The Odd One In

Chapter Two


She was walking home, her bag swinging haphazardly near her feet. She held it by the arm strap, near the top of the bag, and allowed it to swing. Rather than head home, her feet took her to the closer destination, Laura's house.

It was probably flu season, she thought. Honestly she didn't exactly know when flu season was, but it could be theoretical. Just like how her cousin would declare random days as 'opposite day' when the situation suited it. Usually it was when Kim was grouchy and snapped at the closest moving object, whether it be person, plant or animal.

First Laura is sick – which is a pretty big deal, since Kim could count the number of times her friend had been sick on one hand – then Jared, and, according to April, Paul, too. It was substantially odd, and she only hoped she didn't catch a cold as well, since Mr. Harbour would most definitely ask her to help Jared catch up… well, only if he was gone for a day or so, more than a week she knew he would give him a booklet to complete so as to not 'inconvenience' the other students (this she knew from personal experience, when she and her family took an extra week off of spring break last year and had him for geography).

Her feet dragged her up a street, and right up a set of concrete sets until they stopped in front of the faded, peeling blue door. With a sigh, Kim raised her fist, hesitated a moment to glance at the driveway, checking to make sure her parents weren't home, before she slammed it against the door, making it rattle.

"Get up, you lazy ass!" She called out, loud enough for the neighbours to accurately hear. She continued to assault relentlessly, growing only more irritated as the light drizzle that had started up before school finished decided to pick it up. "I'm getting soaked! Open up!" She slowed down her fist, but only to increase the strength between each hit. "WAKE UP!" She screamed loudly, and when she went to hit the door once more, it suddenly opened, and her momentum tossed her inside.

"The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing. Here." The question was more of a croaked statement, and as Kim gathered her bearings, and turned around, she saw her friend, tall, pretty Laura, with russet skin and curly dark hair (from her mother's side). Laura stared at her listlessly, and Kim could honestly say that she had never seen a more sick person in her entire life.

"I missed you?" She tried, but when Laura just shuffled over to her living room, where a box of tissue's (and a mountain of used ones) lay (or discarded). She picked up the box, pulled a Kleenex out, and pushed it against her nose, before blowing hard enough to resemble a blow horn.

"I feel like shit." Of course, the only response Laura could make; she felt like shit. Suddenly, Kim felt like abusing her choice of words, but seeing the dark bags and stuffed, red nose, she thought better of it. Laura sniffed, before collapsing on the tissue-covered couch.

"When you texted me this morning I didn't think you were this bad." Kim noted, before shrugging out of her jacket and retreating to Laura's kitchen, with full intent of making food (warming up some soup was doable). "Any preferences?" She called from the kitchen, but Laura didn't respond. Ah, oh well, at least she wouldn't feel like telling Laura – again – about Jared.

This of course led to her thinking about him which made her want to talk about him. About how his dark eyes seemed to smoulder whenever she got the fortune of seeing them, of how good-looking he was, of how funny he was, of how sweet, of how she was certain that if she were to run a hand along that chest of hers, she would not be disappointed.

With a low groan, she opened the soup cupboard in the kitchen and reached in, before pulling out with a can of chicken soup. Thoughts like that were going to make her drool, and there was nothing more disgusting than someone else's drool in your soup. Not that she would know from experience, but she was sure that it would be pretty disgusting.

Missing today, but that was okay; he was sick, not often, but he was sick occasionally. It wasn't the end of the world (no matter how much her heart might say it was), he was going to be back either tomorrow or the day after. Then she'd be able to see him and-

She was not a creep!

God, why couldn't she stop thinking about him? He never even spoke to her, well, there was that one time in grade seven when he asked her to borrow a pencil, but other than that? She couldn't remember him speaking a single word to her. Not one, and she knew the exact sentence he had used back then.

Thankfully, she hadn't noticed or cared about Jared in that way… yet. She would probably be insane by now. Kim set the soup can on the light green linoleum countertops, before rummaging through the drawer underneath it for the can opener. She finally found it, and set to work on unsealing the soup.

When had it started? Really? She knew he wasn't the best looking kid, or, he hadn't been, so why? What was so appealing about Jared that she had to put herself through this torture? Her mind searched for the first time she realised she liked him, (which coincidently made her realise that she probably always had a slight crush on him).

But what was the starting point?

There, such a half-forgotten memory that she might as well have forgotten it. Back in a time when girls and boys didn't exist, when everyone was a potential friend, and there was no such thing as crushes or boyfriend or girlfriend. She had fallen, scraped her knee and had begun to cry, but he had come up, and made sure she was okay – if she remembered correctly, he was playing some sort of hero game.

Her own hero – no wonder she carried a crush all the way until now.

