Kourtney honked her horn at the two teenagers walking down the road. She pulled her car up beside them.
"What are you two up to?"
"Just going to Jake's house," Quil told her.
"No ride today?"
"Embry's sick."
"Get in, I'll give you a ride."
Quil immediately jumped in the front, leaving Jacob to ride in the back by himself.
"Where were you going?" Quil asked.
Their neighborhood was on the other end of the road from the Black residence.
"I, um, I was volunteered to drop off Paul's homework."
"By who?" Jacob asked.
"Kim," Kourtney said.
"Jared's girlfriend right?" Kourtney looked back at Jacob.
"You really need to work on hiding your dislike for them," Kourtney joked.
"Kourt, you missed the turn to Jake's," Quil began.
"I know," Kourtney said. "You two are accompanying me to drop off Paul's homework."
"No! Let me out!" Jacob cried reaching for the door.
"Jake!"
"It'll only take a minute!"
At least that was what she was hoping. She planned on just leaving the homework at the front door, but soon her imagination took over and she thought up scenarios that all resulted in Paul not getting his homework and him flunking his senior year again. She settled on knocking and hoping that Mr. Lahote so that he could pass on the work to Paul. Luck was on her side when she saw Jacob and Quil walking. Now that she had other people in the car, it gave her an excuse to leave in the event Paul was the one who answered the door and wanted to talk some more.
"You guys don't even need to get out! Just stay in the car!"
"Why don't you just drop it off in the mailbox?"
"Or just say you did, but really just don't?" Jacob asked.
"Do you want him to flunk again?" Kourtney asked.
"Yeah, Jake. He'll ended up being in our class."
Jacob crossed his arms. Kourtney pulled her car up to the Lahote residence. She leafed through the papers in her binder and pulled out a packet with Paul's name on it.
"I'll be quick."
She stepped out of her car and jogged up to the front of the house. She gave three good knocks on the door. No one came.
"It's been a minute!" Jacob yelled.
Kourtney rolled her eyes and knocked another three times, louder than the ones before. She waited several seconds before she heard footsteps coming from inside. She suddenly felt nervous. The footsteps were heavy and she thought there was no way it belonged to Mr. Lahote. If anything, the heavy steps would belong to the now giant-like Paul. She prepared herself as she heard the lock clicking and the door opening.
"What?" Paul barked. Kourtney jumped by his loud greeting. Paul took in who was standing in front of his door. "Uh, Kourtney! Sorry! I thought you were someone else."
Kourtney was still shocked from his outburst.
"Are you okay?" he asked stepping out and placing a hand on her arm. His hot touch seemed to bring Kourtney back. She realized that Paul was wearing nothing but a pair of sweat pants. Her eyes kept going from his face to his nicely tanned body.
"Uh," Kourtney began. She closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened her eyes, she made sure that she avoided looking at any part of Paul. "I have your homework."
"Thanks," Paul said, as he took the papers that Kourtney shoved into his hands. "Do you want to-"
"No!" Kourtney cried. "Uh, Jake and Quil are with me. I still need to drop them off."
Paul looked over to her car and sure enough saw two other people inside. Kourtney started to retreat, not giving Paul a chance to start up another conversation.
"Thanks!" he called out as she rushed to her car.
Kourtney could feel her face get hot. Seeing Paul half naked was something she wasn't used to anymore. The image of Paul opening the door without his shirt flashed her in mind.
"Are you okay?" Quil asked.
"Yeah," Kourtney mumbled as she started up her car.
"You're red."
At that moment, Kourtney wanted nothing more than her neighbor to shut up.
"So, Jake's?" she asked as she took off back down the road.
Kourtney opened her window, hoping the cool breeze would help her body temperature go back to normal.
"Wait, are you blushing?" Quil asked. He went on to be ignored, but that didn't stop him from opening his mouth again. "Was it because Paul was shirtless?"
Jacob scoffed in the back. Kourtney looked at him through the rearview mirror. He looked amused.
"Do you like Paul?"
"Quil, enough!" Kourtney cried. Quil flinched at her tone. She took a deep breath, not enjoying how she just yelled at him. She felt bad.
"So is that a yes?" Kourtney rolled her eyes. Suddenly she wasn't feeling as bad.
"I hope not," Jacob said. "I think he's trouble."
Kourtney laughed.
"You know, that is exactly what Cody said."
Jacob nodded.
"Great minds think alike."
"He seems to care about you a lot," Quil said quietly.
"Because he wants to sleep with her!" Kourtney looked appalled at what Jacob said. "It's true! I mean, rumors don't start out of nowhere."
Also something that Cody said.
"I think he likes you, too. I mean, he defended you from Alex when he called you his leftovers."
Kourtney glanced at Quil.
"I was home when the fight happened," Quil explained.
"He's part of Sam's gang!"
"What gang?" she asked turning onto Jacob's road.
"He thinks Sam Uley is starting some kind of gang."
"Have you not seen Sam? He's gotten huge! So has Jared and now Paul! Plus they all have matching tattoos. It's probably their gang symbol or something."
What Jacob said suddenly connected dots for Kourtney. He was right. Sam, Jared, and Paul all looked somewhat similar. They were all well over six feet tall and they seemed to have gained more muscle than they had before.
"I think he's just looking too much into it," Quil whispered.
"I can hear you!" Jacob cried. Kourtney pulled into Jacob's driveway and was thankful that she didn't have to hear the two friends fight.
"Thanks," Jacob grumbled as he got out of the car. She watched as he stomped off into his house.
"Sorry about Jake," Quil started.
"Does he really think Sam is starting a gang?" Quil shrugged. "Something's going on for sure, though. I think he's just more worried that Embry is next."
"What do you mean?"
