Jared
(Transforms November)
Author's note: Jared's story is a little more graphic than the others. When I saw him in New Moon, I loved his character but couldn't help but think that he looks like he would be *trouble* ; ) That being said, there is some mature content in Jared's story – he is a horny young man with a filthy mouth, but you can't help but love him. You've been warned!
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Glancing at the clock that morning, he was glad for several reasons. First, he still had a few minutes to lay there, undisturbed before his mother would yell up the stairs for him to wake up. That also meant he had time for something else….
Jared was a typical seventeen-year-old boy, and as such he had the same predicament on this particular morning that most seventeen-year-old boys have. Shoving his hand below the covers, he laughed to himself when he realized he was still naked. Sleeping naked was something new for him. He didn't usually try that in the house where he lived with his parents. Lately, however, he had just been too hot to bother sleeping with any clothing on.
He moved his hand down to grasp his manhood and couldn't resist sneaking a peek below the sheets to admire the wonder that was now Little Jared.
Or should I say Not-So-Little Jared? He thought to himself with a laugh. He had recently gone through a growth spurt, and as painful as it was for his already teenage body to shoot up nearly a foot, Jared didn't mind that much. It was nice to not look like a punk kid anymore.
The new, larger muscles in his arm ached a little as he moved his hand in the pleasurable up and down strokes. He was so into what he was doing that he didn't hear the familiar patter of his mother's footsteps as she walked up to his bedroom door.
"JARED!" she said, banging on it. He ripped his hand out from under the covers and flailed around, trying to cover himself before she pushed the door open rudely.
"Mom! Come on!" he yelled, sitting up quickly.
"Ulgh, Jared, stop doing whatever disgusting teenage thing you're doing and get downstairs! You need to eat something before school and you're going to be LATE!" his mother yelled at him. She ripped his blinds open with a yank and then shook her head at him as she stalked back into the hall.
His alarm went off, screaming rock music at him and he shook his head in defeat. It was going to be another one of those days.
x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x
He flew downstairs after throwing on some clothes, eager to finally get to eat again. He was always hungry these days.
"Morning," his father mumbled, barely looking up from his paper.
"Yo, pops," he said, reaching across the table. He grabbed a few bananas and began peeling them only to quickly devour them in two bites each.
"Hey!" his mother hissed, slapping him on the back of the head. "I just bought those!"
"To eat!" Jared shot back, giving his mom a pretend glare. She glared back until they both broke into a smile. He knew he had been forgiven, both for the bananas and the embarrassing scene in his bedroom earlier. His mom was no fool to his antics.
"Jared…" his father warned, again not bothering to look up from the paper.
"Sorry, Dad," he mumbled, pouring a large bowl of cereal. He knew his dad hated it when he acted up at breakfast. His dad was the dentist in La Push, and his mom worked as his dental hygienist. He was an only child, and they lived pretty well for a reservation family. Jared was a lucky kid, and he knew it.
"You can't wear that to school," his mom said, pulling at his t-shirt.
"Mom…"
"Jared, its November. You're wearing those awful cargo shorts that I hate…and a t-shirt? It snowed on Tuesday for heaven's sake!"
Jared just rolled his eyes and began shoveling the cold cereal into his mouth. "No big deal," he mumbled through the food. She slapped him again upside the head for talking with food in his mouth and he laughed.
"What?"
"It's November, Jared. What will people say when they see that I let my teenage son out of the house in shorts and a t-shirt when there's frost on my car?"
"They'll say whatever they want to say," he mused, grabbing another banana and jumping up from the table. He laughed smugly to himself as both his parents gave him an incredulous look while he bounded towards the front door.
"Don't forget your books!" she said. "And I expect you to get a Calculus tutor today, Jared. I won't have you getting Ds and Cs!" she called after him.
"Yeah, mom, I hear ya," he called out over his shoulder. He had been dreading that – he was practically failing Calc because it was just a stupid class in his opinion. He didn't have the time or patience to sit and focus on that many little letters and numbers for so long. It was pointless. His mother had been bugging him for a week now to take advantage of the free after school tutoring program, but it wasn't really Jared's style to ask for help and admit that he was too lazy to do something.
I plan to get through life with my looks, he thought smugly as he jumped into his truck.
Jared had never been particularly well built – he was slightly skinny, medium height, and even had a few love handles on his sides that his mother often made fun of.
That had all changed several weeks ago. Out of nowhere, he had shot up a little over a foot. His joints and muscles still ached most days, especially with the humidity and rain. He now towered over most of his classmates at a lean 6'4". The fat had practically melted off his body overnight, leaving him with a body that was muscled like he had been working out for years. He couldn't explain it – but he was happy enough that he didn't bother to try. He had gotten a few funny looks at school even, a few snide comments about steroids and illegal muscle enhancers, things like that. However, no one was really about to try to mess with him now that he was built 'like a brick shithouse' as he had heard someone refer to it.
The truck roared to life and he grinned to himself as he revved it a couple times before pulling out of the driveway. The brand new, black Dodge truck had been a sixteenth birthday present from his father, and it was easily the envy of the reservation. His father's job allowed them to live in one of the nicer houses there and he never forgot about it. Unfortunately, poverty and hard times were not two unfamiliar things in La Push.
He pulled into the parking lot of the small reservation high school. There were only about five hundred students in each grade, so he pretty much knew every face that turned to look at him as his truck roared into his usual spot by the basketball hoops. He stepped out onto the wet asphalt, glaring up at the rainy sky.
Could we just have one sunny day?
Shaking his head, he strode into school and into his first class. They day passed slowly. With each hour he would move to a different room to try to squeeze himself into the small desks that lined the rooms in tiny rows. When he got to calc, his last class of the day, he groaned and flopped down in his desk in the back row. He absolutely loathed coming to calculus. He would sit for fifty minutes of pure boredom and would come away with scribbled down notes and the need for a nap. It was useless.
The students all scurried into the classroom as their teacher began to take roll. Jared didn't even bother to look up as the last one hurried in and took her seat beside him in the back row, knocking him accidentally in the face with her backpack.
"Sorry!" she gasped, turning to look at him. Jared nodded at her, barely letting his eyes brush over her face.
"S'ok," he mumbled, leaning back in his chair.
He sat through the class, trying to keep his eyes open. The tiny classroom was so hot and stuffy; he only wanted to be outside. He sighed as he looked out the windows at the forest. He frowned as he bit back the urge to just go outside and run.
His teacher, Mr. Finch, frowned at him as he walked by with their quizzes from last week.
"We might want to be looking into the after school tutoring, Jared," he said quietly, tossing the quiz down on his desk. Jared glanced at it, cringing when he saw the 54% written on the top in bold red ink.
"What?" Jared exclaimed, snatching up the paper. "Mr. Finch, this stuff is impossible!" he argued. "No one could do this."
"Mr. Tinsel, I suggest you keep quiet. Others seem to understand the material just fine," his teacher said to him pointedly. He placed another graded quiz onto the desk of the girl beside him that had hit him with her backpack at the start of class. It read 96%.
Jared glanced over at the girl's paper with an annoyed glare, then turned back to his own paper. Mr. Finch leaned down a little to speak to him. "Get the tutor," he repeated, walking back up the row to finish passing out the papers.
