Love Chronicles Volume One: Walk Next to Me
Summary:
Sometimes we're out luck is out and our number is up. Then again sometimes we just think it is. Kim Rowley was average freshman on the coast of Georgia; that is until freshman year forces her to move across the country due to some problems. Kim thinks her life can't get worse, school is boring with getting over her crush on the school's infamous player Jared Kail and her best friends are all the way across the country. But when her luck suddenly turns can it last? (This will have two spin-offs, possibly one shots and might even get a little more attention if you're especially nice.)
Chapter One: Welcome One and All, Welcome to the One Thing You Don't Want to Do
To live is like to love
Every reason against it
And all healthy instinct for it
-Samuel Butler
Hello, my name is Kim Christine Rowley. No, not Kimberly as the school system seems to want to believe. I was named Kim, on my Birth Certificate it says Kim and on my Death Certificate it will say Kim. That is if I get out of the time loop school seems to create every Monday threw Friday from 6 A.M. till 2:30 PM. I rest my head on my balled up fist waiting for class to get over. I'm practically half asleep; Science is my least favorite subject. History, English and Math have all tied for first.
The bell rings shrilly waking me from stupor. I trudge to my locker, pulling out my textbook and notebook for History. Even my favorite subjects seem boring and inconsequential in La Push. I guess when you're a junior learning things you learned as a freshman then what your learning should seem unimportant. My father has taught me things past college material.
I plopped down in my adjoined desk, next to yet again an empty seat. Jared Kail has been absent for around two weeks. I'm not counting but in a school with less than 300 people it's hard not to know their full name and who's dating whom. Yet, so many people don't know me. They've been thrust together since they were children with school, tribal meetings and such what is an outsider to friends in the womb? I'll be the first to admit no one knows me here. I think that's the way I want it.
No, I just don't want Cody around anyone else would be fine. Well anyone is a loose term. Jared's best friend, Paul, falls in to that exact category and he's not exactly my definition of "fine".
I open my notebook and smile as I see "Jared Caleb Kail" framed in a heart. Yes, I used to like Jared. I used to think he wasn't actually a "player" just a guy looking for the right girl. Of course, I also used to think that girl was me. When you love someone you find excuses for them, and if you can't find them you make them up. I still do that. I wish I would stop but no such luck.
Jared waves goodbye to Paul. I'm no better than my classmates to stare with my mouth agar and shock evident in every part of my features. I thought he had dropped out, transferred, moved … anything but sick! What did he have? I've never heard of a disease that makes you grow a foot or two and gain muscles. Jared took his proper seat next to me looking frigid. I stole sideways glances at him all through class but he never looked at me or anyone. He wasn't paying attention to the Scopes Trial taught by Mrs. Burkes.
"Who thinks John Scopes was right?" Mrs. Burkes asks.
When crickets responded instead of children Mrs. Burkes looked around, "Mr. Kail, how nice of you to join us. Do you have an opinion?"
Jared seems hesitant, "What was the question?"
"Ms. Rowley, what to you think?"
Jared looks toward me. His image mirrors the students when he walked in the room. Except his eyes hold three emotions, emotions that consume my life first, love then lust and lastly shock, emotions that can kill your soul and emotions everyone adores to feel, that is most everyone.
I ignore his intense gaze and answer the question, "While I don't disagree with the fine of 100 dollars, I disagree the law was ever put into practice. We have a government and country founded on and because of religious freedom. Darwin's Theory of Evolution has just as much right to be taught as the theory in Genesis of God creating the world and the Big Bang Theory. Furthermore, it is impossible to teach biology without the theory of evolution and Scopes was a substitute teacher. He taught the lesson planned."
"Well put together and thought out argument, Kim." Mrs. Burkes comments.
Jared smiled at me. I gave a shy smile back, not feeling the need to show him any emotion besides friendliness because that would be all he got, if that. Jared continued staring at me all throughout the class.
As the bell rang, signaling lunch I breather a sigh of relief to be free of Jared's passionate gaze and Mrs. Burkes' random questions.
"For the end of the year assignment you will work with your partner, each of you pick up a paper." Mrs. Burkes announced at the end of class.
I'm working with Jared for my final grade! Why not a research paper on the Holocaust or a play written in the form of early 1900's or, or… Well something besides working with slacker Jared, player Jared, extreme-gaze Jared, girl-crazy Jared…
Anything, almost anything…
"Well, I guess we're partners." Jared spoke up, bringing me out of my reverie.
"Yeah, I guess so." I said blankly.
"I'll go get us both papers." He said before quickly walking towards the teacher, every student jumping out of his path.
I began gathering my things. Jared nicely handed me the guidelines sheet. This would involve working with him heavily.
'Guidelines for Your End of the Year Project
You each will be working with your partner. I want you to pick anything you have learned from this class. It can be the ancient peoples to the Berlin Wall. You must write a creative story telling about this time period and set in this time period. No talking animals or animals as the main character. It must be written using correct grammar, spelling, plot and chapters. It must be 300 pages in length. I want sources. Make sure it's well researched. The best one will be published.'