That didn't answer her question though. She realised she liked him because Laura had actually become girly and started to talk about a guy she liked. Imagine that, when all of the 'symptoms' matched Kim's reactions and feelings towards Jared.

Stupid Laura.

When the hell had it started! Now that she thought on it, it just seemed to be getting worse and worse since grade eight. Three years, and now she felt like she was going to burst! It was so not cool to be pinning over a guy like this, but what does she do? Freak out when he missed one class?

She was in love with him.

With a curse she searched the kitchen for a pot, and upon finding one, she dumped the soup in it and set it on the burner until it would heat up enough to clear Laura's congestion. Worried and still preoccupied, she reached into the cupboard above Laura's fridge, the medicine cabinet, and pullet out a variety of medicine's out, before placing what Laura seemed to have and selecting one, she shoved the rest back.

She was going to go insane.

With a silent resolution, she promised herself that the next time she saw Jared, she would talk to him, actually talk-

But what if he doesn't like her?

She shook her head to banish such traitorous thoughts. No, she couldn't be thinking like that at all. He was going to like her, because if he didn't she would be absolutely devastated. The person you love hating you? She was not going to end up being as some sad old cat lady because the person she can't have ends up with someone else. She was going to be the heroine in this story, dammit!

And if he did end up hating her, she would much prefer to crawl into a hole and die for a few months.

Laura would probably bury her; April might dig her up.

As she absentmindedly watched the soup heat, bottle of medicine next to her on the counter, she began to ponder on what she would do, say, if he hated her, or rejected her-

She knew her answer.

She'd get the hell out of La Push and live so hard she wouldn't be able to remember or won't have time to remember. Then, when she hopefully met someone else, she could laugh at her younger self.

But before that she would die in a hole for a day… or a week. Laura might get pissed off at the smell if she kept it up for too long. But after that… well, she wasn't a masochist; she'd get out there, move on… eventually. That, and her ego would probably take a massive hit and she might never again have a crush and had a few dysfunctional relationships before she found the 'one'.

She turned the burner off, noting that she forgot to stir it, but not caring enough to do anything about it. She had to stop thinking so negatively; not that many people hated her, or 'didn't like' her. They were either neutral, thought she was annoying, or liked her. Fingers crossed he was in the 'like her' section.

Finding a bowl in Laura's mess of a kitchen was harder than it seemed, but when she did, she poured the soup in, found a spoon, dropped it in, then carried it and the medicine to where Laura was, predictably, sleeping on her couch.

She placed both items on the glass coffee table before rudely poking her friend in the cheek. It didn't work, so Kim shoved her instead.

"wha, hah na," The girl murmured through her sleepy haze. Kim rolled her eyes, but felt significantly dispirited after her depressing thoughts.

"Laura," She called out in a clear voice. "Wake up, I got some soup and some medicine." The girl murmured again, so Kim shoved her again, and this time it had a more desired effect, as Laura swung her hand out to hit Kim upside the head. Kim, rubbing her head, backed off with a small whine of pain.

Laura shifted, until her eyes landed on the soup and the medicine, before forcing out a coarse, "Thanks. You goin'?"

"Yeah. Mom might try to rip apart Smartie."

"That thing's disgusting." She muttered before pressing her face deep into the pillow. The blanket she had been previously using was on the floor, so Kim, being the nice girl that she was, picked it up and threw it on top of her. Laura muttered another thank you, and Kim left. After all, if she ended up sick, she wouldn't be able to see Jared tomorrow.

And finally talk to him.

Hopefully.

Maybe she should stay, just to make sure Laura would be okay, and who knows? Contract whatever sort of disease she had and miss the next few days? She could use a day off…

No, she already made her mind up, and that was something that was hard to change. Without another word, as she was sure Laura was probably asleep already, she picked up her jacked, looked at her feet, realising she never took off her shoes – oops – and left, heading home.

It was decided. She would start that beautiful relationship with Jared tomorrow! Or the day after, whenever he got back. She would do it, even if it takes another entire period to pep talk herself into doing so.

Little would she know, that she wouldn't see him again for two weeks.


Three days had passed, and Kim was officially worried. Jared hadn't been in, and it was already the weekend, Saturday to be specific. According to Mr. Harbour he was violently sick, and the thought of her Jared-

Her Jared! She shook her head and then hid it, hoping to spare others the sight of her blood-red face. Since when had she started to think about him like that? "Huh? What's up, Kim?"

"I just called a person mine."

"Oh, Jared? Ha, that's funny." April teased, and Kim playfully hit her. The two were currently hanging out at April's house, or, specifically, April's backyard. "Now, enough, you hate it when I talk about Jeremy-"

"That's cause I prefer to watch my porn, not listen to it." Kim muttered, unintentionally reciting line she heard in an action movie once. April laughed aloud, and Kim followed shortly after.