Jared sighed as anger rose in his body. The heat seemed to swell in his muscles as he glared at the back of his teacher's head. Luckily, the bell rang and he was free for the day. With another annoyed grunt, he pushed away from his desk and stomped out of the classroom. He didn't think he could stand to be in there one more second.
He flew out of the room so quickly that he almost ran right into another body that was making its way through the tiny, crowded hallway.
"Sorry," he mumbled as his arm brushed against another guy's shoulder. He hated accidentally running into people, especially other guys. The older boy looked at him strangely, and then shook his head a little.
"Yeah," he said curtly, quickly raking his eyes up and down his body.
Jared frowned at the senior boy that he recognized as Paul. Did he just…did he just check me out?
By the time he finished the thought Paul had darted down the crowded hallway and was gone. Jared glared at the back of his head over the heads of his classmates in the hallway around him. It was too crowded to do anything now anyway. He huffed and made his way to his locker. Opening it up, he groaned when a pile of books and papers slid out as a result of being crammed into the small space. Reaching out, he effortlessly caught them all, faster than he even realized.
Weird, he thought. Looking around, he felt better when he realized none of the other students had noticed his strange behavior.
I thought growing this much would make me clumsier. Guess I was wrong, he thought smugly.
When he had what he needed, he strode down the hallway and out toward the parking lot where his truck was parked. He just wanted to go home, listen to some music, and chill out. His body ached and everything was bothering him today. He might as well just chalk today up as a loss.
He made his way out into the parking lot, easily dodging the crowds of teenagers and their friends as they stood and chatted. Stopping outside his door, he fumbled in his pocket for his keys when a strange feeling came over him. Almost like he was being watched.
Frowning, he slowly turned his head to the side, toward the edge of the lot. Two pairs of eyes stared right back at him. He recognized them both – one was Paul, who had weirdly bumped into him in the hallway just minutes before, and the other was an even older boy that had graduated several years ago. Sam Uley stood beside his truck with Paul, and they were both staring right at him. When Jared returned their stare, neither one of the boys looked away.
Okay, this is officially creepy.
His eyebrows knitted together in yet another frown as he finally found his keys and jumped into his truck. Not caring if he got stares, he stomped on the gas, revving the engine and peeling out of the parking lot. The students looked after him as he zoomed away down the road towards home.
As he drove, he turned up the music in the truck cab, letting the bass of the song throb in his ears. If it was loud, maybe then he wouldn't be able to think anymore.
No, that didn't work…man that was creepy. What the fuck were they doing just staring at me like that? Fucking weirdoes. Mom says she heard that Sam Uley is a drug pusher. I bet he uses Paul to sell drugs in the school since he graduated and doesn't have an excuse to be there anymore.
He shook his head as he thought disgustedly about Sam and Paul. In Jared's opinion, it was just pathetic to sell drugs in a small town, to a bunch of kids. How wrong was that?
He caught his reflection in the rearview mirror and smiled at his new bulging biceps. Flexing to the mirror, he fought to keep his eyes on the road.
I'm pretty big now. If I catch them selling drugs…I'll kick some ass, he decided. He put his eyes on the road long enough to pull into the driveway of his parent's house. Jared immediately ran up to his room to catch some quiet time before his mom got home.
He loved his mom and was definitely a momma's boy. However, sometimes all her nagging just go to be too much. He knew she only did it because she cared.
All the nagging…about school, keeping my room clean, my grades, the math tutor...oh fuck, the math tutor!
Groaning, he punched his mattress as he lay down to watch some TV. He had forgotten to go to the library after school and sign up for the math tutoring program.
Fuck. She's going to have my ass for that.
Lying back on the bed, he tried to close his eyes and relax. He had two hours until his mom would get home, and he was going to take advantage of it. There was going to be a Christmas dance at school coming up soon, and he had no idea who he was going to ask. He had dated a few girls on the reservation, and even briefly flirted with a Makah girl earlier in the summer. Most of those had ended badly due to Jared's constant need to push his limits when it came to girls. He usually had a different idea of how far the date should go than they did.
He closed his eyes and mentally scanned through the faces of the girls in his grade, and even the ones in the grades below him. Even with the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen classes all combined…there wasn't much to choose from. Wrinkling his nose, he tried to picture who he would take in an ideal world, but nothing came to him. It was just blank.
Jared realized he didn't have a type when it came to girls – willing, somewhat attractive, and female usually did the trick. Chuckling to himself, he thought back to all the times he had tried to finally have sex with a girl, but to no avail.
I wonder what it would be like…god, probably better than getting caught whacking off by your mom…he laughed to himself.
Before he knew it, his mother was home and yelling at him to come downstairs for supper. Eager for the chance to eat, he darted downstairs and slid into his chair at the dinner table. His father gave him a half interested glance, and his mother clicked her tongue at him as she sat down at the table.
"Are you going to break another one of my chairs?" she asked him.
He gulped down the glass of milk she had set out for him and wiped his mouth on his arm. "Nope," he said.
"Were you raised in a barn while I was at work all these years?" his father mumbled sternly.
"Sorry," Jared replied, picking up his napkin. He knew it always annoyed his father when he didn't use the table manners his mother had instilled in him, but he couldn't help it – he was hungry.
The three of them ate in silence for a few moments, and eventually his parents started chatting amongst themselves. Not that it mattered. Jared was positively starving, and food was his only concern.
His mother had different ideas.
"Jared, what did you do about a math tutor today?" His mother suddenly asked him. He looked up, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth. His eyes darted nervously from one parent to the other, and in his blank stare he gave her the answer: nothing.
"This ought to be good," His father grumbled, shaking his head. Jared's mother dropped her jaw in disgust and frowned.
"Jared, I specifically told you to go figure out what you were going to do about a tutor today. Now, you can't be getting Ds and Cs on your report cards if you want to get into a decent school! What else do you have to worry about that you can't do one simple thing?"
"Mom," he groaned, dropping his fork on his plate with a clatter. He really didn't want to discuss this now. All he wanted to do was eat, take a hot shower, and go to bed. Arguing with his mom didn't really sound like much fun at all right now.
"Jared, listen to me," she snapped. "You're a teenager – we don't make you work, sports are over for the season, and you barely study. Is it really that much to ask that you at least pull a B in math?"
"No, but-"
"I'm sick of hearing excuses. Do you want your father to sign you up to volunteer for the tribe?" she asked.
Jared snapped his mouth shut as the tips of his ears turned red with anger.
"No." He knew that volunteering for the tribe meant doing yard work for the tribe's elders and cleanup duty around La Push. No thank you.
"Then do as I say and go get a damn tutor," she snapped, picking up her fork. Jared knew that when his mother swore, she meant business. Still, his hands shook slightly as he picked up his fork. He just wanted to eat and get out of there before he blew up again and got himself grounded for the weekend.
He scarfed down the rest of his large meal, jumping up to throw his plate in the sink. He stomped upstairs to his room as his mother called out to him, "Don't you slam that door!"
She was answered with the sound of the wooden door slamming against the frame. Jared grunted in satisfaction at his childish game, and quickly began to strip down. His body felt worn, sore, and tired, even though he had no reason to be. Walking into the bathroom attached to his room, he glanced at his bare body in the mirror hanging on the bathroom door.
