Story Quote: I want to ask you to be my inspiration. To infatuate my humble senses with your pure and unearthly fire, to startle my slumbering consciousness with a vivid rapture beyond imagination … but I cannot seem to find the right words to say.
"You're so much fun in the morning," Seth cooed, throwing an arm around Kennedy's shoulder and nuzzling his nose against her temple.
Kennedy had learned two majorly important things during her fourteen years of life; one, Seth Clearwater had no sense of personal space whatsoever, and two - anyone who bore the Clearwater name was a morning person. Baring, of course, Kennedy, because this was life, and life was exceedingly unfair.
Her father, Henry, was a morning person by habit. Decades of getting up at the crack of dawn to work at the steel mill, and then, after it closed, fishing. He wasn't exactly chipper, but he could string together full sentences and a smile every once in a while. Sue was just happy all the damn time (except for that one time when she caught Leah and Sam in the shower together, but Kennedy did her best not to think about that particular incident), more so in the mornings than any other time, it seemed.
"Morning is what starts the day," her mother used to tell her. "If your morning isn't good, your day won't be, either. So put a smile on that pretty little face, Kenny."
Seth went without saying. The day he wasn't happy was the day the world ended.
Out of everyone, Leah was the one who shouldn't have been a morning person. She was snappy, bitchy, and all around standoffish. It should have been worse in the morning. Alas, it was more like she spent her allotted happy time in the morning and left non for the rest of the day. Kennedy had the sneaking suspicion that Leah was a morning person by virtue of annoying everyone around her.
Kennedy was a morning person, when those mornings happened after noon.
She grunted, slanting her knobby elbow into Seth's ribcage. He wheezed, pulling away with a mock wounded look. "So mean to me," he moaned. "I even snuck you some coffee, but no -" he was cut off by Kennedy, who had wrapped herself around him and shoved her face close to his, brown eyes wide and pleading.
"Please," she whined, eyes watering for extra effect. It was something she'd learned to do when she was younger to get her dad to do what she wanted. Leah was the kid who threw a tantrum when she didn't get what she wanted, Seth accepted a 'no' with a small amount of pouting and some slumped shoulders, but not Kennedy. Oh no, if she wanted it, she'd get it.
Sue never fell for the crocodile tears, but Henry did, so Kennedy never really cared.
Seth made a show of falling for them, but never actually believed it.
"I dunno," he drawled, eyes drifting off into the distance dramatically. "I think I'm going to bruise. I have a delicate constitution, Ken, you know that."
Kennedy huffed, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.
'What do you want?"
He grinned, bright and cheerful, and Kennedy felt her own lips lift into a mirroring smile. "Let me explain you a thing, sister mine," he told her dramatically, throwing an arm over her shoulder again and sweeping the other one in front of them, encompassing most of the school grounds. "This is freshman year. Do you know what comes with freshmen year?"
"Volleyball," she answered automatically.
"Well, yes," he agreed. "But more than that."
"The goth phase, the term 'freshy'," she started. "Swirlies, sexual identity crisis. The end of life as we know it, your social survival and delicate constitution -"
"Shakespeare," he cried, shoving her. "Shakespeare, Kennedy, freshman year starts Shakespeare, oh my god."
"Oh. That, too," she conceding. "What, you want me to do your Romeo and Juliet essay for you, oh light of my life?" she asked sarcastically.
"Assist," he corrected. "I prefer the term 'assist'."
Yeah, Kennedy thought wryly. You would. He'd said the same thing in fifth grade when they'd read The Boy In The Striped Pajamas and the teacher had assigned everyone an individual project. Kennedy had ended up doing both, the teacher had somehow known, and the day ended with neither of them getting dessert, Leah snickering into her chocolate pie, dad putting on a disappointed air, and mom actually being disappointed.
They'd gotten better over the years.
"Do my math and I do your English," she offered, just like she did every year.
"Deal," he agreed, handing over the coffee.
