Because she had to wait for Luca to finish school as well, Kim spent her free period in the library, tucked away between the shelves of whatever genre she felt like reading that week. She knew she should spend the time doing homework, but she felt that even she was allowed a 45 minute break.

This week was ancient Greek literature, but she was having a hard time focusing on the words in front of her.

Tomorrow it would be an exact week since Jared had come to school. The rumor mill was at an all-time high, with the most popular theory that mono had taken Jared out. Kim doesn't know if she believes that. Firstly, none of the popular girls were out, so who had given Jared mono?

With a start, she quickly rummages through her mental catalogue and tries to remember if any popular guy is out sick too. When she can't think of any, she sighs in slight relief.

What am I thinking? Kim scolds herself. Something could be terribly wrong with Jared and I'm sitting here acting like an idiot.

But...even if she knew why Jared had suddenly disappeared, it's not like she could do anything to help him. And even if she could help him, why would he accept? The two of them had never even spoken.

Trying to distract her heavy heart, she looks back down at her book.

"Love is composed of a single soul dwelling in two bodies."

Suddenly aggravated, Kim slams the cover of the book shut. If there was one thing she was sure of, love didn't exist on this stupid planet. Sliding the book back in its place on the shelf, Kim gets back. She needed to get Luca and go to work. Not sit here and dwell on something that existed only in fairytales.

"Why do I always have to come with you?" Luca complains from his spot on her handlebars. Kim pants as she pedals them up a slope, having to peer around her annoying brother to see where the hell she was going.

"Because," Kim gasps once they reach the top. "I can't leave you alone at home, and I can't afford a babysitter either."

Luca over his shoulder to glare at her as they coast down the hill.

"Why the heck can't I be alone?" he demands angrily. "I don't need a stinking babysitter!"

"Because the last time I left you alone you flooded the first floor," Kim reminds him through gritted teeth.

Luca wisely faces forward again. Kim rolls her eyes at his back. Little punk.

Soon enough, they reach Fields Groceries and Kim brings them to a stop, Luca hopping off and trudging in sullenly. After locking up her bike she also steps inside, the bell above the door signaling her entrance.

"Afternoon Mr. Fields," she greets as Luca browses the chocolate aisle.

"Kimberly," Mr. Fields returns with a nod of his permanently Vietnam Vet Cap clad head. "What's the 411 for today?"

Mr. Fields was...an interesting one. For one, he wore his cap in hopes of someone starting a conversation on the war, to which he'll always launch his spiel of how disastrous a mistake Vietnam was, not really because of political inclination, but because the man loved drama. Seriously. Whatever was the hottest gossip of the rez, Mr. Fields was the one to go to for a scoop.

"Nothing much," Kim answers as she retrieves her apron and ties it on.

Mr. Fields makes a noise of disappointment and returns to reading his tabloid.

"Is the hag asleep?" Luca asks Mr. Fields as he takes a bite out of a twix bar.

"Luca," Kim sighs tiredly, rubbing at her eyes. What was she going to do with this boy?

"Should be," Mr. Fields grunts, licking his finger to flip a page. The "hag" the two of the were referring to happened to be Mr. Fields wife, Mrs. Fields. She stayed in the couple's trailer behind the store, and didn't do anything more than watch t.v. and argue with Luca over what they would watch on t.v.. In case you hadn't connected the dots, she was the one who "watched" Luca while Kim worked.

Luca nods and reaches for a Snickers bar to take with him as well.

"Only one," Kim reminds him sternly. Luca meets her gaze with a glower of his own, but Kim doesn't back down.

"I'm not fat like you, I can eat whatever I want!" Luca shouts angrily before storming out the back to the trailer.

Kim's face burns in humiliation. It was true, she had been cursed with wide hips and a larger bust that she went to great pains to hide beneath baggy shirts and pants, but it seems she's failed in hiding her hideous body.

"Don't listen to him, Kimberly," Mr. Fields speaks up, not looking up from whatever article he was reading. "You have a wonderful figure, you just need serious fashion counsel."

