A/N: Jacob lectures Seth on the touchy subject of love. Haha. Just a funny little short.
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"I just don't understand," he said, tilting his head.
"You wouldn't." I shook my hair out; scratched my head. "You wouldn't understand, Seth. You're fourteen. You've never been in love."
"But I mean, is it like imprinting?" he asked, curiosity in his dark eyes.
"I can't explain it, okay?" I was tired, and angry, and I felt a little bad for snapping him, because he really was a good kid. But how could I possibly describe love?
Seth let out an exasperated breath. "Jake, please? Leah doesn't tell me anything, and I'm not gonna go to, like, Sam or anything. That's embarrassing."
"Why do you want to know so bad?"
"I just…I want to be ready," he said, squaring off his shoulders. "I mean, what if I don't notice it? I don't want to miss anything."
"Trust me," I snorted. "You'll notice."
"Jake…" he whined, sounding more like a puppy than a boy.
I sighed. "I guess I can try." Seth smiled, adjusting his legs until he was sitting with them crossed, placing his elbows in the center of the triangle he had created. He looked like a little kid getting ready for a bedtime story.
I smirked, despite my exhaustion. "Okay, it's like…" I groped for the right words. "Having every muscle in your body set on high—like each one is connected to this one feeling, even the ones in your head, 'cause all you can think about is this tiny person. And it hurts, a lot. Like, more than anything I've ever felt."
"If it hurts so bad, why does everybody want it?" Seth asked. It was a reasonable question, but it was hard to find an answer, nonetheless. I crinkled my brow, thinking. Seth chuckled. "You don't even know, do you?"
I shoved him a little, rolling my eyes. "Just shut up and listen, kid." I paused again. "Just because it hurts, doesn't mean it isn't the best feeling in the world."
"But that doesn't—"
"What did I say, you little mutt?" Seth glared at me, but stopped talking. "It's like, uh…getting shocked, you know, like if you touch an electric fence or something. It hurts, but you can't help but do it again. 'Cause there's also this weird thrill, this strange bubble of happiness. It's like that, only a thousand times more powerful."
"But what makes her worth it?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, really. Just that when I think about her I get this feeling like if she was gone, I would be, too. She's part of me. Nothing I can do about it."
"Sounds pretty sucky to me," Seth said.
"Yeah, well, you just wait, kid," I smiled, patting his head. "One of these days you'll know what I'm talking about."
"I think I'd rather imprint."
Yeah, I thought. Me too, kid.
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END