end of a hallway, coming to a stop in front of a door, modernised, and adorning the colour of a light brown, before Rosalie opened it. It was a bedroom; a very open one, but a bedroom. Windows were situated along almost all of the walls, letting in the moonlight as it shone ephemerally in the distance, but Georgine noticed the curtains that allowed itself to be draped from the top, and she thanked the Gods for that. She didn't understand how the Cullens could live so openly, feeling as though they have little privacy. Although, she supposed it came from their house being homed in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and the chances of a hiker stumbling so far into the woods were very little, to none. A lone, double bed lay carelessly against the back wall, its cream sheets smooth, looking as though they had never been touched (...they probably hadn't, now that Georgine came to think of it; they were vampires, they didn't sleep). Bookshelves aligned the other side, next to the door, filled to the capacity of different ages, histories, genres. Georgine hoped that she would be having some time on her hands even to just rummage through them all, to get a feel of them. She loved books.

     Georgine's attention turned back to Rosalie as she placed her small bag on the bottom of the bed, turning around, clasping her hands together. Her golden eyes stared into hers, and as Georgine looked to her right at Alice, she found she was doing the same. "Um," she struggled for an answer, unknowing of what to say next, still feeling just a tad uncomfortable with the entire situation she was thrown into, but grateful for all the family were doing for her, nevertheless, "thank you. Really. You've promised so much, and doing so much... it's like I'm apart of the family."

     She let out a breathy laugh at her ending comment, but both vampires acted as though she had said something stupid. Rosalie smiled, her eyes soft as she looked at the girl in front of her, lovingly. Alice unlooped their arms, her left one coming around to clasp itself around Georgine's shoulders, bringing her into a firm, but gentle, side hug. "Well, we are. We're family, now." She paused, looking over at Rosalie, nodding, then letting her gaze fall back on the girl in her hold, who hadn't stopped staring at her, hanging on to her every word. "We're sisters."

     Georgine had never had a sister, or even a brother. Being an only-child, with only a mother, acting as both mom and dad, came with some hardships. She had grown up feeling lonely, every now and then, although, she didn't like to feel that way. Her mother was the best, and she couldn't have asked for a better parent, but there were times where she truly wished she was apart of a proper family. With a mother and father, and maybe even a sibling━━she didn't care what gender. Her mother had to work hard, so her and her daughter could stay alive, for one thing, and that meant, more often than not, Georgine was alone, left to her own thoughts, in the dark depths of their home.

     The closest thing to a sister Georgine had ever had, was arguably Bella. Most definitely, she was her closest friend, and she supposed she could consider her a sister. They were as close as sisters, anyway.

     Maybe this was her second chance at a family. No, she would never forget about her mother like that, never shun her out of her life at the first chance to have a full family, maybe the Cullens could be her second family━━a home from home. If they were so accepting, and so wanting of her to join, then why would she pass up on it?

     Not long after, both Rosalie and Alice left Georgine to settle into her new room, promising to come back after to keep her company, if she needed it. There was another room to the right, a bathroom, which Georgine was thankful for; being given the opportunity to just... breathe.

     The bath was running, the hot tap creating steam, letting fog mist up on the mirror. She couldn't see her reflection; yet, she stood there, staring back at the remnants of her own eyes, her own soul. The person looking back at her knew of what was to come, the dangers lying ahead, and she knew she had to change. She had to be prepared. As the danger lurking only became more and more prominent, Georgine understood the need for her to build her own armour around herself, setting a shield, a barrier, protecting her mentality from evil. She had to hold up this facade, this force; she had to pretend that she was okay, that she knew the outcome, and knew everything was going to be fine. It would be the only thing keeping her going.

     Georgine had only decided to stay in the bath for around 10 minutes━━she wasn't too fond of them to begin with, but with it being the only option, she had no other choice. It relaxed her, definitely, the warmth of the water surrounding her seeming to soothe her muscles, taking away every pressure, every emotion she was feeling. Then, she was just free.

     But, she knew if she stayed in any longer, she would fall asleep, and she'd rather not do that, considering she'd probably either shrivel up like a prawn (ew! no, thank you!), or drown. So, she stepped out, watching water dripping from every crevice, the cold hitting her full-on like a car in the middle of a road. She shivered, before grabbing the dressing gown that hung loosely from the hook on the back of the door━━one of those that was fluffy enough to soak up the water on your body.