Kim purses her lips and silently walks to the registrar, where she notes the deduction from her pay for Luca's snack.

Mr. Fields finally looks at her.

"Kimberly, I've told you, there's no need for that," the older man sighs.

Kim just shakes her head and jots the numbers down. She didn't accept charity.

For the rest of the afternoon, Kim takes care of the shop as Mr. Fields either reads or gossips with customers. She usually tunes this out, but today, a particular conversation catches her attention.

"I'm telling you Terry, there's something wrong with Sam Uley," Mrs. Norris, another notorious gossiper sniffs. "Have you seen him lately? I don't think even steroids can make a man so big!"

Kim pauses in restocking doritos to listen. Sam Uley had graduated already as he was a year ahead of them, but he was one of Jared's close friends back when he was still at school.

"Didn't he break up with his girl to go after her cousin?" Mr. Fields muses. "Maybe he's trying to impress the new dame."

"Even if that were true, there's no way you can get so...so muscular so quick!" Mrs. Norris exclaims. "There's something fishy going on Terry, I'm telling you."

Kim slowly stocks the doritos. Could Jared's disappearance have anything to do with Sam Uley? She had absolutely no evidence for this claim other than Sam and Jared were casual friends but...No, she needed to stop herself now, before thought herself into another rabbit hole.

Taking a deep breath, Kim refocuses and moves on to Cheetos.

Tomorrow would officially be the 14th day that Jared had walked off the face of the planet. Much of the student populace had moved on from teasing rumors to genuine worry over his sudden vanishment.

Kim could barely eat.

"C'mon Kim," Tessa urges her encouragingly. "This lemon sponge cake is really delicious, give it a try!"

She just shakes her head and returns to stabbing at her salad lifelessly. What if Jared was terribly sick? What if he had been kidnapped? What if he was dea-

"You know, maybe this is a good thing," Mark suddenly comments. Kim's eyes flash up to his angrily.

"What do you mean by that?" she asks in a low voice, her eyes narrowed.

"You can take this time to finally get over that jerk," Mark huffs, looking away from her gaze and down to his own food.

Kim straightens in her seat and glares at her friend.

"How is he a jerk?" she asks, unable to help feeling offended.

Mark stiffens but doesn't look up or say anything. To her surprise, Zoey speaks up.

"Infatuation has a tendency of only allowing us to view the person of our desires with rose-tinted glasses," Zoey says slowly. "Jared has hurt many people in ways you're unaware of?"

"What are you talking about?" Kim asks impatiently.

"In seventh grade, Jared outed me to all his friends when he joked that because no guy wanted me, I had to turn to girls," Tessa blurts out bitterly. "It was after that I was bullied for being gay."

Kim's mouth falls open at this confession. She had known Tessa was bullied for her orientation, of course she had, but she had never known that Jared had been the one to start it all.

"In eighth grade, Jared asked me out in front of all his friends," Zoey adds in a quiet voice. "He told me to meet him at first beach at 9 pm. During the winter. I went and he never showed up. The next day he and all his friends laughed at me when I asked why he hadn't come like he promised."

Kim feels as if the axis of her world has quite literally tilted. Surely they could not be speaking of her Jared Cameron...he would never do anything so...so despicable.

"I have my fair share of fond memories of Jared," Mark says sarcastically. "But I think you get the point. He's not the knight in shining armor you've made him out to be."

"You can do so much better, girl," Tessa says with a faint smile.

"Why didn't any of you tell me this sooner?" Kim asks faintly, trying her hardest to hold her tears back.

"Didst thou but know the inly touch of love, thou wouldst as soon go kindle fire with snow as seek to quench the fire of love with words," Zoey quotes airily.

Mark furrows his brows. "Huh?"

"It doesn't matter," Kim cuts in, feeling a strange sort of numbness wash over her. "It's not like I ever loved Jared. It was just a stupid crush."

Tessa raises a questioning brow. "Was?"