He was big. Bigger than he used to be – he had always been kind of a run, but that had all changed. Flexing, he raised his eyebrows as he looked at all of his new muscles. He had bulked up in places he didn't even know he had lately, and he had yet to pick up one dumbbell or run a mile.
"Fuckin' weird," he muttered, stepping into the hot spray. Leaning against the tile wall, he let the steaming water run down his tan chest and onto the floor.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
He frowned. Does that seem…louder than usual?
He rubbed his ears, soaping them up a little before rinsing them in the streams of water. The sound of the droplets hitting his ears echoed and rang loudly in them, and he stepped back for a second. That was definitely louder than it should have been. Rubbing his ears, he tried to think; maybe he ears has just been blocked for awhile and they had unblocked, making things seem a lot louder?
He tried to shake away the strange feeling that had settled over him and went to turn off the water.
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"Excuse me, do you know what time the tutors usually get here?" he asked the librarian. The large, older woman looked at him over her gaudy looking reading glasses and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Three thirty," she said bluntly, dropping her eyes back to her reading.
"Thanks," Jared mumbled, walking away. He put his backpack down on the table, glancing around the reservation school's dinky little library. It wasn't much to talk about – rows of books along the walls, a dozen or so round tables in the center, and a bay for computers in one corner. Heaving a sigh, he scratched his name down on the form for a tutor, sat down and waited for the tutoring program to begin.
This is so stupid. I feel like a jackass…and a dumbass.
The teacher in charge came in, followed by a few students that looked like they should be smart – studious looking, with large backpacks and stacks notebooks in their arms.
Well…at least I brought my book, he thought smugly. The teacher began assigning tutors to the students waiting at the tables, and he rested his head on his elbows as he sat there waiting.
"Hey," he nodded at the girl that sat down next to him.
"Hey, Jared," she mumbled, setting her backpack on the table, along with a thick looking notebook, a calc book, and a hefty looking calculator.
Jared bit his lip and looked at the girl next to him sideways. He had absolutely no clue what her name was, and she had just greeted him with his.
Fuck. What's her name? Rachel? Tiffany? Brittany? Crap…now I REALLY feel like a jackass.
She sat down next to him, but a safe distance away. He tried to smile at her, but she saw right through him.
"I'm Kim," she said finally, tossing her book open. She tossed him a look that clearly said, Duh, dipshit, and tucked a pen behind her hair.
"We have calc together?" she reminded him, her tone changing slightly. He could tell she was already irritated.
Not good. I'm gonna fail now for sure...
"We do?" he asked. Cringing, he realized that he had spoken before his brain had caught up with his stupid mouth.
She gave him an incredulous look and began loudly turning the pages of her worn book to the chapter they were on.
"Yeah, I knew that," he said, laughing awkwardly. She peeked at him through her long, wavy brown hair, but said nothing.
"Well, we might as well get started," she muttered.
He instantly felt like an ass as she began rambling about what chapter they were on – apparently they even sat next to each other in the class, much to his chagrin. The reservation school was so small that students practically had to go out of their way to not know someone's name, considering most of them had been at the school together since first grade.
He glanced at her as she continued to talk, her voice raspy and slightly tired sounding. He knew he had seen her before…but didn't really have any memory of ever officially meeting her. Although he had to admit – this girl was utterly forgettable. She was just medium sized – not tall, not short. She wasn't skinny, and she wasn't fat, but she definitely had some curves. She had the same tan skin as most of the reservation girls, and the same dark brown, long hair. It hung in a boring style down to her elbows, and she didn't bother styling it or dying it like some girls did. She was just…plain.
"So why do you do this?" he asked, trying to make conversation. He wasn't a complete asshole; if he was going to be spending time with this chick he might as well get on her good side.
"What?" she asked, looking up. Her finger was poised over the graphing calculator, frozen mid-punch.
"This, this…tutoring thing," he mused, gesturing to her calculator and book.
Kim glanced down at the array of notes and papers in front of her and shrugged. "My…my dad thought it would be good to do?" she stated, more like a question. Jared snorted, leaning back in the plastic library chair.
"Do you do everything your dad tells you to do?" he teased. Kim wasn't amused.
"Um…yeah, kinda."
"Get real," Jared snorted again. "No one does that,"
"He's my dad. I mean...what choice do I have?"
Jarred exploded with a loud laugh at that statement, earning him a stern look from the grumpy librarian.
"Who does exactly what their parents tell them to do?"
"I guess I do," she practically growled, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear. Jared laughed again, leaning forward in the tilted chair. It collided with the carpet on all four legs with a thump.
"You gotta be joking! You sit in the library for fun after school because your dad told you to?"
"Well…I can put peer tutoring on my college applications," she said, glancing at him sideways.
"You're going to college?"
"Community, but…it still helps to put stuff on your applications," she mused, picking her pen back up. "Aren't you going to go to college?
Jared glanced at the black Bic pen in her hand and shook his head, ignoring her question. "You do your math homework in pen? Who does that?"
Kim shot him a death glare. "Apparently people who are actually good at math!"
Kim sat with him in the small library for a full hour, correcting his homework and painstakingly explaining every equation to him. Jared was bored out of his freaking mind. All he could think about was how much his body ached and how hot he was in the small room with no circulation. Calculus was the last thing on his mind.
"Well, I guess that's all for today. I have to go to work," she finally said, slamming her book shut. Jared jumped slightly as she jammed her papers back into her binder, stacking it on top of her book with a slam.
"Oh, uh, okay," he said, yawing widely. He stretched, leaning back in the chair, and Kim stood there for a moment and watched him sideways. He caught her eye, and straightened up.
"What?" he asked.
She looked away, picking up her books. "Nothing. Uh…I'm here every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, so just come back on Thursday if you need more help," she said.
He grinned to himself as he nodded. All the ladies want a piece of Jared, he thought smugly.
She tucked a long strand of her dark brown hair behind her ear and slung her backpack over her shoulder, looking at him expectantly as he stood and did the same. He began to walk away when he heard her growl under her breath.
"You're welcome," she muttered to herself. Jared turned, holding up his hand.
"Oh, thank you," he replied, giving her a wink. She stood there with a completely flabbergasted look on her face as he pushed out of the library doors. He headed for his car, thankful to finally be done for the day. All he wanted to do was go home and sleep. He had felt funny all day, and he wasn't sure why.
As he strode out into the parking lot, he was aware that it had started raining…again. However, today the rain really didn't bother him as much, for it felt good against his hot skin. He adjusted the backpack on his shoulder as he moved through the chilly air towards his truck. The parking lot was basically empty – school had ended over an hour ago, and the only people left were faculty and a few straggling students.
Suddenly, he felt the familiar feeling of watching eyes. Looking up, he noticed the same strange sight as the day before – there, in the corner of the parking lot, were Sam and Paul. Sam was hanging out the window of his little truck, and Paul was leaning against the side, and the two were talking quietly. They were several hundred yards away, and Jared couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it wasn't hard to guess.
They would speak a few words, and then look over at him. They would talk again, and look back.
"Do they even fucking care that I can see them talking about me like queers?" he muttered to himself as he fumbled in his pockets for his keys. Glancing up, he saw Paul snort and Sam give a wry smile.
