Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews and new followers. This is just a filler chapter. It's basically Knowing Ian but in Jared's POV. Hope you enjoy this chapter. And I'm sad to say this is my last chapter for a while because school started today. Blame me or the school but I'll be too caught in school stuff to update. I hope you understand. Please Read and Review.

Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer so I don't own the Host.

Jared's Jealousy

Jared's POV

I couldn't really sleep last night. Ever since I found out that spiritdonia was Melanie, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Not that I didn't stop thinking about her. Every thought was about her but my mind went into over drive when I finally knew who she was. Melanie, Melanie, Melanie. I couldn't even concentrate on dinner. My dad kept asking about the team and I told him we were okay. We weren't okay. Stupid freshman newbies.

And all this time I was afraid that I was falling for someone else instead of Melanie. Maybe we were meant for each other. But I remembered her telling me that she didn't like me. That I was a jerk. I sighed. If she knew that no1ladiesman was me, she'd be disgusted. I stood at my locker as I got my things for last period. P.E had been fun. Maybe it was because Melanie was in my class or that she was stretching in front of me for warm ups. I couldn't help but gawk and bite my lip. She was so... she was beyond describing. If she showed some skin more often, more people would be all over her. It was good she didn't. I want her all to myself, if she liked me that is. She was too perfect and maybe that's why I can't have her. Because I didn't deserve her. To feel her body, next to mine. Touch her skin. Kiss her lips. In my dreams, they just seemed so real.

Across the hallway, I could see Melanie unpack her bag and put her things in her locker. Wanda came over, happy and smiling, making Melanie jump as Wanda spoke up in a cheery voice. I chuckled.

"Wanda, don't do that!" Melanie hissed. She is so cute, not to mention hot!

Wanda blushed. "Sorry, Mel!"

Wanda and Melanie talked in hushed voices so I couldn't hear what else they were saying. I grabbed my things and went but Wanda's next statement caught me off guard.

"But we're going to change your relationship status." I heard Wanda say and at the corner of my eyes, Melanie blushed. Wanda's eyes widened. "Oh, you're already in one." she stated.

I frowned. What? Melanie taken? But who? Who could have asked her out without me knowing.

I heard Melanie speak up. "Kind of. No1ladiesman is just... wow! I mean, he's great and he's so hot. I mean, well, I don't know what he looks like, because we actually don't know each other. Actually we do know each other but I don't know who he is. But I do know he goes to this school. He's probably really smart. What if I do know him and what if... what if he doesn't like me in real life. But he's great." Melanie rambled. I cracked a smile. I loved it when she was liked that. Melanie took a few deep breaths because of her rambling. She smiled to her cousin. "I'm going to ask him out tonight!" she exclaimed.

I wanted to scream YES! at the top of my lungs but held it in. She was gonna ask me out. I took a deep breath and closed my locker, trying not to look at Melanie and went to the cafeteria. I had English next with Melanie so I knew I was going to see her soon enough. Plus, Kevin will be on watch over her anyway.

When I arrived at the cafeteria, I got my lunch and sat down next to Kyle in our table of jocks. Kyle's brother, Ian, was in the table near ours with his friends. I didn't know why he hung out with those losers. I scanned the lunch room to see if Melanie was there but all I saw was Wanda arriving in the cafeteria, sitting next to Ian. Where was Melanie? I wondered. I shook it off. She was somewhere.

During lunch, me and Kyle discussed about our tactics on Saturday's football game. I needed my half back to know the whole plan. Aaron and Brandt listened in and Kyle was going to tell Ian about the game plan tonight. Me, Kyle, Aaron, Brandt and Ian were the only ones that actually knew how to play football in the field. The others on the team were freshman. And they only tried out because they didn't want to be picked in school. I hated how coach got lame players this year. It was the five of us, then the rest were all freshmen. Come on! That is not a football team. We were going to lose this year and I knew it. Might as well drop out as captain and not do it.

I heard the conversation in Ian's table as me and Kyle finished our football discussion.

"I was just with Melanie discussing her boyfriend." I heard Wanda say. I smirked.

"She has a boyfriend?" Candy asked. "We're in English together and she hasn't told me?"

"Actually, she met him online." Wanda said and I noticed Kyle was in earshot too.

He nudged me. "She's taken?" Kyle asked and I shook my head.

"Nope!" I grinned.

"How would you know?" Kyle asked, looking at me with my goofy grin. Realization hit him. I only had a goofy grin on when I think about Melanie. He got the memo. "She's spiritdonia?!" I nodded. "Dude!"

"Shh!" I tell him as I listen to what Wanda was going to say.

"She only told me because she thinks if everyone knew, they'd think she was a whore."

I dropped my spoon as I heard this, then I nudged at Kyle. "Why would she think that?" I asked him and he shrugged. He knew how much I loved Melanie and he would do anything just for me to be happy. He was my best friend, so of course he would do anything for me.

Brandt answered me instead. "Well, the freshman in our football team's been calling her pretty much everything that's insulting." Brandt explained. "Dork, loser, geek. Word got out they were calling her that and everyone started to do it. I saw Lacey call her that and she looked like she was gonna tear up. I asked her if there was anything I could to to help her and she shoved me off. She told me that I didn't need to pretend to be friendly to her."

