Okay, I'm working on this as a multi-chaptered fic. Which, is not my strong suit. So please have patience with me. I don't remember the time line exactly, and ages, but for the purposes of this story…

- All the wolves have graduated high school, so they are 19/20, around there, and Kim is in the end of her senior year

- The story begins in March, after the Volturi thing. I don't foresee the Cullens having a large part in this, which includes Jake. He's just happily off with the Loch Ness Monster and whatever.

- It's not totally A/U, but I'm sure I'll get details wrong, so it's A/U in that aspect (A/U but plausible?).

Review and let me know what you think! If I should continue, oh M for safety, and for later on ;)
Right, and SMeyer gets the credit for her shiz.

Chapter One

Before she even finished turning the bolt in the lock she felt exhausted. It washed over her like a wave, twisting around her lungs, traveling down her stomach. She was tempted to close her eyes, and curl up, right here on the front step.

She did not want to be there. More, she didn't want to want to be there. She wished that she could just stay away. The little voice in her head, the rational one, screamed at her to leave. Get out while you still can. With a sigh, she pushed the rest of the way in.

He was sitting at the table. Eating.

Of course he was eating.

"Hey." He said, offering her a shy smile. Unsure. But the happy glint in his eyes was unfeigned.

It would be so much easier if he didn't like her so much.

But, here they were, both chained together by some tribal legends, each without any real choices.

Yet somehow, the power was still in her hands. She was the one with the power to break him. Which was laughable, considering his stature.

"How are you?" The smile hurt her face.

He cleared his throat. "Good, good."

The other couples weren't this awkward. Not Sam and Emily, with their circumstances of getting together. The polar opposites Paul and Rachel. Even Quil with his two-year-old were happy. Hell, Jacob was with a baby-vampire and it seemed to work.

Yet here were Kim and Jared, skirting around each other, and yet neither having the opportunity to leave.

"I…" She didn't know what she was going to say. Should she tell him about the college applications? They seemed like tickets out of La Push, which she supposed wouldn't exactly make him happy. Not that he would try to stop her, but there was this crushed look he would get on his face. And she seemed to be an expert at putting it there.

"Iwaswonderingifyouwantedtogoonadatewithme." He finally spat out.

"Come again?"

"Would you like to…would you go on a date? With me?"

She looked at her shoes. "Um."

"It's okay. If you're busy." He backpedaled, but she could hear the disappointment in his voice. "We can just go later, or something. A different time."

"No. A date sounds fine." She said cautiously, rubbing her eyes. "When were you thinking?"

"Whatever works best for you." There was another stiff pause. Neither wanting to impose a preference on the other. "How about this Friday?"

"I have a group project after school, but I'll be free by 4."

"So if I pick you up around 6?"

"Sounds like a plan."

He nodded. "So did you need something, or...?" He was asking why she stopped by.

"No." She shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't want anything. Just…just stopped by to say hello, I guess."

"You don't need to apologize, Kim." He said quietly, not taking his eyes off of hers. "I gave you a key because you're welcome here. Always."

She nodded, ripping her gaze from his. "Thanks." She needed to get out of there. The distance between them was starting to rip at her. She wanted so badly to touch him. To let him hold her. But that would make everything worse, she knew. Worse in the long run.

"Kim," He sounded hesitant. "I know that today—"

She started backing towards the door, and interrupted him. "Well now that I said hey, I guess I'll get going."

He took a step towards her, and then seemed to reel himself in. "Bye, Kim." His look was so soft it almost broke her heart.

Almost, but not quite. Because Kim had had her heart broken before, and it was so, so much worse than this.