The last week of school was the most awkward time of my life.
Jared was constantly trying to talk to me, he would come up to me, pass me notes, and he even had his friends come up to me. As much as I wanted to ignore what had happened and go wrap my arms around his strong, warm torso I couldn't do it. I didn't know if he was crazy or just mean but either way I couldn't go back. I could only go foreword and as much as I wanted to do so with Jared, that wasn't an option.
Friday, the last day of school I walked up to my locker wondering which pack member would be leaning up against my locker today. I hoped it was Embry. Jake was impatient, Paul was a jerk, Quil was constantly talking about this lame imprinting crap and how Jared couldn't help it blah, blah, blah, Embry though, he pushed me to talk to Jared but not necessarily to just forgive him. He said I ought to let him explain himself better, then make my decision. It was hard to argue with this logic but I couldn't do it. And though Em didn't agree he didn't get frustrated. Everyone thought he was a total ditz, and he was but he was also surprisingly insightful and totally understanding.
So when I walked up to my locker after the last bell of the school year rang I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw who it was.
"So Kimmy babe, you know the drill. I leave a message, tell you what I think, you disagree, I push you anyway, you say no, I say fine and then walk away to report to Jared. Shall we begin?" He asked once I reached my locker.
"Fine Embry go ahead." I sighed spinning the lock on the door.
"Jared wants to apologies again for how he told you, what he told you and for waiting so long to tell you. He wants you to know he isn't crazy, and he does love you. And a new update is that he wants you to go to the concert on the first still."
"Is he going?"
"He didn't say."
"But he still has the ticket."
"I'd assume as much."
"No."
"Aw come on Kim! Are you seriously going to miss this concert over some guy? I know you want to see Plain white T's more than you want like…life or whatever."
"Yeah Em, but I don't know that I can do it if…he's there."
"Yeah okay I get it, but you know I still think you ought to talk to him. We aren't crazy Kimmy."
"Whatever Em, I won't call the nut house but I'm not going to say I believe you. And you know if anyone else called me that except my mother I would kick his or her ass right?"
"Well it's a good thing you like me so much because I am so sure you could take me." He replied grinning.
"Well I better go Katie and Liza are probably waiting, I'm the ride. Maybe I'll see you around this summer?"
"Sure thing Kimmy. Oh Kim?"
"Yeah?"
"Reason three hundred and forty two: The way you blow your hair from your face about twenty times before finally using your hand to push it away." I nearly started crying as Embry walked away. The pleas I could handle, the reasoning, but not the reasons. I couldn't handle that. And the fact he'd been keeping count. I wanted to melt.
I walked out to my car stumbling because of the tears blurring my vision. I shook my head as a indication to my friends who were leaned against the car that they shouldn't ask. I needed to think, just me.
oOoOoO oOoOoO oOoOoO oOoOoO oOoOoO oOoOoO oOoOoO
After much internal debate I had decided I would go to the concert and risk seeing Jared, my friends double-checked like twenty times I was sure and I was. I really wanted to go, plus I didn't want to waste the ticket…
So the first of the month came and I got up and ready brining my bag as well as a cooler of drink and food for the ride down to Seattle, I would probably stay in a hotel that night though if it got to be too late, I was still a new driver.
The drive down was uneventful although some idiot tailgated me for like half an hour, I actually considered slamming on my breaks but I wanted to see this concert, not fill out insurance forms. Plus my parents were already hesitant about letting me go alone.
When I finally got to my seat in the Key Arena I was nearly bouncing in my seat. I peeked to my left and breathed a sigh of relief when I found it empty. Soon after Death Cab for Cutie took the stage with Marching Bands of Manhattan and I was dancing along with the rest of the crowd as they played their set. It was amazing! While the next band set up I went to the lobby and got a few band shirts for my self and for Katie and Liza who'd made me promise.
I got back to my seat and The Plain White T's introduced themselves, I thought it was just standard procedure until they finished, leaving me gaping in my seat.
"Hey everyone we are the Plain White T's and tonight we are going to start out with Come Back to Me, Kim…Danas' favorite song. And to you Kim, Jared says, Sorry, I love you and most importantly Reason number Three hundred and forty-three: The way you sing along to this song, and put it on repeat while you paint, completely lost in your own world. Now folks normally we don't like being the messenger but this kid was too sweet to refuse so…let's get started."
Oh. My. God.
'Everything you say or do
I am always there for you
Whether you're laughing or you're screaming
No one else could take your place
I will always see your face
When I'm awake and when I'm dreaming
Cause I believe there's a place for you and me in this crazy world
If you come running back to me I'll be here waiting
Cause I still believe in a love worth saving
If you could see the sad look on my face
You'd be in your car headed back to my place
Come back to me, I'll be here waiting
Cause I'm on my knees and my love's not fading
If you could see the sad look on my face
You'd be in your car headed back to my place
I can't stand to watch you go
Cause in my head deep down I know
I don't wanna live without you
I love the way we stay up late
The way you laugh at your mistakes
I love everything about you
Cause I believe there's a place for you and me in this crazy world
If you come running back to me I'll be here waiting
Cause I still believe in a love worth saving
If you could see the sad look on my face
You'd be in your car headed back to my place
Come back to me, I'll be here waiting
Cause I'm on my knees and my love's not fading
If you could see the sad look on my face
You'd be in your car headed back to my place
I'm not sure if I was crazy but I was sure I heard Jared's voice singing along in my ear like he had all those afternoons spent in my garage painting, the CD player blasting this song over and over again.