Kim nods. "Was."

Mark grins widely. "I knew you'd come to your senses eventually!"

When she goes to the library after yet another English class with no Jared, Kim returns to the Ancient Greek section and randomly pulls out a book.

In her hands is the play, Medea.

As she begins to read the age-old tragedy, a tightness in her chest is born and grows with each line she reads. She is not married to Jared, nor does she have any children with him, and yet the betrayal Medea feels burns Kim the same way it did realizing that the Jared she knew and dreamt about was all made up in her head.

How could she been so stupid?

As she reads the play, this line in particular sticks out to her.

MEDEA: Love, did you say? It is a mighty curse.

Oh Medea, Kim sighs sadly to herself, tracing the Greek woman's pained words with a single finger. How much pain you would have been saved from if you had realized that love is just a cruel trick our stupid hearts try to play on us.

Kim's already low mood plummets when she sees how hard it's raining. They'll have to take the bus for sure.

Pulling out her umbrella from her bag, she opens up the peach-colored lifesaver and walks across the street to La Push Elementary. Luca usually came out fairly quickly, but today of all days he was taking his sweet time.

Kim impatiently shifts her weight on her feet as young children and their parents walk around her. It was not yet even October, but with the steady fall of rain, the afternoon temperature was more than chilly, and Kim was beginning to grow antsy.

Finally, she catches sight of Luca's big head as he prances out the main entrance with his friend Ethan.

"Luca!" Kim calls to get his attention. Luca tugs Ethan along and the two of them scamper towards her.

"Kim!" Luca greets cheerfully once he and Ethan are huddled under the umbrella. "Ethan invited me for a playdate. Can I go?"

Kim shakes her head. "I'm sorry Luca, but it's raining really hard and Ethan lives on the other side of the rez. You can always go over on the weekend."

Luca's young features darken dangerously.

"You always say no to everything!" Luca screams angrily. Ethan glances around awkwardly. "I'm sick of this, I hate you!"

It takes everything in Kim not to scream back at his stupid face.

"I don't care if you hate me or not," Kim hisses, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from a very uncertain Ethan. "We are leaving."

Luca punches her arm. It's not really the force of the blow that shocks her, but the fact that Luca wanted to physically hurt her. And he did.

"You're not my Mom," Luca spits, his eyes almost as black as her's as he stared at her with unabashed hatred. "Let's go, Ethan."

Kim just stands there dumbly as she watches her younger brother walk off towards the bus stop. She doesn't move even as she watches him climb onto the bus and retrieve her wallet he must have stolen this morning and pay for his fare.

She's too numb.

Eventually she forces herself to move, but she doesn't have the energy to ride her bike, so she simply drags it alongside her as she trudges back home, the rain soaking her to the bone.

He had taken her wallet without asking. Because he anticipated she would say no. And he didn't care about what she said.

Right before she turns on River Song Road, she glances at the trees beside her. It would be so easy. Just drop everything and melt into the forest. The only thing that stops her is the repulsion of becoming exactly who her Mother was.

Her little pity party is cut short, however, when she realizes her Dad's truck sat there in the driveway.

Running up to the porch, she tosses her bike aside and hastily lets herself in. Not caring that she was creating a puddle on the floor, she runs in and looks around wildly.

"Where's the fire?"

Kim whirls around with a gasp. Dad sat at the kitchen table, seemingly sober.

"I- I was just," Kim splutters trying to get a grip on the situation. Why was he home early, and more importantly, why was he sober?

"I got a call from your school counselor," he answers her silent question, which only creates a billion more.

"What...did she say?" Kim asks hesitantly.

Dad actually smiles at her.

"She said you're the top student of your year," he tells her, his voice actually proud. "She wants me to come in and sign a form that will get you a free S.A.T test. She said you have a full-ride to Seattle University practically in your hand."

From the start, Kim's very best subject was mathematics, a trait she most likely inherited from her accountant Father. The very same Father who also wanted her to grow up and become an accountant.