"Damn, I mean, I know you've never had a boyfriend before, but to be that sexually repressed?" April joked, and Kim gave her a cheeky smile, glad that April fully understood that it was a complete joke, and that she didn't actually.

If she were to check on that in a few years, and still she had no boyfriend, it might actually apply, but not now, definitely not now. She was almost mortified to think about it, but more mortified to think she would probably like it. It was a battle of the wills, what with her wakening libido attacking her in full force.

"It's a shame, I know, but you can never beat the bodies on those men." Well, Jared could, she was sure of it, and pale, pasty skin was never to her tastes, - she only knew that because once she accidently tripped and fell into the 'adult' section of the movie rentals – Jared's rustic skin, however, now that was perfection.

The perfect tan without the UV radiation, who could beat that?

"Oh, I bet. That and the size of their dicks, no?" April joked once more, and though Kim was fully aware that April meant it as a joke – at least, Kim thought so – it was fun to make April sweat, so, without further ado-

"Holy shit, you actually watch that?" Kim said, widening her eyes and twisting her tone into disbelief. April grew red in the face and began to deny it vehemently. "You're one greedy slut, aren't you?" There, April, and on cue, April's eyes widened in realisation, before she laughed loudly.

"Now that's funny, Kim." She then stood up, brushed herself off. "It's almost two – Laura said she was going to meet up with us at two thirty to go shopping, right?"

Kim shook her head in the negative, "Laura said she needed a ride at two thirty, otherwise she would have met us there." April nodded with an 'oh,' that she dragged out. Kim smirked at her silliness, before standing herself and, without bothering to brush off her faded jeans of the non-existent dirt (they were sitting on her new deck) she reached down to pick up her tan, coarse purse. It wasn't the best looking thing out there, but she liked it that way.


Hands full of clothes, wallets completely empty of savings, Kim walked home with Laura, having been dropped off at April's house. Kim looked down at what she got, and smiled happily. She loved being comfortable more than most, and absolutely adored sweaters. Who wouldn't want to hug her if she was so cuddly?

Jared, that's who. But if he would just try, he might find he liked it.

"Adam's birthday is coming up." Laura mentioned, and immediately Kim's mind jumped to the only Adam she knew – Laura's adorable little brother. "I have no idea what to get him."

"I can give him a Smartie look-alike." Kim suggested, though it was all in good humour, because the look of complete disgust on Laura's face made it more than worth it.

"That thing's disgusting. Fuck. No." Laura shot down her joke, but it only made Kim smile even wider. Ah, Dear Laura, so rough around the edges and yet as strong as a rock. Her friend since before she could remember.

It was a pity Kim couldn't shake the habit of acting like a little kid around her. April she could act more like herself, but with Laura? She felt like she was falling back into an age-old habit she couldn't and didn't want to break. It brought back good times.

Laura glanced at her, before sighing, almost dramatically, but Laura never did anything dramatically. "Go on, I know you're dying to talk about him."

"He's been gone for three days." Kim started, not needing any more prompting. As usual, Laura looked like she wasn't even listening, but Kim knew she was, so her words continued to spill out anyway. "It's really annoying, actually, since the day that he was sick I finally motivated myself enough to talk to him the next time I see him, but now apparently I won't be able to see him for at least a week!"

April would have blandly muttered a sarcastic 'pity', and the two would have begun to tease each other once more, but Laura was as serious as one could get, and really, it was the only time Kim felt like a little kid. She didn't know why, but she acted differently around Laura. Maybe it was because the girl's moods rubbed off too much, or maybe it was just because Laura wasn't the type to joke around like Aril was.

Whatever the reason, she acted more like an annoying kid whenever she talked to Laura.

But, oh well, it was nice too feel little again, like Laura could do all the hard work, and she could just have fun.

"Oh, and by the way, don't leave any pies around your house or I will throw it against the wall" Kim added, as an afterthought. Laura made an amused sound at the back of her throat, before biting out an amused 'why'. Kim, with a smirk on her face, answered. "Cause last night I watched this movie where this dude masturbated using one, and I am thoroughly scarred." Then, without further ado, Kim waved goodbye to her shocked friend, before turning down her street, leaving Laura alone.

She cackled all the way home.

Absentmindedly, she wondered if Jared would have laughed too.


A/N: A few sexual jokes, I know, but these people are teenagers, and at least in my experience, we make sexual jokes, so if you're offended, sorry, but this was appropriatley rated T for TEEN. Ah, and I hope you guys are enjoying Kim's character (as well as April's and Laura's). Now, Smartie will be explained later, and for those who know what movie I'm talking about, kudos to you, if not, it's a reference to American Pie - very funny movie. Jared is going to appear next chapter! Yah!