A/N: Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter! I hope I still have readers for this coming chapter. I am trying to churn these out fairly regularly. :) Thanks for being along on the journey. Another one will go up over the next week, too. Also, an important note- all of this takes place in 2005, just on-par with the TWILIGHT books. The timeline might be a little funky but...not too far off. So when I write about cellphones...I can't help but laugh thinking back to the clunky LGs of the early 00s!


LATER, OCTOBER 26, SENIOR YEAR

As they were ushered to their table at Blakeslee Bar & Grill, Kim couldn't help but notice how every pair of female eyes laser-beamed straight toward Jared. He was pretty eye-catching, especially after his recent return. He was taller than most men, with wide shoulders and impressive musculature. Kim was fairly tall- 5'8- and had a solid frame, but even she felt diminutive next to Jared at times.

"Have you been here before?" she asked after they were seated.

"A couple times," he said. He looked long and hard around the restaurant, as if assessing the crowd.

Kim playfully asked, "Looking for someone?"

Jared's eyes crinkled around the edges as they turned back to Kim. "Nope. I just haven't been to Forks for awhile." There was something a bit stiff in his posture, though. He watched every person entering. A couple of times, he took a deep breath in through his nose, looking thoughtful.

She held up the menu. "I don't usually come here, honestly."

"Me neither. I prefer PA," he said pleasantly. Seemingly satisfied with the crowd in the room, he relaxed and picked up his own menu. "But there's a good Chinese place here, if you've been?"

"Oh yes! A few times. Their eggrolls are so good. We could've gone there, if I'd thought of it."

"Nah, American food sounds good today." He cast her that smile. "I've become a monster with my appetite lately. Side effect of my tr- of my recent sickness. Did you want an appetizer?"

"I think I'll be fine, but you should get one if you want," she said. She normally would go for the clam strips, but was afraid of looking like a pig who only ate fried food. Maybe she'd wait to see what he got.

Wait. No. She could and would get whatever she wanted, because at best, Jared was only a friend. She wasn't turning the Universe away when it came a-knockin' but she certainly wasn't going to be angling for Next Bedmate status. Her face felt hot at the idea- and the memory of the dreams that tormented her all night. If she wasn't careful, her glasses would fog over from the memory…

Speaking of which. There were raindrops on her glasses, drying on the lenses. Clearing her throat, and reaching for her purse, she said, "Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well yesterday."

"Yeah." He did that thing where he ran his palm over his hair. "My own fault. I stayed out late, and pushed myself at work trying to take my mind off things...and sometimes, I can't exactly switch out of work mode. I just stay in that….mindset, longer than I should. Sam has been teaching me to control that better."

Interesting. Kim considered his statement as she extracted a small cleaning cloth from her bag. "Didn't Sam have a kind of weird situation recently with Leah Clearwater? I heard they broke up in June and he took up with her cousin."

"It's complicated. But he's with Emily now, and those two are perfect for each other," Jared said confidently.

Kim nodded politely and removed her glasses, giving them a quick spritz and swipe to clean, before she glanced up again at Jared to make eye contact-

Jared's jaw dropped. "Holy shit, Kim."

She froze. "What?"

Jared's whole face was going red, and he seemed unable to drag his attention away from her. What was wrong with him?

"What?" she asked again, moving to replace her glasses-

"No, wait." He leaned forward, looking half-mesmerized by her. "You look just as incredible without glasses. You-you really are gorgeous, Kim."

Her cheeks went blood-rose red. "Jared!"

"I mean it," he said in a low, awed voice. He wasn't blinking, like he was afraid she'd disappear. "Don't get me wrong. You look so sexy in your glasses, too, but I wasn't prepared for- for how great you look without your glasses too." His eyes seemed to go a bit unfocused as he rubbed two fingers across his lips.

She wasn't sure what bothered her more- the fact that he was clearly exaggerating or that he was pulling this stuff when she'd made herself clear yesterday. She wasn't about to expose her plainness- for fear that people would know that she was insecure and overinflate it and pity her- but Kim hated that he was making it sound so genuine, like he had to pick his jaw up off the floor or something. She wasn't an idiot; she wasn't the worst-looking person on the planet, but she was also well-aware of the fact that she didn't fit the "gorgeous" category. Hell, she wasn't sure she even scraped by as "pretty." Either Jared was mocking her, artificially flattering her, or deluded. Considering the fact that he'd been particularly picky (and vocal) about his conquests' looks in the past, she assumed it was one of the first two options. Her jaw clenched. "Jared, what are you saying?"

