Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Twilight series by SMeyer. This is for entertainment purposes only and no profit is made from this story.

Okay, since the last chapter was so fucking horrible I just wanted to gut myself—seriously, not even a joke y'all, so y'all weren't the only ones shedding tears and going 'what the fuck happened to the quality of the chapters?'—I present the next one which I just pumped out in say…two hours, typing on and off because I like singing along to music.

Speaking of music, I AM IN LOVE WITH PATRICK WOLF. Nuff said. Here's chapter 12.

The Purple Sea Lion

~*~*~

"Are you sure I look okay?"

"Kim, you asked me that five minutes ago and I am so sure nothing has changed."

"I did eat toast. Could there be anything on my face? My teeth?"

"Kim. Stop. Like seriously." Tiffany glared. She had been doing that a lot for the past two days. I couldn't blame her. I had been really annoying. It was natural for a girl to be nervous, right? Yeah, sure.

"There we go. Deep breaths. Now hurry the fuck up. I'm meeting Darren before school. Chop, chop!" Brooklyn said loudly, clapping her hands and throwing a coat at me.

"I know, I know." I sighed, tugging on a jacket and grabbing my backpack.

Brooklyn drove today, since she was in such a hurry. We had been parked for barely a minute and she had exited the car, darting around the side of the building. I shuddered to think of what she was going to do in such an empty space. Stepping out of the car I glanced down. Maybe if I wore the coat all day—

"Good luck, kiddo." Tiffany said, smacking me hard in the shoulder and disappearing around a truck.

"I could so punt you right now." I said to thin air. "It's no big deal, Kim. Plenty of girls dress all nice. You won't even be noticed. Precisely how I like it."

I made my way to where Lenora was…or…should've been. The minute I saw Paul sitting there with his head in his hands I knew she wasn't going to be there. Obviously.

"Alright Lansing, what did you do with my best friend?" I asked, my voice sizzling. What the fuck was his problem lately?

"She went that way." He pointed to the left without looking up.

"What did you do exactly?"

"Look, I'm having enough problems with a bunch of other shit and I really don't need her best friend to tell me what a moron I am."

"Hey, you don't need me to tell you that, buddy. But brownie points for knowing who I am. Toodles." I made a move but he looked up then with such depressed, pathetic eyes I had to pause. "I hate you but here I stand."

"You were just going to walk away?" He sounded hurt. What the fuck?

"Uh, yeah. We aren't like friends, you know." I snorted.

"But you're Lenora's friend."

"Which means the more you guys don't meet the better." I said matter-of-factly.

"I'm that bad?" He frowned.

"Seriously? Like what am I supposed to say? Do you want me to lie?" I said.

"So there's no hope, is there?"

"Of what? You talking to a dolphin? No, sorry."

"Man, you're such a bitch. I can't even imagine what Jared sees in you." Okay, now we were getting somewhere. Arguing with Paul was so much easier than staring wordlessly at his pathetic face.

"Well, I think points have been made. In that case, it's a good thing Lenora doesn't see anything in you, you pathetic, miserable, rude, self-centered, arr—"

"Hey, Kim!"

"Now is not the time, Jared." I snapped, holding up a hand which was kind of difficult because my hand didn't really reach that high… "As I was saying, you are an arrogant, stupid—"

"What's going on?" Jared wondered, looking between me and Paul. "Paul, you piece of shit, did you say something to—"

"Why yes, he is a piece of shit, thanks. Stop interrupting! I'm trying to make him realize exactly why everybody hates him and exactly why in the hell Lenora will never, in a billion, million, trillion years ever look at him or anything he has to offer because he's is pathetic and way too undeserving for her. Enough said."

Turning around I walked to the other side of the building, planning on entering from the second entrance. Screw being around Paul for any longer than I needed to be. But somebody was following me. Funny how I didn't even need to guess. I just knew.

"Jared, stop following me." I said simply, walking faster. Bastard could keep up though, with six, five bodied legs.

"What else do I do?"

"Go make out with a brick or something."

"You're really weird. You didn't do anything weird yesterday did you?"

"Uh, no." I snorted.

"How was I supposed to know? You weren't even in school, thanks much. I was worried sick—

"What are you? My mother? Wait, don't answer that. Don't even think of answering that." I sighed, stopping and glancing back at him. "Didn't we agree on the whole separate lives thing while in school?"

