Thank you all so much for you reviews. I am sorry it has been so long, I have been so wrapped up with schoolwork and my other story Without you. This is a short chapter but I promise there is much more to come and I will try and update more quickly in the future. Here we go…

"You kissed him!"

Slouching further down in my seat I picked at the salad in front of me as my face flushed a deep red. Around me the cafeteria seemed to have gone silent, but that was probably just my overactive imagination getting on top of me again.

"Shut up Laila," I groaned flicking a piece of lettuce in her direction. Her leg knocked mine underneath the table and her smile widened. I wished I had never even told her, but it had been eating away at me all day and I just had to tell someone.

"I just cant believe it. My little Kimmy is all grown up," she cocked her head to the side slightly to look at me, "I remember the days we used to curse Jared to the deepest pits of hell and burn anything that reminded you of him and now your sucking his face off!"

"Laila," I mumbled my face heating up again, "it was just one little kiss. It doesn't mean anything." I traced the familiar patterns on the cafeteria table remembering the feel of Jared's soft, hesitant lips on mine with the sound of the waves crashing behind us. My heart jumped a little in my chest.

"Sure," Laila rolled her eyes before biting into her baguette, "it didn't mean anything for the guy you've been crushing on your whole live to roll around in the sand and kiss you. Don't talk bullshit Kim."

"Laila," I snapped, "seriously just drop it. You never know he might have regretted it and never want to speak to me again."

"I seriously doubt that," Laila's voice was low as she sat up straighter in her seat and hastily ran a hand through her tangled hair, "because he's walking towards us right at this very moment."

"What?" I hissed my head whipping around of its own accord but I knew Laila was speaking the truth, I could feel the slight tingling sensation running down the length of my spine before I even set eyes on him.

He was striding towards us, his eyes determined as he balanced a tray piled high with food in his hands. Behind him Paul growled lowly as Embry knocked into him smirking, while Jacob looked stiff and regretful as he glanced over to where Quil sat. Alone. A frown etched itself upon my face.

"Kim," Jared breathed softly as he swooped in and placed a chaste kiss on my cheek. My heart skipped a beat as the others fell into their own seats sharing knowing looks. Laila looked flustered, which was unusual for her as her eyes narrowed in Jared's direction. I shuffled restlessly around in my seat.

"Jared," I murmured unintentionally leaning into his warmth, he didn't seem to mind as draped his arm around the back of my chair and pulled me closer. Across the table Paul snickered as he shovelled food into his mouth.

"So," Embry grinned at me, "do you like dogs Kim?"

Confused at the strange turn of conversation I scrunched up my nose and glanced at Jared out of the corner of my eye, he sat perfectly still with a slight frown on his face as if waiting for me to answer. I shared a confused look with Laila but shrugged none the less.

"I don't not like them," I answered pushing away my salad. Other than the burning sensation from Jared's eyes on me, I could feel the rest of the cafeteria staring at our table. I could almost read their thought. What is Jared doing with his arm around geeky Kim? And why are the rest of them even talking to her? To be honest, those questions were also bothering me. I let out a squeak as Jared leant forward to brush a strand of hair away from my face.

"Are you alright?" Jared asked lowly as I glanced down at my hands. As always his voice seemed to worm its way into the depths of my stomach. I was thankful to Paul as he tossed a tomato at Embry thus starting up a war between them, the noise gave me something to hide underneath.

"I'm fine," I murmured, "but why are you sitting here Jared?"

"Do you not want me to sit here?" he retracted his arm from around me and I immediately missed the warmth, his brown eyes widened with honest confusion.

"I do," I glanced up at him and immediately regretted it, he looked so sad, "I j-just don't get any of this. Its obvious Jacob wants to sit with Quil and if you want to sit with me, you don't have to drag your friends along too. Lots of other people would kill to sit with them," I spoke lamely. Jared looked pained as his eyes quickly flickered to where Quil sat slumped over his food. A brief flash of anger embraced me as I continued to watch Embry and Paul as they grinned and flung food at each other while their friend sat alone. I knew what it was like to be alone, it wasn't a nice feeling. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

"Quil's a difficult subject right now," he gritted his teeth and forced out a smile as he looked down at me, "and I want to sit with you Kim. And as for the guys they wanted to as well. You don't realise how kind and special you are. Why wouldn't we want to sit with you?"