"Oh- I- I'm sorry, Kim, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Sorry. What were we saying?"

A waitress appeared then to take their orders. Jared got a Dr. Pepper and their Famous Burger while Kim ordered a raspberry ice tea and clam strips. After she left, Kim frowned down at the table.

"I didn't- I hope you know I wasn't trying to weird you out," he said apologetically.

She grunted tersely and glared at her silverware. "I just- I really don't think I'm interested in dating, Jared. It's been odd the past couple days and you said we were just hanging out as friends. Then you say stuff like t-that." And his speech at the Library just now, which sounded definitely non-friend category.

"I'm sorry. It was just the truth. I- I'll try to keep it to myself going forward."

"I just am not understanding where you're coming from." She stared at him with narrowed eyes, before coming right out with it: "I'm not your type, to say the least."

"My type?" His face screwed up. "Why wouldn't you be?"

She couldn't think of how to verbalize, so she just sighed heavily.

Jared gazed around glumly while Kim studied his (perfect) profile. After a minute, he glanced back, and said, "If you had a million dollars...and had to spend it by the end of the month, what would you do with it?"

Kim furrowed her brow, nibbling on her lower lip in thought. "Wow. Tough."

"Seriously? Never thought about it before?"

"Not with a time-limit," she noted. "Um. Well, I'd invest most of it and try to save it up for school. Maybe a trip to Copenhagen. I don't know if there's an age limit on booking rooms and airfare and stuff so I'd probably bring my parents."

"Why Copenhagen?"

"I'm not sure. It's one of those places in your mind that you think of as being so picturesque. Maybe I'd sight-see and go to a cafe. Oh! I'd buy a house. If that's legal at seventeen."

"Would you buy a house in Copenhagen?" he clarified.

"Oh! No, no. A house here in La Push." She way preferred when they were just talking, like friends. That easiness slowly inched back over them. If he could just stop with the flattery and feeble flirtations then Kim suspected they really could make a friendship out of this.

"So Dr. Kim really does intend to come back," he said, teasingly. His dimple showed. Her insides turned to mush as a smile lit her features, uncontrollable.

And maybe they could be friends if her own stupid heart would stop sabotaging it. Then she wouldn't be susceptible to his compliments and eyes and...

STOP.

She twirled her straw around in her ice tea. "Well we don't have a real optometrist in La Push so...there's a need I could fill. And ultimately, in the end, I just feel like I belong here. I guess I could always change my mind...but I can't picture living anywhere else for the rest of my life."

Jared's smile was even more dazzling at that. "The Council would be glad to hear that," he said in good-humor, but there was something...something else in that statement. Kim wasn't sure.

"There's a house out on Highway 101, as you head back to La Push, that I just love," she said, for something to fill the air. "It's got a huge wraparound porch and I think I'd build something like that, if money wasn't a problem. And I'd also fund literacy programs."

He looked thoughtful before saying, "That's a good list. Alright, you survived that question."

Kim held up a finger. "Wait, no you don't. Same question, back at you."

"I'd buy a new SUV," he said immediately.

She chuckled. "Alright, well you should have some money still left over after that."

"It'd be pretty cool to do random nice things, like...buy groceries for everybody at the store, or like, pay off mechanic bills for every car in the garage on some random day." He sat back and his eye sparkled. "I'd buy Alyssa some cool baby stuff, and buy my parents new cars too. Maybe I'd buy the house on 101 so you'd have to come by and hang out."

"I suppose I'd just have to," she said with a smirk, as the waitress set their drinks down in front of them. "And now that you say it, your plan is a lot better than mine. I'd skip Copenhagen to pay some bills for people. That's a really nice gesture."

"Well, here's to winning a million bucks," he said, lifting his glass in toast.

"A strangely-termed million bucks," she said slyly.

The rest of the lunch went well, actually. Kim was reassured again to realize that the sweetheart Jared that she always thought was still in there, was still indeed. She laughed outright when he described some antics from his fairly-recent friendship with Paul Lahote.

"So that's how Sam found us- totally covered in mud. It was like something from a Looney Tune or something- both of us running headlong and boom, there was the cut-off into the creek. I swear we had to be suspended in mid-air for a second, our legs just…" He used his fingers to imitate flailing, then a falling puuum whistle. "We had patrol the rest of the night and were just filthy."