     It was closing in on midnight, now, and Georgine knew she couldn't keep her eyes open for much longer. Rummaging through the small bag she had taken into the bathroom with her, she found just one pair of pyjamas━━one of her satin pairs, silver; her grandmother had bought it for her birthday last year. She guessed that Jasper may have only packed one pair of everything she needed, so she knew, at some point, she would have to go back to get some more, if she were to stay any longer than she had originally thought.

     Finally changed, and somewhat comfortable, she exited through the door and into her new bedroom, only to stop suddenly in surprise at what her eyes landed on: Jasper Hale. He was sat, stiff, on the end of her bed, seemingly waiting for Georgine's presence. At her appearance, he looked up, golden ichor of eyes boring into her brown ones. He smiled, only a small one, which she reciprocated after finally slowing down her heart beat.

     The darkness was seeping in through each window, an ominous atmosphere lurking on the outside, awaiting for something to pounce, awaiting for its prey. Georgine loved the night sky, as its children came out to shine brightly upon its inhabitants waiting eagerly below, knowing how beautiful they were. She'd give anything to get the chance to see them up close, to touch a star as it glittered and glowed, even if it killed her.

     "It beautiful, isn't it?" Jasper's voice questioned. He must have been watching her, as she looked up at the sky, admiringly, for when she turned her head to him, he was looking up, too. "It's one of the reasons why Carlisle had so many windows built in. To see the stars."

     She didn't know that he felt the same way about stars, as her, and it only made her appreciate him that little bit more. He had good taste, and he valued true beauty.

     Georgine began to walk towards him, sitting on the edge of the bed beside him, but his eyes never once left the black sky. "I've always loved them." Her voice came out in a whisper, barely audible, but she knew, with Jasper's enhanced hearing, he'd be able to understand her words, anyway.

     They sat there, idly, for a minute or two, enveloped in the silence around them, crickets chirping and birds cowing from within the jungle outside the comfort of a home. It was nice; it wasn't uncomfortable, because this had almost become somewhat familiar to the pair. Often, they would find themselves in each other's company, and they wouldn't talk, because they didn't need to. The only thing they yearned for was each other; there was no need to step over the edge for more.

     Jasper finally spoke. "I'm sorry."

     It was so quiet, Georgine took a few more seconds to understand what it was he had said. She turned to him, then, eyes gazing into the side of his face, which was now facing the floor, hands wringing the other out. Georgine was confused━━why was he sorry? From her knowledge, he didn't have anything to be sorry for, so why was he apologising? Her eyes stayed on his face, never once flickering to anything else, eyebrows furrowed in contemplation, before voicing, "Why are you sorry?

     He laughed, a breathy one that barely escaped his lips, one that Georgine wouldn't have heard if she hadn't already been looking at him. Jasper continued to not meet her steady gaze. "Because," he paused, taking a deep breath, before finally looking up. He didn't blink. "Because, it's all my fault." He paused, and Georgine instantly went to protest his confession, but Jasper wouldn't let her continue. "It is. No matter what you say, I'll always think everything that's happened to you will be my fault. Your life is now in imminent danger because of me, because I decided to tell you everything about us. And, I can't take that back. If I could, I would... but I can't... and it's all my fault." His voice went out on a whisper, not having the energy to try and make his voice louder, the sadness and guilt overtaking him, altogether.

     Georgine took a second to consider her words, in which Jasper let his head fall down again. She was worried he would believe that she agreed with him, which was as far from the truth as possible, so she quickly voiced her thoughts. "It isn't your fault; none of it. I know you think it might be, and I guess I can see why you would think that, but it isn't. If anything, it's mine. I'm the one that was so worried that something was happening with Bella that I tried to stick my nose in to business that wasn't my own. I'm the one that led everything to you telling me; I know that they were your words, but if it wasn't for me willingly trying to get involved, you wouldn't have said anything." She paused, taking her eyes away from his face, knowing she was going to become slightly embarrassed at her next words. "Besides... I feel happier now that I know. Not only because of Bella, and my nosiness being fulfilled, but, because... well, I get to spend a lot more time with you."

     During Georgine's entire speech, Jasper's gaze had stayed down on the floor, his ears taking in each and every word she spoke. Her voice was like smooth satin to him, and he believed he could listen to it for the rest of his life (if that's what you could call it). If only he was ever that lucky. Golden met brown, and a smile was tugging up at the corner of his lips. He whispered, "You're too good for this world, Georgine Brodeur. Do you know that?"