"I-I jus-" I started my eyes flickering to Jared's lips and the way his eyes seem to drink in my whole body as if he was scared I would vanish. It unsettled me. Only a few short months before his eyes would have skirted over me in annoyance before flashing back to the latest girl on his arm. His new depth and understanding had come from nowhere, what if he suddenly went back to his old ways just as quickly?

"Kim!" Laila snapped her fingers in front of my face breaking my trance like state. I realised I had been staring at Jared for a good five minutes.

"Yeah Kim," Paul smirked, "you know you'll eventually get bored of looking at Jared, where as if you were with someone like me…" Jared growled lowly cutting off whatever Paul was about to say while I bit my lip. I wriggled around uncomfortably in my seat as Jared pulled me almost possessively against him. Laila hid a smirk behind her hand.

"As I was saying. About the dance-" she began still grinning. All the boys turned to stare at Jared and I immediately while I stomped on Laila's foot underneath the table. Hard. I couldn't believe she had brought up the dance. She had no sense of self preservation what so ever. Sometimes I wondered how we ever became friends.

"Kim! What the hell was that for?" she hissed narrowing her eyes.

"Ohh," Embry snickered elbowing a silent Jake in the ribs, "looks like Kimmy has a secret date that she doesn't want Jared to know about?"

Kimmy? Where the hell had that come from? I glared at Embry.

"She could always cancel," Laila winked at me urging me to play along with her,

"Actually," I murmured playing with a loose thread on my jeans, "I'm not going."

Jared gently tilted my head up so I had no option to look into his eyes. He had a lopsided smile on his face and a shiver ran through the length of my body as he leant closer to me.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" his low breath tickled my ear, and I was thankful that I didn't start hyperventilating like an idiot. Laila had her hand pressed over her heart as if she was watching some cheesy romance movie while Paul was miming being sick.

Jared looked so hopeful, his brown eyes shining and his smile wider than I had ever seen it before. Damn.

"No," I spoke quickly grabbing Laila's water and taking a quick swig, "isn't it warm in here?" I said trying to change the subject.

"No?" Laila screeched, "you did not just say no to Jared bloody Thail!" She was almost foaming at the mouth and all the boys looked like they were trying to burst into fits of laughter.

"Laila," I warned trying to kick her underneath the table again. Once again the whole cafeteria seemed to have gone silent, even Quil was looking up from his food with mild interest. I slumped even lower down in my seat.

"Why don't you want to go with me? Do I embarrass you?" Jared's voice was soft but curious as he laced my hand with his own. I wanted nothing more than to melt into the ground and disappear.

His words almost made me laugh. Him embarrass me? In my eyes Jared had never been able to set a foot wrong, to me he was perfection. Laila raised her eyebrows at me from across the table while I groaned. I was never going to speak to her again.

"I cant dance," I whispered quietly my face flaming red.

"What?" Jared frowned pulling my chair closer to his. Laila had heard me, I clamped my eyes shut as she muffled a laugh behind her hand.

"I cant dance. Okay?" I admitted, "I'll probably embarrass you."

"Don't be silly Kim," Jared placed his warm hand on my cheek, "you could never do anything to embarrass me. Your perfect," I didn't even have time to prepare as he placed his lips softly on mine. My heart rate sped up as I grabbed him tighter against me. I deepened the kiss as he pulled me over onto his lap and I ran my hands through his short hair earning a grumble of satisfaction from Jared.

"Get a room," Paul called as he threw a piece of food at me. Scrunching my nose up I laughed as I broke the kiss and leant back into Jared's arms.

"I'll go to the dance with you," I whispered quietly, "but on the condition you dont let me go for one second if we dance, okay?"

"If you want," he smiled, "i wont even let your feet touch the ground." He squeezed my hand tightly.

Jared Thail was going to be the death of me I thought as he pulled me in for another kiss.

None of us noticed as Quil ran from the room his figure blurring slightly and the expression of anger engulfing his features. His food was left, uneaten, at his table.

Thoughts?