Disclaimer: Tis unfortunate but I do not own anything to do with Twilight, Jared, or Kim. I just LOVE it! :)
The first chapter in Enchanted to Meet You, a story of Jared and Kim. Though I love the typically fluffy romance stories, this is not one of those- well, at least for the first part while Kim and Jared adjust into the lives of being imprinted. While I do realize that logically I should post the story of Emily and Sam first, I don't do logically well so here you go... :)
Today was pure bliss. Yesterday Jared had returned from school after a mysterious disappearance. And, somehow he'd gotten hotter: more muscles and taller. Today I had English so I got a full hour of staring at him- in a non-creepy way of course.
Mr. Asch dove right back in as Jared took his regular seat two chairs to my right. To start off a Tuesday morning, he assigned us a partner project due the following Friday. Instead of letting me grab Jamie as my partner, Mr. Asch decided to pick our partners and be extra cruel. Glancing over, I saw Jared look extremely bored.
Mr. Asch paired Jamie with Logan, cockiest guy ever. Then he paired me with Jared, pulling me aside to explain he thought I would be able to catch Jared up on all the class work he missed. A blush crept up my neck and lit up my face that I futilely attempted to hide behind my hair. Jared looked up trying to locate me; of course he wouldn't notice the quiet girl who'd been in his English class for two years now. Shaking off the hurt, I moved over a couple seats until I was sitting next to him and said, "Hi Jared."
Jared's mouth flopped open but he quickly snapped it shut, staring at me. "Kim, right?" Jared asked rhetorically. I nodded stiffly, it felt like his eyes were piercing me.
"So what do you want to do for this project?" he asked politely.
"I don't care." I mumbled softly then shrugged.
"It should be ladies choice." Jared insisted.
I was flattered and my blush showed it by creeping back onto my cheeks as Jared smiled. We discussed what to do for our project until class ended. Jared even waited for me to pack my bag and walked with me out into the hall.
"So… Kim?" Jared asked and I nodded encouragingly, not wanting this conversation to end. "Do you like cheese?"
Laughing, I nodded, "Yes."
Just as I answered his ridiculous question, I dropped my favorite pen among the flurry of feet and people.
"Oh.." I said stupidly bending down in an attempt to retrieve it but a freshman came barreling down the hall at me, clearly not seeing me bent down. At the last possible moment Jared's arm flung out and stopped the kid with his feet only inches from running over me.
"Hey!" the freshman exclaimed, not seeing who had stopped him or he wouldn't have reacted that strongly.
"Watch where you're going." Jared threatened before pointedly looking down at where I had frozen, braced for impact with his feet.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled down to me as I stood up, blushing furiously. Then I noticed a crowd that had stopped to stare at the confrontation surely about to take place.
"A real apology." Jared hissed menacingly as he shook angrily, still clutching the boy's shirt.
I was still dumbfounded but couldn't help loving the way Jared's body was curved protectively around mine to prevent the oncoming danger.
Cautiously, I reached out and put a hand lightly on his quivering shoulder, "Jared. I'm fine. Really."
He seemed to calm down some at my touch and my words but still shook violently, however Jared calming could have just been my imagination. Suddenly Paul was standing next to Jared looking as menacing as ever, the bystanders all shuffled backwards ever so cautiously. Jared unwound his hand from the freshman's shirt before the guy scurried off.
"Chill out man." Paul whispered softly and I don't think I was supposed to hear but due to our close proximity I couldn't help but overhear. Jared continued to shake angrily so Paul placed a restraining arm around Jared's shoulder and all but dragged him out of the hallway as the crowd formed a pathway for them to go through.
My heart longed to run after them and make sure Jared was okay but it clearly wasn't my place as someone Jared had just met. Then I couldn't think about following him anymore because Jamie was there talking to me excitedly. She of course knew about my huge crush on Jared and was super excited for me that we actually talked and I had touched him.
"Jamie. Nothing happened. He was just being polite." I moaned as she dragged me to my locker just as the bell rang.
"JARED talked to you though!" Jamie shrieked.
"Geez Jamie, I don't think the aliens heard you. Besides, we are going to be late for class." I winced, pulling her off to math class where Ms. Faulker was so deaf, Jamie would continue to harass me.
"I don't understand how you aren't completely freaking out right now. Honestly Kim, how long have you been crushing on him? And now you got to talk to him!" Jamie exclaimed quietly as we walked into class late.
Jamie continued to freak out all through Math class but eventually I droned her out, staring out the window that we sat next to.
- Jared POV -
"Dang, why'd I have to lose control near her?" I cursed at myself.
"Near who?" Paul asked confused.
"I can't believe I was so stupid. I don't even know why I got so mad. She was about to get hurt and I acted on instinct." I continued to mutter.
"Jared. Who is she?" Paul said, starting to get irritated at me.
"Of course now my chances are shot. How am I supposed to explain that to her? Oh my god. I totally must have freaked her out. Now what am I supposed to do?" I muttered pacing back and forth.
Paul's arm grabbed me to stop my pacing before nearly yelling at me, "Who is she?"
"Kim." I said, my voice went all gooey and I automatically felt better. Then there was a tug, pulling me back inside, back to her.
"Dude, no way. You imprinted? Already?" Paul said, looking at me in disbelief.
"I guess so." I shrugged, walking back inside of school.