     It was so sentimental, so affectionate, the way he spoke those words, that Georgine's heart couldn't help but flutter. There was something about the way he spoke those words, causing for Georgine to suddenly feel a little different, a feeling she quite enjoyed. She had been told a similar thing before, by her grandmother, that she was too good for this world. But, when her grandmother had told her that, she couldn't help but feel a little patronised, feeling as though her grandmother was giving her expectations they both knew she couldn't fulfil. Yet, the way Jasper had said them, it was just so... ephemeral.

     They stared at each other, tenderly, each one taking in every feature and every flaw of the other. Jasper believed Georgine was the most beautiful creature he had ever had the fortune to meet. She was so different, Jasper wished he had the rest of eternity to just look at her, admire her, appreciate her.

     And, Jasper... he was different, too. He was inhumanely handsome, a type of good-looking you would only read about in fiction; those type of people Georgine had easily fell in love with as she was growing up, reading any book she could keep a hold of in her grasp. Maybe she could feel the same way about Jasper Hale.

     For a moment, it seemed as though the two would kiss.

     But, Jasper's head turned to face the front of the room, in such a quick motion Georgine knew if he wasn't a vampire, he would have suffered from whiplash. His eyes had widened, never leaving the door. Georgine began to panic, coming to the worst conclusion that danger was just in front of them. To reassure herself, she quickly remembered that she was in a house full of vampires: if it were the worst case scenario, they were sure to protect her, like they had promised. Plus, Jasper was right next to her, and she knew that he wouldn't let any harm come to her.

     In as much a quick motion as it happened to begin with, Jasper's face relaxed, his emotions stopped running wild. He laughed, looking back to Georgine. "It's Edward." Georgine was worried for him, by the way his brother had left it at that. What if he was injured? What if he was in danger? What if he was already━━? "He's fine. He's just... very angry, right now." Georgine relaxed, but still remained confused. Jasper must have understood. "Jacob kissed Bella, so she punched him."

     Georgine's own eyes widened in surprised, but she smiled, nonetheless, pride taking over her. She laughed, too, breathy, eyes crinkled. It was such a Bella thing to do: punching a werewolf.

     "Ah, that's my Bella."

♡

     Practically as soon as Georgine was told about Bella punching a werewolf, she wanted to see her. Not only did she want to check on her friend, and make sure she hadn't actually broken too many of her bones (because, God knows how strong those werewolves are), but, she also wanted to congratulate her.

     Like, she punched a werewolf.

     That's got to take some balls, right?

     Jasper led Georgine away from her temporary bedroom, after her insisting she goes to see her friend once Jasper informed her of Bella and Edward's expected arrival. Visibly, Carlisle was tending to Bella's, softly cradling it, like she was made of the most fragile of china glass, wrapping it securely in a bandage, Edward protectively by her side, concern laced within his features.

     "It's just a sprain; should heal fairly quickly," Carlisle explained, a tight smile on his face.

     Wow, they really must be strong.

     Upon the pair's arrival into the room, Bella looked up, her eyes locking on Georgine's. Bella's face upturned a little, but there was still the slight hint of pain, and shame, mixed as one, trying to hide behind the façade Bella was desperate to keep up. But, Georgine ignored that, knowing her friend wouldn't want someone to point that side out, especially in front of the vampires; she winked, slyly, and whispered (so no one else could hear her) (...although, now that she thinks about it, she was in a room surrounded by vampires, of course they heard you, you idiot!), "nice one, Bells."

     Bella only let out a tight laugh, not allowing the small amount of pain she was feeling to show up on her face. Her expression changed, however, once Emmett walked into the room━━was it smugness, pride? A small part of her must have been feeling a little excited to tell the muscular vampire of her achievement, even if it didn't necessarily play out on her part, in the end.

     Emmett whistled, coming down to rest half of his body on the table next to the original trio. "Trying to walk and chew gum at the same time, Bella?"

     At his comment, Georgine rolled her eyes, knowing how sarcastic the vampire could get sometimes. She looked over to her right, at Jasper, sharing an expression that said really?, but, he only smiled, before shaking his head lightly.

     Bella laughed. "Hm... I punched a werewolf in the face."

     Emmett seemed almost taken-aback━━it made sense; a human punching a werewolf anywhere was bound to surprise people (even vampires), and come across as quite tough, especially when you already knew what they were, and that there would surely be consequences when you, yourself, were only a mere human. "Badass," he nodded along, a smirk on his face, "you're gonna be one tough little newborn."

     "Tough enough to take you on."

     Newborn. A new vampire.

     Georgine faltered a little at Emmett's words, taking them in. Was Bella thinking about becoming like them━━a vampire? Bella hadn't told Georgine if she was even having passing thoughts about the temptation, but now Emmett was getting in on it, too? She supposed Bella would want to become like them so she could spend the rest of her life (or, rather, existence) with Edward; they must have been really in love for Bella wanting to give up everything she had ever known.