Kim takes a deep breath. Time for the shit show to begin.

"You don't have to do that," Kim says evenly. Dad immediately stiffens.

"Why is that?" he asks in a forcibly calm voice.

"Because I'm not going to college," Kim replies, bracing herself for the impact.

"And why the fuck not?" Dad roars, getting up from his seat so quickly his chair falls over.

"Because I have to stay here and take care of Luca!" Kim shouts exasperatedly.

"Fuck that kid!" Dad yells furiously. "You're gonna go to Seattle, and you're gonna become a goddamn accountant!"

"Become an accountant, and then what?" Kim taunts even though she knows she shouldn't. She's just too past the point to give a shit anymore. "Stumble around angrily, constantly drunk?"

If Dad had been drunk, there would have been a lot of yelling, cursing, and things being thrown around. But because he's sober, something even worse happens. He chooses the words that will cut you to your core

"You're as stupid of a whore as your fucking mother was," he tells her as his entire body shakes with fury. "You're gonna get married, get knocked up, and die as miserably as you lived. And you know what? I don't care anymore. Should have known since you look just like that cunt, you'd end up the same way too."

By the time he finishes, her nails are digging so deeply into her palms that her skin nearly breaks. If there was something Kim hated in this world, was any association of her to her mother.

I am nothing like her Kim reminds herself vehemently. Never was, never will be.

Kim tenses as he walks out of the kitchen, but he walks past her to the door. Just when she thinks he's going to get the hell out, he pauses and looks back at her.

"And Kimberly? Don't think as soon as the boy gets the chance, he won't spit on your face and desert you."

Kim has no response to this, her mind replaying the events that had happened outside the elementary school. No mental assurances that dad was wrong speaks up. His words weigh her down until she feels as if she's about to collapse.

The reverberations from the door being slammed shut is so strong, she feels her ribs rattle amongst the hollowness of her chest.

The short walk to her room is a daze, and the bleak hours melt into one another as Kim cries her pathetic heart out. By the time her eyes dry out, she's trembling from hunger, exhaustion, and a poisonous mix of anger and sadness, but she can't move from her spot curled up on her bed.

She hates herself unspeakably for this, but in this moment where she's stuck in this deep pit, she can't help but yearn for Jared. She knows, she knows fairytales are just tales of fiction, woven together with grandiose lies, and yet still she imagines Jared appearing on her balcony, sliding the glass door open and sliding her into his arms.

The sun disappears and neither Jared nor anyone else comes to rescue her from herself. She expected nothing different, but it's just another brick in her face reminding her how truly alone she really was in the world.

She's nearly fallen asleep when the home phone downstairs rings. Kim wants nothing more than to ignore the shrill noise and finally let her mind shut down, but she's reminded of Luca, who still isn't home and it's dark outside.

"Fuck!" Kim curses loudly as she springs out of bed and sprints downstairs. Breathlessly, she picks up the ancient machine.

"Hello?"

"Kim," Ethan's Mom greets cheerfully. "How are you?"

"How's Luca?" Kim blurts, her anxiety battling with her self-hatred for having the audacity to forget her baby brother.

"Oh, he's fine!" Mrs. Farrow reassures her, slightly surprised. "I just wanted to call and ask if he could sleepover. It's late already and they're both pretty cozy."

Kim opens and closes her mouth. Luca has never slept over at anyone's house before, she's never allowed it. And to allow him to sleep over tonight, when he had school tomorrow? It was preposterous. But then she looks around the dark house, and then thinks of Luca over at his friend's place, happy and surrounded by light.

"Sure," Kim answers flatly. "Should I drop off some pj's?"

"He and Ethan are around the same size," Mrs. Farrow says kindly. "I'm sure I'll find something that'll fit. Any specific bedtime routine?"

"No screen time after 8," Kim lists off robotically. "And he has to have a glass of milk before bedtime, which is sharply at 9. Also you have to make sure he flosses both rows of teeth."

Mrs. Farrow laughs pleasantly.