Jared panicked suddenly – had they actually heard what he just said? No…impossible, he reasoned with himself. They were all the way on the other side of the parking lot. Shrugging, he got in his prized vehicle and peeled out of the parking lot. He didn't give them a second look.
Once he got home, he was relieved to see that he was alone again. His parents usually didn't get home till almost five, so that left him about twenty minutes to scour the kitchen for food in peace. If he had to listen to his mom bitch about how much food he had eaten lately one more time, he was going to lose his mind.
Opening the fridge, he was happy to see a brand new package of sliced roast beef sitting on the top shelf, along with cheese. Grabbing a loaf of bread, he quickly made himself a few sandwiches. He sat in silence and chewed, thinking about Paul and Sam in the parking lot. The more he thought about it, the weirder it was. What were they watching him for? It was like they were expecting him to do something...
They're watching me like I'm an alien, he thought to himself. Sighing, he gulped down his juice straight from the carton and made another sandwich. Suddenly, food just tasted so good.
He sat there at the counter for another few minutes, just thinking about his day. It had been a long, strange day and he just wanted to take another cold shower and go to sleep. Fuck homework.
Looking down, his eyes widened a little when he saw the array of empty packages in front of him. The brand new package of roast beef and sliced cheese were both gone, and all that remained of the loaf of bread were the two heels. The orange juice carton in front of him was also empty.
Holy shit…did I just eat all that? I barely even feel full…
Rubbing his stomach, he sat back in the chair. He still didn't feel quite right. He felt almost like he was coming down with something – a bug or flu. He still felt achy as usual, but he also felt a bit shaky now, too. As if on cue, a strange tremor rolled down his spine, making him jump. He gripped the side of the counter top, looking around. It had felt almost like a shiver, but more intense.
"I need to go to bed," he said to himself. Standing up, he tried to dispose of the evidence of his eating binge, and quickly made his was up to his shower once again.
Maybe if I beat off once before I go to sleep I'll feel better… he thought with a smirk as he peeled off his clothes. He ran the water only slightly warm. He felt hotter than hell and didn't need anything else warm touching his skin. He shook slightly as he stepped into the cool streams of water, soaking himself in the soothing jets.
After a few minutes, he was starting to feel a little better, but still felt on edge. Reaching down, he grasped his manhood and started to move his hand up and down in a soothing, familiar pattern.
"Ulgh," he moaned, leaning his head against the tiles. He was feeling a bit better as he moved his hand against himself, when suddenly another tremor rolled down his spine, making him grasp the wall in front of him in shock.
"What the-" he let go of himself, now gripping the wall with both hands. After a few moments, he tried again. Nothing sucked more than not finishing what he had already started…
And there it was again. A hot, flashing tremor struck him, making him drop his hand and steady himself on the shower wall.
"Fuck this," he grumbled, shutting off the water. He quickly dried himself, skipping the clothes. He was so hot that it felt good to just shut the door to his room and hang out in the buff for awhile. Jared tried sleeping, but the heat coursing through his veins wasn't helping him any. Soon, he stood up and returned to the bathroom that was attached to his room. His parents weren't home yet, thankfully.
He grabbed the thermometer out of the medicine cabinet. Normally he wouldn't be caught dead taking his own temperature like a sissy, but something didn't feel right. Sticking it in his mouth, he waited until it beeped.
"106? Yeah right," he muttered, yanking it out and shaking it. He tried again after waiting for a few moments. It read '106' again.
"What the fuck?" he growled, slamming the door to the medicine cabinet shut. The glass on the outside of it cracked, splintering all the way down the middle of it. He grumbled in annoyance and stormed to his parent's room to get the other thermometer.
He grabbed it off the shelf, determined to take his temperature with something else. This was the kind that went in the ear instead of the mouth. Inserting it in his ear, he waited for it to beep again.
Pulling it back, he glanced at the reading and almost dropped it. "106….what the…no…no way," he said to himself in disbelief. How could his temperature be 106?
Running back to his room, a quick Google search confirmed to him that he should be unconscious or dead with that temperature. "I gotta get to the hospital," he said to himself, looking around his room frantically. He would call his mom later. He obviously needed medical attention, and fast.
He threw on his cargo shorts and a wife beater, which he realized was strange for November weather, but he couldn't help it. His body felt like it was on fire.
Staggering down the steps, he rested his arm against his forehead as the heat seemed to increase. He was just thankful he was on his way to get help, as the shaky feeling in his limbs began to increase even more. He threw open the front door to his house, fishing his keys out of his pocket once again. Suddenly, his eyes caught something on the other side of the street, making him stop.
There, standing across the street where the tree line started, was Sam and Paul. Both stood completely still, staring right at him.
Before he could even think, rage began to boil up into his stomach again, quickly spreading into his spine. Jared's feet felt like they were glued to the sidewalk as he began to shake with rage, still staring at them.
"What do y-you want?" he panted, still shaking. Paul looked over at Sam, and Sam nodded at him. They began to walk forward, out of the trees and across the street. Jared heard himself growl as he stood there, shaking in his driveway.
"Jared," Sam said, his authoritative voice deep and commanding. "You need to come with us."
Jared laughed bitterly. "Go with you? Ahhh...fuck," he growled as another tremor rolled down his back. It was getting harder and harder to stand upright now. "I don't wanna go with you, you creepy fuck!" He finally spat. Paul stepped forward, but Sam held out his arm, keeping him back.
"Easy," he said to Paul. Paul obeyed, stepping back, but his eyes were still glued to a trembling Jared.
"I...h-have to get to the hospital…" he gasped, looking down at his now blurring hands. They shook violently, and his head ached with a strange, dull pain that he had never felt before.
"Careful," Sam said to Paul. "Jared…just please trust me…you can't go to the hospital...just come into the cover of the trees and I'll help you," Sam commanded.
Jared frowned as he felt his chest begin to pull him towards the woods where Sam was motioning him to go. Paul waved him forward, and Jared quickly staggered with them. He had no choice but to go – suddenly he wanted to go with Sam and Paul.
Once in the cover of the thick trees, he bent over to put his hands on his knees as he panted and shook.
"God…ah!" he groaned as yet another painful shock made its way down his spine. "What...what the…"
He didn't have time to finish. Panic shot through his body as waves of what felt like electric current went down his spine, but this time his arms and legs joined it.
"Paul, phase! Quick!" Sam yelled, stripping off his shirt. Jared barely noticed Paul doing the same. Jared's eyes closed in agony as he shook, the tremors and heat taking over.
He let one last human roar out before his body exploded, sending him crashing to the ground. He landed in a furry ball on the mossy floor, panting and whining.
He tried to cry out, but nothing came out but a panicked sounding whine.
What the…holy hell...why…is that me? Do I have paws? What the...
Yes, that is you. You have phased into a wolf, just like us, the deep, commanding voice answered. In a matter of a few seconds, Jared took mental stock of what had just happened.
He had gotten hot, shook, then he had gotten angry...and then…now he was a giant wolf? What the hell?
I'm Sam, and that's Paul, he heard the loud voice say. Looking around, Jared tried to figure out where the voices were coming from, but couldn't see anything but the two large wolves in front of him. The large, black wolf nodded first, and then seemed to point with his snout towards the now bored looking white and grey wolf that lay on the ground, his paws crossed.
