Puberty Carries

a Baseball Bat

Sam PoV

" Sam?" Mike's banging on the door, mom must have been worried and sent him up here after me.

" Go away!" I'm not normally this mean sounding, but i just right now don't even want to talk to Mike. Everything changed, I'm still changing. Mike's changed a lot, but at same time not changed, if that even makes sense.

Howard says vampires are a lot like us, but they're not, not really. Mike growls when upset, when he's seems to be content, when hes confused, good mood.. He has a growl for everything and a couple of them has scared mom when Mikes made the noise without her knowing, cause you know Howard says if one of us growls it's good to stop what she's doing till we calm down.

Mike had let out this strange growl grabbing up a bag of candy, it was almost a purr, it was just weird, mom jumped and backed away. I snicker thinking of the look on Mikes' face, he had slowly put the bag down and pushed it away like he thought something was wrong with it because how mom reacted to him. I don't think Mike even realized he made the noise.

I hear a raspy growl on the other side of the door, yea he also growls when frustrated, but I think I'm catching onto what each mean; they have different tone. With a sigh I decide to open the door, Mike wouldn't leave anyway till I do.

" Sam? What's going on, why you locked up in there? " Mike did look concerned, I didn't like making him worry over me, but I just needed some time alone.

" Shut the door." I walk over and flop on the floor next to the bathtub.

" Sam, what's going on?" Mike asks for a second time as he flops next to me, his eyes are on me, they always seem to be cold now.

You really can't tell what's changed about Mike unless you knew him in Phoenix, he was always warm and caring. Sure he cares, but that's not the same as warm and caring. You can tell he has a hard time trying to understand emotional pain, he looks awkward and I think he reacts on memory, cause he just looks like he's lost when trying to be the comforting, caring older brother or son he used to be. He cares, just no longer knows how to react to others pain.

" I don't know... I." I couldn't tell him, it was embarrassing, mom thinks something's wrong with me, I freaked out and ran to the bathroom.

" What is it Sam? Why you locking yourself up in here?" Mike would probably wait till dawn to get answers out of me.

" I'm just frustrated, so many changes, I'm still changing Mike, you, you changed, but it's over at least, I just feel weird and worse around girls and see things on T.V. with girls makes me feel weird, like I'll never stop." I stare at Mike when he chuckles. I'm serious and having trouble dealing with what I am and he's just laughing!

" Sam, you're growing up, you're changing alright, but it's normal, puberty finally decided to hit you hard. You'll be fine little bro, just starting to become a man now. Don't tell mom though, cause she'll get out the So you're body is changing book and read it to you and then start trying to explain a condom." Mike again chuckles, his cold eyes on me, watching my every move and detail.

I think I know what the word I'm thinking of is... Predatory, Mike seems to be sizing everyone up as if deciding food, foe or friend. He doesn't so much do it to me but he still looks at me that way, as if those eyes are thinking something different from his mind. It sounds crazy, but it's just how he looks to me now, a cold predatory killer looking at me, but at the same time not looking at me, if that makes sense. I only feel secured in the knowledge that he would never hurt me, not intentionally.

" So it's normal?" I wanted to believe Mike, but I think there's something more going on, maybe it is as Mike says, but what if there's something else to do with it, like my change? What happens to werewolves that turn before they hit puberty, how does puberty change them?

" Yea, perfectly normal, well you are a little late, I mean I started looking at girls when I was twelve." Mike sounded smug, like this was something to be proud of. I roll my eyes at him, being undead hasn't changed his ego any.

" Well how do I stop it?" I didn't want anything to do with puberty if it's going to be changing me more than I already have.

" You don't, seriously, it's not as bad as you're making it out to be... Just think of the most nastiest thing that you wouldn't ever want to put your little man near and it'll help with the tent pants problem." Mike stands up and looks down at me. I'm not so sure if his words of wisdom will really help, if it'll be that easy.

**** Hormones****

" He's just all hormonal." Mike defends me to mom, mom's upset and looks on the verge of crying.

I had gotten suspended from school and sent how with a black eye, I'm so used to having to run to Mike to make the jerks at school leave me alone, I didn't know that when i fought back, I'd actually win. I won and ended up with some bruises and a black eye, only problem is, I nearly wolfed out and the guy had to go to the Dr. to get stitches and now moms afraid someone's going to come take me away because someone may have saw what happened.

" I didn't fully wolf out, the guy wouldn't back away, so I made him back away, Mike can't come help me anymore!" I shout in frustration and run up to my room. Mike couldn't help now, he can't be out in the day, he can't make the bullies stop, I had to stop them by myself, but I can't do it without letting some of the wolf out.

If I stay as a human, I'll be weak little Sam Emerson, the nerdy kid that all the bullies pick on. I was smart about it, i made sure to get somewhere were no one would see, which the bullies wanted to do anyway so teachers wont catch them. So they followed me into the restroom, laughing at me being so dumb as they locked the door, i was able to allow the wolf otu just enough to give me an edge, but I had claws and fangs, almost looked about like Mike does when Mike lets himself vamp out.

I feel like I'm getting angrier each day, like I'm tired of others pushing me around, even when not. I want them to just what was it? Know their place, that's it, I've even gotten snappy at Howard, which upset mom and she chided me, I only didn't snap at her, because she's mom, i know she means well and doesn't want me doing bad things and being disrespectful. Howard didn't like me snapping at him, but I think he did nothing, only cause mom was there.

" Sam?" Mike knocks on the door, mom always has had Mike deal with me when I'm upset. I just never been able to be open to mom.

Mike knows what I've been through, mom only knows a little, she doesn't know how bad dad was towards us, he hid it from her and threatened us so that we wouldn't tell on him. Mike mostly got beat, but that wasn't the worse. Dad only stopped beating us when Mike started hitting back. We only had each other to rely on, not that it was moms fault, we just couldn't tell her.

I open the door, then go back to sit on the bed.

" Hey, could be worse? If something happens, I can take care of it if it becomes a problem. Mom will be fine, she's just scared something bad could happen to you." Mike sighs.

I'm scared, I don't think mom can handle anything else now and grandpa has become weirder, he's been walking off in the woods alone lately and that has mom upset too. Mom just doesn't have the stamina I don't think and I wish Howard would just take her back to where he lived in whatever city he came from that he had been living, cause I don't think mom would be able to handle being in a wolf pack and Howard well, he doesn't really seem up for it ether. I think Howard just wanted to please my grandpa, I could tell he respects him in someway and he wants approval and to be with my mom, but I don't think he really wants a pack.

" Mike, what if mom snaps?" I asked, voicing my biggest fear.

" Mom will be fine." Mike didn't sound so sure. " You just need to finish school out and try not to maim bullies." Mike snickers and ruffles my head as he sits next to me.

We both sit in silence wondering what's going to happen. I don't think Mike is as bothered about mom, but I'm sure even if his hearts dead, he still cares, even if vampires aren't as feeling. He'll deal wit things in his own way, just hope things get better for us both and soon.