     Georgine had never once thought about giving up her life, at least not like this. Yes, she knew one day she was going to die, just like the rest of humanity, but she had always hoped that her life would end in a way that wasn't so painful, like dying in your sleep. How painful would it be to have to go through changing almost every detail about your appearance, your diet, the way you live, to turn into a vampire? Not to mention, the mental pain you would be putting yourself through over having to let every inch of your past go, leaving it as just that... the past. Plus, the inevitable thirst for human blood━━surely, it would take a little longer than expected for a newborn to go from wanting human blood to animal blood, when it isn't anywhere near as satisfying? She couldn't even begin to imagine...

     Edward's head had turned in the direction of where Georgine and Jasper were standing, slightly off into the background, not wishing to get too involved where they weren't expected to (unlike Emmett). The vampire's eyes gazed into the top of Georgine's head. Getting the feeling that someone was watching her, she looked up, too, and found the culprit to be Edward. He didn't falter his stare, no matter how long it happened; it only intensified, and Georgine grew concerned as to what it meant. But, before she could say anything, he turned away, mind back in the on-going conversation.

     Jasper must have been witnessing their entire interaction, for, only a mere second later, his arm came to rest on the small of her back. He dipped his head, now meeting her gaze, and asked, "Is everything alright?" Georgine didn't want to worry him, didn't want to add more than he already had on his plate━━especially when she didn't truly know what had happened━━he didn't need it. So, she only nodded.

     Suddenly, Rosalie (who had been in the background, too, uninvolved, reading a newspaper that was perched upon her lap) shot up, throwing the paper to the table in front of her, and stormed away. There was a look in her eyes, one that showed that she was a little pissed off. Instantly, Georgine knew to stay clear of that; she wasn't about to try and attempt to console an angry vampire.

     Come one, she had some sense.

     Everyone watched after her, and Georgine knew, with the way her face said it all, that Bella was beginning to feel guilty. She hadn't said, or done, anything to provoke the girl━━at least, to their knowledge, they hadn't━━but, it was just a natural feeling for Bella. She felt as though she was to blame for a lot of things.

     "Don't worry about it," Emmett chastised, shaking his head.

     Carlisle sighed, acting as though it was a natural occurrence for Rosalie to become angry at small things━━maybe it was. Georgine hadn't known the vampire long enough to find out, just yet.

     Edward's voice broke the awkward silence; it sounded depressed, fed-up, almost, like he was just tired of everything, and wanted so badly for it all to be over. Georgine couldn't exactly blame the poor guy. Everything seemed to be going in the wrong direction, lately. "Got any leads?"

     It was aimed at Jasper, but as Georgine moved towards him, she noticed how he was already looking down at her. His eyes danced over her own, seeming to be deep in thought, before turning away and replying, "No sign of the intruder. But Victoria continues to make appearances."

     Clearly, Bella didn't seem to be too interested in what the vampires were conversing about, as she left to follow after Rosalie, injured hand clutched against her chest. God, Georgine thought, if she dies because she unknowingly provoked a pissed off vampire, I'm going to kill her.

     Georgine came back to reality, taking in her surroundings, realising every pair of golden eyes was intently watching her. She grew cautious, her body instantly wanting to recoil in on itself, protect her from any oncoming dangers. "What? What is it?"

     Carlisle only sighed more━━it seemed the man couldn't catch a break from trying to prevent his family (and their new friends) from being killed by a vengeful vampire and her army. "It seems..." he began, looking at Jasper, "it seems as though someone has been around your house, again." At this, Georgine immediately began to panic, her posture straightening, eyes widening slightly, senses heightened, and she couldn't help but automatically think about her mother.

     Oh, no, her mother.

     Had she really left her mother?

     The father sensed her panic, and quickly attempted to reassure her. "You don't need to worry, Georgine; we're doing scheduled shifts at both your house and Bella's. Where do you think Esme and Alice are, right now?" Hmm, she hadn't thought about it. "Look," started, hand coming up to his face to run away the stress he must have been feeling, "everything is going to be okay. Nobody's going to get hurt. I promise. We promise." Georgine looked around herself, at everyone else present in the room. They all sent her comforting nods and smiles, and her panic subsided, dissipating into nothingness. "We're really glad you're here, Georgine."