Kennedy cooed, bringing the travel mug to her mouth and taking a long, enjoyable sip. "Schedule," she demanded, fishing hers out of her back pocket and handing it to Seth. He complied, handing over his so they could hold them side by side to compare.
"Gym," she pointed out, "Coach Karr, third period. Monday, Wednesday, Friday."
"B Lunch."
"Spanish, Level One, Ms. Brown, sixth period. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday."
"Not too bad," he mused, swapping their schedules back. "You signed up for AP Humanities?" he asked.
"Seemed like a good idea at the time," she shrugged. AP classes looked good on college applications, and Kennedy had been high on the idea of high school. Now, she was regretting signing up for anything with the term 'Advanced Placement' attached to it.
"Have fun with that," he laughed, ducking away from her weak punch with ease.
"Yeah, yeah." She waved her hand lackadaisically. "See ya in gym," she told him, heading off to her first class, which happened to be AP Humanities. The class itself only lasted for one term, so after Christmas she'd be stuck in Food Prep. Level I, which was only marginally better.
Kennedy couldn't cook at all.
It was kind of pathetic.
La Push High was small, consisting of two two-story buildings connected together by a beaten concrete path, a few pods in the back, and the newly renovated gym (the story was that there had been electrical damage, but Kennedy was pretty sure someone set it on fire. Not that she was complaining). Finding the right classroom was easy, and Kennedy was happy to note that the door was open.
"Good morning."
Kennedy had seen Ms. Creek around the Rez plenty of times; at the diner, the grocery store, even the Forks library once or twice. Forks was a small town, the Reservation was even smaller, and people were bound to run into each other. Besides the polite 'How are you? Oh, that's good, I'm doing good, too,' they had never really talked. Still, she recognized the Boston twang and short stature that she'd seen around town.
"Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it to be or not?" she quipped. Ms. Creek laughed, and she wasn't the only one. Kennedy was surprised to see an older boy in the back of the class, a small grin on his face.
"Or that you feel that it is a good morning," he continued, "Or that it is a morning for one to be good on."
"All of them at once," she laughed, deciding to take the seat next to him. "Can I?" she asked, motioning at the desk.
"No," he deadpanned. Kennedy grinned, plopping down without any grace into the plastic chair.
"Too bad."
"Well, I can tell this is going to be a fun class, already," Ms. Creek said, uncapping a marker to write on the board. "What grade are you two in?"
"Junior," he answered. "Embry Call, by the way," he said to her, holding out a fist. Kennedy bumped it, giving him a grin.
"Freshy," she joked.
"What, no name?"
"Nah," she shook her head. "I'll be keeping my air of mystery and intrigue for as long as possible."
"Ah," he breathed, a look of understanding on his face. He nodded. "It's something embarrassing, isn't it?"
"Oh, completely. Almost as bad as Embry."
"Ouch."
They stared at each other for a beat, then burst out laughing.
Kennedy figured, for someone who didn't like mornings, this was one turning out pretty good.
AN: Kennebry is going to be my favorite bromance, I can see it now. He was the first wolf I fell in love with, it makes sense that he'd be Kennedy's first, too (platonic, yo, I swear). Anyhoo, shoutout to DitzyBrunette89, Emmettluver2010, nessafly, WeJustPretend, SilverSwagxX, and brankel1for reviewing:)
For SilverSwagxX: I'm glad you like the Kennedy/Leah relationship, and I hope you learn to love the Seth/Kennedy one, too. I realize, though, that having siblings isn't always fun, so there'll be some rough patches. I have two sisters, actually, and I always wanted a brother, lol. Wanna trade? Also, if I get anything volleyball related wrong, pleasecorrect me. I haven't played in a while, and I can remember the basics, it'll be nice to have someone to double check everything:)
ANN: So, the girl in the picture is Fivel Stewart, and she's also BooBoo Stewart's (Seth Clearwater actor) sister. I think she;s absolutely adorable, and definitely who I picture Kennedy to look like. Just, idk, letting everyone know.