She laughed and swallowed her bite of clam strip. "I understand the extra pants thing, now."

Jared laughed too, studying her face with a grin, and then, as if he remembered something, seemed to contain himself a bit. "Yeah. I told you- can be a dirty job, in a number of ways!" He took a big bite of his burger.

"So, speaking of Sam, you said he's with Leah's cousin...is that the same Emily who was attacked a few months ago? I heard it was a bear attack."

Immediately his mannerism turned flat and troubled. " Sam was totally gutted when it all happened...thought it was his fault and who could blame him? I mean, I wasn't working with him yet, but I...Sam has shared his thoughts with us on it, and it...God, it was scary."

"Is she doing okay?" Like most things on the Rez, the accident was all anyone could talk about for a couple weeks...then she just didn't hear anything further. At the time, it had been a hotly-shared addition to the shocking gossip that Sam and Leah- who'd been dating forever- had broken up due to Sam's sudden interest in her cousin. Mrs Connweller had heard all about it from Rita Littlesea one day at the Tribal Services Office while paying their water bill, but didn't bring home any news about the poor Makah girl months later after the attack.

"Yeah. She really pulled through. She's just an incredible woman. Emily's sort of like our work mom, you know? She's totally selfless and even when most people would be stuck for months trying to cope with what happened...Emily finds the bright side. She finds ways to help others. Cooking for the Church whenever there's a funeral or somebody's sick. Every time I go over to their place, she's got food out and she's ready to feed us. And it tastes amazing. You gotta try her food sometime."

Kim chuckled. "Sam's lucky then."

"Yeah, he is," Jared said, very seriously, "and he knows it. It could've turned out really different...like, badly. But it didn't because...I don't know, love conquers all, huh?"

She nodded, remembering a line from some long-forgotten 90s movie, and quoting, "Who really knows the magic of the heart?" Emily must've felt she had a lot to fight for, to look forward to...not to let one horrible instance seize control of her entire life. "It's a powerful thing that can get you through."

With that indescribable gleam in his eye, Jared was studying her again. Kim felt the weirdest urge to reach for his hand, but curbed it by shoving a few fries into her mouth instead.

"Does that make you scared when you're out in the woods?" She hadn't felt any desire to go into the woods since hearing about the event. She'd never even really known to be afraid of bears, until word got out about the whole incident in late August. "I'd be freaked to be out there alone."

"No." Jared was nearly done with his burger, taking huge bites. "You can say...I've been pretty well-trained. I keep alert though."

"Well," she said, tentatively. "Be careful."

"I always will be," he told her, somberly. Another huge bite of the burger, and then….it was gone. His plate was totally clean.

"Have some fries." She pushed her plate toward him, and he looked like a third-grader on a day out as his fist shot over to grab some.

After lunch, as Jared drove her back to her car at the Library, he said, "Any interest in hanging out tomorrow?"

She considered it. Was it overkill? Probably, but...she actually really liked spending time with him like today, when there wasn't suspicion dogging her. If he was game…. "Sure. I'm out of Church at 10."

"We could go to Third Beach? If it's not too cold, I mean."

"That sounds nice."

"Perfect." He put the car in park and faced her. "Thanks for doing lunch with me, Kim."

Sincerely, she said, "It was a lot of fun."

"I wish you would've let me pay."

"Nope, nope. Friends can split the bill. Unless you won that million bucks and just were testing me…" She threw him a mischievous grin, which he returned.

"Nah, I just won a cool $100k. Chump change."

"Oh, obviously." She unbuckled her belt, and then leaned toward him with a "Thank you!" before she realized what she was doing.

She froze, arms open over the console. Jared was looking at her with bafflement, like he didn't know if he should follow suit or not.

"Wow, I- I'm sorry, I don't know why I…" she dropped her arms. She wasn't normally a hugger. She told him so.

"I don't mind a hug," Jared said, quietly. His caramel gaze sparkled with something untold.

"Um, okay." They proceeded to hug, lightly, awkwardly, across the console. Kim wished she hadn't started it…well, almost. Except his cologne was so comforting and this was the closest she'd ever been to him and his arms felt like fucking steel and oh God she'd had kinky dreams about him all night- STOP, Kim. She pulled back. "I hope you have a good day. Thanks again for coming out to see me."

"Any time." His eyes were so warm and enthralling...dangerous territory, Kim!