     Georgine's heart swelled at the love and welcome she was receiving from the family. Despite her and her mother's lives being in imminent danger, the paranoia in the atmosphere lingering, no one truly knowing what the future held for each of them, Georgine felt safe. And she would be forever grateful for that.

     Not long after, she excused herself from the conversation, the drowsiness beginning to take over her entire body. She hadn't managed to get a proper night's sleep for a while, and now, with the panic always there, always present, eating away at her reassurance, she knew she would need as much energy as she could grab her hands onto.

     Yet, she fell asleep feeling calm, her nerves disappearing into thin air, and not to be felt for the rest of that night. There must have been some type of God out there, watching down, over her, sympathising her, enough to take all of her troubles away from her, even for just one night, pretending as though they had never existed to begin with.

     (Thanks, Jasper, she'd reminisce in the future...)

     She really couldn't feel more at home...

♡

     "When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were thing like astronaut, president... or, in my case, a princess." Georgine chuckled along with the crowd, situated in between Bella and Alice. Alice's laugh was a little louder than the others, Georgine noticed. She looked over at Jasper, who was sat on the other side of Alice, sharing a knowing smile.

     Jessica continued on. "When we were ten, they asked again. We answered, rock star, cowboy. Or, in my case, a gold medallist." More chuckles. "But, now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how about this? Who the hell knows?" Applause and cheers sounded throughout the stadium. Georgine felt a little pride whelm up in her chest at Jessica's words; even though they hadn't exactly spoken properly in so long, it didn't mean she wasn't going to listen intently to her speech, and find it enjoyable. It was good, relatable, and that was exactly what you wanted in a graduation speech.

     Jessica continued, her expression serious, but hopeful. "This isn't the time to make hard-and-fast decisions━━this is the time to make mistakes."

     (It was true; Georgine had absolutely no idea what she wanted to do in her career, and knew, by the end of it, she would have more than likely gone through quite a lot of choices.)

     "Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere. Fall in love; a lot." One of the students whooped at Jess' comment, and Georgine couldn't help but turn to Bella, beside her. She was looking down, a light smile evident on her lips. Georgine could tell what she was thinking about━━Edward, and how unbelievably in love they were. Even if Georgine was so against the idea of Bella becoming a vampire, she knew she couldn't stop her, not when she was so far in.

     "Major in philosophy, because there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind, and change it again, because nothing's permanent. So, make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask what we want to be... we won't have to guess. We'll know."

     Georgine went to see her mother after the speech, knowing where she would be from spotting her in the crowd when she was on stage, accepting her scroll. Sandra grabbed onto her only child, wrapping her tightly in a hug, afraid of letting her go. She whispered in her daughter's ear, telling her how proud she was, that she had actually made it! It was a sentimental moment, emotional, one that Georgine knew she would cherish for a long time; how proud her mother was of her, for something small as making it to graduation...

     The pair share in a conversation for a short while, before Georgine noticed Bella leaving with the Cullens, and she comes to the realisation she had been hoping to delay. "Um, Mom." She gained her mother's attention (even though it hadn't really left her, in the first place), who was curiously listening in, waiting. "Now that I've graduated, it means that I'm an adult..."

     The way Georgine worded her sentences must have come across a little funny, because the next thing she knew, her mother's face drew in suspiciously, eyes narrowing in contemplation of what she was going to say next. Her daughter quickly got rid of it. "...And I want to get the proper adult feel. So, I've spoken to Bella, and she says I can stay around her house, every now and then."

     A few moments of silence stood between them, and Georgine thought this was the part where her mother would shout at her for suggesting such a ludicrous thing. But, instead, she relaxed, laughing. "Oh! I see what you mean. I thought you meant━━" She cut herself off before she could reveal her next words, waving a hand through the air, "━━of course! That's fine, yeah, you need to start learning about what it's going to be like when I'm not there."

     The mother and daughter duo laughed, eyes crinkled and full of euphoria; the graduation, and the relief of knowing her mother didn't suspect too much of where she was going to be for so long, now, only caused her to feel more and more elated.

     But, she was lying.

    It didn't matter, she'd tell herself, because, in the end, it was all for her protection. She was doing this for her, so she could keep her life, so she could carry on breathing and watch her daughter grow old and into the woman she had always wanted her to be.

     It'd be fine, even if she was lying.

     It had to be.

NOTE.
this chapter is a lot smaller than the rest, but all it really is, is just a filler sososososo,,, also idk if it's canon that the family can hear each other's thoughts or if it's just edward,, but it is in this book asdfghjkl <3 && if you've already read up to here, u may notice how i've added the next chapter onto this one just cause