"Sure, but you skipped yesterday so I get extra time." He grinned. Damn him for being so gorgeous!

"No way. The deal never said you could make up for lost time."

"Never said I couldn't, so there." He snorted. "I'm not that bad. Well, not as bad as Paul, at least."

"I'll agree to that." I said, walking again. "But you can't follow me around all day. I'll just beat myself in the head with a rock."

"Kim, that's not funny." He said. He made me believe it wasn't. I shook my head. It was damn hilarious, actually!

"Sure it is."

"It's not, Kim! I thought something had happened to you! I was nauseated! I tracked Lenora down all day until she would tell me that she had talked to you! I was going to break into your house, Kim! I was going to find your mom or demand to talk to your dad—"

"Okay, okay! Calm down! Geez!" I said, hurriedly waving my hands in a "what the fuck, calm down you maniac" manner.

"Do you understand now?" He asked, letting out a deep breath.

"Unfortunately, yes. You are out of your damn mind!" I said, waving my hands to the sky.

"Kim! Stop kidding!"

"The thing is, I'm not." I snorted, turning around and running up the stairs to the school. I ran all the way to my locker, which was the long way since I didn't take the normal route.

"Hey there, chiquita. How goes the first morning as a new woman?" Lenora asked me.

"Fuck me up and beat me down."

"Ouch." She said.

"I hate Paul Lansing."

"I think we should make a club!" Lenora snickered. "Lansing Hate Fest!"

"That douche called me a bitch just because I stated the obvious and called him an arrogant, pig-headed, self-centered, stupid, ill-mannered, rude—"

"Those are the same things, you know." Lenora said, chewing on a granola bar.

"Lenny, shut up."

"Right, sorry." She smiled. "You were saying."

"He's pathetic, moronic, arrogant—"

"Already said that." She said, chewing some more.

"Lenora!"

"Kimmy, you aren't saying anything we don't already know!" She said, shrugging.

"What did he do this morning anyway?"

"Punched Embry in the face."

"What!?" I gasped, shocked.

"That's what I said. Well, it was more like a 'what the fuck is wrong with you, you crazy son of a bitch' but same difference."

"Is Embry okay?"

"Nope. He's at the hospital right about now. His nose wasn't broken before, but it is now." Lenora smiled.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Well, I like Embry and all, but he was kind of a dumb shit for telling Paul we were going out. I mean, when you're fighting over somebody, don't go taunting your opponent with the fact that you're dating his infatuation. You know?"

"I thought Embry was dumb Tuesday night and I think he's dumber still. How many more IQ points can the men drop around here?"

"Don't say it, Kimmy. There might be plenty more."

"That would be assuming they were intelligent in the first place." I scoffed.

"True thing." She said.

"Did Jake or Quil go with Embry?"

"Jake did. Quil was laughing too hard."

"Laughing?" I sighed, shaking my head. "Some friend."

"It's Quil. Like we expected anything else. Listen, I'm going to go see somebody really fast and I'll meet you in class. Cool?"

"I don't control you, Lenny." I snorted.

"Good point. Sometimes I forget."

"Clearly."

"Toodles!"

"Sure." I finally opened my locker and began rearranging books and folders. Lenora liked to keep everything her way and I liked things my way, so things were always changing in our locker. Surprisingly we never argued over it.

"You sure do take off fast."

"Jared! I will castrate you with a rusty spork!"

"Sporks are only plastic." He said with a grin.

"Argh!" I slammed my locker shut and spun to glare at him. "I will kill myself! I will shoot myself in the head with a pistol! Will you take me seriously now?"

"Alright, alright. I get it. Does it irritate you that much?" Jared pouted.

"If I wanted a dog I would've taken in the stray I found when I was six."

"You left it there?" He said in shock.

"My mom hates dogs."

"You could've taken it to the pound."

"Because there's so many in La Push."

"That's cruel, Kim."

"I'm a terrible person inside, sue me. Will you leave me alone now that you know I'm the epitome of evil?" I asked blandly.

"Let me think ab—nope."

"Right, of course not." I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Are you seriously following me around just for an eyeful?"

"Well, you are an eyeful, so I guess that's one of many reasons."

"Jared, I am so warning you right now."