She rapidly got out of the car, and was just about to shut the door, when he piped up, "I'll follow you back to La Push, just to make sure you get home safe, okay?"

Nodding, flattered, she closed the door and hurried to her car. Her heart was beating so fast.

Unsurprisingly, she dreamed again that night- his cologne haunted her dreams acutely, and she woke up with a fine sheen of sweat on her legs and the blankets kicked off her bed. She rushed over to the window for some air- just a crack would do- when she thought she saw a flicker of movement over at the edge of the property line, where her backyard turned to boscage and eventually sprouted into treeline. She blinked hard...but there was nothing there.

Definitely just an animal.

She crawled back in bed, trying to ignore unbidden images of bears prowling the thicket with red eyes, waiting to spill blood.

Instead, she thought about Jared's cologne.

Her dreams were a reprieve.

.

OCTOBER 26 - OCTOBER 29, SENIOR YEAR

On Sunday, she and Jared strolled up and down Second Beach; they talked about religion, their families, about the general experience of being Quileute.
What she learned: Jared was really into their heritage, in a way that both piqued Kim's interest and made her feel guilty that she was so detached from her own cultural roots. She learned about his sister Alyssa- whose baby was due in February- and how her husband was currently deployed overseas. His parents, Val and Chuck, had a good marriage and his dad owned a couple of carwashes (which Kim knew, and purposefully patronized the one in Forks because it was Chuck Cameron's, but didn't share that with Jared). They used to go to the Nazarene Church in Forks, but he didn't go much after middle school. His favorite time of the year was June, when he and his dad would take a four-day trip to Lake Roosevelt to fish. His family used to own a Shih Tzu named Peppercorn but he preferred big dogs.

As they walked, she was also impressed to find out that Jared actually could point out different species of trees and plants.

"Does that come with all your Rez work?" she asked curiously.

He shrugged. "No, but it gives me something to do on boring shifts. I've always been pretty good at spotting the differences in plants. But it didn't even occur to me til like last summer that there are different kinds of trees….so ever since then, I just kind of catalogue the differences. I do it more now when I work. Like playing a game."

"You ever thought about botany as a career?"

"Not really."

"Forestry?"

He shrugged.

"Well, at any rate, it's a great talent," Kim said kindly.

When his ears turned pink, Kim bit back a smile.

After a few more minutes of walking quietly, companionably, through the autumn-hardened sand, Jared finally said, thoughtfully, "You know, I feel like I've spent the last few years...wondering what the hell I was doing. I felt like I was on auto-pilot half the time, and just kind of waiting for something. It made me restless. Douchey. My dad and sister more or less said so."

"Called you douchey?" Kim said, a little perturbed.

Jared chuckled. "Maybe not specifically, but my behavior and attitude have been called out a few times. More than a few. Anyway...after becoming-" he coughed, "a help to Sam, and to the Rez...it's like, I get it. I felt pride for once, you know? It's way beyond football or cars or parties. I'm part of something important. Our whole heritage is important. La Push is important. Then, best of all, I find my imp-" He spluttered, looking at her with wide eyes, before coughing harshly.

"You okay, Jared?" she touched his arm.

He was recovering, but his face was red and he looked embarrassed. "Sorry. Sorry. I was rambling a bit."

"No," she said honestly. "I think it's really poignant, what you're saying. What did you find?"

"Uh, my….impressive eye for nature, obviously," he said, jokingly. A little disjointed, and Kim's face must've reflected her confusion. "I mean, it all fits together. Like, I'm finding who I am. Just in time, too."

The look he gave her was raw with something earnest and charged. It made her heart ache.

"I'm really glad you are, Jared." When he smiled at her, her own smile was immediate. "Thank you for...trusting me enough to tell me."

They hugged again when Jared dropped her off at home. It wasn't as awkward this time, and Kim allowed herself to enjoy his warmth for .4 seconds longer than the first time. She waved to him as he pulled out of the driveway, waiting for her heart to resume it's normal rhythm.

She knew she should be hard-assed about all this; his behavior of the past few years was cringe-worthy, and she should take him to task over it, but...it almost felt like she was meeting someone entirely new. Not the player Jared, and not even the projection she'd been building of him since 2nd grade….he was someone else entirely, who was real and genuine and thrilling and funny and kind and attentive-

But no, no. Kim wondered if she was projecting again. She still hadn't quite worked out his sudden change, after all.