Oh my god, I turn into a giant animal and now I'm hearing voices? Holy freaking shit-
Jared! Stop! The voice commanded. His thoughts immediately halted, his mind settling to a slow buzz as he listened to the voice in his head.
You will listen to me now. Jared, everything is okay. You phased into a wolf. I'm Sam. The large black wolf nodded again. Sam Uley. You know me, and you know Paul. We've been waiting for you to change for several weeks now.
Change? What is he talking about? He knew this was going to happen to me? Jared's thoughts became more and more frenzied as he struggled to maintain control of himself in this stranger-than strange situation. He wasn't having much success.
Easy Jared…just take it easy…
That kid is freaked the fuck out.
Shut up, Paul. Try to clear your mind so that Jared can have some space to think. I need to talk to him.
What are these weird fucks talking about? Jared wondered. He stood on four legs, shaking and quivering next to a tree as he tried to come to grips with what just happened.
The legends are true, Jared. We are protectors of our tribe, Sam tried to reason with him.
Legends, what legends? What is he talking about? Jared's mind continued to race.
He could hear a steady humming yet blank sound in the back of his mind, and on top of that he could hear a deep voice that claimed to be the voice of Sam.
It is my voice, Jared.
Impossible, he thought.
You know, you can hear us, but we can hear you too, the other voice spat.
Paul, shut up, the first voice said.
Jared watched as the black wolf began to shake and quiver, his sides blurring and stretching in jagged forms. Within five or six seconds, a naked Sam Uley stood crouched in front of Jared, his hands quickly moving to cover as much of himself as he could.
Holy shit, Jared thought. It's true! Can I do that too?
Sam looked at Paul, who nodded at him.
We can only hear each other's thoughts when our minds are linked. He's in human form so he can't hear you, Paul's voice said.
Whoah….can you change back too?
The gray-white wolf made a snorting sound, standing up. Of course I can, it said. We can't stay like this forever. I have to stay phased with you 'til you can un phase, too. Alpha's orders.
Wait, what?
Sam made up the rule that no new wolf is left alone until it masters the art of phasing back and forth.
Wait, new wolves?
Yeah…we're expecting more. Don't get excited though. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, Paul thought, rolling his wolf eyes.
So you'll stay with me like this until I can…change back?
Alpha's orders, like I said, Paul spat bitterly. Sam, still in human form, glanced between them for a moment before crouching again and blurring. Jared watched with a cross between awe, wonder, and disgust as Sam's skin ripped away from his tan body, revealing a coat of black fur to cover his wolf form.
That is...unreal. Did…did I do that, too?
Yeah, only you cried more, Paul said laughing. Jared heard a snarl pierce the air, and he realized that it was him.
You take that back, dog! Jared growled.
Don't you own a mirror, pup? You're a dog now, too! Paul laughed.
Hey! Sam snarled at Paul. Jared felt the hackles on his spine stand up as Paul's biting comments settled into him, igniting the rage that had made him change in the first place.
I did not cry!
Says you!
Both of you knock it off! Sam ordered. Jared jumped as his tail flew down between his legs, making him jump even more. This was going to take some getting used to.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x
Just concentrate…picture yourself being…oh, I don't know, um…not a giant dog?
Jared curled his lips back from his teeth, growling. You're not helping, he thought at Paul.
Sam sighed, straightening up. Just try to picture it, Jared. You have to relax and let all the heat and anger leave your spine to phase back. Just…take some deep breaths and try.
I am trying.
Then try harder, Sam commanded.
Jared grumbled to himself, taking several deep breaths. This whole 'obeying Alpha's orders' thing was already getting old, in his opinion. It was early the next day, and they had been up all night. It had been the longest night of Jared's life.
They had stayed in the woods, trying to help him phase back, but to no avail. Both Paul and Sam had taken turns hunting, and they had 'eaten raw' as they called it. Jared's stomach had turned when he figured out that that meant they hunted animals in the wild and ate them in wolf form…raw. He had simply refused to do that, thus earning him a tirade of feminine themed chants and jabs from Paul.
That's disgusting and I won't do it. Just show me how to change back and I'll eat when I'm human again.
Sam began, when I first phased, I couldn't figure out how to get back for days. You might be like this for awhile before you calm down enough to change back, so you should at least eat something and feel better. It's not so bad…you just…let the wolf take over – instinct.
Jared sighed, concentrating on the deep rumble of his disgruntled and empty stomach.
Dude, this blows, he grumbled, stumbling to a standing position. It was much harder to control four limbs to move the way he wanted to instead of the two he was used to.
I'm going to be like this forever, Jared thought to himself. His mind vaguely thought about what Sam and Paul had told him the night before about vampires and the legends of their tribe. None of it made any sense, and it had been a shaking experience to find out that he did not live in the kind of world he thought he had. Jared was a no-nonsense kind of guy when it came to believing in all that stupid shit. To find out that it not only existed, but also that he was a part of it, was mind boggling and definitely pretty life altering.
Sucks, don't it? Paul laughed, trotting up beside him. Jared swished his tail in an annoyed manner against the tall grass they were in, choosing to ignore his new annoying pack mate.
It gets easier, Sam said, walking up beside him.
Which part? Jared asked.
Sam laughed in his head, and then sighed. All of it, he said.
He blinked, and Jared realized that Sam had the same eyes as a human and as a wolf.
You do, too, Sam pointed out.
Really? Jared asked. He picked up his pace a bit as the two older wolves led him to a mountain pond where they urged him to take a glance at himself. He gasped, a nervous whine escaping from his lips as he fought to stay in control of himself.
Holy shit… he thought to himself.
Yeah, you're ugly, aren't ya? Paul laughed, a snort escaping from his large snout.
Paul, knock it off, Sam shot at him. Jared, are you okay?
Jared glanced up at Sam, another whine escaping his mouth. He looked at the wolfy face in the reflection of the water, panting nervously. Instead of seeing his normal face and features, he was met with the face of a massive, brown-colored wolf. His coat wasn't as black as night like Sam's, or white and gray like Paul's. Instead, his coat was a mixture of all three colors, speckled and varying, giving him a brownish roan appearance.
I'm seriously a wolf…holy shit…
Yes, Sam nodded.
Jared looked up at him, suddenly panicked. What if I really can't change back? He asked worriedly. Sam gave him a reassuring stare, nodding his huge head.
You will. Just give it time, Jared. When I phased back this morning I called Harry Clearwater, and he called your parents. I…I had to make up the lamest excuse that you signed up for some leadership retreat for the tribe. I just hope your mom bought it. It was the only thing I could think of that would keep you away for a few days.
My mom would never buy that…I would never even consider doing anything like that, Jared laughed. Paul snorted, and Sam rolled his eyes as he stepped away from the waters edge.
Great, you don't think of yourself as a leader. Really great, Jared, especially since we're here and our duty is to lead and protect our people…
I know I know, we're tribe protectors, I know…jeez…just give me a few days to get used to this, alright? Jared snapped. Sam nodded, and they began to walk away from the pond.
I'm going to have to have Harry tell your mother something soon, so please try to relax and focus on phasing back, Jared, Sam said.
Paul snorted. You just want to get back to your imprint, he laughed.
Imprint? What's an imprint? Jared asked slowly. Paul chuckled, and Sam shot him an annoyed look as pictures of a beautiful raven-haired girl quickly ran through his mind.
