((Sorry that it took me sooo long to update. I've been…well, I don't really have an excuse. I've been preoccupied, I guess you could say, with some other stories that have popped into my mind, but that's not an excuse. I really like this story, so I won't abandon it. Anyhoo….reviews. Keep them coming! It helps fuel the writing! --runner))

Chapter 7

"So," Jared boomed, making me flinch as his voice seemed to echo through his truck. "Where to?"

"Take a right here," I mumbled awkwardly, my voice sounding timid and scared. He looked over at me with furrowed eyebrows, but I diverted my gaze, pretending to be engrossed with the contents outside the window, none of which I hadn't already seen. He obeyed, the scenery turning in a splatter of different colors before it focused again as the car headed down Main Street. I refused to turn and look at Jared, and meet his deeply concerned brown eyes that would just make me spill my guts out, and make Jared run away screaming.

"Kim?"

Why was he always asking that? It was as if he was apprehensive of the answer, like some response would break him. But he also seemed like he was genuinely, sincerely, worried. I wanted to hit my head against the window.

I turned towards him instead, placing a fake tranquil expression on my face. "Yes?"

He stared at me with some confused expression, like he was trying to read through me. Finally, he asked in a soft voice, "Turn left or right?"

"Right."

He nodded and executed the turn perfectly, as if his eyes were on the road, but they weren't. The perfect brown orbs focused on mine throughout the rest of the drive, never once looking away. They were mesmerizing, and I felt enveloped in their emotions, burying my own somewhere far away.

Agh! Why did Jared have to do that?!

"Kim, where do you want me to turn next?" He asked me in a soft voice, my heart melting. I had thought myself strong, but I was weak to his demeanor. I hadn't wanted myself to get hurt, but all the odds are pointing that way.

"Just go straight," I ordered, my voice coming out in a soft whisper. I quickly looked away from his entrancing eyes, staring pensively out the window while biting my lips with enough force to thrust me teeth threw the skin. Why did Jared have to be so hot?

"Kim, we're at the end of the road."

I looked around again, nodding with ascent as I recognized the familiar landscape. Around the edges of the road, it was surrounded by ferns, and there was a small trail that started just ahead. I quickly got out of the car, slinging my bag over my shoulder, and made my way towards the opening. I heard Jared's door close and he was suddenly right next to me, looking around with wide eyes.

"You've been here before?" I assumed as I took the lead down the narrow trail, carefully stepping and keeping my eyes on the ground so I would trip and fall.

"Yeah," he said, almost a bit breathlessly. "You come here to paint? You come to the Mystic Cliff?"

I rolled my eyes at the corny name, but nodded. "Yeah. I used to have a dog, and we were walking in the trails over towards the south, about half a mile from here, and he got loose. I chased him all the way here, and found the cliff."

I glanced back at him, catching his stare. I paused unexpectedly, causing Jared—much to my embarrassment—to crash into me as his eyes were on me, not thinking I would stop. We both fell to the ground, his weight on top of mine comfortably. It was complete silent for one moment as we both stared in shock at each other, Jared's face within centimeters of my own. I felt his breath, warm as the rest of his body was as it lay on my own body, hit my face, its forest like smell lithely slipping into my mouth, the tantalizing smell mouthwatering on my tongue.

"Kim," he breathed lightly.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My vocal cords seemed to be busted along with my heart, which seemed to be beating a marathon.

"Kim," he repeated.

Finally I mustered up the courage to say something. "What?" I asked.

"There's something I have to tell you."

My heart nearly stopped, and a cold sweat broke out on my back neck. I always told myself that he wouldn't love me, that I was only a pity pleader and he was just doing this because he was an amazingly kind human being with god like hair. But deep down, I had always wished for what you dreamed about as a little girl. I dreamed that he would sweep me off my feet like a fairytale, that he would be my happily ever after. I always dreamt subconsciously that he would someday realize that the timid girl who had been jumping up and down screaming after the first day of school when she realized that Jared Haida, the man of her dreams since forever ago, would be sitting right next to her.

