A/N: Hi, everyone! Thank you so much for the awesome comments! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! 😊

Jared's mother liked to talk about his birth in graphic details. How it lasted for 17 hours. How his head was gigantic. How it was all very painful and bloody. This was the first time he could truly relate. He was burning inside like his whole body was on fire and melting, trying to expose a new, unfamiliar creature. So, his transformation was very much like childbirth. And it wasn't going well.

Jared was naked and kneeling on the forest floor, stuck in a limbo of cracking bones and intense pain, but the shift was yet to happen.

"This is the last step, Jared," Sam said. He'd been there the whole time. Sometimes, his presence was soothing. Other times, Jared wanted to rip his throat out.

"The only thing you need to do right now is let go."

But could he let go? His girlfriend, his friends, his basketball practices. The parties, the normal life he wanted to lead... it would all be gone. Did he really have to leave everything to be a protector? Did he want to? Rage rose inside him like lava. Why him? Why did he have to pay for his ancestors' genes? Why not his dad or his uncle? Suddenly, his skin ripped along his spine like a threadbare cloth. He opened his mouth to scream, but his jaws were growing bigger and longer and there were so many teeth, he simply didn't know how to. His body expanded like a balloon and just when he thought he would burst and die, a blood-curdling howl escaped his throat. Sam phased next to him.

"Easy," his voice echoed in Jared's mind. But he couldn't go easy. He could hear every creature in their vicinity scattering away in fear. He could hear cars that were miles away. The ocean. People talking, whistling, having dinner. He wanted to cover his ears, but his hands were gone, only gigantic paws in their place. Sam had tried to explain everything to him but nothing could have prepared him for this. He couldn't breathe, he-

"You can breathe. You'll be fine," Sam said. "You'll get a hang of it in no time."

But could one ever get a hang of being a monster?

Paul's house looked even worse than the last time she visited. Bottles and crushed cans were scattered around the living room, along with some clothes and fast-food wrappers. Paul had been right, so much for his father's alcohol sabbatical. The weird smell was still lingering everywhere. Paul kicked a can out of his way and a vein popped out on his neck.

"We're going to study in my room," he ground out through his teeth and marched through the small hallway. He opened the only black door with a big STOP sign on it.

"Of course this is your room," Kim smirked. Her stomach did a little somersault. It was the first time since she'd started high school that she was alone with a boy in a bedroom, even if it was only Paul. She peeked inside and her jaw dropped. The room was immaculate. No dust, no clothes strewn on the floor. It was small, with burgundy walls and posters. So many band posters. Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nirvana and many others she'd never heard about. And of course, a gigantic one of Halle Berry in a bikini. She rolled her eyes at that one. The bed was neatly made, like one would do in the military. She could easily picture Marge Simpson throwing coins at it and watching them bounce and hit the ceiling.

"I won't bite, Connweller, you can come in," Paul rolled his eyes at her still standing in the doorway. He took off his shoes and neatly placed them in the corner, then he pulled out the only chair for her while he settled on the bed. His jaw relaxed and it made his face look younger, kinder. So, even the vicious Paul Lahote has a shelter, Kim smiled at the thought.

"So, you really have your notes?"

"For the last time, Connweller, yes, I have the fucking notes."

"I'm just checking, jeez. Are you excited about our presentation?"

"You know I'm not."

"Well, I am," Kim chippered. "We are going to ace this."

"Well, at least you are."

"Oh, come on, we did this together."

"Like Goldstein's going to believe that," Paul snorted.

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Because you're you and I'm me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, sometimes I can't figure out if you're really such a nice person or if you're just really good at faking it. Anyway, if you are, it must be great living in your world."

" My world? As opposed to what, the real world?"

"Yeah, you know, Kim's world, where no one's an asshole- "

"I can think of one asshole right now," Kim looked at him pointedly.

"-also, people go around smiling at each other and riding unicorns."

"Well, I don't know about unicorns. I think thestrals would be more practical."

"… you're hopeless."

"Maybe. Or maybe you're just a cynic."

"Maybe we should stop yapping and actually finish this."

"Aren't you a busy beaver? Hey, Paul?"

"Yeah?" he sighed.

"What should I do if I see Jared?"

"Say 'hi'?"

"I'm serious!"