Still...she liked this Jared even better than her fantasy-Jared.

Oh boy.

That night, as she worked on Spanish homework at the living room coffee table, her phone buzzed.

360-555-0993: Hi Kim :) What's up?

Kim would never admit how quickly she flipped her phone open. She decided to finally save his number, now that they were officially...friends? Friends with a weird unresolved thing between them, but nonetheless…

Outgoing Text: Just working on hw. What about you?

Jared Cameron: Same. I was thinking...if you want I could pick you up tomorrow?

Outgoing Text: For what?

Jared Cameron: School

Jared Cameron: In the AM :)

Kim gaped. "What?" she asked aloud.

Outgoing Text: Do you think that might confuse people?

Jared Cameron: I don't really care. Do you?

Outgoing Text: A little...we're friends but that might confuse everybody. You and me included.

She wished she could see his face as she wrote it. Texting it made her sound so heartless. But she knew how her heart would pound at the sight of him, and hearing him- when he sounded so honest and candid and thoughtful- made her blood run hot at times. Even she was confused about their status...and didn't want to add to the gossip chain. Everything was so uncertain.

Outgoing Text: But I'd still like to see you tomorrow of course and look forward to hanging out during English. I hope I don't sound mean. I'm not trying to be. :(

Jared Cameron: That's OK. I understand and you don't.

Something compelled her to text: I'm sorry.

Jared Cameron: Don't be. You're really cool and I'm glad we're friends now.

Outgoing Text: Me too.

Jared Cameron: Back to hw. Night Kim!

The next morning, when she was chatting with Sarah at her locker, Jared approached- looking almost bashful and so so sweet, with a crooked smile and his hands shoved in his pockets. "Morning Kim and Sarah."

Kim could practically hear Sarah's brain short-circuiting; her stunned silence was reminiscent of Kim's own, last week. She hadn't had a chance to fill Sarah in about Saturday and Sunday, so she stood closer to Sarah's shoulder and said in an obviously pleasant voice, "Good morning Jared."

Jared's focus flickered to Sarah for only an instant before settling back on Kim like a cozy, well-loved blanket. "I hope you had a good weekend?"

"Very good," Kim said.

She nudged Sarah, who, in a rush said, "Oh, yes, just fine."

"Cool." Jared gave Kim another long glance, "Well, talk to you later."

Sarah turned slowly toward Kim. "So...what's happening?"

"I think we're trying to be friends," Kim said in a low voice. The moment Jared had left, all onlookers' attention went with him. "He came to see me at the Library and we had lunch...I think he actually just wants to get to know me."

Sarah's delicate brows rose before she schooled her expression. "It's surprising, for sure...but...I mean, I guess that's good, right?"

Kim shrugged. Sarah's disbelief wasn't hurtful, just realistic. "I think so."

"Just be careful. You know the reputation…" Her eyes slid toward a group standing about fifty feet down the hall. Amanda was talking with Brad and a few others; Mallory was looking at her cell phone thoughtfully. Sarah frowned, and met Kim's gaze again. "I'm not saying he's up to anything, and I know you've always liked him, so just listen to your gut."

My gut is a traitor and is in cahoots with my heart. And my entire body, actually, is betraying me in favor of being a horny little monster.

Pretty much the last hold-out in all of this was her brain...and even her damn brain couldn't seem to decide. It sometimes just puttered out at the sight of him; other times, it fixated with the laser-sharp attention that could shame any stalker. And other times, it piped up at the very last second to save her from making an idiot of herself.

Jared was just as friendly and conversational in English, and again on Tuesday whenever their paths crossed. He texted her both nights, but was working so the exchanges weren't long. Kim's mom asked about him- to which Kim vehemently asserted that they were merely friends.

She felt somewhat guilty when, that night in the shower, she allowed her hand to wander down between her legs and remember her most recent dream about Jared. She wondered what he'd look like showering...

Her release felt incomplete somehow, and her chest had that weird foreign fullness afterward, but it was release nonetheless.

On Wednesday, during Yearbook- her final class of the day- she and Archie Burnside were told to get some general photos of PE class. Armed with two clunky cameras that had been donated in the late 1990s, Kim and Archie set off for gym class.

Kim liked Archie; he was a nice guy, and since he was shy like her, they seemed to have a good understanding of the conversation-to-silence ratio. Out of the fifteen students in Yearbook class, Archie was one of her favorite partners to work with. They had tag-teamed all through Homecoming week and the resulting spread was legitimately one of the best Kim had ever seen La Push High produce.

