Chapter Text
Jessica Stanley is not the kind of girl who wallows in self-pity because of a boy.
In fact, she likes to think she’s not the type of girl to do anything for a boy.
So when Edward Cullen, the gorgeous boy who recently moved into town with his equally gorgeous family, turns her down during the first month of sophomore year—in front of what feels like the entire student body—she swallows the lump in her throat, tosses her hair over her shoulder, and walks away with her head held high. When she sees his sister, the blonde one, smile with mockery written on every inch of her beautiful face, she doesn’t cry or break her stride. Alarm bells are ringing in her head and it feels like there’s a fault line cracking into place between her lungs, but she is and always has been her mamie’s granddaughter, and so she doesn’t let it show.
In hindsight, she probably shouldn’t have asked Edward out in the quad right when everyone was arriving to school. Well. Consider this her lesson learned.
The good thing about having to sit through an entire day of classes after the aforementioned horrible display is that she doesn’t have the time or energy to waste on coming up with all the reasons she isn’t good enough for Edward Cullen. Lauren and Angela help too, of course. They spend the entire day trying to cheer her up, and although their methods differ greatly—Angela tending toward showering her with compliments and Lauren toward insulting everyone else—she appreciates both of them.
Even Tyler helps.
He wasn’t there to witness her embarrassment, but gossip spreads fast in a small school, so by second period, he’s offered to beat Edward’s face in. She says no, of course, but thanks him anyway. And then she laughs, because really, between the two of them, Jessica is the one who can crush a watermelon with her thighs, so if either of them is going to beat up someone else, it’s her.
To be entirely honest, she just wants this day to be over.
She spends the night working on homework and studying for an upcoming Spanish test. When she’s not working, she’s retelling the story of her shame to every family member she can get ahold of until it no longer stings and she can tell the entire thing without her face flushing with heat.
The rest of the year passes as expected. Weeks go by, and eventually no one even mentions that day anymore.
The volleyball team wins State. She joins her first club and begins planning her takeover of student council, which will start next year if all goes well.
Edward Cullen remains dateless.
No one repeats her mistake.
She’s over it.
She’s been over it for months.
Junior year starts after a summer full of workouts and late nights getting drunk in the woods, and she’s ready for another year of ignoring Edward Cullen’s existence, as per their unspoken agreement. That is, until she walks into second period English with Mr. Collins and discovers that Edward has been assigned to sit right next to her.
This might actually be a problem.
Jessica doesn’t have time for problems.
She’s co-captain of the volleyball team this year and secretary of the student council, and Angela and Eric have finally managed to sign her up as an editor for the school newspaper. When she isn’t leading her team or making sure her resume is as impressive as possible, she’s busy planning the rest of her life—college apps don’t open until next year, but as her mom keeps reminding her, it never hurts to be prepared.
At the very least, Mr. Collins doesn’t seem inclined to assign group work every day of the week, so she and Edward can spend most of their time in class not acknowledging each other.
It’s fine. It’s working.
And then Bella Swan happens.