DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in this story. All right go to Stephenie Meyer.
A/N: A new story about the love between Jared and Kim
Let me know what you all think. I need comments to continue and I think I did a decent job on chapter 1. ENJOY!
You Found Me
Is this a dream?If it isPlease don't wake me from this highI've become comfortably numbUntil you opened up my eyesTo what it's likeWhen everything's rightI can't believeYou found meWhen no one else was lookin'How did you know just where I would be?Yeah, you broke throughAll of my confusionThe ups and the downsAnd you still didn't leaveI guess that you saw what nobody could seeYou found me
1.
He walked past my locker and I hid my face deep inside. Hiding my ugly chubby tan face, long black flat hair, and not to mention the "loser" note attached to my backpack, but that's my life. I'm Kim Conweller stuck in High School for what seems like forever, I took a deep breath it was almost over. I could hear the giggling from behind me as I closed my eyes wishing I could yell. The one thing that kept me sane was crushing on a boy, but not just any boy his name was Jared. He was always a muscular guy, dark and handsome and so sweet. He never really ever noticed me. I've had a crush on him since grade school, the only guy who didn't pick on me. He wasn't in school for a few weeks and my urge to go to school to see him died, that was until today.
I counted to ten and took another deep breath before pulling my head out of the dark blue locker. I looked down the hallway and noticed him at the water fountain. He lifted his head and wiped his mouth turning towards the classroom to 2nd period English. The one class I had with him. As long as I was in that class I could burry my head into some good literature. I adjusted my ear buds to my pink Zune and fixed the volume.
I walked forward towards the wooden doors of this dull High School in La Push, and made my way into the classroom. I threw my black hood over my head keeping my eyes on the floor. I walked right passed him and it ended up that I Kim Conweller would sit next to Jared. I sat down and slowly took off my hood, finally in the back of the classroom where I was happy. I placed my backpack on the floor and took off the white note with black writing, it read "FREAK!" I sighed as I crumpled it and threw it forward. I smacked one of the jock's in the back of the head. He turned angrily as I pulled my hood back over my head keeping my attention to my book. Before I knew it he had turned his head back to the front of the room and I was safe. I heard Jared snicker as he eyed me. I quickly noticed it was towards me, I sunk low into my seat.
"Good morning class" Miss Underwood was a small petite woman with short brown hair, and green eyes. She always wore a pencil skirt and different color blouses, today it was blue. She was so pretty and I envied her, most of the guys in the class drooled over her. I noticed her look over in my direction.
"Kim please no hoods in class, oh and Jared I see you've decided to come back and join us" she commented. She had noticed his absence as well and didn't like it. She could be somewhat of a bitch but I think that's what the guy liked about her. I shyly removed my hood and looked around to make sure no one had turned back to look at me. I pulled out my headphones knowing she would notice that too and looked up and waited for the days lesson to start.
She began blabbing about some sort of problem with people's grammar on their last paper. I tried to ignore her and began to doodle on my notebook. I could doodle for hours and still pass every test in her class. I looked up at the clock only 10 minutes had passed, this would be a long class. It was good in a way because sitting right next to me was the man of my dreams, tall dark and handsome. I laugh at my thought process sometimes, he would never fall for a looser like me.
"Psst" I heard a voice whisper. I ignored it unsure where it was coming from. I went back to pretending to pay attention when I heard the voice again. I looked over and noticed Jared was actually looking at me. I felt all of the blood from every part of my body rush straight to my cheeks. He eyed me closely looking down at my backpack. I took another glance at him unsure of myself and then looked down at my bag. There was something leaking from it and it reeked. I opened it and looked inside someone had out a weird concoction in my bag. I quietly tried to make it go un-noticed as I rummaged through my bag. I began to feel my face warming again and my eyes stung. Jared went to lean over when I heard the teacher clear her throat.
"Miss Conweller, what on earth is going on?" she questioned. I looked up at her as the rest of the class turned to me. I heard a few snickers and didn't know how to answer her question. I looked back down at my bag ignoring her and looking for the cause of the leak. I grabbed a container that had the gunk in it and could smell it.