I had always wanted to be published, with or without a co-author. This might prove to be a better assignment then I thought. Jared got an A, without work, and I got my first introduction to the world of literature. What aspiring young writer doesn't dream of that? A story idea was already forming in my mind, during the Holocaust, in Germany one of my favorite times in history. Well, favorite isn't the best word to describe it. After all it was a period of prejudice and oppression all over the world, mainly focused in Germany and America with internment camps, work camps and worst of all… death camps.
"Umm, Kim, do… you… I could like… umm… follow you home today and we could like work on it. If you want. Or you could come to my house. We could have dinner after words, at like the port. (Port Angelus)" Jared rambled.
"I'll follow you home. Sounds nice," I told him. Wait, dinner at the port alone with Jared that sounded terrible. I had already agreed though. I could make up a lie.
"But it's family dinner night tonight, I can't miss it." I told him.
"Okay then, your house it is." Is he this pushy with all girls he tries to lay?
Wait, my parents weren't coming home. My mother was busy trying to save the world. Dad was lying in bed with his secretary. He thought mom and I were clueless. If he ever came home at a decent hour then he would hear mom crying herself to sleep, like I did. I could weasel my way out of that, they forgot. But that left me alone with Jared. That would be worse then being in Port Angelus with him because in the port there were police and people. At home no one would hear me.
Or they might not care.
"Sounds great," I said less than enthusiastically.
I stood up walking to the cafeteria. The lunches could pass for satisfactory, but who cared? I guess in school you could deem me catatonic. I think I like it that way. No ties, no one to hurt you and no Cody. I got chicken tenders and fries. I sprayed it with ketchup trying to drown out the disgusting flavor. I ate my food in the back of my red mini-van. I started on my homework sipping my coke. This was free period, after all. I could be anywhere and do whatever I wanted.
That's when I saw five people I really didn't want to see. First, Paul a complete asshole equipped with all asshole necessities. Jared was beside Paul. Behind these two mountains were the three people I wished never to face. From left to right there was Cody, David and Trevor. I jumped out from my perch, shut the trunk and ran inside; all the while hoping no one noticed me.
No such luck existed for me.
"Kim," I heard a deep male voice call, the least of the five evils at least.
I turned around. "Hi, Jared," I sighed.
I might as well be around him rather than Cody. Jared smiled as I said his name. I looked behind Jared seeing the threesome headed towards me.
"Uh, what class do you have next?"
"Drama, but I need to get my books."
"You need books for drama?"
"Yeah, you know stage directions, placement of things so the whole audience can see and scripts."
"Oh, well can I walk you to your locker?"
Cody was closing in on me, whether he realized it or not. He made me feel like a freshman pressed in between him and the wall.
His hot breaths covering my face making me break into a sweat. When I looked down I saw a bulge.
"Come on baby," He urged, "Help me out, sweetie."
I gasped; I had just gotten an unwanted flash back.
"Kim, Kim," I felt scorching hot hands on me, causing me to flinch back, "Kim, are you okay?"
"I- I have to go," I stuttered breaking free from Jared warm grasp. I went into the bathroom to look at my sunken face.
I hadn't gotten a flashback in a year. I had never wanted to relive those fears. I panted, close to breaking down into tears. No, I'm better than that. He doesn't deserve to make me feel this way; never again will I feel like that. Unclothed, parched and scared beyond all reasonable belief. Nothing transpired.
He slowly unbuttoned his shirt. His body trapped me in the corner. His skin stretched tight along his abs. Once his shirt was on the floor he kicked off his shoes. His hands played with the bottom of my purple dress. I tried to scream but a rag was in my mouth.
"Get over it," I whispered under my breath. The bell rang and I rushed to drama.
Jared
was waiting for me outside after drama. I had completely forgotten
about him, and the incident. Drama often did that to me. I loved to
immerse myself in the words of every playwright. I loved it even when
I was young. I don't remember Cinderella, but Romeo was my first
crush. I guess it's no surprise I'm a writer. Do I like to read
plays because I like to write or do I like to write because I like to
read plays?
"Hey, you okay?" Jared asked, putting his arm
behind his head. He seemed worried.
"Me, oh I'm fine. Sorry about earlier. My parents called me and told me they couldn't make it to dinner. So it's just us tonight. I'm sorry about that as well."
"Why should you be sorry? You didn't do anything. So I'll follow you home?" Jared told me, casually slinging his arms around my shoulders.
This feels so right, but so wrong too. I shouldn't be doing this. This is an unnecessary risk; I'm putting myself in harm's way. My luck has already run out. I can't handle much more.
But the heat radiating off his body is so warm and welcoming when we step into the cold frigid air outside school. In Georgia I never felt like this. I urged my body closer to Jared and leaned my head in a little. He responded by holding me tighter. Nothing could have ever been so right and perfect then our bodies together.
When we reached my car I was sad he had to let go. But then I remembered how Cody and I had felt so right too, and what became of that.