They were debating the final edit deadlines when Archie opened the door for her, and they both stepped into the gym.

Kim's senses were assailed by the stale, stuffy smells of a high school gym at pique activity hour. Having never been an athlete, the smell always caused a bit of tension for her-like any moment, a purple-faced gym teacher was going to pop up and bellow, "Drop and give me fifty, Connweller!"

"I hate athletics," groused Archie, beside her.

She smirked, glancing at him out of the side of her eye. Archie was a bit chubby, too, and gave her a commiserating look. At the moment, Coach Packenham noticed them from the northside of the court, blew his whistle and shouted, "I want four more laps, boys, before you split into the same teams as yesterday!" before making his way over to Kim and Archie.

"What do you two want?"

"We're here from Yearbook?" Kim said, trying not to be unnerved by Coach's abrasive nature.

"So?"

"We're- uh, taking photos for the Physical Education spread." Kim gestured to her camera around her neck. "Mrs. Lang was supposed to have emailed you about it."

"Oh, right." He gave a thumbs-up. "Sure, just try not to get in the way of anybody. It's 3-on-3 basketball today."

They thanked him, and Kim gestured to Archie to stand off to the side with her while a group of galloping guys moved en masse around the gym's perimeter track.

They'd just resumed their quiet discussion about spring printing schedules when, breaking away from the group with alarming speed, and a furtive glance over his shoulder, Jared came upon them. He jogged in place, eyes twinkling, only a few feet from Kim. "Hi Kim."

"Hi Jared," she said with a small smile. They'd just seen each other in English, but Jared greeted her like he was her best friend, and had been waiting days to reunite. Her eyes flitted down his body. He was wearing gym shorts and a sleeveless LPHS Football shirt that made his limbs look especially...fit. Distractingly so. Even worse than when he used to jog past her house in the same shirt with his teammates...he was even hotter, because of the steroids or whatever…. Good God, the muscles looked even better…she was cataloguing lustfully for her shower that night, and had to remember exactly how that bicep curved-

Archie cleared his throat, and Kim shook herself. Bad Kim, bad! Squeakily, in an obvious attempt to hide her open appraisal of his body, she said, "Jared, you know Archie?"

Jared's attention shot to Archie, as if he hadn't noticed him there until that moment. He shook his head, like he was coming out of a funk, and said, "Hey man."

"Hi," Archie said blandly.

Jared glanced between the two of them. "So….here for Yearbook?" He seemed to be looking at how close they were standing, if Kim wasn't mistaken.

"Yeah. Yearbook." Kim hoped she wasn't blushing. She didn't need to try and explain away red cheeks in this situation; she had no good excuse for herself except sexual thirst that felt totally unreal.

She'd never felt this way in all her life; was she just having a delayed sexual awakening? Is this what every girl went through? Even her clandestine porch-side surveillance of his team runs weren't this ravenous.

"Your hair looks really good today, Kim," Jared said, in a low, intense voice. "I meant to- tell you earlier."

"Thanks, I just learned how to do it a few weeks ago," she said, touching her hairline braid.

Jared was smiling, and his chest was expanding and falling with every breath.

"Don't you have laps to do?" Archie asked.

Jared glanced at him, lip curling. Kim was stricken by how Jared that look was- not her Jared that she'd been hanging out with this week, but, old Jared who sneered a lot and wasn't afraid to show people when they irked him. "Are you Assistant Coach now, dude?"

"He's right, you don't want to get in trouble," Kim said.

"Right. Well, if you need an action shot- I'm happy to be your subject, Kim!" He grinned that sideways smile at her, dimpled and all, and then shot off. He outlapped the other boys easily. Kim snapped a picture, helplessly mesmerized by his athleticism.

It was even more apparent as they played basketball. Jared would weave in between his teammates, like an otherworldly creature made of copper sinew and masculine grace. Furthermore he seemed to be half-paying attention to his game...otherwise, he looked at her a lot.

Even half-distracted, he annihilated his opponents. The victory was unquestionable.

When Archie and Kim left, fifteen minutes before the final bell, Archie said, "Get enough photos, Kim?"

"I think so."

"I hope so. Otherwise we'll have to figure out how to explain a two-page spread devoted exclusively to Jerkhead Cameron."