"Conweller what did you eat for breakfast this morning?" I heard one of the jocks say. I began to get flustered as I grabbed my bag. I stood up my backpack in my right hand still leaking as I ran out of the classroom. I made my way down the hallway passed the chain of lockers. I pushed my way into the bathroom slamming the stall door behind me. I sat on the floor and pulled my knees up to my chin, sobbing. I felt my mascara running down my dark cheeks. When I was finally done crying and the next bell had rung for classes to begin I stood up. I walked over to the mirror placing my backpack into the sink. I pulled out my books and what was left of my journal my Mom had given me. I sighed washing off my books with damp paper towels and throwing out the substance that just ruined my life. I scrubbed also the inside of my backpack making sure it was clean, but it still smelled. I picked it up and threw it against the wall, I stared at myself in the mirror.
"Why are you so ugly" I said out loud to myself. I sighed and grabbed my books I would have to deal without a bag for the rest of the day, unless I opted to go home. I pushed the door open, checking first to make sure no one was in the hallways. When the coast was clear I headed straight for my locker to drop off the unnecessary books.
"Excuse me, Kim" the voice behind me was deep and sexy. I turned around and noticed him standing there right in front of me at my locker. He wasn't afraid to talk to me and was standing there with a smile on his face. I looked down and noticed he had my notebook and English text. I tried to smile slightly and then put my head down.
"You left these in class, I wanted to make sure they didn't fall into the wrong hands" he told me. I looked back up at him. I nodded taking my books from him.
"Thanks" I said shyly turning back to my locker to put my books in. When I turned back around he was still standing there, why hadn't he disappeared yet?
"I'm sorry you have to go through that" he apologized like it was his fault. I shrugged my shoulders.
"It's okay I guess" I said. He didn't seem to not want to leave just yet, it was almost like he had something else on his mind.
"So… you didn't miss much in class, I took some notes. Here do you need them?" he questioned handing me his notebook.
"Are you sure I mean I couldn't just take your book" I told him.
"Hey we have the same lunch period too right?" he questioned. I nodded.
"I think so, and I have a study hall right now so I'll take the notes and then give them right back during lunch. Unless you want to do it in secret so no one knows you helped out the loser" I said to him. He gave me a look that said "are you kidding me."
"Don't be so down on yourself it's fine, I'll see you in the cafeteria" he said to me. I watched as he walked away further and further down the hallway. He had skipped part of his class to come find me, give me my books, and hand me some notes to take from what I had missed. Did I miss something?
I hesitantly made my way to Mr. Barks study hall period. It was in the Library so I had to stay quiet as I entered. He eyed me right as I walked in, making sure I headed right to the desk he was sitting at. I walked over to the table and placed my hands on the cold wood.
"Do we have a pass?" he questioned. I shook my head "no". He looked at me.
"You're a good student, never late, let's just let this one slide. Next time though it's a detention slip" he sighed fixing his dark mustache, that didn't go with his pale body. I walked over to one of the computers and sat down. I switched on the Zune in my pocket and began to listen to some music to calm me down. When I finished checking some of my email since my computer was broken at my house I sat at a distant table. I copied each note word for word on the grammar lesson we had.
"Kim I heard you had an incident in English today" my best friend Tori was right on top of her gossip. She also had dark hair and dark skin like me. She always dressed in black clothes and listened to Marilyn Manson and Slipknot. She swore she would marry Marilyn Manson one of these days.
"Yeah it's no biggie" I explained to her.
"Come on Kim you know I'm here for you, always" she said with a genuine smile. That was true she was my best friend in the entire world. It was her and I along with our other two friends Bonnie and Shelly.
"I know, but you know what was really weird… you know how I'm head over heals for Jared?" I questioned her. She nodded and with a simple reply said…
"Of course did you tell him your already signing your name with his last name?" she questioned teasing me in a playful manor. I eyed her.
"No, but he's acting really weird he even gave me his notes, and brought me my books that I left behind in English. It's so weird" I told her. She smiled and got all giddy very unlike her.
"Oh.. Maybe his small hiatus away from this school made him realize he loves you" she said to me.
"He doesn't even know who I'm, I mean I never existed to him before" I said. She eyed me.
"Just because he doesn't say anything to you, doesn't mean he doesn't notice" she said to me.
I couldn't agree more with that maybe he really was into me, maybe I was never invisible to him after all.
I noticed in the corner of the last page of notes was a note written in tiny hand writing. I squinted to see it. When I finally read what it said it just about shocked me. Your Amazing, don't let anyone tell you different. I felt my heart pick up it's speed and my pulse raced, wondering what he meant. I ignored it for the time being and continued to write on my notebook. The rest of the time Tori and I went about our separate ways.
