Jared's POV

I lean against the wall for support, the chill of the metal locker a much needed relief against my skin. Though the locker immediately warms up under my heat. I need to calm down and make sense of things. Almost disoriented or maybe hysterical with emotions, I can't tell, I manage to make it four steps over to a water fountain, so suddenly parched I gulp down so much water till it's dripping down my chin. It takes me a moment to straighten up, then the realization hits me.

I imprinted.
I imprinted...
Kim is my imprint, my god damn soul mate.
Out of every other 8 billion people on this rock, my other half, I'm meant to be with Kim. Nothing has ever made such sense.

I chase after Kim with my eyes, twisting my head over the crowd to get one last look at her. Not like it's a difficult, ever since I changed I'm a head taller than everybody else.

I instantly find her smack middle of the mob. Just the sight of her makes my chest seizes up, yet it's easier to pull air into my lungs, and the ground under me feels sturdier and the day brighter. My heart pounds double time when I catch her trying to steal a glance at me. I use to hate how Kim always annoyingly peaked at me all damn day, now it shoots a surge of excitement up my spine.

When our eyes meet my feet move on their own in Kim's direction. She hesitates for a second, going completely still before deciding to meet me halfway. The crowd pushes against her as she struggles over to me like a fish going up stream. My hands ache with the most overwhelming need to protect her from all those pointed looks and shouldering that I nearly shift right here in front of everybody.

With no choice, I abruptly halt in the middle of hallway, biting down on my teeth till my molars threaten to ache. I forcibly steady myself, taking deep breathes, and trying to clear my mind like Sam told me too. 1, 2, 3... inhale through my nose then steadily exhale out my mouth... and finally be present—whatever that means.

"Jared?" All my tension smoothes away at the sound of Kim's voice. Up close I'm noticing things about her I never bothered to pay attention to before. Like how her hair is actually a warm dark brown instead of black, or how her smile has a sweet looking overbite, or how she doesn't come up to my chin anymore now that I've changed but instead has to tilt her head back to look up at me.

"Jared?" Kim calls after me again, the concerned tone in her voice making me realize how I was just gaping down at her.

"Um," I swallow thickly, forcing down the words 'I' fell for you' down my throat. I try to opt for a smile, but it's too eager and I can't help how big it instantly spreads, so I end up grinning into my hand. I can't scare her off. Talking to Kim use to be much easier when I didn't like her, that charming flirty Jared who always found her annoying could say anything and that would make her day.

But now? Where the hell do I even begin?

"Kim?" I clear my throat, pressing a firm hand over the rapid beating left of my chest. "I—when I was away—wait, no..."

"Oh," Kim's brown eyes brighten with realization. "You want to copy my history notes, right? Sure I guess—" It hurts like hell seeing her face fall like that.

"No." I cut her off too hastily. I keep screwing up with her! "That's not what I mean..."

"It's just... thanks for asking how I've been." Coming out of my mouth it's undeniable how stupid I sound, but it's the first sensible thing not about werewolves and imprinting that comes to mind. I have to bury my hands into my pockets to keep them from reaching out to pull her into me. Now that the shock/adrenaline rush of imprinting is starting to ebb away. some logic starts to settle in its place. As much as this is instant and forever for me, I'm still the guy who ignores Kim from just twenty minutes ago.

Not only would ambushing Kim with imprinting sound completely batshit, but it's just too much to put on anyone immediately. I have to live with this until she's ready, while also trying to undue all those years of being the asshole kid who ignored her.

"Alright?" Kim blinks at me, yet somehow still trying to meet me halfway instead of just shrugging me off to go to class.

"I'll see you around?" It comes off as a plea. Kim is just as shocked as I am by my sudden new attitude.

"Yeah," she offers me one slow nod, knowing as much as I do that this the longest conversation between us all year. As much as I want to keep talking to Kim—just to be near her—I remind myself to give her some breathing room and force my feet to move in the opposite direction.

I hold her eyes as I retreat, her brown eyes following me till I disappear around the corner.

Kim's POV

"Your temperature is 98.8." The nurses plucks the thermometer from between my lips, giving the rod a lazy shake between her painted nails. "Just like I said ten minutes ago."

"Are you sure I'm not sick?" I ask. Today started off ordinary enough, just like any other day, then it got weird... right around when Jared return back to school. My symptoms started with that bizarre dizzy spell that come out of nowhere, then I swear I was having a heart attack. Ever since history class ended I've had the chills, and whatever is wrong is just getting worse and worse as the day drags on.

"The thermometer doesn't lie, you don't have a fever." She sighs, "Or an ear infection, or the flu or pink eye, or mono, or the stomach flu."

"If it's not any of that..." I wrap my arms around myself, needing a hug. "I just don't feel well."

"You said." The nurse lowers herself down into the chair. "You could be getting your period. When was your menstruation?"

"It's not." She's asking like it's my very period. "I had barely two weeks ago." Her face goes grave with a sudden thought. She snaps a rubber band over one hand, fishing out a plastic cup from the medics cabinet.

