I had already delivered the homework to Seth, Leah, Jared, and Jacob. Since they weren't feeling well, I entrusted their papers to their parents. But I still had Embry, Paul, and Quil left.
When I stood in front of Embry's house, I knocked on the door, but no one answered. He was probably sleeping while his mother was at work. Shrugging, I dropped the papers into the mailbox and decided to head over to Paul, who, like Quil, lived in the neighborhood.
I rang the doorbell and began sorting through the papers for Paul. Just as I had everything organized, the door opened, and Paul stood before me. "Hey, I just wanted to drop off your school papers. Donât worry, you havenât missed much," I smiled and tried to hand him the sheets. But he just stared at me as if he had seen a ghost.
"Everything okay, Paul? You look like youâve seen a ghost," I said with concern, placing my hand on his arm to pull him out of his stupor. "And you seem to have a fever. No wonder with the water temperatures yesterday. You should dress warmer." My gaze fell on the boxers he was wearing, which were the only clothing he had on.
My words seemed to snap him out of his trance. He ran a hand through his hair awkwardly and shook his head. "Uh, yeah, Iâll do that. Thanks." He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Do you want to⦠come in?"
But I just shook my head and handed him the papers, which he finally accepted. "I still need to go to Quil; I have to bring him his papers too. Plus, my mom is probably already waiting for me with dinner. Go back to bed, and hopefully, youâll feel better soon." With those words, I said goodbye and made my way. As I looked back one last time at the end of the street, I saw Paul still standing in the doorway, watching me. Did I have something on my face? I shrugged. Maybe it was just that he was sick, which was why he was acting so strangely.
A few minutes later, I reached Quil's house. He opened the door just moments after I rang the bell and looked at me in surprise. "Do I have something on my face? Why is everyone staring at me today?" I asked, confused about the boys' reactions.
"No, no, come in for a moment," he replied and headed toward the kitchen. I followed him and closed the front door behind me. Quil was cooking something and rushed to the stove to make sure nothing was boiling over.
"Okay, now I can listen to you," he said after he had taken his food off the heat. "And who else has been staring at you?"
"Paul. But he was acting strange anyway. I brought him his things, and he looked at me like he had seen a ghost. But he really did have a high fever; maybe thatâs why," I mused aloud.
Quil looked surprised and then began to grin. "Yeah, itâs definitely the fever."
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Friday morning arrived, and I could feel the familiar sense of relief spreading within me. "Finally Friday," I thought as I walked along the path to school. The air was fresh and clear, and the first rays of sunshine sent golden beams of light filtering through the trees. It was the perfect start to the weekend that lay ahead of me, filled with endless possibilities.
As I entered the school, I was greeted by the usual noise. I spotted the boysâPaul, Embry, Jared, and Quilâall back to health. They stood in a circle, laughing and joking with each other as if illness had never been a topic. A warm feeling spread in my chest. "Iâm glad theyâre feeling better," I thought, smiling as I made my way to my locker to grab my books.
Unusually, I noticed after a few steps that Paul was suddenly walking beside me, heading in the same direction. Confused, I looked at him. "Good morning, Paul. Is something wrong? Your locker is in the other direction, isnât it?" I couldnât help but furrow my brow slightly at his embarrassment. He scratched his head awkwardly, and I couldnât help but smile a bit at him.
"Yeah, it is. I wanted to ask if youâd like to sit with us at the table later? I mean, you donât have to if you donât want to!" he asked hastily, his nose slightly reddening. I was surprised. Was he really asking me? Normally, the boys' table was a protected place. There had only been one exception so far, and that was Kim, Jared's girlfriend. She had joined them one day and had since become a permanent fixture at their table.
"If the others don't mind⦠why not?!" I murmured, a bit uncertain. I couldn't quite grasp what was happening. Paul's face lit up immediately, as if he had just won the lottery. Had he placed a bet? This felt like a typical plot from one of those young adult novels where the bad boys played tricks on the innocent girl. But then I pushed those thoughts aside. Quil was part of their group, and I would never suspect him of such behavior.
"Great, I'll pick you up in front of your class, okay?" Paul said, abruptly turning back to his friends, who greeted him loudly. I stood there, watching him happily return to them. Why did that sound like he was coming to pick me up for a date? A shiver of excitement ran down my spine, and I shook my head to dispel the thoughts.
With a slight smile on my lips, I finally made my way to my locker to grab my books for the first period. The question of what else would happen on this Friday buzzed in my mind as I opened the door to my locker and took out my books. A mix of nervousness and anticipation washed over meâthis day might turn out to be very different from what I had imagined.
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As promised, Paul stood waiting outside my classroom at the start of lunch. His presence was like a magnet, drawing not only my attention but also that of half the student body. I could feel the curious glances following us as I left the room. Great, I thought, now they had something to talk about again. I rolled my eyes internally. Very little happened in LaPush. When something did occurâeven if it was just Paul not being with the LaPush Gangâeveryone jumped on it as if it were the latest headline.
"Hey," I greeted Paul, who approached me with a beaming smile. He seemed excited, as if he couldn't quite grasp what was happening. I started walking toward the cafeteria, and Paul followed me like a loyal dog who didn't want to leave his owner's side.
The cafeteria was the center of school life. The smell of food hung in the air, mixed with the shouts of students and the clattering of plates and cutlery. As we stepped through the door, I suddenly felt a hand on my back. Paul gently nudged me toward the group, and I felt a bit like a sheep being herded.
Once we arrived, I was placed between Quil and Paul. He grinned at me as if I were the most precious gift he had ever received. "Hey guys, and hi Kim," I said to the group, trying to act as casually as possible. But I felt somewhat out of place. It was strange that the other students were looking at me as if I were a puzzle to be solved. Their curious gazes seemed to ask me questions I couldn't answer.
Why was I here? What had entitled me to sit at this table? The answer was as unknown to me as it was to them. I had no idea what had brought me into this group of friends. Was it because I had brought them their homework? Or maybe it was the fact that Paul was suddenly giving me his attention?
As I tried to fit into the conversation, I noticed the other students' glances kept returning to us. I could hear the soft whispers and the speculations that drifted like a gentle breeze through the cafeteria. "What's she doing at that table?" "Is she dating one of them?" The questions buzzed around us like pesky mosquitoes, and I wished I could just become invisible.
"How are you?" Quil asked, and I turned to him, grateful for the break in the silence. "Good, thanks! And you?" I smiled, and for a moment, I could forget about the others' attention. We talked about school, the next bonfire, and the latest rumors circulating through LaPush. It was a familiar rhythm that helped me relax a bit.
Again and again, I felt Paul's gaze on me. He seemed pleased that I was there, which made me both nervous and happy. Maybe this wasn't as bad as I thought. Perhaps this spot at their table was exactly what I neededâa step in a new direction, toward a new friendship.