Kismet

Chapter Two :: Smells Like Teen Spirit


A/N: Here's chapter two!

I just want to start this by saying that imprinting will be in my story, but I didn't want to write the typical, "he looks like he's in love with me," spiel, and I didn't want to make him suddenly start acting as if he were a couple like he does in nearly every other portrayal of their relationship.

But don't you worry! We'll get there!

Also, I feel that I should express my opinion on Stephenie Meyer's portrayal of the members of the tribe. I think that she did an absolutely horrible job of it, so I am going to try to remedy that. While I do realize that the teenagers of the Native American tribe are going to be more modernized than tradition, I do feel that some of their traditional values would stick with them. That being said, seeing as I'm not a Quileute member myself and I don't live close enough to learn their ways from their own mouths, I only have the internet to go off of. And since I've made Kim's father traditional, I feel that it is only logical that she would have a traditional Native American name, so in this story, her full name is actually Kimi.

So that will have to do. I don't think that many of these values are portrayed in this chapter, but they will eventually come up.

Until then . . . Read on!


Everyone's eyes are on Ray's Jeep Wrangler as we pull up to the school on the first day. It's literally the only mainstream car brand in the entire parking lot, but then most people on the reservation bring pennies home, where Ray's family brings in much more, seeing as they have jobs off of the reservation.

Ray has a lot of things that most people on the reservation aren't financially stable enough to buy. Like a laptop, an iPhone, a nice car, a radio, a two-story home, etc. Pipa's family doesn't do badly, either, but they don't bring in quite as much as Ray's family does.

I'm just lucky that I was able to get a cell phone – it was my birthday present for this past year and every year and celebration afterwards, seeing as my parents have to pay for it regularly. Maia doesn't even have one. Whenever we want to get in touch with her, we have to call her home phone or just show up at her house.

"Alright bitches," Ray smirks, pushing her car door open forcefully. "Get outta my car. We've got a new school year to start."


After meeting up with Kane in the hallway and finding out that him, Ray and I all have first period together, we head off to class. When we walk into American History, I'm pleasantly surprised to find that Jared is sitting towards the back of the class, in the corner.

I nudge Ray with my elbow and subtly nod my head in his direction as Kane chatters on about how this year the football team is going to be kick-ass with him as captain. I like Kane, I think he's really good for Pipa, but I don't find him to be particularly interesting. Football is fun – at least playing it with friends – but I don't want to hear about it every day for this entire school year.

"Let's go sit in the back, Kane," Ray says when she notices him heading over to his football buddies on the other side of the class. He looks torn for a minute, but ultimately decides to sit with us.

Probably because he thinks that Pipa would be mad at him for choosing his friends over us. And maybe she would – I don't really know. That girl is entirely unpredictable. The only thing I know for sure that she's going to do every day is breathe.

Ray drops her empty bag ungracefully onto the floor and plops herself down in the seat next to the empty one on Jared's left.

I take that one.

As I situate myself in the seat – pulling a pencil out of my bag and placing it on the desk – I examine him from the corner of my eye.

His chin rests on his left hand as he types away on his phone, so engorged in it that he doesn't seem to notice anything around him at all. From his side profile, I can see that there are dark circles beneath his eyes, and he puts no effort into raising the corners of his lips.

I shouldn't be surprised – seeing as he's looked startlingly different every time that I saw him this past summer – but he looks even longer, even more muscular, and even older than he did when I saw him last. And with the way his features are set right now he looks . . . Sad? Or maybe he's just tired. Either way, he's just as beautiful as always and I have to put serious effort into stopping myself from reaching for his arm and asking him if he's okay.

When I finally feel that I've had a good enough look at him for now, at least, I turn in my seat so that I'm facing him completely. "Hey, Jared," I call his attention, and his head snaps up immediately, clearly not expecting to be bothered. "How was your summer?" I ask friendlily.

His expression confuses me – almost as much as he appears to be confused, and then it transforms into something breathtaking, his mouth opening slightly and an exhale softening his form.

Then the awkwardness of the situation seems to dawn upon him and his face clears. So does his throat. He pockets his phone before he respond in perhaps the deepest voice I've ever heard, his words literally making me feel as if my bones are vibrating. In a good way. "Uhm, mine was good. And yours?"

He turns in his seat, matching my form perfectly as he leans towards me in obvious interest.

He's acting . . . Strange. Strange for him, at least. "It was great," I answer, trying not to sound too confused. "I'm kind of happy to be back in school, though," I admit. "After a while . . . It gets increasingly difficult to figure out what to do with the day."

Jared chuckles, his eyes widening as if he couldn't relate to what I was saying. "I wish I could say the same – there weren't nearly enough hours in a day for me. I feel like all I did was run."

"Oh!" I say, an understanding dawning on me, my outburst changing his expression yet again. "So are you getting into body building, or something?" I gesture towards his large frame.

"Nah. Just a growth spurt."

Okay then. I'm pretty sure that they don't work that way, though.

"I meant running as in working. Like, I didn't have a lot of time to myself. It's okay, though," he shrugs. "It's better for everyone else that way."