My hands turned into fists as I remembered me and Melanie's chat last night.

spiritdonia: no, I was just thinking. people called me a geek all the time at school

Kyle nudged me. "Dude, you alright? You're turning red."

Rage was building up on me now. Who dared try to hurt Melanie like this? She thought that everyone would judge her if they knew about meeting me online. And maybe she's right because society can never be impressed by actions. "Fine, let's go beat up those freshmans." I tell him.

Kyle frowned. "Why?"

"Last night, she told me that people call her things all the time. No one does that to my girl without any punishment." I say, my jaw tightening. Kyle saw how angry I was. He understood that I was this emotional when it came to Melanie.

Kyle raised his eyebrows. "Your girl?" he questioned.

"Whatever, Kyle. Aaron, Brandt, let's go." I stood up and they followed. I was so angry. And since they I was friends with them for a long time, they knew when to back off when I'm angry. Maybe that's why Melanie started to not like me. Last year, we were cool. We smiled awkwardly at each other but it was better than knowing she didn't like me. Maybe she thought that I had come up with the idea. To torment her or something. I shook my head, trying to deny it but it was true. I was being a jerk to her at the start of the year. Maybe because of my hormones or what not but I was so rude to her. I thought chicks liked that. So I couldn't blame her for thinking that of me.

Darren and his group of freshmen friends came into view. "Hey, Jared!" he called and I shoved him against a locker. "Easy there, you might have sprained something."

I lifted him up by his shirt collar. "Heard you calling someone a geek and insulting her this past year, McKnight! Is it true? Where you the one who started it?"

Darren nodded. "Yeah, some geek called Melanie."

I banged his body to the metal lockers. "Who told you to call her that?"

"No-no one," he stuttered.

"Why did you do it?" Kyle asked, putting his hand on Darren's neck, in a means of choking him.

"Because she was one. She was a geek." Darren answered. Me and Kyle tightened our grip on him.

"You know, things like that could lead to depression. Depression leads to abuse and abuse leads to suicide. It'll be all your fault if she does that, you know?" I knew Melanie wouldn't do that. She was smart. But a cousin of mine did it and it tore our family apart. "If Melanie does kill herself, it will all be on you. Unlike you, she has a reputation. Few scholar ships given to her and you have nothing."

Darren gulped. "Okay, I'll stop. Geez."

Me and Kyle looked at each other before letting the kid go. Darren snickered at his friends. I sent my fist to his stomach. He coughed up some blood and I left him lying there. "You deserved it," I called out to him. "See you in practice."

The bell rang so Aaron and Brandt went to their classes while me and Kyle went to English. When we got there, the teacher was introducing a new kid. Anton Ledger.

I sat at the back, behind Melanie as I always did in any classes that she was in with me. Anton, brunette haired, wearing jeans, a faded out red nike shoes and a loose crimson shirt sat next to Melanie. He introduced himself to her and I stared at him.

"Hey, I'm Anton." He introduced.

"Melanie but you can call me Mel." she said, politely. She bit her lip as she looked him over.

Was she checking him out? No, I shook my head. No, she's mine, so back off!

"Mel, it suits you." he said. I tighten my jaw and Kyle notices.

"Hey, it's just a new kid." He said, shrugging it off. But he didn't understand.

"So, is this seat taken?" Anton asked and Melanie shook her head. "Are you?" he smirked.

Melanie blushed and giggled. "Nope." she said, proudly.

I frowned. What?! We are together! I wanted to remind her that she was gonna ask me out tonight but she doesn't know that I'm me. I sighed. Kyle was right, it's just a new kid. Mr. Burley went on and on about English literature. Like I gave a crap. And when we were given projects to do, I stared at Anton and Mel. She looked so happy with him. I wish I was there making her laugh. I wish I wasn't a jerk at the start of the school year. Why didn't I sit next to her?

Kyle rolled his eyes at me. "Dude, we're gonna fail English if we don't start." he nudged me.

I sighed. "I can't help it. He's hitting on her." My hands turned into fists as I started my work. I really wasn't in the mood to make a book report about anything. I didn't read much. So going to a library was not my thing. Not anymore.

I watched as Anton took off Melanie's glasses. She never let anyone take her glasses off her. "You look beautiful without them, Mel." Anton told her. I hated him but he was right. She looked more beautiful without them. Anton tucked a strand of hair hanging in front of Melanie's face and tucked it behind her ears, making Melanie blush. She never let me touch her like that. What was happening?

I got on with my work, head down, not thinking about Anton hitting on my girl. MY GIRL! This project is so stupid. Why can't Mr. Burley partner me up with Melanie so I can charm her. Not that I hate Kyle, he's my best friend but sometimes I just wanted to be alone with Melanie.

English was a drag. And it was torture. The bell rang and I was both thankful and not. This meant that I had football practice but leaving Melanie with the new kid... I didn't want that to happen. I saw how he flirted with her. With his fake French accent I heard him use. Telling Melanie he lived in France for two years before moving here. I rolled my eyes. So, she's into Russians? That didn't sound right. I knew she was smart but there was something about Anton that made me not like him hanging out with her.

