J X K

Anger Managment

Kim's POV

I shouldn't be here. What was I thinking?! I'm
never going to live this down.

"Hi Mr. Cameron" I gulp, lowering my hand from the doorbell. The sun is barely up, the roads still nearly empty, and the res is still half asleep.

"Kim?" Mr. Cameron looks just as taken off guard as I thought he'd be. He's already dressed for the day.

"Yeah, good morning—s-sorry to bother you this early but I came to make sure Jared went to go school on time toda—"

"Oh thank god he told you." With a deep sigh of relief, the man comes undone, crumbling into himself with a slouch and his frown lines on his forehead disappearing.

Told me? Told me what?

"Come in, come in." The older man widens the screen door.

"Oh... okay?"

"Jared is up in his room. Good luck waking him up. I gotta go to work, he's been making me late everyday since he's—"

"It's okay if I go up to his room?" I ask, bewildered. I figured I'd just wait outside for him and walk together to school if Jared wasn't too creeped out by me. "Just him and I alone in there?"

"Of course." Mr. Cameron looks at me like I'm crazy. Understanding suddenly floods his face. "Oh, don't try to be polite, Kim. I'm not sure about Jared's mom's rules, but you're always welcome here."

"If you say so..." I falter on the stairs.

"Make sure you lock up after you leave." Mr. Cameron calls over his shoulder, disappearing into his car.

"Wait—" but he's already gone. Leaving Jared and I completely alone in the house. It's a full ten minutes before I finally make it up the stairs and find Jared's room. I knock. Then four times more just to be sure, but he never answers.

"I'm—I'm coming in." I tell the door. "Please be decent." He wasn't. He's out cold on top of his bed, the still made sheets intact under him. He's in nothing but a pair of cut off shorts, with just one sneaker still on his foot, while the other is kicked across the room. His bedroom is small, so cramped it looks more cluttered and messy than it actually is. Everything is on the floor. Clothes piled up, dirty bed sheets too, abandoned plates of food, books and homework, sneakers everywhere.

"Jared." I call, but he doesn't even stir. He doesn't respond to the next seven times when I call him either.

"Jared!" Still not going pass the door, I toss a nearby shoe at the headboard, which is loud enough to finally rouse him a bit. He groans, turning over to crack one eye open at me.

"Am I dreaming?" He picks his head up, squinting at me.

"I don't believe it either, but I'm really here." I answer, hugging myself. I stay rooted in my spot next to the door as he pulls himself up, kicking off the other shoe while yawning. His muscles pull and stretch, and I'm not sure if I do or don't want to ask him to put a shirt on.

"I've never had a girl sneak into my room before." I cock my head at him, and he smirks coyly. "Okay. Yes I have."

"I didn't sneak in. Your dad let me in." I frown, feeling stupider by the minute that I even came here. I wanted to say thank you for the tulip, but that takes my mind off it completely. "I came to make sure you got to school on time."