When lunch came I had already gone through another two classes, aside from study hall and the infamous English class. I eyed the cafeteria looking all over for him, when I noticed where he was I was afraid to approach him. Did he want his friends to notice that we had spoken? He had made friends with a few of the younger guys. They were all really big dark haired guys. I was a bit scared not only because I may ruin his reputation but because these guys were big. I decided on not eating today because my stomach hurt way out of control to bother. I also noticed my friends waving me on to sit with them.
I pulled my hood over my head and when I lifted my head back up I noticed him waving at me. I looked behind me to see if there was anyone standing behind me, maybe one of his friends? I sighed and then realized he was waving for me. I had his notebook clutched to my chest. I slowly walked over to him, not watching where I was going I felt myself almost fly forward after hitting a shoe. It somehow got in my way, I wonder how I thought sarcastically to myself as I plummeted to the ground. Before I reached the ground I felt two warm, strong hands catch me before I fell. The clothes on the stranger looked utterly familiar, he pulled me into his warm comforting chest. The tight white shirt I could remember from anywhere, it was the way he was built and I could just tell. I somehow had my arms wrapped around him, the cafeteria grew quiet for only a moment.
When people started talking again I removed my eyes from the floor and looked up to see him. His book had scurried across the room, but I .. I was safe. I took a gulp and backed away slowly. He watched me unsure of what I was going to do next. He looked ready to catch me if I ran.
"Come on" he whispered. He escorted me out of the cafeteria and into the un-crowded hallway. He took his arm off from around my shoulder and looked at me.
"Are you hurt?" he questioned. I shook my head "no", I was still mesmerized that he would even care. This is his second save of the day. I looked up at him he was much taller then I was.
"Are you sure?" he questioned. I nodded.
"Jeez, I disappear for a few weeks and I come back and everyone is against you?" he questioned.
"This is nothing new" I said to him. He looked upset that he had never noticed that I had been picked on all my life. I looked up shyly at him waiting for the day that he would notice me.
"Wow, I feel like a complete ass" he said. I looked at him.
"Why?" I asked. I was wondering what his sudden concern for me was.
"No one deserves to get treated like that" he told him. I nodded agreeing with him.
"Why don't you have lunch with my buddies and I, I'm sure they won't have a problem with it" he said to me. I wanted to gladly take him up on his offer, but my stomach wanted something different.
"I'm going to go home actually" I looked down at the floor.
"You shouldn't have to run.. Why don't you just sit with us if anyone bothers you, well let's just say they would be sorry" he told me.
"No, really I'm not feeling well… this torture does a toll on your stomach" I told him pressing my arms against my stomach. He eyed me.
"Would you like me to take you to the nurse?" he questioned.
"Oh, No please you have done enough for me today… really thank you. It's more then anyone has done for me in years. Besides my best friends" I told him.
"Consider us people to turn to" he told me.
"Thank you for everything, seriously" I told him. He nodded and quickly gave me a small hug. I once again watched him walk away.
My walk to the nurses office consisted of me just thinking of how and why Jared would finally speak up and talk to me. Did I actually look good today? Was there something about saving poor helpless girls? Did he just want some… Okay I needed to stop being so negative and brush up on my self esteem.
Mom came as quick as she could, I had found myself vomiting in the nurses office. When Mom came I was just coming out of the bathroom for the 5th time or so. She eyed me, what a beautiful woman she was. I always looked up to her, she wasn't thin and she wasn't heavy, just perfect. Her face was a beautiful version of mine and I envied her. The car ride home was silent, this had been almost a weekly routine, at least once a week I would go home early.
I didn't bother eating dinner that night, I went straight to my room and crawled up in my bed. I went over today's events in my head. It was almost like a dream, Jared actually saving me. It was my prince coming to the rescue. I pulled out my journal it was still a bit wet from earlier but luckily the pages had not been wrecked. I begin to write about my day and my new situation. I wrote how just having Jared there to pick up some broken pieces helped me a little bit. My stomach still churned and the hungry feeling was numb.
I didn't realize how tired I was, when my alarm went off the next morning I woke with my journal on my lap. I slowly hit the button, wishing I could just go right back to sleep. I rubbed my tired eyes and put the journal in the dresser drawer next to my bed. I was a zombie getting ready and barely remember getting into the shower. When I finally got dressed and ready to go, I had heard the bus honk. Great another day that I miss the bus. I walked to the window and watched the last kid get in as it left.