"So am I! Look, you've got to stop obsessing about this. First, because you're annoying me and second, it really isn't that big of a deal. You got wasted, you threw up, end of story. It would have been hilarious if you'd barfed on Cameron, but you'll get him next time, fingers crossed."

"Hah! So cute you think there'll be a next time. I'm going to try really hard to avoid Jared for the next ten-ish years, at least."

But Kim needn't have worried, because Jared was nowhere to be found. Two weeks had passed since the party and he still hadn't shown up at school or anywhere else. There were rumors about him, but most people said he had mono, which Kim thought was strange, because it was highly contagious and Sophie seemed just fine, if a little preoccupied. She even had to do the biology assignment alone and Kim felt sorry for her. Well, just a little. She also had to admit that it was fun to watch Sophie stumble through the presentation on her own.

She and Paul were supposed to present after, and next to her Paul was bouncing his leg up and down, making their desk shake.

"It's going to be fine," Kim whispered to him.

"Ok. Whatever."

"I'm serious. We've got this, we're prepared."

"Easy for you to say," he muttered as the teacher invited them to present their work.

Kim got through her part quickly and efficiently, if a little bit squeaky; Paul seemed distracted in the beginning, but as he went on, he got back to his usual self and finished the presentation confidently, even though Kim could see gigantic armpit stains on his T-shirt.

"Well, that was very nice," Mr. Goldstein said. "And this was… teamwork?" he raised an eyebrow at them.

"Of course," Kim rushed to say, but Paul tensed next to her and glared at the teacher.

"Why would you ask that? Because I couldn't possibly do anything well?"

"I didn't say that, Paul. I simply- "

"You simply thought it. Because you think I'm stupid, don't you?"

Paul started shaking, just like that time in the forest, and Kim grabbed his arm.

"Paul, he didn't say – "

"He didn't have to say it!"

He pulled his arm out of her grasp and marched out of the classroom, slamming the door behind him. Everyone else silently gaped at the door for a second, then frantic whispering broke out.

"Silence!" Mr. Goldstein shouted. "Kim, please go check on Paul and take his things. You can also inform him that I'll see him in detention later."

Kim scurried out of the classroom with their bags as fast as she could. She searched the whole school until she finally found Paul sitting on the parking lot. He was still shaking and panting a little.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he grumbled.

"What the hell happened?"

"He fucking called me stupid! Were you not there?"

"No, he didn't," Kim frowned. "He asked a question."

"A question which implied I didn't do any of the work. Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Paul, there is no side. You freaked out and – "

"Of course, Little Miss Sunshine defends the fucking teacher. I should have guessed."

Tears blurred Kim's vision and she threw Paul's backpack on the ground.

"You know what? Fuck you. Maybe if you changed your stupid attitude and did your fucking work, people wouldn't doubt you." With that, she turned and went back to class.

Kim avoided Paul until lunch the next day. She decided to have lunch outside on one of the benches, because it wasn't raining for once. As she was unpacking her lunch, Paul appeared and plopped down next to her.

"Let's not be idiots about yesterday, ok?"

"Speak for yourself," she grumbled.

"Ok, look. I was very pissed off and you were the only one there. It was unfortunate."

"Is that supposed to be an apology? Because it's pathetic."

"Ok, but check this out," he pulled a big paper bag out of his backpack. He opened the bag and a warm, doughy smell enveloped them. Bagels.

"Where did you get these?"

"My dad brought them this morning. I'm just hoping he didn't rob the bakery," he shrugged.

"And you just took all of them?"

"And I'm going to share them with you, because I'm such a great guy. Besides, he won't even remember he bought them." He also took out cream cheese and two plastic knives and handed one to her. "And, as far as I can see," he pointed at her salad, "your mom didn't really outdo herself today. Look, I'm sorry, ok? Are we cool now?" She rolled her eyes and took a bagel.

"Well, you do get a point for the bagels. But I can't believe you didn't leave a single one to your dad, there's like a dozen of them."

"Screw him, I'm a growing boy."

"You're an idiot. Pass the cream cheese," Kim said.

"Holy shit."

"What?" Kim asked but Paul didn't seem to hear her, he just kept staring at something behind her. She turned around, following his gaze and her eyes went wide. A taller, more muscular, serious looking Jared was marching into the school. He had a buzz cut now. He looked older, tired, manly. He was Jared, and yet, he also… wasn't. Paul finally looked at Kim.

"What the hell happened to Cameron?"