Can anyone guess who Kim ran into in the last chapter? You would be able to if you read Times of Change! Say if you know in the comments. I own nothing but the characters I created.

I drove myself home in my Honda Civic, pulling into the driveway and turning the car off. Remaining in the car for a few seconds longer, I rested my head back and grinned before squeezing my eyes shut, giving an embarrassing happy squeal. My thoughts were completely consumed by Jared Cameron as I finally got out of my car and walked to my front door, giddily.

I knew my mom, Amanda Daniels, wouldn't be home. She worked in Forks, so it took almost a half an hour to get home every night. This left me with the house to myself until she came sweeping in around five thirty. My older brother, Nick, used to take care of me after school until he moved to Seattle on a medical school scholarship. He had wanted to be a doctor practically since he'd been born.

Not that I minded, being home alone hadn't ever really bothered me. I welcomed the quiet after all day at La Push High, with complaining teenagers and whining cheerleaders. Maybe that was rude to think, but the truth behind my statement was obvious to anyone who had ever stepped into the building. Somehow, even with the reservations dwindling population, my peers still found ways to keep the drama coming. I just tried to keep my head down and be nice.

Sickeningly nice, Lyssa's voice echoed in my head, mocking me. My eyebrows knit together while I set my backpack on the couch. I wasn't sickening, besides what's so wrong with being nice? People always say it like it's unfortunate or something. I like being known as nice, though. Oh, you know, Kim, that nice girl in junior year? That identifier didn't seem all that condemning.

It wasn't the worst title. And not to stoop to name calling, but I'd heard a ton of people bestow Lyssa with her own monikers, much worse than 'nice'. Okay, that was definitely rude to think. I turned the stereo on, smiling at the sound of Fun. They were my favorite band and it was a source of pride to me that I had discovered them before they were playing at the top of the Billboards.

I took The Jungeout and finished that before starting dinner. My mom and I traded off on who cooked dinner and who did dishes and tonight was my night to cook. I decided to go with simple and easy pasta, mom's favorite and quick to prepare. I set the water on the burner and straightened up around the house while I waited.

I stopped at the picture on our mantle. Mom, her stomach swelling out, hugging the arm of a man I had never met. In the man's other arm was my older brother at age five. It had been taken a week before the man, my father, was killed in a construction accident. Mom was six months pregnant with me at the time. I sighed, running a finger over my father's face. Mom said we were both shy and sweet as honey.

Nick was six when I was born. He moved up the Seattle just after graduating high school and stayed for his post-grad training, but still called once a week and visited on all of his breaks or when he randomly decided it had been a bit too long since he last saw us.

I checked on the water and put the pasta in, letting the boiling water consume it.

When the pasta was set for a while, I went to my bookshelf, running my fingers over the spines, cherishing the feel of the paper under my fingers. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

Maybe Lyssa was right. I mean, I wasn't exactly Jared's type. My looks are far overshadowed by Dana Fuller's. Dana was a social butterfly, she flirted with all the boys and laughed with or at all the girls. She wasn't the most popular girl in school but she did well for herself. People knew Dana Fuller.

They didn't know Kim Daniels.

I could change. Be more outspoken, dress more fashionable, and trade in books and excellent test scores for friends and popularity. In a dream world, I'd probably even do it, but in reality, I didn't have the courage to just rewrite myself. Besides, I liked observing, not being watched. My clothes were comfortable, so what if they were plain? Books and test scores would give me an actual future, maybe even one as a professional writer which was what I wanted more than anything. High school was just that, four years of my life that would eventually come to an end.

The only part of this story that I wasn't content with was Jared Cameron's role in it. Since I was eight, I had honestly believed that one day I would end up with Jared. But I was 17 now. That dream was just becoming less and less realistic and even I was rational enough to see that. I wished I could get over Jared, honestly I did, my heart just refused to do so. It wasn't my fault.

I sighed, and finished the pasta just as my mother walked through the door.

"Kim Cam!" She yelled.

Silently, I walked into the living room, eyebrows raised. My mom was still in her stuffy work clothes, her hair tied back. She was grinning at me, wide and happy. "Hello, my love! What's for dinner?"

I smiled and hugged her, letting her squeeze me uncomfortably tight. "Hi Mom, pasta."

Mom pulled away, looking at my face long and hard before her eyebrows knit together, "What's wrong?"

I blushed, pulling away, "What are you talking about?"

"You might be able to trick everyone else but I went through eighteen hours of labor, Kim Cam, I know when you're upset. Now, what's wrong?" Mom explained, tucking some stray hair behind her ear.

"The usual." I said, shrugging. Mom nodded, her face sympatric. The thing about my mom and me was that we have always been on the same wavelength. There were no secrets between us because she could read my mind in a second, just like that. So she knew the usual meant something with either Jared Cameron or Lyssa. "Lyssa said some things, but you know her, she just doesn't think."

What Lyssa had said had made a pretty big impact, I supposed. She had managed to make me doubt Jared, something I rarely did. As my mom pulled me into the kitchen, I shook my head.

It may suck sometimes, but Jared and I clicked. I may not always like him or who he was with but it didn't matter. I promised myself I would wait as long as it took. And besides, as of today Jared at least knew I was alive, which was more than I'd had before. And it was a Monday, I love Mondays.

I felt a smile spread over my face and relaxed into my mother's grasp.