"I know. But I had a reason for finding you again. I could've just seen you in class—which is still an incredible realization—but I had something to tell you that would be better with a little alone time."

"This is going to be bad, isn't it?"

"Nope!" He smiled, leaning closer. Which was really unfair because he was like a steel wall closing in around me. Well, at least once he put his hands on either side of me. He wouldn't rape me in a crowded hallway, would he? "I just wanted to say that you look especially marvelous today."

"Oh." It had been forever since I had blushed. But it was back now with the vengeance of the sun itself. I thought I was going to burst into flames. He was grinning wider, which meant he saw it, and knew it, and was just being a jerk about it. Ass. I shoved a hand into his face and ducked under one of his impressive biceps. "That's very good for you, dude-with-eyes-who-therefore-should-notice-my-attire. Go away now. I have to get to class."

"What a coincidence that we're heading in the same direction." He snickered. I glared.

"You're really annoying."

"So you say."

"Yes, because I so very much enjoy being stalked and hounded like some celebrity."

"I think you're a celebrity."

"You're missing the fact that it's everything I've never wanted."

"I just learned something new about you."

"How funny. Especially that there's still so many more things you don't know."

"Speaking of getting to know you, I wanted to ask you something."

"Later. I'm all 'asked out' by this point."

"After class 'later'?"

"Sure."

"Great! I'd like to get an answer early, so I can plan my schedule." Oh God, that didn't sound good at all. "I hope you'll wear something as insanely adorable tomorrow like you are today."

"You noticed?" I paused.

"Definitely. It was hard with the coat on, but once you took it off. You really do look like a celebrity."

"Ha ha."

"No joke." He said, raising his right hand. "Is that what you were doing yesterday?"

"Unfortunately."

"You skipped for a makeover?"

"Biggest mistake of my life."

"I like it."

"That's too bad." I said.

"Why?" He frowned.

"It was supposed to make you go away?"

"Huh?"

"Jacob proposed that maybe if I took your advice and dressed appropriately than you would leave me alone."

"That's stupid. I just like you even more! Not that I didn't like you before! I really, really, really, like God damn really liked you before, but now you're so pretty I can barely take my eyes off of you. It's like moths to a light!"

"Heh. How familiar." I said, my eye twitching. Yep, one of your worse ideas. At least I didn't pay for too much. Free clothes. Whoopee.

"So after class. Wait for me, okay? It's really important."

"That's what everyone said in elementary school when all they wanted to do was sit together at lunch."

"That's how important it is!" He said with a smile. I had to laugh a little bit. He was being so childish it was amazingly strange yet humorous.

"Fine, fine." I said, walking into first period. "Don't you take off."

"I don't think you need to worry about that."

"Good. We have a deal." I said, dropping into my seat. Lenora followed me into the classroom with the hugest smile on her face I thought her face would split. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." She giggled, sitting down and turning to the doorway where Paul followed only shortly after, his cheek suspiciously pinkened.

"You hit him." I said matter-of-factly.

"It hurt like a fucking bitch. It hurt me more than him, me thinks. But we have an understanding. He won't ever touch Embry again and I'll hear out the bullshit he's going to spew after school."

"If it's anything like what Jared spewed to me, then you'll have tons of fun. It'll be like a water park on a hot summer day." I said sarcastically.

"I'm going to have lots of fun, mind you. Because I want you to be there." Lenora grinned.

"What?" I glared. "I don't want to be in the middle of your little love quarrel."

"Well if Jared's said the same crap than you can translate."

"I understand it less than you will, probably."

"Two heads are better than one. You'll be there, right?" Lenora asked me hopefully.

"Oh God. I suppose I can't refuse this kind of spectacle."

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Lenora said, turning to throw a beautiful, girlish smile at Paul who gave her a dirty look that wasn't anything close to what he used throw her just a few weeks ago. I needed to master that smile. "How are you this morning, Paul? I hope you didn't experience anything unexpected."

"Just something I suppose I deserved." He grunted, refusing to look at her.

"That's more like it." Lenora said under her breath, smiling straight ahead at the chalkboard. I shook my head. Oh my God. My best friend was some kind of assassin/bouncer/dominatrix.

"You wouldn't ever do that to me, would you Kim?" Jared whispered to me.

"Nope. It'd be more permanent." I said without looking at him. "Now stop talking."

