Based on this ^^^^ prompt that I stole out of @cullenheaux 's tags:
***
Edward had successfully avoided Jessica Stanley for over a month. This kind of thing was easy for him, because any time her thoughts were close enough to hear, he just went in the opposite direction. The ability to read minds, quite often a plague, had proven to be a blessing in this case. The girl had far too many graphic thoughts to endure.
Endure it, he had, however. He had the misfortune of sharing the lunch room, homeroom, and sophomore English with her and her overactive imagination. The amount of times he'd seen his face in her daydreams was disturbing. It appeared much more often than Emmett's, more often than Rosalie's, and certainly more often than the round face of the boy called Mike Newton. It was disturbing, and he was disturbed.
She had never been close enough to him to be properly frightened. He was starting to think that maybe that was the problem. As he sat in homeroom, sitting too still for comfort, listening to her grotesque musings on whether or not his lips were soft (Hah!), he could see that she didn't have the appropriate amount of fear. His image, in her mind, was not nearly unsettling enough for his taste.
Well, he'd just have to fix that.
For the rest of the day, Edward acted less human than was advisable. He answered questions in their shared classes before the teacher finished asking them. He sat entirely still. He moved just a little too fast, and threw his locker door open too hard when she was watching.
Nothing.
No effect.
Sure, the rest of the student body was sufficiently freaked out by him, but Jessica Stanley remained immune. There was a dance coming up, and she'd deluded herself that he was acting strangely because he was nervous to ask someone. She hoped that she was that someone.
What an imbecile.
There was no way around it: he was going to have to confront her.
As lunchtime neared, he formulated his plan. When he'd decided on a course of action, he heard Alice's thoughts across campus.
Don't be an ass, Edward. She has feelings too.
Edward let out a barely audible snort, and revised his plan a bit.
Okay, fine, that one I'll help you with.
The bell rang, and Alice met Edward at the entrance to the cafeteria.
"Edward," she asked, loud enough for human ears as they neared the Stanley girl's table, "please come to the dance with us, we would miss you so if you stayed home."
"Alice, I don't have a date," he replied, matching her volume. They were close enough to the table that he could hear Jessica's thoughts, though he could probably have heard them a mile away for the sheer volume.
Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod, me, pick me, take me, take me, please! And then just take me.
Mercy, this girl had no shame.
"You could easily find a date, Edward." Alice was kind of laying it on thick, but there was nothing he could do about it. "There are plenty of girls here."
Girls like me! Ready and waiting and willing and down for anything!
Okay, he had to give Jessica this, she knew what she wanted and stuck to it. There was probably a reason she was class president.
"Absolutely not. I'm not dating anyone from Forks. The place is named after cutlery, for God's sake, it isn't exactly a culture hub."
Oh. My. God. What a dick! He doesn't even know anyone! How dare he assume we're uncultured! I have seen like, every Scorsese movie! I have opinions! He should want me!
Why doesn't he want me?
They passed the table, and whispers broke out among their ranks.
"Wow, Cullen's a jerk."
"What an ass."
"Can you believe he-"
"Why doesn't he just-"
"We don't even want him anyway."
"Whew, guess no one's good enough for Mr. Big Shot."
The last was Jess, and Edward knew his plan had been successful. Despite the fact that he knew Forks wasn't entirely uncultured, he did think it odd that no one realized he and Alice had just pulled a Pride and Prejudice on the entire lunch room.
He just hoped that would be the end of Jessica's unhealthy obsession. It wasn't just mentally unhealthy, but physically. He could lure her in too easily, and end her with even less effort.
It was better this way.
Let them think he was a monster. Let them look at him with derision.
He deserved their scorn.
He was a monster.
Well that went well. She's decided to go home and read, so at the very least you've encouraged her to study.
Edward scowled back at Alice.
Don't be so morbid. It wasn't like you were going to date her. She'll get over it.
"Yes, Rose, but that doesn't mean I relish in hurting her, or any of them."
Rosalie scoffed. You could hurt them worse if you got close to them. You did her a favor.
Edward shrugged and went about his day, ignoring the terse, hate-filled thoughts of several of his classmates.
As he and his siblings were headed to the parking lot, ready to go home, a small frame with curly brown hair barrelled past them, muttering angrily under her breath.
I'll show him. I'll show all of them. They're not better than us. They're not better than me.
From that day forward, Edward noticed a change. Small things. Jessica carrying a new book each week. Jessica in the library, asking for recommendations. Jessica running for student council re-election. Jessica running for Winter Formal Queen. Jessica vying for the captain spot on volleyball and track. Jessica answering more and more questions in class.
He was thrilled. She still had negative thoughts about him, but they were fewer. She still didn't like him, but she wasn't hateful. She knew she had started improving herself because of his remark, but she genuinely enjoyed the books, and studying, and sports, and her friends. She liked picking up new hobbies. She liked being the best Jessica Stanley that she could be.
So when she was the one to describe him to the new girl, he wasn't shocked when her thoughts were tinged with bitterness. He also wasn't shocked when they smacked of defiance either.
It's a shame he's got his head so far up his own ass. He's cute, of course she can see that. He's just too ignorant to see a good thing. Newbie's a good thing too, he's just too much of a prick to notice.
And he had to smile.
What're you smiling about? Rosalie was scowling from the lunch table.
Too low for human ears, Edward responded.
"Jessica Stanley is going to rule the world someday."
