"I'll see you after seventh hour," he says earnestly. He hugs me tightly to him without warning and I inhale his scent, the syrup and axe still apparent, but now I detect a slightly woodsy smell as if he'd been rolling in pine needles before he'd come to school. My heart pounds as he pulls away. I feel slightly drunk off of his scent.
"I-ah-bye!" I scurry away. Thinking until I slide into my desk in the Health room.
"Happy Monday," A cold voice calls from the back, "Here's a movie. Watch or not be quiet." I pull out my wolf picture and start shading as the movie begins to lull me to sleep.
I awaken shocked to the bell ringing loudly. I jump up packing away my things quickly and hurriedly leaving the classroom. I fall into a hard chest and two strong hands catch me as I begin to tumble to the floor.
"Sorry, I never watch where I'm going," I look up to see Quil's big, wide eyes looking down at me.
"Quil!" A yell rings out and I'm let go as soon as I am steady. His rough hands are up palms out. Jared looks furious his hands clenching and unclenching. I am shoved forward into him by Embry Call.
A small group of people is already forming around us anticipating a fight from Jared's angry yell. I wrap my arms around his neck instinctively to keep from almost falling once again.
"You still want to walk me home?" I stammer into his shoulder freaked out and confused by what's happening.. He laughs and wraps his arms around my waist making me feel safe, though slightly awkward.
Meanwhile the crowd is dispersing disappointed there was no real fight. Jared's friends look at us a while longer, and as we leave their cat calls are directed at our backs. Quil runs up next to us though.
"Jared, I didn't mean to earlier, you know? And just now I would've helped anyone of us. No hard feelings, right?" This is just getting more confusing. I hide behind my hair not wanting to interrupt their strange conversation.
"I don't know Quil. This is all confusing. I mean, I'm not mad right now," He looks at me as if it's supposed to tell Quil something, "But, I have a feeling I'll be pretty pissed off later to be honest," Jared's eyebrows furrow and his lip turn down. I decide this is my least favorite of his facial expressions.
"Alright man," he looks upset by Jared's answer, "Well, we can talk about it later," He turns and begins to jog back eventually disappearing into the woods that lined my way home. I decide to express my thoughts out loud to the smitten looking boy.
"So, is this going to be a prank?" I ask reluctant to get attached if I'm just going to end up hurt.
"What? No. Why? No one's done that to you before, right?" He looks concerned and slightly upset.
"It's just that you're really popular, and I'm not. At all," I point out to him. He smiles softly down at me before grabbing for my hand.
"I'd never hurt you like that Kim," His voice sounds sincere. Although, hand holding is only socially acceptable for couples my hand feels perfect in his. Just as I've imagined a numerous amount of times that it'd feel.
"Kimmie, will you let me take you out some time?" He looks nervous his confidence all but disappearing. I can feel my jaw drop and my eyes widen, but he continues to look at my determined to get an answer.
"When?" I say surprised by my own tone and how my own voice box has seemed to take the question in stride.
"This weekend Saturday," We are in front of my house now and he walks me to the door. I nod in agreement and lean into his hug reluctant to allow to leave. As I turn away to enter the house I feel a pull to follow him as he leaves the pouch.
"You going steady with that fine hunk of meat," I hear an exuberant voice call out of the kitchen. I laugh loudly.
"Not even close grandma," I say to the short woman displaying a wrinkled grin, while stirring the contents of a large pot. I can tell from her narrowed eyes that she's studying Jared's slow moving figure.
"Is that Jared Cameron?" My mother questions entering the small, cramped kitchen in her black work dress. I blush heavily and they both turn to me with mirroring expectant expressions.
"Yes," I say reluctantly. My grandmother squeals blabbering about how she may have grandchildren "While she's still up and kicking." My mother offers a caring smile.
"He asked me out for Saturday," My grandmother drops her spoon dramatically and my mom rolls her eyes picking it up and rinsing it off thoroughly in the sink before handing it back to her.
"After I'm done with this stew we'll go shopping," she exclaims her excitement making me nervous, but unable to ruin her joy I nod still planning on going as casual as possible. I make my way to my room and when I finally get in I glance into the mirror not seeing anything Jared would've been enamored about last week.
My eyes are wide and too close together on my quite broad face. My nose is buttoned and my permanently pouted lips always pink against my tan skin. Not even any make-up just plain me.
My phone sounds loudly from the back pack still on my shoulders. I answer it quickly surprised since the only two people that ever call me are in the house.
"Uhm, hello?" I say shyly unknown number on the other end.
"Hi Kim," I feel a small smile on my face as I recognize the voice, "It's me. Uh, Jared," he sounds apprehensive the deep voice is lost over the phone replaced by a squeakier one that somehow remains a part of him that I find myself enjoying.
"What's up?" My voice too has lost the confidence that had surprised me earlier.
"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to come over," His voice sounding so sweet that I almost forgot about the plans with my grandma.
"I can't today," I wince as he sighs over the phone, "I promised my grandmother I'd take her shopping. Tomorrow though, if that's okay?"
"Sounds great," I can hear the smile in his voice. He admits that he can't wait, and to be honest neither can I. I haven't felt the way I did walking with him since Christmas when I was a little girl. I pace around the room listening to his plan for tomorrow.
"Well, I'll let you get to your grandma," he sounds disappointed, "But I'll see you tomorrow." This farewell stings more than the last and I'm suddenly confused how I'd gotten so attached, and how he'd gotten my number…