"Kim get down here I have to get to work, you missed the bus again" Mom yelled up. She seemed upset with me and it was all my fault. I would make her late for work like I had almost every day of the week. She would try to find out what's wrong but I could never tell her the things the kids do to me at school. I grabbed a new backpack a black one that couldn't get ruined from an odd stain and hurried down the stairs.
Once at school I was free of my Mom's 100 questions, but I wasn't free from the torture that awaited me. I walked up to the school opening the doors and walking down the hallway. Another day where I pulled my black hood over my head and made sure my music was just loud enough for me to hear the people around me. I went to my locker opening it up to collect my books to add to my bag. I then noticed a red rose in my locker with a note. I looked around to see which jock was laughing. No one was laughing today and everyone was minding there own business. But how did someone get into my locker. I looked around one last time before I picked up the rose. I put my head deep into my locker and pulled out the note. I hope you have a wonderful day, yours truly Jared. I couldn't help but read the letter more then 20 times before realizing it seemed real.
I shut my locker and prepared for my day ahead. Homeroom and Biology were never the problem, those classes were a breeze. In Bio I had some younger kids including some of Jared's friends. After those two classes I began to feel my heart racing again, it was almost time to see Jared and to face him about the rose. Should I thank him? Or should I wait until he says something to me. I had no idea what to do or say.
"Hey loser did you have a nice trip?" I heard someone question. The one guy who didn't belong here in La Push. He was your typical jock, blonde hair blue eyed babe. I pretended like I didn't hear him and kept walking.
"Hey I'm talking to you" he called out after me. I felt someone place their hands on my shoulder and I spun around to come face to face with him.
"Well I'm not talking to you, can't we just all move on already" I said to him. He laughed.
"Your different" he said. I eyed him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned him. He crossed his arms and eyed me.
"It means different is good maybe I tease you because I like you" he said to me. I looked around no one seemed to be too involved with our conversation.
"Ha, right that will be the day, look I'm going to be late. If you want to put anything in my backpack or trip me again by all means get it over with because I'm not going to miss English again this week" I said to him. He looked stunned but still persisted to talk to me.
"Oh come on baby…" he said in a voice trying to be sexy. He grabbed my arm and I was about to yell let go when someone did the yelling for me.
"Let her go" it was Jared my knight in shining armor. I then looked down the hallway to see Tori, Bonnie and Shelly. They were eyeing me intensely debating weather they should step in too.
"Oh who's this your boyfriend?" he questioned tugging on my arm. I suddenly felt a bit of courage with Jared standing there and pulled my arm away. It nearly knocked the jock over and he looked at me with confused eyes.
"Listen man you'll stay away from her if you know what's good for you" I heard something I never thought I would hear come from a human. It was almost as if he were growling at him. Jared growled for a good 30 seconds before the guy backed away. Jared looked back over at me and smiled. I bowed me head and was about to ask him about the rose when my friends bombarded me with questions. Bonnie was the preppy dresser out of all of us, and wasn't originally from La Push, she was from New Mexico and had a killer tan. She had long brown hair and gorgeous green eyes. Shelly had grown up here all her life like myself and had the dark skin and dark eyes to prove it.
I felt Jared still standing there watching as my friends made sure I was okay. They all stopped when he cleared his throat.
"Jared I owe you for the past 24 hours" I said to him and once again I felt myself smiling. How is it possible that after crushing on someone for so long and pining for them miserably, I can now smile. I can smile because he notices me and because I feel like I found a place inside of him, and I hope that place never goes away.
"No really it's my pleasure don't like to see anyone getting hurt now" he looked at my friends who were giggling like morons. He smiled politely at them and then looked directly back at me. I could not keep my eyes away from his there was just something about him and the way he looked deep into my eyes.
"I'll see you in class" he nodded his head and winked as he left. I turned to my friends and they were gushing.
"What was that wink for?" Shelly questioned.
"Yeah and what happened yesterday in the cafeteria he literally saved you, what's going on?" was Bonnie's question.
"Guys can't I answer this all at lunch?" I questioned. "We're going to be late" I added. They all sighed and looked like sad puppies.
"I promise if anything more happens.. Besides the rose"
"A rose he gave you a rose?" Tori shouted over the loud music drumming in her ear from her I-pod nano. I nodded taking my hand and placing it over her loud mouth. She started to mumble something and then spit on my hand.
"Oh man, that's gross" I stated wiping her spit on her shirt. She laughed and then took out one of her ear buds.