No, don't wanna let you go
Girl, you belong in my heart, in my arms, in my bed
Girl, quit messing with my head
Say that you're coming back to stay right here with me
If you come running back to me I'll be here waiting
Cause I still believe in a love worth saving
If you could see the sad look on my face
You'd be in your car headed back to my place
Come back to me, I'll be here waiting
Cause I'm on my knees and my love's not fading
If you could see the sad look on my face
You'd be in your car headed back to my place
Come back to me
I still believe
If you could see the sad look on my face
You'd be in your car headed back to my place
Come back to me
I'm on my knees
If you could see the sad look on my face
You'd be in your car headed back to my place'
I took a deep breath and turned slowly to the previously empty seat beside me as the band started their next song. And there staring into my eyes was Jared, Jared who I had been so successful at avoiding until now. Not picking up the phone, telling my parents we had an argument so they would turn him away, and convincing my father he hadn't tried to pressure me into anything so he could stay out of the hospital. And now here he was staring at me, quickly chipping away at my resolve.
"Jared, I can't. If you need help I will…but I really don't know what you and your friends are up to and I just I can't Jared." I spit out after two songs.
"Kim you can. Please baby girl! I-I'm for real, this world it is for real and I know it's a lot to handle, really I do and I wont force you to love me if it freaks you out too much. But I do need you to believe me. And not even the mythical creature legend part, but I need you to believe I love you, not because I have to but because of A Million Reasons that I have only begun to discover. Kim…"
"Jared," I sighed and pulled his hand off of my shoulder where he had rested, it holding it in both of my own. I looked down at the tears that had begun to pool on the back of his hand and realized they were mine. "I believe that you think that you love me, but you also think that vampires are real, and Jared the closest thing there is, is Count Chocula. Maybe your sick, you've got that weird heat thing…Jared maybe you ought to go talk to a doctor something, because Jared I do love you but I am also sixteen and I can't do this. Whatever the hell this is."
"I'll prove it."
"Excuse me?"
"I- I didn't want to, but I'll show you."
"Jared let's not make this harder okay? I'm going…I love you Jar." And I walked out of the Stadium as the Shook Twins took the stage.
It's been a hard year
A hard year for love
It seems to me we've all forgotten what it's made of…
I drove to the closest hotel and booked a room for the night. Once I had dropped my bag in my room and called to let my parent's know I was staying for the night I wandered down to the lobby once again. The sunlight was fading and the sunset was beautiful so I walked out the doors to wander around the hotel. I felt a familiar warm hand in my shoulder and sighed.
"Kim, I'm not letting you go without a fight. Please let me show you!" He sounded desperate and I began to well up already.
"Jared what's going to happen when we get somewhere private so you can 'prove it' and you can't, huh? What then?"
"Kim that isn't what will happen! Please?"
"Fine Jared, show me okay?"
"Really?" His face brightened considerably and he pulled me into a firm hug. "Come on." He pulled me to a small wooded area to the right of the hotel. And found a smallish clearing in the trees. I was a little nervous but reminded myself Jared hadn't been right in the mind all along, he wasn't going to hurt me, and I could at least humor him for a little bit.
"Uh Kim? Can you turn around for a sec?"
"Why?"
"Well these are new pants and I don't want to tear them…" Oh yeah. The 'spirit wolves' were apparently huge…that would explain Jared's new, sudden height…no, no this was crazy. Never the less I turned around. After about a minuet I was getting impatient.
"Jared what- oh my goodness!" I had turned around sure I would find Jared standing there, talking to himself or something but instead it was my wolf. The one I had painted several times and who had featured regularly in my dreams. I should have been terrified, should have run screaming, or should have been convinced I was crazy too, but that wasn't the case, no I was convinced.
"Jared?" I asked taking a few cautious steps toward him, he was smiling I could see, it gave a whole new meaning to a wolfish grin. And in that moment I knew it was Jared, just a furrier version of him, because the brown wolf's smile looked just like Jared's in a way that I couldn't explain. I ran toward the wolf and wrapped my arms around his broad neck. "Jared I'm so sorry I didn't believe you it's just- I just! Oh Jared I love you!" I stayed like that with my arms around him, knowing this was something that was going to take some getting used to, but I also knew that we could do it.
"Jared, can you, like…change back?" The wolf, no Jared, barked and motioned his head in a kind of half circle. I looked at him puzzled, but when I saw his clothes lying next to us I remembered I was meant to turn around.
I stood looking at a tall pine tree in front of me as I waited. Within thirty seconds though there were two strong arms around my waist pulling me tightly to Jared's neck, and his lips found their way to my neck causing me to sigh. "I missed this." He whispered against my skin before kissing it once more and spinning around.
"Me too." I said, but as he leaned down to kiss me added, "Jared I love you and believe you and all, but you know we have to talk right?"
"Yeah I know, but right now I'm going to kiss you okay?" I nodded my head fighting the grin playing on my lips as he closed the space between us.
I only have a few more days of vacation and a bunch more reading to do so... I can't say when the next chapter will be up. I will probably wrap up this story in just a few more chapter, just kind of see where it goes and what not. The in a little while I will do the sequel. If you check out my profile there is a list of my upcoming stuff, I'll probably do the AU E/B story then this sequel or something like that, let me know what you think though.
The second song is Broken Win by the Shook Twins, whom I totally recommend!
And Finally I love opinionated people, so tell me what you think! :) And Thanks to all my reviewers but A special thanks again to MrsBellaEdwardSwanCullen for her previous suggestion of a band, I don't think I could have found a more perfect song for this chapter.