"Where did you work?" I ask, interested. I hadn't realized that he'd had a job. How long had he had it? Was it at a place that it would make sense for me to stop by?

I internally laugh at myself at that thought.

He looks nervous, though. And then relieved when the teacher calls our attention. Jared turns straight in his desk and gives his eyes to the teacher long before I do.

And when I do, a crumpled up piece of paper lands in the middle of my desk.

And when I start to open it, the teacher plucks it right out of my hands.

"Ah, the first lesson that I'll teach you this year," he says in a tone that sends my face into my hands, "is what happens to people that don't wish to pay attention in my class. Now, let's see what Ray has to say to our good friend Kimi." He looks down at the paper through his glasses.

Oh no.

What would she have said?

"Ah, I see," he says, nodding his head and crumpling the note up, sending it through the air and into the trash. "It seems that our little Kimi has desperation issues when it comes to her man."

The class erupts into laughter. Myself included.

But the man on my right is excluded.

When I turn to send him a cheesy smile, he's not looking at me. He looking down at his desk. And not just that – he's frowning.

My eyebrows furrow in his direction, but he never sees them.

Class eventually flows in the way it usually does, and Jared eventually gives me at least a half-assed smile, but it doesn't settle my stomach.

Is he that against dating me that he doesn't even like the idea of him being referred to as 'my man' in a note? Or is he actually somewhat partial to the idea, and took it the wrong way – thinking that I'm seeing someone else?

I don't know, but I hope I figure it out soon.


"You should have seen it!" Ray snickers, one hand on her stomach as she recovers from her previous fit of laughter. Pipa gives me a purposeful look before her eyes slide back to Ray as she continues, "He kept his eyes on her, like, the entire class."

Maia smiles. "I guess he's finally realized what was right in front of him all along," she remarks with raised eyebrows in my direction. She pops a crispy, ketchup-covered fry in her mouth. "So are you going to ask him out?"

I roll my eyes. "You guys are ridiculous. People look at me all the time and I don't ask them out. Besides, him looking at me doesn't really mean anything." Ray has always been over dramatic . . . Meaning that she's prone exaggeration. I had noticed a few times during American History that Jared was watching me, but that doesn't mean that he was watching me the whole period. And, really, if he was watching me the way that I often watched him, he would have looked away, probably blushing when I caught him staring. But he didn't, he just smiled when he was caught and then shifted his gaze to the teacher.

Until I would catch him again.

Maybe I just look different. He certainly does.

"Whatever, Kim," Pipa says, "you're completely clueless, though." I give her an offended glare. "What do you think, Kane?"

Her question surprises him, and it becomes clear that he was more or less completely ignoring our conversation.

"Do you think that Jared likes Kim?" She restates the question.

Waiting until he swallows the last of the sandwich in his mouth, he answers, saying, "Of course he does. They've been friends since forever."

"No," Pipa shakes her head, "I mean like, do you think that he has a crush on her."

"Oh." He shrugs. "I don't know him well enough to tell you. Sorry."

I wave my hand dismissively, assuring him that it's fine. "I'm really not worrying about it. Ugh," I say, remembering last night. "My dad was so mad at me last night," I tell them, pushing my tray away from me as possible on the small, crowded table.

"Why?" Maiaasks.

"He overheard," I do air-quotes around the word, insinuating that he was being sneaky, "us talking about the picture that Nina put up of you guys from the party online, and he was none too pleased about it."

Pipa leans forward in her seat, Kane's around securely around her shoulders. "Your parents know that we go to parties, though. I mean, not that I understand why, but you tell them literally everything, and they don't stop you from going."

"Yeah," Ray agrees, "and even so . . . You didn't go to the party . . . How could he be mad at you about Maia and I partying?" She finishes with a raised eyebrow.

I shake my head, "He's not mad about the partying bit of the conversation. He doesn't like the idea of using the internet."

"But you hardly go online," Maia reasons.

"I told him that - and I told him that I don't have a Facebook or Myspace or whatever account, too, but he just wasn't listening to me. He went on and on about how he doesn't understand our generation, and how he thinks that I should attend more of the tribe meetings." Honestly, I don't mind going to the meeting - I think it's kind of cool to learn about our ancestors, but the fact that my father want s to force me to attend them makes me bitter. I don't like being forced to do things. "He says that I need to be more in touch with my ancestors."

"You're waymore in touch with the ancestors of the tribe than I am," Pipa says. "You pray to them all the time, and you actually know some of their names, and why they're important."

Maia nods, "Your dad is being totally unreasonable. He is from a different time, so obviously he's not going to understand all of the things we're into as teenagers now, but he can't just discredit everything else you do because you looked at a picture on Facebook."

"I tried to explain that to him," I shrug. "He doesn't listen, though."

"Well," Ray smirks, "at least we know where your stubbornness comes from."

I throw one of Pipa's fries at her.


By the time gym class rolls around, Ray is just about ready to blow a casket. All day we've heard that Naira - a girl that we're friendly with, though I wouldn't personally consider her as an actual friend - is throwing a 'beginning of the school year' party. And Ray can't stand the thought of missing out on a party. Especially not one thrown by a notorious party-thrower like Naira.