I walked up to her. "Hey, Mel, haven't talked to you since yesterday." I grinned at her.

I saw her roll her eyes. "What do you want, Jared?" she asked, annoyed as she packed her things. Anton squinted his eyes on me. I pretended not to notice.

"Just asking, did you get anything from this lesson?" I asked, scratching my head.

She rolls her eyes again. "How's your head? Healing?" she asked, sarcastically.

"Now that you mention it, no, it hurts." I tell her as she walks out of class, Anton following her. I walk beside her. "Maybe a kiss on the lips might make it better." I say as I drape an arm around her. She backed away real quickly.

"Back off, Howe or I'm going to sue you." she threatened.

I laughed. "Really?" I questioned her, searching her face if she was bluffing. She wasn't.

"Yes and just so you know I have a lawyer." she said, stomped on my foot and lead Anton away from me.

I held up my right foot. "Ow!" The stinging pain of what felt like needles was on my feet. "For a girl, she has a hard foot."

Kyle chuckled. "Wow, you actually dealt with it." He said as he patted me on the back. Apparently, he stayed back just to watch me make a fool of myself.

I roll my eyes. "Shut up, Kyle! Don't you have to be somewhere?" I ask. He nods and tells me he'll see me in practice in ten miuntes. I sighed as I go to the locker room to get changed for practice.

When Kyle arrived on the field, I immediately threw the football at him. He caught it and told me what happened when he walked Wanda to his house for her to babysit his sister, Jennifer. "So you showed her the house then kiss her when Ian walked in?" I asked as we started throwing the football back and forth.

"Pretty much." He shrugged as he threw the ball back.

"You're insane."

"Yeah, well, trying to hit on a girl you clearly can't get, is pathetic." He chuckled.

I ignore his comment. "Ian practically hates you, right now." I tell him as I look for his younger brother who had now hit Darren square on the face. "Ouch!" I exclaim and Kyle looks to where I was looking. After a minute we chuckle at Darren's misfortune.

"He can't hate me, I'm his brother." Kyle exclaimed.

"You kissed his girlfriend in front of him, not to mention hitting on her right in front of him. Do you really think he's gonna forgive you?"

Kyle shrugged. "Forgive and forget." he said, smiling.

The coach gave us some warm ups and a lame game plan we worked for two hours on perfecting. He didn't know that it was going to be useless since I had a game plan of my own. Ian talked to me after practice. "I'm not gonna make it for Saturday's game." he said to me as we rinsed off the mud on our faces.

"What do you mean you're not gonna make it?" I asked as I lowered my voice. "What about my game plan?"

Ian shrugged. "I don't feel like it. If Kyle's in on your plan, I'm not in on it."

I growled. "Look, whatever is going on between you and Kyle, deal with it elsewhere. This is our last year. I want to at least, come second place and not make a fool of myself. We haven't won since Axel was quarter back. And you know how many years apart me and Axel are. Even Zhane and Brody couldn't live up to winning for the school after Axel left." I said, realizing I was bragging about my brothers now. Axel was at least ten years older. He was the quarterback at his senior year and he led his team into victory. Zhane and Brody weren't too keen in being quarterback but were halfback or fullback. I, unlike Zhane and Brody, wanted to be just like Axel. The quarterback who got the girl, his team winning overall and graduated smoothly like it was no big deal.

Ian sighed. "Look, I just can't and anyways, no one's gonna watch Jennifer this weekend. My parents are going out of town again." he said as if it was a bad thing. If I were him I'd throw a party.

"Wanda can babysit again, can't she?" I asked and Ian's face hardened. I said the wrong thing and Ian stormed out. I finished changing after Ian left then walked to my car to go home. I couldn't wait to talk to Melanie.

When I got home, I showered then got something to eat before abandoning my homework I didn't do and logged on to my private messaging. It was when I logged on that a message popped up for me.

spiritdonia sent you a message

I quickly opened the tab and there was a short explanation why she couldn't chat with me.

Sorry, too busy with school work. Tutoring someone in my class. You know, valedictorian and all. I wish I could chat but you weren't online. Out with your girlfriend? I wish you didn't. I'm sorry I couldn't not be busy but that's life, isn't it? Chat tomorrow, I promise.

I sighed as I logged off and turned my useless laptop off. What to do now? At the corner of my eye, a few books lay, stacked for me. Homework! I guess I'd do them since there was nothing else to do until dinner. And while doing my homework I thought of stupid Anton Ledger. Melanie's absence on chat made me think of him. Maybe he's the reason why she isn't here. Maybe. A pang of jealousy hits me. I was never jealous of anything or anyone. I guess this is just a new feeling that my teenage hormones gave me.

And that's it folks. I don't know if I should have this story as a hiatus because of school and stuff or not. Does anyone want me to update? Because my school schedule is busy, I can only update on the weekends. Sound good? Please review. Thank you for reading! And a big shout out to Alpha Clove for giving me a better username for Melanie.