"Sounds good," she says agreeably. "Have a good night, Kim."

"You too," Kim mumbles as she hears the line go dead.

Because Luca has her wallet, Kim has no money other than her emergency fund hidden away in her college. The cold temperature and heavy rain makes Kim almost reconsider using said fund several times, but finally she forces herself out of the house and onto her bike.

That money was for Luca, not for her.

Needless to say, she's in anything but a good mood as she stalks to her locker, desperate to strip some of soaking layers.

Mark is standing in front of her metal storage space, and Kim sighs internally. She doesn't have the energy for conversation today.

"Good morning, Kim," Mark greets cheerfully as she approaches the maroon locker. "How are you today?"

Kim just nods her head as she fiddles with her lock. Mark takes this as a positive response and continues speaking.

"That's good. By the way, I have something really cool to tell you! Last night I was reading and I found out that-."

Kim tugs down her lock, but of course the fucking thing jams. Could nothing go right in her shitty life?!

"Find out what?" Kim snaps, looking up at Mark who's staring across the hallway with his jaw hanging open. Frowning, Kim turns around and nearly passes out.

Walking down the hall was Jared Cameron, except it wasn't Jared Cameron. It was an insanely tall, muscular GQ model that happened to have the face of Jared Cameron. Kim and Mark weren't the only ones to notice this drastic transformation. In fact, as Jared made his way far too gracefully for his too-big frame to allow, the throngs of students automatically parted to clear a path for the annoyed looking Jared.

If Jared was a magnet before, he was a nuclear power plant now, and Kim was a single hydrogen ion.

When he walks by her and Mark, Kim can't help but feel as if she's momentarily surrounded by a heat wave, but the moment passes and Jared is halfway down the hallway.

"What the hell," Mark breaks the silence between them. "Is he on steroids?"

"I...have no idea," Kim whispers, still stunned if she was being completely honest.

"Jesus Christ," Mark says under his breath. "Dude leaves for two weeks and comes back a super soldier. I don't trust like that."

Suddenly, her mind reminds her of a conversation she had overheard at work.

"I'm telling you Terry, there's something wrong with Sam Uley. Have you seen him lately? I don't think even steroids can make a man so big!"

Kim opens her mouth to share this information with Mark, but at the last second snaps it shut again. She wasn't a gossip, and she had no concrete evidence that Jared was involved with Sam Uley. She knew Jared wasn't the knight in shining armor she had made him out to be for so many years, but her heart still refused to believe that Jared would participate in anything...terribly wrong.

The five-minute warning bell goes off and Kim shakes her head. She needed to get to history.

They have a substitute in history, and are given a packet that they can work on together with a partner, due next class. This, of course, means that everyone spends the period excitedly speculating what had happened to Jared in the two weeks he was gone.

So far the theories Kim had overheard were:

-Abducted by aliens and experimented on

-Werewolf transformation

-Steroids (most popular one)

-Natural growth spurt (shockingly the least popular one, but this was personally what Kim believed)

-Abducted by the government and experimented on

-Sold his soul for a six pack (Kim was fairly certain he had one before he went Hulk Holgan, but she digresses)

There were several more far-fetched theories, but at the end of it, no one knew what had happened to Jared to the two weeks he had disappeared.

Stop thinking about him Kim tells herself as she tries to focus on her packet. You need to move on from this stuipd crush.

She's able to somewhat block out her classmates for the rest of the period and then she makes her way to physics.

Kim tries not to grimace at the very prominent scowl on Paul's face as she takes a seat beside him. Actually, if the guy wasn't so emotionally constipated, he could have passed as good looking with his sharp features and light brown eyes. Instead he's rabies embodied.

"Did you do the homework?" Paul barks once she's seated. Kim narrows her eyes at him.

"Yes," Kim answers stiffly. She was forcing herself to stop reading Greek tragedies and actually do her homework on ahead of time.

"I didn't," Paul snaps, features twisting further. Kim gives him her best and how is that my problem? face.