Kim's immediate reaction was defensive. Not of herself, but of Jared. "That's not very nice."

"Do you like him?"

"Uh- no!" She clutched her camera close and began to walk faster.

"All the girls like him," Archie said in a sullen whine. "Why? I don't get it. Even you- the smartest girl in class. What do you see in him?"

She almost started her explanation of newfound things to admire in him, of the things she was learning to love anew- no, no, like anew, not love (of course not love because that was a part of her life she was getting over!)- but then she realized, that would be the worst thing she could do. So, denial it was. "I don't see anything other than he's a nice guy who's been my partner in English and is becoming a cool friend."

"He never was nice to you before," Archie said. Disgust was obvious in his tone.

"He wasn't mean to me," she pointed out.

Archie rolled his eyes. "Maybe not, because he didn't give a shit about you. Dumb jock didn't even know your name. He called you Kate the entire time we were partners for Social Studies in 9th grade."

"No, he didn't!" She knew he didn't know her name, even as of last week. But the Kate thing? Surely that was a one-time mistake, when he was with Amanda that one time.

"Yes he did. He never addressed you to your face maybe, but whenever he tried to mooch off my work for that group project after school, he'd refer to you as Kate."

Kim scowled. "Well, that sucks. But it sucks even more that you're bringing it up. Are you trying to make me feel bad, Archie?"

Stammering a bit, Archie said, "N-no! Why would I do that?"

"You tell me."

"Because it would suck to see you stoop to his level and get hurt."

"We're friends, Archie, but this isn't your business."

Archie shrugged. "Fine. You're right. Just really blows."

The agitation that sat in her gut the rest of the period- which thank God, wasn't long- was distracting. She didn't even want to make eye contact with Archie. Judgmental dick. The only person she'd abide such frank comments from would be Sarah, as her best friend, and even then...Sarah wasn't so presumptuous to say things like that. Archie had some nerve!

She was stomping toward her car when a hot hand snagged her elbow.

"Hey there, Madame Photographer," Jared said, mirth sparkling in his eyes. It was gone in an instant though, when he met her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, tone neutral and careful.

He studied her face. Then, after a second said, "Okay. Not a good day?"

It had been fine, up until Archie Burnside's obtrusive observations. God, what was he saying to other people about her? That she was the next casualty in Jared's arsenal of high school heartbreak? She gently removed her arm from his hold, and tried not to notice as his eyes dimmed.

"It was okay, sorry." She looked around. Mallory and Amanda were lingering up near the Main Doors, watching like hawks. She took a step back from him to create distance- look, world, nothing to comment on here- and hooked her thumbs in her backpack straps. "How was yours?"

There was something (disappointment?) in the curve of his mouth, even as he tried to joke. "It was pretty good. I kicked ass during Basketball today and even had an audience."

She laughed awkwardly. And what an audience she was. Practically panting after his every move and taking photographic evidence of her own obsession. She'd plugged in the photo card before class ended and, to put pain to insult, Archie was right. She had 54 fucking photos of Jared and 13 of the other boys in class. She didn't care if every single one of the 13 other photos sucked; she was going to hand over only two of Jared, and the other 13 to Archie for their spread combo. She'd just have to root through and find the two best- and least incriminating- photos of Jared. She already noticed that in a couple of them, she'd snapped him facing her...looking at her…

She made note to do that on her home computer, so no one would notice the Jared Cameron PE Photo Exhibit. This many photos basically indicated that she was going to erect a creepy little Jared shrine in her closet. She had to delete them before anyone found out. That would be even more embarrassing than the time Sarah saw her scribbling Mrs Cameron inside her notebooks.

"You played really well," she said, quietly. She glanced back toward the main doors. Mallory was on her phone again, and Amanda was nowhere to be seen. "Do you work tonight?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow's my day off. Then Friday...I don't know, I suppose I'll be needed at work again. This weekend is sort of...well, it's Halloween. So Sam wants all-hands-on-deck. Just in case."

"In case of what?"

"Like...rabble-rousing, I guess." Jared scratched the corner of his mouth, looking around for a second, then asked, quietly, "Are you doing anything on Halloween?"

"Like dressing up?"

Something dark and gleaming settled into his brown eyes. "Like dressing up." Did his voice sound raspy?

"I don't think so. I- well, I don't really go to...to parties," she admitted. She'd never been to one, technically, but she had spent five years telling herself not to be jealous of that crowd and that she'd have a dreadful time if she was invited anyway. "I probably will stay in."