"Sam and my grandpa just so happened to stop by Embry's house yesterday and suddenly today, Embry is sick." Quil used air quotes.
"Well, have you asked Old Quil-"
"He said it was nothing to worry about." Kourtney nodded. "Thanks for the ride, Kourt."
She gave him a smile. She waited until he was inside the house before driving away.
.-~*~-.
Paul sighed in frustration.
"Okay, Paul, just hold on," Kim said exasperated. They were both seated at Emily's kitchen table. It was Saturday and Paul was working on all the homework he had to make up. He was hoping that Kourtney would help him, but after texting her the night before and not receiving a reply, he figured she still needed space. He tried working on it by himself, but he didn't get very far. When seeing his frustration, Sam suggested that he get a tutor. Of course, the only tutor he knew that would even want to help him was Kim. "Let's start over."
"No! We've been here for hours, Kim!" Paul cried. "I don't get this shit."
"It's really easy-"
"For you!
"Well, maybe if you just-"
"Fuck this shit!" Paul exclaimed.
"Paul!" Emily cried from her place at the stove.
"Sorry," he mumbled. Sam and Jared walked through the door. Paul shot up from his seat. "I'll go on patrol."
"I take it the tutoring isn't going well?" Sam asked once Paul was gone. Kim shook her head as she massaged her temples. Jared lightly massaged her shoulders.
"It has to be tough for him," Emily said making her way beside Sam. The two shared a quick peck on the lips. "He has to balance school and this shape shifter business."
"Plus Kourtney," Jared said. "He will not stop thinking about her!"
"Well, I hope everything gets better for him." Everyone agreed with Emily.
"I might," Sam said. "Embry Call has been showing signs. Having another shifter won't be so bad."
"But he'll also still be in school," Emily pointed out.
"Yeah, Sam agreed, rubbing his cheek. He was beginning to worry about how to command his pack, especially if two of them were still in school. He knew Paul was already very behind with his schoolwork. He also knew that Paul was the worst out of them three when it came to controlling his phasing. His constant drama with Kourtney didn't help either. He only hoped that Embry Call would somewhat be better.
.-~*~-.
Kourtney walked into her first period Monday morning and was surprised to see Paul already in his seat. Kim was with him, leaning over his shoulder. A textbook was open on his desk and he was furiously writing on a piece of paper. Kourtney took her seat. She strained her ears when she heard Paul talk.
"Let me just copy your homework!" he cried.
"I already turned it in," Kim told him. "This was due last week, Paul. Everyone already turned theirs in!"
Paul groaned.
"Do you at least remember any of this shit?"
The bell rang and more students trickled in.
"Fuck!" Paul exclaimed.
"Sorry, Paul," Kourtney heard Kim say. Kim got up from her place next to Paul and headed towards the door.
"Kim," Kourtney called out. Kim stopped in front of Kourtney's desk. "Did Paul not finish his homework?"
Kim shook her head. She leaned in closer and lowered her voice.
"I tried helping him over the weekend," she told Kourtney. "Didn't get anywhere, he got too frustrated."
Kourtney nodded. Kim gave a small wave before disappearing into the hallway to get to her class. Kourtney glanced back at Paul who was now laying his head over his arms on his desk. She felt bad for him. She felt even worse when she remembered him texting her over the weekend, first to thank her for bringing him his make-up assignments, then asking a second time to ask her if she was able to help him.
Their teacher entered. Quickly spotting Paul, she asked him for his make-up assignments.
"He doesn't have it!" Kourtney cried, getting everyone's attention. "I didn't get a chance to give it to him!"
Her teacher took a second to process what Kourtney said.
"You didn't give Mr. Lahote his make-up assignments?" Kourtney was aware that everyone's attention was now on her. She slowly shook her head. "Ms. Hunt, you do understand that Mr. Lahote needed those assignments to catch up in this class. It was your responsibility to get him those assignments after you volunteered."
"I didn't really volunteer," Kourtney mumbled.
"What was that?" her teacher asked.
"Nothing! I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize to me, Ms. Hunt. Apologize to Mr. Lahote. You just set him back even more," the teacher reprimanded. Kourtney felt her cheeks get hot. She wanted nothing more than to disappear.
"It's alright, Mrs. Blackburn," Paul began.
"No, it is not alright, Mr. Lahote," Mrs. Blackburn went on. "Now, you and Ms. Hunt can join me for lunch."
"What?" Kourtney cried. "Why? Because I forgot to give him his homework? It's not my fault he's been missing school!"
She heard snickers all around the class. She instantly regretted her outburst with the look her teacher gave her.
"You're right, Ms. Hunt. Mr. Lahote, I'll see you at lunch so you can make-up your work. Ms. Hunt, I'll see you in detention!"
"Are you kidding?" Kourtney cried again. "I-"
"Hunt, shut up!" Paul said. Kourtney turned in her seat to look at him. He shook his head at her and she only glared.
"Now, as for the rest of you, take out your homework."
Kourtney continued wait until class was over. Once the bell signaled the end of class, Kourtney was the first one out.
"Kourt!" she heard Paul call. Kourtney of course ignored him. He caught up with her anyway and stepped in front of her.
"Thanks a lot, Lahote!" she cried, glaring at him.
"Hey, I never asked you to take the fall for me and I sure as hell didn't ask you to get yourself detention for my sake!" Paul told her. With that he left her standing in the middle of the hallway, surprised that he didn't apologize.
"You're such a jerk, Lahote!" Kourtney called after him. Paul smiled to himself upon hearing those words.
AN: Happy New Year everybody! Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are always appreciated! Please be sure to check out my other fanfic Greatest Weakness: Life! An update for that will be up soon! Also, check out my completed fanfic Secrets!