Whoa, who is that? She's really pretty…Jared thought, glancing at the pictures as they raced through Sam's mind.
That's his imprint…ooh…Paul laughed, making kissing noises in his head. Sam rolled his wolf eyes and turned his attention back to Jared.
I'll explain later, he mumbled. You need to eat, Jared.
Yeah, yeah…okay…well I guess so, he said slowly, thinking about his rumbling stomach.
Would fish be not as gross? Sam offered, glancing back over his shoulder at the pond.
Jared winced. I don't like fish really as a human…does that mean I won't like it as a wolf? And it'll be raw…
Dude, you gotta get over this whole fear of eating things raw. Haven't you ever had sushi?
No, Jared admitted. Have you?
Well...no, Paul finally said, sitting down on his haunches.
Sam motioned to them with his large head, urging them forward. That afternoon, the two boys showed Jared how to hunt in wolf form, and Jared had to admit that it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. The actual hunt wasn't that bad – he even found himself enjoying the chase of the deer that Sam and Paul had helped him hunt. Once he had it killed, the easy part was over…eating it was a different story.
Paul laughed at him as he ripped open the flesh of his own deer he had caught. Just don't think about it like that. Don't look at it; just think about how hungry you are and how good food will taste….
Don't you eat venison as a human?
Well yeah, but….
Jared tried to ignore the steam rising up off the flesh of the dead animal in front of him as he bit into the muscle and began to chew. After a few painstakingly slow bites, he got used to the taste and had to admit that it wasn't even the worst thing he'd eaten, human or wolf.
Not so bad, right? Sam asked as they walked back towards La Push. Jared shook his head, glancing over at Paul, who was trotting along through the ferns, wagging his tail.
He's happy about this, isn't he?
Sam nodded his big head. Yeah…Paul didn't have a lot going for him before this.
I resent that, Paul quipped, giving a short yip into the air. Jared rolled his eyes and walked beside Sam.
My mom is probably wondering where I am….
Then you'd better learn how to phase back, Paul snapped at him, turning around with a short chuff from his nostrils.
Harry has been talking to your parents. He made up an excuse that we decided to go camping for a few days to celebrate the end of the tribal leadership retreat. She didn't even seem that worried, or at least she didn't according to Harry.
I'm trying, okay? This is a lot to handle, Jared responded, flattening out his ears. He broke into a laugh when he realized what he had just done, and instantly felt a little better that he had managed to control something on his new body besides his legs.
See? You'll get the hang of this, Sam said. Jared felt instantly better all around after his hunt. He had food in his stomach, he was getting the hang of being a wolf, and Sam had promised him that he would eventually be able to change back. In fact, several hours later, Jared calmed down enough to finally return to human form. Sam and Paul both joined him, and Jared couldn't have been happier to be his old self again.
"Let's go back to Emily's place," Paul whined. "I want to have some real food!" he laughed.
Sam nodded, motioning to Jared, who was still trying to cover himself up modestly. Sam and Paul both snorted as they pulled on the sweatpants that were tied to their legs.
"Where are my pants? Fuckers," Jared growled, his cheeks reddening. Sam just shook his head again and shrugged.
"I didn't know you would phase back so quickly. You were freaked, I expected you to be stuck for weeks. Sorry."
"How long has it been?"
"Eight days," Sam said quietly as they walked. Jared grumbled, looking around the forest to make sure no one could see them.
"Where are we going?" Jared asked, noting that the scenery was familiar. They had been patrolling around those woods with particular diligence the past few days. Paul began to make kissing noises and Sam shoved him on the shoulder before turning to Jared.
"Emily is my girlfriend," Sam replied slowly, swiping at a low hanging tree branch. Paul coughed loudly and walked faster toward the little house in front of them.
"Why is he acting so weird?" Jared asked, nodding his head in Paul's direction.
"Emily is my…girlfriend, but she's also something else," Sam said quietly, stopping. Jared stopped as well, his eyes darting around the small cottage that was nestled into the woods.
"Um, okay? You're not going to say she's your cousin, are you?" Jared shot at him. Sam gave him a stern glare and he promptly stopped his chortles of laugher.
"She's my imprint," Sam said. "I just thought you should know what that means."
"Uh, okay…" Jared said, scratching his head. In all honestly all he really cared about at that particular moment was going inside a real house, having a hot meal of human food, and then maybe a nice hot shower.
Sam watched his eyes drift to the house, and both boys were distracted by the smell of something hot and fresh coming out of an oven. Sam sighed, lightly smacking him on the shoulder. "Never mind, we've got time for that later," he said quickly.
Both boys jogged into the house, and Jared was so busy scarfing down the hot plate of lasagna that he barely noticed Sam and Emily's reunion. Sam had only been gone from Jared and Paul's side for a few hours during the entire span of his first eight days as a wolf, and he had looked tortured by that fact. Now, Jared understood why that was.
Sam and Emily collided together, Sam showering her with soft kisses on her beautiful cheeks. He hugged her up against his chest and she giggled softly as she realized they were being stared at.
"Ulgh, get a room," Paul said with a mouth full of food. Sam smacked him on the back of the head, and Emily laughed, flashing her bright white teeth. Jared looked at her, and immediately understood why Sam talked about her so much. She was one of the most gorgeous women he had ever seen; her coppery skin was highlighted by the blush of her cheeks and her dancing, wide brown eyes.
"Oh, uh…Jared, this is Emily. Emily…Jared," Sam finished before running his hands through her silky black hair.
By the end of the meal, Jared was almost sick by the view of Sam and Emily. Although he was trying to pay attention to the home cooked meal placed in front of him, he still had the time to make some disgusted faces as he watched his Alpha swoon and make lovey dovey faces at his girlfriend. After he ate, he took a quick shower in Emily's bathroom, not wanting to come back to his house with dirt all over him and sticks stuck in his hair.
"Hey uh…you just use tonight to take it easy, then report back to Sam tomorrow," Paul said awkwardly as Jared left that night.
"Sure, yeah, sounds good," Jared mumbled, running a hand through his newer short hair. He never had particularly long hair, but his normal coif had proven to be too long to manage as a wolf, so Emily had taken her clippers to it. It was now extra short and spiky, and he rather liked it.
"Oh, and try not to phase in front of your parents…it's a pain in the ass to explain," Paul added. Jared looked at him, his mouth gaping open as he pictured morphing into a giant wolf in the middle of his mother's living room. That would definitely not be good.
"I'll try not to," he said slowly, yanking up the pants Sam had loaned him. They were probably two sizes too big for him, and he prayed that his mother wouldn't notice that they weren't his.
"Yeah, yeah," Paul laughed, slapping him on the shoulder. "Hey man, you did good this week. I know I give you a lot of hell but…you're alright."
"Uh, thanks," Jared said, raising his eyes up to meet Paul's. The older boy gave him a wry grin and turned, trotting off into the fading light.
Jared turned and walked in his house, actually glad to be home. He would have to remember to thank Harry Clearwater the next time he saw him. She bought the 'tribal leadership council' story. Hook, line, and sinker.
"I just wanted to do something to put on those college applications, Ma," he said with a shrug.
"I'm so proud of you!" she said, patting him on the head. "Why don't you go up and relax for awhile, Jar – Harry Clearwater said they ran you boys ragged over there. What all did you say you did?"