"Dude, you can't go back in there. You have to go see Sam, tell him. Maybe he and Emily will have some tips for you or something. Or at least Em will." Paul suggested pulling me to a stop at the end of the lockers.
"What are the two of you doing outside of class?" Mr. Cain asked suspiciously. It was at times like these when I hated that everybody suspected us of doing drugs and stuff when all we ever did was protect them from the leeches.
I'd never been an excellent liar so I looked at Paul who sighed softly before explaining, "We were just heading off to the bathroom."
"I see. So why does it look like to two of you are leaving?" Mr. Cain questioned us, not believing Paul's story.
"We weren't sir. Jared just had to stop at his locker on his way back to class, he forgot his textbook." Paul explained, lying through his teeth. I racked my brain to try and remember what class I had now but it kept drifting back to Kim and her big green eyes.
I sighed then someone punched in the arm making me exclaim in protest.
"Earth to Jared. Mr. Cain, asked you what class you have." Paul said, rolling his eyes at me clearly annoyed.
"Oh sorry sir." Then I was forced to pause because I'd gotten distracted and still hadn't managed to think of what class I had, "History."
"Alright, but move along you two. And I don't want to see you all make a habit of this." Mr. Cain nodded still not fully believing us but walked away anyways.
"Smooth Jared." Paul said sarcastically, punching me again. "Way to completely zone out. You really need to get out of here and see Sam."
"Nah, maybe later." I sighed, a need to see Kim again triumphed going to see Sam again any day.
"Fine but you better tell him today. There's a bonfire this weekend, invite her." Paul suggested walking off.
I walked off to History where Mrs. Giddings would be showing us the rest of a movie and wouldn't even notice that I had disappeared. Dad said that when the school called they found it odd that I had only been going to one class the whole two weeks I was gone: History. Mrs. Giddings has to be the oldest teacher ever but for once I was glad that I had her mindless class so I could let my mind wander without the risk of being embarrassed again.
- Kim POV -
"Ms. Kimberly. Would you like to answer the question or continue gazing out the window?" Ms. Faulker asked rudely, snapping her ever-present ruler down on my table. The sound made me jump and my heart race stupidly startled.
"I'm sorry. Could you please repeat the question?" I asked shyly as a furious blush raced up my neck to cover my already heated face.
"I asked what the answer is to the equation on the board, Ms. Kimberly." Ms. Faulker repeated herself impatiently as the rest of the class had turned in their seats to see the normally quiet girl get yelled at.
"Oh…" I replied, glancing over at the board silently praying that I wouldn't have to plug the equation into my calculator. "The answer is 3 and a quarter."
"Correct. Next time, how about we try to pay attention in class?" Ms. Faulker asked rhetorically before walking off and choosing her next victim.
Embarrassed tears formed at the edge of my eyes as I blinked furiously in a desperate attempt not to cry. Then thankfully the bell rang and I grabbed my stuff, almost sprinting for the door, but I tripped over a table leg right before the door and seconds before I hit the ground strong hands caught me and stood me upright.
"Uhhh… thank you." I mumbled embarrassed and let my hair fall in front of my face still fighting, and losing, against a raging blush and embarrassed tears.
"Are you okay?" Jared's deep voice rang down to me, his hand still resting on my arm comfortingly.
"Yup. Fine." I smiled falsely, and it would have worked had my voice not broken in the middle.
"Kim? What's wrong?" Jared asked, bending down to try and look me in the eye.
"Nothing. Really, Jared, I'm fine." I mumbled, shifting my gaze to the floor.
"I can take you to the nurse if you need it." Jared offered, his anxiety practically rolling off of him.
"Really Jared. I'm perfectly fine. Just having a bad-ish day." I said, looking up at him so he could see the honesty in my eyes.
"Bad-ish." Jared repeated as people migrated towards the lunchroom.
"Yes, bad-ish." I said, the way he said my made-up word made me want to smile.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" Jared asked sweetly.
"No, it's okay. I'm sure you've got better things to do." I shrugged.
Jokingly, Jared studied his imaginary watch then declared, "Nope. Nothing to do for another hour and a half."
I managed a small laugh before walking towards my locker as Jared followed.
"Kim, I'm being serious. I want to hear about your day and try to make it better." He said as I fiddled with my lock before it sprung open and I quickly grabbed my lunch.
I turned to face him making a couple stray hairs stick in my lip gloss. "Why?" I asked curious.
His mouth dropped open and his eyes showed some strange yearning that I didn't necessarily understand.
"Why what?" Jared asked, his voice strained but his posture tried to make him seem casual.
"Why do you have a sudden interest in me or in how my day is going?" I asked softly, not really wanting him to stop paying attention to me but was curious as to why.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jared said, his voice struggled to keep a detached collected tone while his eyes basically pleaded me not to go any further.
Slowly I nodded and decided to listen to his eyes, not pushing him any further.
"Lunch?" Jared asked, leading me towards the cafeteria.
"How about we go outside? The cafeteria gets too crowded." I said, inclining my head in the opposite direction of the cafeteria. Jared cracked a large smile and started walking.
"Aren't you going to eat?" I asked from a couple paces behind him, upon noticing his lack of a lunch.
"I'm not incredibly hungry right now." Jared shrugged as he slowed his pace to match mine then held the door open for me.
Once we were outside I felt better immediately, the fresh air and open space allowed me to breathe and think clearer. But apparently the ability to think clearer in the fresh air didn't lead me to get over my nervousness of Jared actually paying attention to me.