"Oh, fuck you!" Paul suddenly yells, springing up and making Kim stiffen in fear. Paul was an asshole, but he wasn't a menace, and Kim genuinely didn't know how to react Everyone in the class looks up in surprise, and the bell also decides to ring at that moment, drawing their teacher in.

"Class has started, Mr. Lahote," Mrs. Binning remarks offhandedly.

"Fuck this class," Paul snarls, shaking violently. A collective gasp goes through the room.

"You bitches think you can be the next Rachel Black or something?" he demands angrily. "Well let me tell you something, she's probably a crack whore in Seattle and you all will end up the same!"

"What on earth-" Mrs. Binning is interrupted by Paul storming out of the classroom.

"I...I'm sorry for that," Mrs. Binning stutters, holding up a hand to her pale face. Looking away from the door and to the table she was forced to share with Paul, Mrs. Binning looks at Kim.

"Kimberly, do you what triggered Paul to burst out like that?" Mrs. Binning asks exasperatedly. Kim's face burns as the entire class turns around to look at her.

"I'm not sure," Kim is able to answer in thankfully a steady enough voice. Mrs. Binning shakes her head and launches into a lecture on respect and self-control, even though the guy who actually needs to hear it isn't present.

The class drags by and finally Kim makes it to anatomy where Kim pours through the textbook on muscle growth and development as the teacher lectures on the sleep cycle. Her innocent assumptions about Jared's growth spurt aren't really backed by science, but she could admit she was just scraping the barrel.

Lunch is a whole new fiasco. Jared, it seems, as decided to cast away the fantastic five as he moodily chows down an unholy amount of food. Clara and Sandra gaze and Jared's long figure longfully while the Woodson twins glare at him in betrayal.

"Holy shit," Tessa whistles. "That's a beefcake if I've ever seen one."

"Indeed," Zoey agrees. "Do you think Jared has joined the occult?"

"Oh, please," Mark scoffs, strangely not asleep during lunch for once. "That's a clear case of steroids if I've ever seen one."

"Steroids wouldn't work so quickly," Kim counters quietly, not removing her eyes from Jared's back. His back, what was once the most familiar part of Jared to her, now looked like a stranger's.

"What do you think it is, Kimberly?" Zoey asks curiously. Tessa and Mark look at her to gauge her answer as well.

"It doesn't matter," Kim replies, picking up her peanut butter and jelly (both made by her, by the way) sandwich. "Jared Cameron has nothing to do with me."

"That's the spirit," Mark encourages with a bright smile. Kim ignores the look Zoey and Tessa share.

Mark chatters happily to her as they make their way to home ec, and Kim tries to listen to him, she really does, but she's still shaken by the events that happened in her house yesterday and has a difficult time responding. Mark doesn't seem to notice and continues chattering about blackholes.

Even though they arrive to 5th period fairly early, Jared has beat them. Kim's heart nearly skips straight out of her chest as when she walks in and finds him seated with his massive arms folded across his wide chest, his handsome face clouded as he sat deep in thought.

Pulling her hair hastily over her shoulder, Kim makes her way quickly to her seat.

Life just wasn't fair. Kim finally makes the decision to get over Jared, and he comes back looking like that. Could you blame her for her red cheeks? She needed to listen to a Lana song before she lost her entire cool.

Realizing Mark has been silent since they walked in, she glances over and finds him watching Jared through narrowed eyes. Before she can get him to knock it off, Sandra walks in.

"You can't keep avoiding me," Sandra says once she's standing in front of Jared. The muscles of Jared's back tense momentarily before relaxing once more.

"I'm not avoiding you," Jared answers. Kim can't help but feel lightheaded at the new deeper timbre of his voice. God hated her, that was for sure.

"Not avoiding me?" Sandra cries incredulously, blue eyes wide. "What do you call telling us the four of us you don't want to eat lunch with us anymore?"

"It means," Jared says through gritted teeth. "I don't have the patience for your bullshit anymore. Now be quiet, I'm too tired to listen to your shrill voice."