She's looks like she's about ready to run across the field, drop to her knees and beg her for an invite in the middle of the football game when Naira finally catches sight of us and starts walking over.

I can literally feel Ray's shoulders relax more and more with every step she takes.

She is so dorky.

"Hey girlies!" Naira greets us with a pretty smile. "Do you guys have any plans tonight?"

Smirking, I say, "I don't but Ray does, why?"

"Oh, that's too bad," Naira frowns at Ray and then starts smiling at me again, and I'm positive that Ray is wishing death on me at the moment. "Well, I'm having a party tonight - you know, something fun to kick off the year. Feel free to stop by! Maia and Pipa can come, too."

"We'll be there," I answer for my friends.

Ray jumps in, literally pushing me to the side as she says, "And I'm sure that I can get out of that thing that I was gonna do. I'll definitely be there!"

"Cool," she says, smiling again just as pleasantly as she had before. Then, seeming to see someone out of the corner of her eye, she turns abruptly. "Oh! Paul! Jared! Come here!" She calls them over, and I realize for the first time that Jared is in my gym class.

How had I missed that?

I watch as they jog towards us, effectively shutting the game down for a minute since the ball is in Paul's hand. Jared's gaze connects with mine and a smile spreads out over his face. He doesn't seem as tired as before, and he definitely seems to be in better spirits. "Hey," he murmurs, his eyes on me even though Naira is the one who had called him over. "What's up?"

"I'm having a get together tonight. I wanted to know if you guys would wanna come?" Naira really turns on the charm for their invite. Mine was nice, but jeez. She gives them theirs with wide brown eyes and a shy, flirty smile. Naira is really, really pretty, I realize then. She has a slender figure, with long, flowing black hair and long eye lashes. Her eyebrows are arched perfectly, and her lips are pouty.

So I'm confused when it doesn't appear to have even the slightest effect on Jared - unlike it does on Paul. While Paul eagerly accepts the invite, promising to come, Jared turns back to me and asks if I'm going. When I tell him that I am, he tells me that he'll be there. "Save me a dance, alright?" He says flirtily before the gym teacher calls the class back to attention.

He gives me a wink before he runs off, and Ray and I follow in the same direction at a much slower pace, with Paul and Naira lingering behind us talking among themselves. "He's definitely into you," Ray confirms. "With the staring, and how he just acted? No doubt he wants some Kimi."

I shove her away from me, wrinkling my nose. "Must you be so crude?"

"Must you be so prude?" She retorts, and then the teacher yells at us to move faster so we pick up our pace to a slow jog.


For the first time in my life, I'm using the makeup kit that Ray got me for my birthday two years ago. And not even at Ray or Pipa's insistence.

It's not going so well. "Ow!" I exclaim, clutching my face as I once againstab myself in the eye with the eyeliner.

How do people do this?

I can't believe that there are people who go through this everyday! I mean, really - this is dangerous. I have heard that beauty is pain before, but this is just ridiculous. I could go blind for this bullshit!

And for what? To look minutely prettier than I do every other day?

I turn to look at myself in the mirror. Black stuff is all over my face.

I can't even.

Forget this.

I stalk off to the bathroom to wash my face off.

Jared obviously likes me now, and I've never worn makeup before, so why would I start now? This is who I am. There's no reason to try and taint that.


"You havin' fun?" Pipa calls over the deafeningly loud music, her hips swaying beneath Kane's grabby hands. She doesn't even give me the chance to answer, saying, "I don't see Jared anywhere. Do you know where he is?"

How the fuck would I know where he is?

I don't even bother vocalizing my answer, instead just shrugging my shoulders and telling her that I'm going to go get a drink. Which I don't actually end up doing, because the punch is spiked and I don't drink. But I do see Paul by the drink table, standing with some Sophomore girl, and I go over to him. "Hey, Paul!" I try to get his attention.

Lazy eyes meet mine.

He is beyond wasted. But I would like some answers. "Where's your boy?" I ask.

"Who?"

He is beyond beyond wasted. That's how bad it is. Obviously I'm talking about "Jared," I clarify, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at his drunken stupidity.

Clarity reaches him, and then his eyes dim as he looks me up and down suspiciously. "He got held up."

How vague. I nod my head in acceptance, murmuring, "That's too bad," and head back over towards Pipa.

I end up walking right into someone. "Oops, sorry!" I say, and then I realize that it's Tag. "Oh, hey."

"Kimi!" He's obviously tipsy, but he's not nearly as sloppy as Paul, who is now licking the Sophomores neck like an actual dog would. "I was wondering when I would run into you. Dance we me?" He holds his open hand out towards me.

Seeing as Jared stood me up . . . "Why not?" I smile and take his hand, rocking my hips to the beat of the music and acting as if I don't have a care in the world. As if the only thing that matters is the music.

Inside, I'm not so carefree.

Jared was very casual about the whole 'save me a dance' thing, but I can't help but feel as if he stood me up.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe things haven't changed.


. . . load up on guns, bring your friends . . .

. . . it's fun to lose and to pretend . . .

. . . she's over bored and self assured . . .

. . . oh no, I know a dirty word . . .


~ Madison ~