"Kimberly, I hope I'm wrong, but you could be pregnant. A young girl your age––"

"Defiantly not." I hop off the bench, hurriedly tugging my backpack over my shoulder while making a run for the door. Nope. Not a snowball's chance in hell am I pregnant.

"But––"

"Have a nice day." I excuse myself, adding the last part over my shoulder before shutting the door. If I'm not sick, and defiantly not pregnant... then why do I know that's something wrong?

Something has been worrying me all day; Jared Cameron. I was plain concerned when he up and stopped coming to school, just about disappeared. But... ever since he came back everything has been off. He's been in the back of mind all damn day.

I'm so preoccupied with my thoughts I don't notice how I wondered into the cafeteria line. I was thinking so hard I blocked out the rumble of the crowded cafe or how hungry I am. I grab food for the sake of it, a PB and J, and plop down at my usual table to wait for my friends.

"Hey," I do a double take when a huge body lowers down next to me on the bench. Jared Cameron sets down two lunch trays of cafeteria food with three cartons of milk. He tries for an approachable grin almost as if he's just as nervous as I am, but I miss his usual charming half smirk.

"Hi." I remind myself to greet him back instead of just staring at him. My eyes land over his head to his usual table with his friends Quil Ateara Jr, Embry Call, and Jacob Black who are looking at me with the same look that I feel on my face. Is this a joke?

"Should I ask if you're okay?" Maybe Jared is the one with the fever.

"Should I ask is it okay if I sit here?" Jared weakly half jokes, noticing how he slides in closer to me. I don't slide further away at the suddenness of heat coming off, and I especially don't complain about it. Though, it's added to a long list of questions I have about today.

"You can do whatever you want." I manage. I'd normally would have died if Jared Cameron wanted to have lunch with me, but my crush isn't the same anymore. Everything feels different today. Jared is different. I catch the look of relief in his brown eyes just as he tries hide a grin by shoveling down a forkful of food.

"Are you going to eat all of that?" I ask just as Jared questions if my lousy PB & J is all I'm going to eat.

"Yeah, I'm starving." I watch as he cleans off an entire platter of chicken fingers and fries in minutes. "You can have some too," He offers sliding a spare tray full to the brim with junk food in front of me. "Help yourself. You're too skinny, Kim."

"You like food?" I ask, trying to make small talk. He pauses is the middle of a forkful of chilly, the fork forgotten just a few inches away from his mouth.

"I'm not a foodie or anything," That nervous look he had on his face from the hall is back on his face. "But, uhh, my appetite grew along with my growth spurt..."

"You're a terrible liar." I still haven't touched my sandwich, just sitting there in awe of him. He gives me a shit eating grin between bites, trying to shrug it off. Just as I'm beginning to get more comfortable around Jared we're interrupted.

"Paul Lahote report to the principal's office." The loud speaker drones through the entire school, which isn't very big to begin with.

"Damn it." A monstrous growl comes out of his lips, startling me so much I nearly hop out of my chair. "Uh, puberty." He rubs his Adam's apple in a show.

"Are you leaving?" I ask, watching as he climbs out his seat, then noticing that he somehow managed to finish all that food. "They called that Lahote kid, not you."

"I...I just gotta go." He doesn't bother explaining. To fend off my disappointment I have to reason with myself that he doesn't actually owe me an expiation. It doesn't do much to waver down my bruised feelings.

"I'll see you around?" He starts to walk off with slumped shoulders, then the squeak of his sneakers warns he's suddenly is doubling back. "Hey Kim, don't forget to eat something." He adds, trying for that crocked smirk he knows I love so much.

Later

"Hey Kim?" An obnoxious Psssst makes me glance over at my study hall teacher to make sure he isn't look before looking over my shoulder. Embry Call sits a few empty desks back, his usual flirty smirk not in sight, and his head bent low in a poor effort to be inconspicuous.

"Yeah?" I whisper back.

"What did Jared say to you lunch? Why did he sit with you?"

"Beats me. We talked about food for like seven minutes." I lower down in my seat, trying to make my self smaller. "He didn't say anything to you?" The four of them have been best friends since as long as anyone can remember. They do everything together, I thought for sure if Jared was going to talk about why he's suddenly paying attention to me it would be his friends.

"He hasn't spoken to any of us since he first left school." Embry grumbles, trying to hide the hurt on his face by ducking it behind his long hair. I shoot up in my seat, shoulders rigid and eyes wide.

"Are you guys in a fight?" I try to piece something together.

"No..." Embry runs his hands through his hair. "Did he tell you he was going to skip school with Lahote?"

"He skipped class?" I blanche at that. Jared has been snarky, sure, smart ass attitudes, yeah, but never the type who'd up and blow off school in the middle of day.

"If he says why he's mad at us... just tell one of us, okay?" Embry sits back in his chair, a defeated dimming his brown eyes.