-jasper- long walks and late nights...

[bella havstad]

&& you make my picture perfect escape...

When I was younger, I cared. Bella scratched the words into the sand with a stick as she leaned over her knees. She was sitting on a swing-set and the gentle swaying movement made her a little dizzy. She sighed and sat up a little straighter. She wore a pair of jean shorts and a white blouse. Her navy blue converse lay strewn in the sand beside the swings. Her mess of curly blond locks was everywhere. She'd tried to pull it back with a tie, but it hadn't done her much good.

Bells smiled and put her bare foot in the sand to brush away the words. She pulled back hard against the ground and felt the swing begin to really move. Next thing she knew, she was up high in the air. It had to be around midnight. She'd texted Jasper and asked to come hang out with her, she couldn't sleep. Would he be there? She looked out on the neighborhood as the streetlights were her only guide in finding anyone there. She spotted no one walking and no cars coming. Maybe he was under the trees? Her swung moved down again and Bells stopped looking. Maybe he wouldn't show. She sighed and let the movement lull her into false contentment. A sort of mocking at contentment at that.

Bella stared ahead of her at the slide and the teeter totter. She'd always been a fan of playgrounds. Hey, they were the amusement parks for the young. At least, in a small town they were. In cities, it seemed like kids would never be content with what they had. Bella remembered those moments she's spent in the hospital back when she er, yeah. Bella quickly let that though go. I'm in charge of my own happiness and thoughts like that are depressing. She reminded herself silently. It was true. Sure, Bella's life had been mildly horrid up until that point, but she let all that go and now was now. Now she had Jasper who was a great guy. Hopefully, he'd be a great guy beside her very soon.

[jasper rhodes.]

&& i think i'm going to boston

It was one of those nights. The ones where it feels like the sun really hasn't left the sky. Blue Heights had been having a lot of those nights lately, as the summer days began to wind down. There was no breeze apparent in the air and it was hot enough to really want to just jump into a lake and sink down the bottom, being engulfed in the water. But, there was no lake. And there sure as hell was no place to put one. Jasper thought about that as he walked along the road that rode around the suburbs. He looked back at his house, a plain white house that didn't look like it belonged in Blue Heights. Too decorated. Maybe it belonged in Maine. Jasper always wanted to go to Maine.

He smiled thoughtfully as he kept walking down that road. He had gotten a text from Bella and wasn't about to leave her at the playground all alone. He recalled the first time he ever talked to her, in the hallways during school. They had been friends for a long time, and it always felt like they had hidden feelings for each other. Now, it had come into play. An all too familiar smile found his lips and he shook his head. Almost there. Jasper played with the keys in the pocket of his dark-wash jeans. He loved the crinkling noise it made. A long-sleeved blue shirt adorned his upper torso and his favorite white and navy sneakers swished along as he stepped.

Finally, he reached the playground. He saw a shoeless Bella sitting all alone by the swings and smiled. With the moonlight hitting her face just right, she looked beautiful. Jasper walked over to her and planted a quick kiss on her unsuspecting lips and sitting on the swimg next to her. "Now, now. What are you up to on this beautiful night? You beauty yourself." All though his life, Jasper had been charming. Teachers, Moms, and Students alike all fell for his boyish charm. This was a trait that he had no idea where he got from. But, he took it as it came. It came in handy.