And now he was going to tell me that he had to go, that we would work on the project together as students who were forced together, and nothing more. Now he was going to tell me about that girl he was talking to Sam about, that she was the one for him. And all I could do was lay here, beneath Jared, and take it all in.

"It's kinda…big," he said, biting his lip. For the first time in his life that I had seen, he actually looked nervous.

"Big?" I repeated in a whisper.

"Yeah."

It was silent for a long moment, possibly the longest in my entire life.

"What is it?"

He bit his lip, his eyes casting downwards as he avoided my eyes. I willed myself to gaze at his deep, brown, caring eyes, never releasing my gaze. "Jared," I breathed. His eyes darted to mine, widening when he saw my direct stare. I had never been this…confident. Even when, in this situation, there was hardly any other space to look at. "Please. Tell me." Just get it over with.

He sighed again, a long, torturous breath. "You've heard about the Quileute legends, right?"

Of course I've heard the legends, everything about the wolves and the souls of the native people. I nodded in confirmation.

"Good," he said, his warm breath with its musky, forest scent creeping into my mouth and grabbing at my senses. "Well, you know the…wolf legends?"

I nodded, confused on why he was giving me a history lesson. I'm pretty sure that every person who lives in La Push above the age of four knows the legends by heart. "Yeah. The legends say that our people are related to wolves. What does this have to do with anything, Jared? What do the wolves have to do with you?"

"A lot," he commented vaguely. I could feel his body shifting on top of mine with the nerves that he was somehow feeling.

"Do you plan on elaborating?" I asked with a bit of annoyance. I just knew that he was going to tell me to back off, that he has a girl that he likes. I just know that he's going to tell me that he's in love, and that I'm just dust. He didn't need to stall, as I was assuming he was when he was asking about the old legends. Most people didn't believe in those anymore; just the elders. And Sam, from what I've heard.

"Kind of," he answered.

"Jared…"

"I'm a wolf!" He blurted out all of a sudden, his words mixing together as his mouth continued. "I can turn into one. It's just me and Sam right now, but there are a lot of boys who have the potential, and it seems like they're getting dangerously close. I don't mean to worry you, but there's something about Evan. I don't know. Maybe I'm reading it wrong. But yeah, I can turn into a wolf. And…"

He continued, but I wasn't listening anymore. I don't think my ears were capable.

He expects me to believe that he's a wolf? An oversized animal that runs on four legs and has a snout? And fur? And is related to a dog? Does he think I'm stupid? Is he trying to pull one over on me? Did he and his idiotic friends get together and think, "Hmm, what stupid prank should we pull on Kim now?" How dare he think that I'm going to believe that he's a wolf?

For once I was glad that I was built the way I was. I quickly crawled out from under Jared, much to his surprise as he looked up at me with blatant shock, and started running back to the car. My heavy bag weighed me down, and I didn't care about anything at this point. Not pausing in my running, I swiftly took the strap off my shoulder and carelessly tossed it on the ground. I took off again, this time faster, and this time I heard pounding steps behind me.

"Kim! Wait! Where are you going? What's wrong? Geez, why don't you join the track team?" Despite his words of advice about me joining the track team, he easily caught up to me and kept up, running beside me and dodging all of the foliage. "Kim! What's wrong? What are you doing?"

Abruptly, I stopped. I was filled with anger, an emotion that was somewhat foreign to me. I usually didn't get angry; the other members of my family did that emotion more than enough, particularly Evan.

"Don't even try, Jared Haida! I have been in love with you since…since before I could remember, practically! And you just learned my name a week ago! I'm not going to stand here and pretend that you're in love with me! I'm done, okay! I wasn't born yesterday! Your guys' pranks are stupid, and immature. So just leave me alone. I am done with you, Jared Haida."

I turned, not looking back once, and left the forest, and Jared, behind.

Once I got back to my car, I wanted to bang my head against the steering wheel; I wanted to throw myself against the seat. I wanted to scream my head off. But I couldn't do any of it.

My heart still beat because of Jared Haida, but I think that it beat because of me as well.

((Not what you were thinking, eh? Review and let me know!--runner))