"Well okay then we'll discuss it later" she said with a bad attitude. I knew she was only joking. The three of them rushed off to get to their classes on opposite ends of the school, while I made my way to English.
"Feeling better today Kim?" she questioned. I looked at her smiled and nodded.
"Very impressed no hood today, let's keep it that way" she said with a smile. I nodded again and quickly headed to my seat, this time I checked the floor for anyone's foot to get in my way. I safely made my way to my seat right next to Jared, realizing he had picked up my books yesterday, I wonder if he saw… oh crap. No wonder why he gave me the flower it was a pity flower for writing his name with hearts all over my books. He looked over at me and smiled.
I couldn't say anything to him because class had begun and we had started reading Of Mice And Men. She was going over the basic plot line and what we had to do regarding each chapter. I was so pre-occupied with our assignment that I didn't hear Jared ripping a piece of paper from his notebook. A few minutes later he cleared his throat, I'm guessing it was in hopes to catch my attention. It worked because I looked directly at him, I watched into his beautiful dark eyes and got mesmerized all over again. He leaned over and handed me the piece of paper in his hand. Once he got it to me he went back to paying attention to the teacher. In the corner of my eyes I kept my eyes directly on him. I opened the note. I hope you got my rose this morning, if you check your locker again there are more in there, one for every moment that I've thought of you. Yours truly Jared. I started to feel like I was floating on cloud 9. Seriously how could one day I go from sitting here wondering if my only reason for coming to school would be here, to him giving me roses and telling me things like he's thinking about me. I really had no clue what had happened. I tried to decipher what I should write. When I finally did I quickly took out my favorite green pen and began to write. Jared, that is awfully nice of you. The roses made me smile and I haven't smiled in a really long time. Thank you. Kim. Was I supposed to write yours truly back? Or sincerely or with love, oh gosh major blushing. I looked over at him unable to take my stare away as I unfolded the paper.
"Kim, excuse me Kim" I looked up at the front of the classroom as she prepared to ask me a question. She started walking forward and I tried the best I could to hide the note.
"Jared, Kim please see me after class, I'll be taking that" she reached forward waiting to get her hands on the note. One kid screamed out "Read it" while others just laughed. I looked over at Jared and he lipped "Sorry" to me and I nodded hoping he wasn't mad for me busting him.
The end of class wasn't as bad as I thought she just told us to stop passing notes in the middle of class. She gave me the note back, which once we got out of the room I was about to throw it away when he grabbed it.
"I didn't get to read what you wrote" he said with a smile. I looked at him.
"I have to get to class but maybe I'll sit with you and your friends at lunch" he said with a smirk. I smiled.
"Sounds great" I watched him once again walk down the hallway. I was curious to see what was in my locker. When I had gotten there I opened it up and it was filled with Roses. I felt happy and giddy inside, unlike the feeling I had last night. So I went to study hall feeling pretty good. That was until Tori decided to do an investigation about Jared and the roses. I filled her in explaining each situation after the English incident. She was just about as shocked as I was and couldn't believe it.
"Do you think it's a pity program?" I questioned her as we typed away on the net. She looked at me and then back at her screen.
"I don't know what guy would spend money on roses for someone they didn't like" she said to me. I kept my eyes on the screen.
"Yeah but, in one day?" I questioned.
"Hey love at first sight" she said.
"But technically it's not first sight I've been in the same classes as him since grade school and now he notices me. Something is weird" I told her.
"Why don't you just accept the fact that a guy likes you" she told me. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Because, it's impossible" I said to her.
"Nothings impossible" she told me.
After a long day I made it through, Jared had to go to some extra help during lunch, so he didn't get to sit with us. It's okay it made up for some girl time that now Bonny and Shelly needed. They needed to know every detail and I had to explain my story for the millionth time. I got home late that day after school the girls and I stayed late helping out with the newspaper club, something I hadn't been to in a few weeks.
I honestly could not complain once about my day, I had the most amazing day I've ever had in school. I got tormented once and that was all just a measly one time. Maybe people were getting sick of picking on the weak, ha that will be the day. But just think tomorrow is a new day and I was actually excited about going to school. I even did something that only Shelly and Bonnie would do, pick out there clothes the night before. I wanted to look perfect, just as perfect as the dozen or more roses that were on my dresser in a beautiful glass vase. This boy definitely had some magic up his sleeve, because I felt in one day a connection with him that for all these years I had never felt before. Something was about to change I knew it and I was ready, anything is better then now.