"Oh, lots of stuff. They're just training us how to be good members of the tribe, and how to deal with adversity," he said, giving her a megawatt smile. His mom grinned back at him, her pride beaming through her happy expression.
After that, he went upstairs to his room and shut the door. Flopping on his bed, he stared up at the ceiling in disbelief. He felt like he had been tired for weeks now, but when he was finally presented with his own warm bed, he couldn't help but feel like too much had happened for him to sleep ever again.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Sam looked at Jared sideways, swishing his tale against the low growing ferns on the edge of town. You ready to go back today?
Jared glanced at his house from the tree line, nodding. Yeah, I'll be fine. I got this down, he laughed, barking softly.
Sam laughed in his head, and then nudged him forward. Then go get ready for school. Paul will be there today if you need any help.
Gotcha, Jared said, preparing to phase back to human form.
Oh, and don't forget: keep your eyes open. Remember – growth spurt, heat, hot temper, wild eyes…
Got it, Sam, Jared whined, crouching to phase. Sam nodded and Jared felt the heat being sucked back into his spine as he phased to his human body. Slipping on his shorts, he ran into his still-sleeping house to get ready. Today was his first day back at school after phasing. He had been gone for almost two weeks now, and he especially wasn't looking forward to all the makeup work he knew was waiting for him.
He snuck into the house, quickly showered, and tried to rest for a few moments before his alarm went off. He was dead tired after a full night of patrolling, but it had been worth it. Last night was the first night they had gotten a good clear scent from the two leeches they were currently chasing around Forks. Sam was patrolling all day today, and then tonight would be Paul and Jared's turn while he rested. The thrill of the hunt was enthralling to Jared; it was like a challenge. His wolf body would take over, bursting forward with more speed than the race cars he had watched on TV as a child. He loved it.
Being a wolf was like being handed a free pass to do as he pleased and get away with it. Those who didn't know could be told the believable cover story, and those who did know their secret would have done anything to help them accomplish their goal of destroying the bloodsuckers. Jared had grown accustomed to the lifestyle within a few days, and was even satisfied to learn that he had a special gift: his eyesight. When Sam and Paul had compared their own eyesight to his, both were rather envious to discover that Jared's eyes were indeed almost twice as good at seeing over long distances than theirs were. Yes, he had taken to wolf life quite well.
When he arrived at school, he slammed the door to his truck shut. It felt so weird to drive again. Even going 45 miles per hour through the center of town felt like going at a snail's pace now that he knew how fast he could really go.
He strode into the school, earning strange looks as he walked through the hallway. Ignoring everyone, he strode up to Paul's locker and nodded at him.
"Hey," he said gruffly, stifling a yawn. Paul looked up from where he was digging in a mess of loose papers and book.
"Hey, yourself," he said with a chuckle. "Stud."
"What?" Jared snapped, looking at him with a stern glare.
"Look around. The ladies can't stop staring at us…and neither can anyone else," Paul said his voice low.
Jared smirked to himself and looked around the tiny hallway of the reservation high school. Yes, he was definitely getting some looks, that was for sure.
"Just ignore it and try to get through the day without killing anyone, okay, princess?" Paul said, cocking an eyebrow at him. He slammed his locker shut and punched him in the shoulder, striding away. Jared watched him leave, shaking his head. He was glad he had finally figured Paul out – that guy had really gotten to him at first, and he was afraid that they weren't going to be fans of each other. However, Jared had come to understand that although Paul was a smart ass, a bully and a bit annoying, he wasn't actually mean spirited or malicious. They now got along rather well.
Suddenly, a strange new scent crossed under his nose. Now, he had had to get used to a newer, more sensitive body and senses these past few weeks. He had been able to smell the stench of dead animals in the forest, the disgusting aroma of Paul's incessant 'tree marking' habit, and worst of all, the burning flavor that was distinctly leech.
This smell was entirely different.
What is that? He thought to himself. It was one of the strangest, yet lovely smells he had ever encountered, and his feet began to pull him towards it. Students shot him annoyed looks in the hallway as he gaped in the direction of the smell, but he saw nothing and no one out of the ordinary. The bell rang, jerking him out of his fantasy-like daydream that was centered around that new, enticing smell.
He drifted through the day, fighting to stay awake through his classes. This whole patrolling all night and then trying to do school thing isn't going to work very well, he thought as he left English. His teacher had actually kicked his foot when he had fallen asleep for the third time during her lecture on Macbeth. But that was the least of his worries.
The smell from that morning still lingered in the hallways. It was mixed with the scents of the people around him, and sometimes it was more muffled than others. However, he could still smell it and it was definitely still there.
By the time he got to calculus, he was completely worn out from the full day at school and was ready to fall over from complete exhaustion.
He walked in the room, and suddenly his eyes flew open. That smell…
The exotic, lovely aroma was filling the room of his math class, and he felt instantly better as he breathed it in. He noticed the students were filing into the room, shoving past him, so he stumbled to the back row to his usual seat. As he sat down, he felt his backpack clumsily knock into someone on the opposite side of the tiny rows of desks.
"Ow!"
Her voice rang out like bells. His eyes widened as it rung in his ears, and he turned around quickly to come face to face with the source of the noise.
And then there she was.
She sat at the desk on the other side of the aisle from him, rubbing her forehead that had just come into contact with his heavy backpack. Her coppery skin wasn't as dark as his, but it had the most beautiful creamy color he had ever seen on a human being. It looked like tawny silk. Her hair hung down in perfect waves around her small body, and her smell…oh god, that smell…. It was her. That lovely scent was coming from her!
"Oh my god!" Jared gasped, tossing it to the floor. How could he have hit this girl, this angel, this goddess in the face with his book bag? Horror and agony shot through him as he met her big brown eyes that were looking up at him in complete disgust.
He crouched in the aisle, completely oblivious to the rest of the students settling into the desks around them. Reaching out, he touched the red spot on her forehead where his backpack had hit her, and almost keeled over at the force of the pleasant shock he received when he did so. It was like…diving into a crystal clear, blue swimming pool on a hundred degree day. Heaven.
"Uh, it's okay," she mumbled, leaning away from his touch. Jared stared at her, his large brown eyes not believing what he saw. She was perfect – so beautiful and sweet smelling, and her voice was the most enthralling thing he had ever heard.
"Are you alright?" she hissed as he slid into his seat. He never took his eyes off her.
"Uh…uh…" his tongue fought to form coherent words as she stared at him strangely.
Get it together man! His mind screamed at him. He struggled to look down at his desk and pay attention as the teacher droned on and on, but he couldn't help it. How could he possibly pay attention to calculus when the most beautiful creature on earth was sitting beside him, looking exquisite and smelling like heaven on legs?
I have to figure out a way to talk to her, his mind screamed at him as he stared at her. Kim shot him one annoyed look after another as he gaped at her all through the lecture, but he was powerless to her.
How can I make her see? Wait…see what? His mind tried to rationalize his sudden need to be with this girl, this woman, this angel.
Wait! It's Tuesday! She can tutor me in the library after school! He thought gleefully. Oh shit…it's the same girl...what if she hates me?