The bell rang and English class started. I hadn't missed much, mostly just reading chapters which I was already ahead in anyway. I doodled on a couple pages of my notebook and then used highlighters and pens to draw a picture of Lenora in a leather outfit with a whip. She fit that image really well, actually. Scary.

When the bell rang I ripped up the picture quickly so no one else could see—especially Lenora—and headed out the door. I was going to be a regular student and take off, but then I remember I had promised my ever faithful golden retriever friend to wait, and unfortunately it was one promise I couldn't quite break.

"You waited." Jared said with a huge smile on his face.

"I guess so." I said blandly. "So?"

"Let's walk."

"You go that way." I said, pointing in the opposite direction.

"It's okay. How do you know?" He asked suspiciously.

"Just noticed." I said hurriedly, fighting back a blush. I don't think he needed to know I had memorized his classes and routes to each one the first month of school.

"Oh. Well, I'm not doing anything this weekend and—" Great. Fucking great. I could've gone lifetimes without being in this situation. "—but if you're busy than it's no big deal. There's a new movie out and I thought it was something casual and fun to do. You like horror, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" I asked in surprise.

"I heard Lenora talking."

"Huh." I snorted. Unsurprising. He stalks me and everyone I know.

"So will you?"

"Wait, what was the question?" I asked, shaking my head.

"I was curious if you would go to a movie with me this weekend." He said with a nervous look over to me.

"Let me get this straight. You, Jared Hopewell, want to take me, Kim Connweller, out on the weekend? To a movie?"

"And maybe lunch or dinner. Depending on when we go. My treat, of course." He said.

"Dinner and a movie?"

"Like a date."

"You didn't need to say that." I said, stepping back.

"Did I kind of ruin my chances?" He sighed.

"I don't want to date you, Jared." I said matter-of-factly, frowning when he winced and withdrew immediately.

"I figured. Everything's kind of messed up anyway, and nothing makes sense, so it's only natural but I was just really hoping—but it's no big deal. I totally don't want to force you and it's not like it's the end of the world or anything! It's just a movie! There's plenty more! Who knows, maybe next weekend. Or the one after that, or the one after that one…or a couple months, of just whenever you want to, because it's just about you and it's you're not comfortable than I'm totally not and—"

"Jared. Stop. Talking." I said, holding up a hand.

"—because you're like so amazing, and I wouldn't force you or try to pressure you or offend you in any way, and anyone who did would be dead like the bodies in the cemetery! But it's not about that, I just wanted to know, thinking maybe you had changed your mind, not that I think you're that fickle or anything! I just thought I might've made a better impression but I'm just really horrible all around so I'm not surprised—"

"Jared!" I said loudly, reaching up and placing a hand over his mouth, effectively silencing. "Shut up for God's sake! If you would let me talk instead on rambling on with no line of thought than you would've heard ten minutes ago that I'll think about it. Okay? But no promises. Because spending more time with you than I have to is like voluntary living in a pitch black room when we obviously need sun to survive. It's 'what the fuck' crazy."

"You'll…you'll think about it?" He asked hopefully from behind my hand.

"Yes. Don't ever ramble like that again. It was scary."

"Okay." He nodded vigorously.

"Good." I said, dropping my hand.

"You'll really think about it?"

"I may leave dogs on the street but I don't ignore what I said I would do, alright?" I huffed.

"Yes! Finally!" He yelled loudly, startling a group of girls walking down the hallway. Jared grabbed me around the middle and yanked me up in what I supposed what his idea of a hug, but just let me a foot of the ground and totally pissed.

"Jared! Floor, NOW!" I screamed.

"Oops! Sorry!" He said quickly, setting me down and smoothing out my dress. I slapped his hands away and did it myself, glaring at him.

"Happy enough?"

"I can't even put it into words." The sad thing was, I could tell he was too happy for words. We were both pretty pathetic, actually.

"Fantastic." I said. "I have to go to class now."

"Okay! I'll walk you!"

"No. It's okay. I need time to think, right?"

"Oh, right! Yeah! Totally! You do that! Good with me! Definitely! See ya, Kim!" He grinned widely, his teeth perfectly straight and white and his smile obscenely stunning and way too good for me and hurried the other way down the hall.

Why was it that everything I agreed to with him felt wrong on so many levels but never made me anything but happy?