Jasper was letting his imagination get away from him. He was picturing it-picturing himself getting up
from his seat next to Alice and going to stand beside the little girl. Thinking of leaning down and in, as if
he were going to whisper in her ear, and letting his lips touch the arch of her throat. Imagining how the
hot flow of her pulse beneath the fine skin would feel under his mouth...
I kicked his chair.
He met my gaze for a minute, and then looked down. I could hear shame and rebellion war in his head.
"Sorry," Jasper muttered.
I shrugged.
"You weren't going to do anything," Alice murmured to him, soothing his chagrin. "I could see that."
I fought back the grimace that would give her lie away. We had to stick together, Alice and I. It wasn't
easy, hearing voices or seeing visions of the future. Both freaks among those who were already freaks.
We protected each other's secrets.
"It helps a little if you think of them as people," Alice suggested, her high, musical voice too fast for
human ears to understand, if any had been close enough to hear. "Her name is Whitney. She has a baby
sister she adores. Her mother invited Esme to that garden party, do you remember?"
"I know who she is," Jasper said curtly. He turned away to stare out one of the small windows that were
spaced just under the eaves around the long room. His tone ended the conversation.
He would have to hunt tonight. It was ridiculous to take risks like this, trying to test his strength, to build
his endurance. Jasper should just accept his limitations and work within them. His former habits were
not conducive to our chosen lifestyle; he shouldn't push himself in this way.
Alice sighed silently and stood, taking her tray of food-her prop, as it were-with her and leaving him
alone. She knew when he'd had enough of her encouragement.
Though Rosalie and Emmett were more flagrant about their relationship, it was Alice and Jasper who
knew each other's every mood as well as their own. As if they could read minds, too-only just each
other's.
Edward Cullen.
Reflex reaction. I turned to the sound of my name being called, though it wasn't being called, just
thought.
My eyes locked for a small portion of a second with a pair of wide, chocolate-brown human eyes set in a
pale, heart-shaped face. I knew the face, though I'd never seen it myself before this moment. It had
been foremost in every human head today. The new student, Isabella Swan. Daughter of the town's
chief of police, brought to live here by some new custody situation. Bella. She'd corrected everyone
who'd used her full name...
I looked away, bored. It took me a second to realize that she had not been the one to think my name.
Of course she's already crushing on the Cullens, I heard the first thought continue.
Now I recognized the 'voice.' Jessica Stanley-it had been a while since she'd bothered me with her
internal chatter. What a relief it had been when she'd gotten over her misplaced infatuation. It used to
be nearly impossible to escape her constant, ridiculous daydreams. I'd wished, at the time, that I could
explain to her exactly what would have happened if my lips, and the teeth behind them, had gotten
anywhere near her. That would have silenced those annoying fantasies. The thought of her reaction
almost made me smile.
Fat lot of good it will do her, Jessica went on. She's really not even pretty. I don't know why Eric is
staring so much...or Mike.
She winced mentally on the last name. Her new infatuation, the generically popular Mike Newton, was
completely oblivious to her. Apparently, he was not as oblivious to the new girl. Like the child with the
shiny object again. This put a mean edge to Jessica's thoughts, though she was outwardly cordial to the
newcomer as she explained to her the commonly held knowledge about my family. The new student
must have asked about us.
Everyone's looking at me today, too, Jessica thought smugly in an aside. Isn't it lucky Bella had two
classes with me...I'll bet Mike will want to ask me what she's-
I tried to block the inane chatter out of my head before the petty and the trivial could drive me mad.
"Jessica Stanley is giving the new Swan girl all the dirty laundry on the Cullen clan," I murmured to
Emmett as a distraction.#p#分页标题#e#
He chuckled under his breath. I hope she's making it good, he thought.
"Rather unimaginative, actually. Just the barest hint of scandal. Not an ounce of horror. I'm a little
disappointed."
And the new girl? Is she disappointed in the gossip as well?
I listened to hear what this new girl, Bella, thought of Jessica's story. What did she see when she looked
at the strange, chalky-skinned family that was universally avoided?
It was sort of my responsibility to know her reaction. I acted as a lookout, for lack of a better word, for
my family. To protect us. If anyone ever grew suspicious, I could give us early warning and an easy