Jared's question was answered as he followed her like a lost puppy all the way to the library once class was over. He even tripped over his own feet once as he walked behind her, earning him several worried looks. She put her books down, and he plopped down on the chair at the table next to her. Kim looked at him sideways, silently scooting her chair away from him as nonchalantly as she could.
"Hi," Jared breathed, turning to face her. The dippy smile that crossed his face paired with his glazed-over eyes did nothing to make Kim feel better.
"Are you going to be alright?"
"What?" he breathed again, smiling even bigger at her. She gave him a weird look, then opened her calc book to the correct page.
"You have a lot of catching up to do, Jared. Where have you been for two weeks?" she asked quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. Her scent wafted towards him, and he smiled dreamily again.
"You know my name?" He asked in wonder.
She turned to glare at him. "Um, of course I know your name…we've met," she snapped.
Jared panicked for a moment, then tried to refocus himself. "You smell like blackberries and vanilla," he commented with a dreamy grin.
"Um, what?" she hissed, turning in her chair. "You are really starting to freak me out. What the hell happened to you?"
Jared could barely contain himself. "You're just so…so...beautiful," he said quickly.
Kim looked at him strangely, nervously pushing a strand of hair out of her face as she opened her graphing calculator.
"You seem so…weird," she muttered to herself, pulling out her pen. Jared looked at her hands and smiled to himself again like an idiot.
Even her hands were pretty.
Kim sat with him in the library, trying to get him to focus for almost two hours that afternoon, but Jared was a lost cause. He could barely stop staring at her long enough to write down what he needed to in order to catch up in calc class. When they were finished, Kim stood up quickly and closed her books, quite unsettled by Jared's behavior.
"I have to go or I'll be late for work," she said finally.
"Where do you work? What time do you get off? What do you do? Can I drive you there?" he stuttered. Kim looked at him, her expressions ranging from incredulous to stormy.
Internally, he groaned. Why was he suddenly acting like such a goon to this girl? She's going to think I'm crazy, he thought to himself.
"Uh…I work at the diner. I get off at 9, and I'm a waitress. And...it's raining again, so…I guess, sure," she said.
"Wow, that's really great," Jared replied, another dreamy expression crossing his features. She would be in his truck! She was actually going to let him take her somewhere in his truck…oh wow.
"Why do you suddenly know my name and like me?" she asked abruptly, turning to face him. Jared's eyes grew large as he looked down at her, struggling to even get his books in order enough to pick up off the table.
"What?" he asked slowly, staring into her chocolate brown eyes. They were mesmerizing…
"Um, you barely knew who I was two weeks ago. Which, might I add, is pretty insulting in a school this size, but…what happened? I know something is up, so you might as well be honest.
Damn, this girl was good. Jared felt his heart swell at the idea that this girl, his girl, was smart and sassy, not letting anything by her.
"Kim,…I…-"
"No lying," she added sternly, pushing in her chair. Jared stood, and thought a moment before resting his hand on her shoulder.
"I just…I honestly didn't realize what I had, and it was right here in front of me all this time. I feel like an idiot, Kim, and I…I would do anything to make you happy. That's the truth," he stated firmly. Kim looked at him strangely as she searched his gaze for traces of a lie, but found none.
"Oh…okay," she stuttered, her eyes falling to the ugly orange carpet of the library floor. "Um, I have to get to work."
"Can I still drive you?" he asked quickly. She nodded, then he noticed a slight blush rising up in her cheeks.
They walked quickly to his truck that was waiting in the parking lot, and she climbed inside the vehicle. Before Kim, Jared reveled in the fact that his black Dodge truck smelled like new car. However, when Kim climbed inside and her intoxicating scent of blackberries and vanilla filled the cab, he couldn't have been more ecstatic if he tried.
"Where to?" he asked, suddenly nervous. They were alone now, and his heart was beating wildly in his chest. Concentrating, he realized that he could hear her heart beating wildly in time with his as well.
Could it be? Does she like me, too? He thought.
She gave him an awkward smile, then pointed to the main road in La Push. "Um, I have to go home and change first, then would you mind driving me to work? I hate walking in the rain," she added softly. Jared smiled. Her tough outer demeanor seemed to be waning, and for that he was pleased.
As he drove, following her quiet instructions, he couldn't help but marvel at her some more. Why do I think she's so beautiful? Well...because she is, but…why did I never notice her before?
He shook his head as he drove, trying to clear it of his clouded, love-ridden thoughts about Kim while she sat right next to him. Her tan hand rested on the seat beside her, and he briefly considered grabbing it.
"Do you walk all this way every day after school?" he asked in amazement.
She nodded, glancing out the window at the rainy evening. "Yeah, I walk home, change, then walk up to the diner."
"In the dark!" he almost yelled. She gave him a strange look and then nodded.
"Uh, do you have a better plan?"
The thought of Kim walking home from school in the rain, only to turn around and walk back home in the dark made his heart start pounding in his ears.
Calm…calm…calm…he chanted in his mind.
"Well, not anymore. I…I'll give you a ride wherever you need to go." God I sound like a fucking moron, he thought. But I can't help it, she's not walking around in the dark, unprotected, with leeches on the loose.
"Uh, that's nice of you, but no thanks. This is just a one time deal," she said quietly. Jared fought to control his frustration as he gripped the steering wheel in front of him, but said nothing.
Fine then, I'll just phase and follow you everywhere in wolf form. Hah!
Jared was somewhat relieved to find that she actually lived a few miles from his house – and the woods behind his house would probably come up fairly close to the woods behind her house. In his mind, he was already plotting to come by and guard her, marking every tree in the vicinity. His.
He waited while she jumped out of his truck, taking some of her scent with her. She was only gone a few moments before returning in a stiff, worn cotton dress that looked like it had been starched too many times. Kim ran back out to the truck, tying her apron around her waist and climbing back in. She pulled her thin coat tight around her small body, her teeth chattering slightly.
Jared felt a pull on his chest as he watched her shiver, and he fought another urge to reach over and touch her with his hot hand.
"Aren't you cold?" she asked, looking at him strangely. He shook his head, glancing down at his t-shirt and jeans.
"Nah, I run hot," he lied, turning back onto the road. Once he was at the diner, he parked his truck and killed the engine.
"Well, um…thanks," she replied awkwardly as she picked up her purse from the floor. Jared's heart raced as he tried to think of something, anything that would mean he could see her again.
"Wait! Kim, uh…"
"What is it, Jared?" she asked impatiently, her brown eyes looking up into his. His heart faltered when their eyes met, and he sucked in a nervous breath.
Don't screw this up! His mind screamed at him.
"Do uh…do you maybe wanna go out sometime? On…a d-date? With me?" he asked hopefully.
Kim looked at him, her brown eyes wide. Her pink lips fell open slightly and then she snapped her mouth shut after a moment.
"Oh, Jared….I…I-can't." She slammed the truck door shut and ran up to her house before I could even get a word out of my mouth.
x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x
IMPORTANT!
Alice's portion of 'Immortal' is up for the 'What About Alice?' contest on
http:(slash slash) fanfiction-challenges(dot)blogspot(dot)com(slash)
If you read and enjoyed her portion of the fic, would you PLEASE go vote for her? I've never won an award or challenge before, so that would be awesome!
Voting began yesterday, Saturday, July 10th, and runs all week.
Please? I don't have enough shame not to beg =P