He nodded approvingly. "That's good. What'll you do?"

"Scary movies, I guess." Sarah was usually up for a ghost or zombie movie. Claire could handle anything but total gore.

"By yourself?" He looked at her with eyebrows high, alarmed.

Did he think she was a total loser? She blinked, and stuttered, "P-probably not, I mean, I'll just ask...Sarah, maybe. Or-or maybe not." Was it lame to stay in and he was just being nice? Was it even worse to stay in alone?

As if sensing that she was embarrassed, he clarified, "No, I just- I can't believe you'd watch a horror movie all alone. You've got bigger balls than me, Kim!"

Relieved, she laughed. "Oh. Thanks! Yeah, I'm not sure. If Sarah's free, I'd prefer to watch with someone, but if no, I'm fine on my own too."

He swallowed. "I'd love to watch a movie with you, Kim."

"Sounds like you don't particularly like horror movies," she teased.

"I'd like them if I was watching with you. I'd like to watch anything with you."

Feeling a surge of bravery- and a hotness in her chest that made her heart flutter- she said, "Well, maybe sometime...we could watch a movie, if you wanted?" What was she even doing?! But it was out now, spoken into the air, and she refused to cave.

Jared huffed a tiny breath through parted lips, watching her with dilated eyes. As much as that expression terrified her- because there was something so clear and worshipping in it, even if that sounded absurd- it was becoming her favorite Jared-ism. Dilated eyes made her feel like the world was sucked out like a vacuum, and only the two of them existed. "That would be the best."

She bit her lip; embarrassment was starting to rise now, so she quickly said, "Let's do that then sometime. As f-friends." There, there. The embarrassment was squelched a bit. She saved some face at the last minute.

Jared's smile was soft. "Let's do that."

"I should probably head home," she said, with another glance up toward the school. Mallory was still standing there, phone in hand, and looking at the two of them. Just as Kim was about to point out their audience, she heard Jared's phone buzz loudly in his pocket.

Jared made a grunt of annoyance, but didn't move to check it.

"You can grab that," Kim said quietly.

"Nah. It's not important."

Kim suspected it was Mallory texting. "How do you know?"

"Because I'm with the only person whose texts I really care about," Jared said, in a confessional sort of way. His full lips spread in a smile again.

Kim swallowed, wondering if he knew his magic was working on her. Wondered if he could feel her attraction rolling off her in waves or could see it in her eyes. "Oh."

"Was that too much?"

"Well, for- yeah, for friends, that's pretty intense." She thought about Archie, about Sarah. Would they be rolling their eyes right now? Or worse- laughing at her? Was she being a total fool? But God, she felt like there was a string in her chest, centered right between her ribs àla Jane Eyre, and it was stringing itself ever tighter to him.

"Sorry," he said, though there wasn't much meaning in his apology. That soft smile was going to be the death of her. "And I guess Sam's texts mean something to me, too. Especially if he's telling me to take the night off or to bring tupperware because Emily made extra food. Those come in second to seeing your name on my screen."

Kim wondered- not for the first time- if she would wake up in a fever dream from all this, and be pushed back into the reality she'd come to grips with the past decade. For a girl who'd never been kissed and had tried- and failed- to get over a one-sided crush for so long, this felt unreal.

"Are you busy for the next hour, Kim?" Jared asked.

"Not really." She was on the last fourteen pages of an urban-fantasy she'd picked up during her shift at the Library, but other than that...no homework, even. Other than reviewing her Yearbook photos for submission before the entire school heard about her loser-obsession with Jared Cameron. "No, I'm free."

"I have a bit before I have to be to Sam's….wondered if maybe you'd want to come over to my house?"

She blinked, lips parting. Go to Jared's house. Um, just a scenario she'd dreamt about since 2nd grade. Now that it presented itself, it was a terrifying suggestion. "Oh. Um…"

He quickly offered, "Or- or just like a drive, maybe? Down to Third Beach?"

Phew. Much more manageable. Her heart calmed. A drive could be more talking, without any implication of...something she wasn't ready to try and decode. "A drive works!"

He backed away, toward his car, with a smile on his face that- she was pretty sure- mirrored her own.


A/N: Thank you again, friends. Next chapter is almost done but I have to quick-proof and upload sometime this weekend, I hope. :) Please leave me your thoughts. Reviews make me so happy!