Sandra gasps, and Kim can't help but feel sorry for her as tears fill her eyes. She ducks her head, straight blonde hair momentarily hiding her face.

"It's like I don't even know who you are anymore," Sandra hisses, snapping her head back up to glare at him. Jared shrugs nonchalantly. With an agitated shriek, Sandra storms out of the classroom.

Kim wonders why fleeing the classroom in a fit of rage was becoming a common motif amongst her peers.

Class soon begins and there's an air of tension in the classroom as everyone not so covertly stares at Jared.

Remembering how she feels when too many people look at her, Kim removes her eyes from Jared's back and focuses on her worksheet that explains the proper etiquette of forks. Jared was just as human as the rest of them, and deserved his privacy.

But does he? A snobbish voice in her head contests. Have you forgotten what he's done to your friends?

Kim clenches her jaw and takes a deep breath through her nose. That's right. Screw Jared Cameron!

Unfortunately her next class is with him as well, and Kim follows him at an awkward distance to English. Luckily, her legs are so much shorter than his that she couldn't walk closely to him if she even tried.

When she finally enters the classroom, Jared is arguing with Mrs. Delosua.

"I've been gone for two weeks," Jared reminds her angrily. "I can't take this reading quiz!"

"It is the student's responsibility to keep up with coursework during absences," Mrs. Delosua sniffs. "And because your parents did not turn in a doctor's note, I cannot excuse you from the quiz."

"That's because- ugh. Forget it," Jared sneers, marching to his desk and pulling out Hamlet from his bag. Instead of reading it however, he just glares at it.

Uneasily, Kim makes her way to her seat beside him. Jared doesn't pause in trying to set his play on fire even when she walks past him, nor when she sits down

Back in 9th grade, she and Zoey had gone through a Shakespeare phase where they had read his greatest hits, including Hamlet. Kim was fairly confident in her memory of the play, enough that though she didn't review any of her notes yesterday due to an unscheduled mental breakdown, she knew she would do well on the quiz. Jared on the other hand…

Is NOT your problem Kim reminds herself sternly.

Mrs. Delosua passes out the quizzes and Kim begins to gingerly fill in her answers. Delosua is particularly cruel today, because the quiz isn't even multiple choice, it's short answer, meaning there's no way you can guess the answer.

She's about halfway through the front when she realizes that Jared's huge form is looming too close to her. Because he's now so big, he doesn't really fit properly into the desks anymore, and so he sits at an angle, his long legs folded in her direction. But now it's not just his legs that are next to her, his face is inching closer too. Before she can freak out, her mind connects the dots.

He was trying to cheat off of her.

Talk about crossroads. Did she stick to her convictions and cover her answers? Did she listen to her heart and let him see?

Why oh why could she not have gone to a girls only Hogwarts?

Kim then remembers a line from the very play they were being quizzed on.

"This above all: to thine own self be true."

These were the facts: Kim thought Delosua was being unfair for making Jared take a quiz on his first day back after being gone for 2 weeks. She also knew that she would think it would be unfair to anyone else, and that if she was in Jared's seat, she would be eternally grateful if someone helped her out.

And so Kim moves her arm and tilts her paper so that it's easier for Jared to read.

Unable to help herself, she glances over at him. He looks up from hastily scrawling what she had written and their eyes meet. It's as if she watches his pupils dilate in slow motion. Jared's pencil falls from his fingers and lands loudly on the floor. At the front, Delosua twitches, but doesn't wake up from her impromptu nap.

Embarrassed at getting caught staring, Kim quickly ducks her head. But Jared doesn't pick up his pencil. Or look away from her. Even though her hair is hiding her face, Kim can feel his eyes on her like they're gamma rays.

Is there something on my face? Kim thinks desperately. Looking into her reflection on the window beside her, she sees nothing on her face beside what's supposed to be there. She makes the mistake of looking at Jared's mirrored image as well, and feels her face burn at the...dazed expression on his face? She didn't know if that was the right word to describe how he looked at the moment, only that she had never seen someone stare at someone else like that before.

