A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for your amazing comments! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter 😊
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"And now we have the Bigleaf maple, Latin name: Acer macrophyllum. Did you know that many tribes used it to make medicine for sore throat?" Kim chippered, picking up a leaf.
"Fascinating," Paul deadpanned. "Can we go now? The sun will set soon and we picked up every fucking leaf we found along this trail. At this rate, we'll need a wheelbarrow to take everything home."
"You're exaggerating. Besides, don't you want extra credit?"
"Do you really think I care?"
"Come on, aren't you having fun? It's like we're scientists!" Kim beamed at him.
"All right, Dora the Explorer, calm down," he said, but his lips quirked slightly.
"You're such a spoilsport," Kim said and started moving towards the truck. She was happy. They managed to get everything done before the rain, the most difficult part of the project was finished and, if she disregarded his sarcastic comments, Paul was actually helpful. Well, he kind of was. He reached the plants she couldn't and carried their stuff. Still, it was nice to have company. She wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, but for the first time since she'd started high school it felt like she wasn't alone. It felt like she had a friend. Even if it was only pretend friendship.
He was experiencing a growth spurt, which meant his body was growing too quickly, at least that's what Sue Clearwater said when he went to the Health Clinic. Nothing to worry about, she added, just a healthy young man whose body was in a rush to grow. Her words were reassuring but his muscles still felt like they were on fire most of the time. The only things that brought any relief were ice cold showers and running. So, he showered and ran. A lot.
That Thursday he was on his seventh mile when he saw Lahote and Kim… Connor? Convers? (why was he so bad with names?) leaving the forest. Jared shook his head. Kim seemed sweet and innocent, and Lahote…well, he did not. She wasn't the usual type of girl Lahote went out with. What the two of them were doing together was beyond Jared, but if Lahote's previous "relationships" were any indication, it wasn't going to be pretty. He suddenly felt sorry for the girl, hoping for her sake that his theory was wrong.
Lahote saw him and Jared waved.
"Is this guy following us?" Paul's words snapped her out of her thoughts as Jared appeared on the side of the road. He was jogging, his sweaty T-shirt clinging to his chest, but other than that, he seemed perfect, as always. How did people manage that? To jog for miles and barely break a sweat? Lucky assholes. Kim was sure it was the same with Sophie. She probably looked like a gazelle while jogging, not even smearing her mascara. Who even put on mascara when they went jogging? Kim was sure Sophie did. She expected Sophie to sprout up from somewhere behind Jared, but she was nowhere to be seen. Well, that was a first.
"We've got to stop meeting like this," Jared beamed at them. "Why are you two sneaking around?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
"We're doing the biology project. We've just finished collecting the plants," Kim blushed at his insinuation.
"Yeah, moron, unlike you, not everyone goes to the forest to fool around," Paul added, wrapping his arm around Jared's neck in a chokehold and rubbing the top of his head. Well, they were clearly friends again. They wrestled for a while, like two five-year-olds, until Jared managed to shake Paul off, almost knocking him down.
"Damn, man. When did you get so ripped?" Paul raised his hands in mock surrender.
"7 miles today, baby. I want to be prepared for the next game." Jared flexed his muscles playfully. "But let's not change the topic. Look at you, being an upstanding student and all. What have you done to Lahote, Kim? You should keep this girl close, man. She's good for you." He winked and Kim's good mood suddenly darkened. She wanted to slap him across the face. Moron, moron, moron.
"It's not like that, man. Connweller and I are just friends. She's not my type, I'm not her type, we're practically bros," Paul patted Kim's shoulder. "In fact, I'm trying to talk her into going to the bonfire, you know, meet someone new."
"All right then. Hey, you know who would be awesome for her? Anderson, bro!"
"That's exactly what I was thinking! He's a decent guy, right?"
"Yeah. He's like good at school and everything. And I heard he might get a scholarship for… where was it…"
Kim raised an eyebrow at them. They continued the conversation as if she weren't present, like two brothers from the 17th century selling their sister off to the highest bidder. Yes, but Jives, Colonel Anderson will take her without a dowry. Not many men would, mind you. And he is a fine fellow, I say. Kim shuddered.
"And he's single."
"Yes, I should use this great opportunity to snatch up whoever's single," Kim spat out.
"Oh, come on, it isn't like that!" Jared said. "We're just saying, he's a very nice guy, maybe you should meet him, you never know, you might like him."
"Yeah, Connweller, come on, don't be like that." Paul added.
Paul knew how much she liked Jared and now he was playing matchmaker? And with Jared? Idiots. Men were idiots.
"It's cool, clearly you don't need my opinion. I don't want to bother you two while you decide who I should or shouldn't go out with!"
"Come on, Kim, we didn't mean it like that, honestly. We were just giving you a friendly suggestion," Jared offered.