Maybe..her answers were off? Picking up her paper and bringing it close to her face, she hastily skims through her answers but finds nothing outrageous. Her hands tremble slightly as she lowers her quiz back to her desk.

Dear lord in heaven above me, I am BEGGING you to explain to me what the hell is going on right now.

Kim takes in a shaky breath and glances over at Jared again. Big mistake.

A large, goofy smile spreads across Jared's face, his long dimples making their appearance in his cheeks as his lips stretched apart.

Kim tries to smile but it comes out more of a grimace. Maybe Mark was right, Jared was doing hard drugs, because that was the only plausible explanation for this situation.

His brain cells have been damaged beyond repair Kim tries to reason with herself as she picks up her pencil and resumes filling out her quiz. This is him trying to show gratitude while high as a kite.

She's only halfway through the next question when Jared suddenly reaches out and sweeps her hair back behind her shoulder. Kim sits absolutely frozen, face probably looking like a stunned guppy as Jared's fingers gently brush against her cheek as he tucks stray strands behind her ear. Once her hair has been removed, his fingers begin to gently trace a line upwards then downwards on her flaming cheek.

I think I'm about to have a heart attack.

"Mr. Cameron, is there any reason why you are stroking Miss. Conweller's face during an individual assessment?"

Ok heart attack, now would be a good time to happen. I'll even settle for a stroke.

Jared doesn't answer. In fact, he seems to ignore her completely as he continues to touch her face, his eyes never once looking away from her. When a nervous laughter rings through the class, Kim hastily slaps his hand away and shuts her eyes tightly.

Hades, if you're there, please open up the Earth and let me fall straight to hell. That would be better than this.

"I am speaking to you Mr. Cameron," Mrs. Delosua repeats acidicly as she gets up and walks towards them.

"Huh?" is all Jared says, still not looking away from her. The class laughs a little louder this time. Kim is tempted to pry the window open and jump out.

Delosua snatches up Jared's quiz and reads it before doing the same with Kim's. Perfect. The one time Kim broke a rule in school, and she's caught.

"Since you like staring at Miss. Conweller and her answers, you can continue to do so in detention today," Mrs. Delosua tells Jared angrily.

"OK!" Jared agrees happily. This time the class is too stunned to even laugh.

Kim, on the other hand doesn't find this funny.

"P-please Mrs. Delosua, I can't do an after school detention!" she practically cries. "I have-"

"That's enough!" Mrs. Delosua snaps. "If detention is inconvenient for you, you should have thought about that before cheating."

This time Kim's eyes burn along with her cheeks. Who was going to take Luca home?

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Kim jumps so high in her seat that her knees collide against the desk painfully. Shocked, Kim looks up at a fuming Jared that's stood up to his full height and is glaring at Mrs. Delosua like he's about to tear her apart.

"You can't speak to her like that!" Jared practically roars. "Apologize to…"

Everyone watches in bafflement as Jared momentarily trails off. Sheepishly, he turns to Kim.

"Hey, uh, what's your name?" he asks timidly. The class is anything but timid as everyone bursts out into hysterics.

Every ounce of embarrassment Kim has felt in the past 5 minutes transforms into a sharp rage. How fucking dare he humiliate her so terribly when she was simply trying to help him.

"Sit down Jared," Mrs. Delosua sighs. "The both of you get zeroes."

Jared complies and returns to staring at her, although this time his expression is remorseful.

Kim has to resist the urge to kick him in said face.

It was official.

KIM CONWELLER WAS OVER JARED CAMERON!

A/N:

Ok, even though I said I wouldn't ramble as much, this chapter is longer than the last. Sorry, I will definitely work the length. Besides that, we finally got to the imprint, yay! There will be a whole lot more Jared now :)

Review Responses:

Guest: Glad you do :)

Sara: Thank you! And yes, I do trust my readers, in fact I love them a lot. I hope you continue to enjoy Kim's growth as a person.