"Well, it's not much of a suggestion if you exclude me from the conversation, now is it?"
"You're right, it really isn't," he gave her a rueful smile. "And we're sorry."
"I'm not sorry," Paul grunted.
"You're sorry," Jared punched his shoulder. He turned to Kim. "Do you except our apology?"
His eyes were so big and velvety. Was she staring? She probably was. Focus.
"Ugh, fine. Can we go home now?"
"Hey, man, do you think you could give me a ride? I should go home, too," Jared said.
"Sure."
They squeezed into the truck and Kim ended up in the middle, sandwiched between Paul and Jared. She glared at Paul but he just smirked at her. They drove in silence for a while, until Paul decided to break it.
"Fuck, bro, you stink like a puma," he said to Jared, rolling the window down.
It wasn't true. Kim couldn't feel anything.
"I know, I know, I'm sweating like a pig. I must have pushed myself too hard, I should have stopped earlier."
Kim accidentally brushed her hand against Jared's and it felt as if his was burning.
"You must have, because you're very hot," she blurted out, making Paul erupt into a fit of laughter. At the first moment, she was shocked by the rich and deep tone of Paul's laughter and the sheer fact that he was capable of laughing. Only then did she realize what she'd said.
Jared was more merciful, because he only grinned.
"Well, thank you very much."
"I didn't… I wasn't… Paul, will you fucking stop!" She swatted his arm, but he only laughed harder.
"I didn't mean it like that, Jared. I just meant… I meant; your skin feels really hot. Like, like… like you have a fever or something, I…Paul, knock it off already!"
"So, you don't think I'm hot?" Jared teased and started laughing.
"Oh, shut up!" Kim swatted his arm as well, then covered her face with her hands. "You two are such jerks."
"Oh, cheer up, Connweller. We're just messing with you," Paul said and winked.
Paul was still wheezing with laughter a little when they reached his house. She expected him to pass it and drive them home but he pulled over.
"Hey, is it cool if you walk from here? My dad needs the truck." He shrugged.
Kim rolled her eyes at him. What a liar.
"Sure thing, man." Jared said and squeezed out of the truck.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kim hissed at Paul as soon as Jared moved away.
"I'm just being a good wing man," Paul smirked and got out.
"Hey, Cameron, do you mind walking Connweller home? She's a coward and it's getting kind of dark."
Kim glared at Paul. "No, Jared, it's really fine, Paul is just being a jerk, you don't have to- "
"No, of course, I don't mind."
"No, really, I…um."
"It's on my way, anyway. No trouble at all."
"Great! So, I'll see you both tomorrow, then!" Paul said, as chipper as a bird.
As soon as Jared turned his head, Paul grinned at Kim and stuck out his tongue in a grotesque mimic of French kissing. Kim gave him the finger.
While they were walking Kim was desperately praying for two things. The first one – a good conversation topic. The second one – for Sophie not to find out about their little walk.
What did people say to their secret crushes, anyway? What did they ask? Every question that came to her mind seemed so lame and random. Where did people learn the art of making conversation? She'd have to google that at home.
"So, did you decide about Friday?" Jared asked and snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Um, no, I'm not sure."
"You should really come. It'll be fun, I promise."
"I'm not sure if my parents would let me. They're pretty strict."
"Oh, that. Well, you could say that you're going to a sleepover. I could ask Soph to back your story up, tell your folks she invited you." Soph. Kim shuddered.
"No, that's ok. Thanks, though. Is that what you tell your parents, that you're going to a sleepover?" Kim teased.
"Yeah, I say Lahote and I paint each other's nails and have pillow fights." He laughed. "No, my parents have these weird shifts and three more kids. They have so much on their plates, they don't even notice I'm gone sometimes."
"I'm sure they do."
"Well, if they notice, they rarely ask me about it, as long as I'm home at a decent hour. Hey, maybe that's what you should do, just sneak out."
"My mom would kill me if she found out."
"Then don't get caught," he smiled.
"You are a bad influence and that's a terrible idea."
"We're seventeen. Terrible ideas are currently, like, the basis of our lives."
Her heart was thumping. She wanted to say yes. But there was so much to consider. Her parents, homework and of course, the fact that she didn't have anything nice to wear. So many people she didn't really know. Should she go?
She stopped abruptly when she realized she'd almost walked by her house.
"Well, this is me," she said.
"Cool. Well, I'll see you at school."
"Yeah."
"And, come to the bonfire. Don't be the good girl for once."
"I'll think about it."
"Come to the bonfire. Be a baaad girl, Kim! A baaad girl!" he fake whispered, impersonating Dracula.
"Fine. I'll talk to Paul, see if I can tag along," she laughed.
"Good. Everything will be ok. I promise," he said.
And she trusted him.