A/N: Hey, everyone! Thank you so, so much for your amazing comments! They really mean a lot!

I'm trying to keep the updates at least somewhat regular, but, it doesn't always work out, sorry :)

I'm also trying to make the chapters longer O:)

Thank you for reading, commenting and being patient, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Jared's ears were ringing. It was a loud, high-pitched sound, similar to a whistle, that made him want to scratch his face off. Sam had said it was normal, that it would pass in time and that he would learn to filter the sounds he heard. It was yet to happen, because Jared heard everything. The ocean. Cars. Clocks ticking. One of his sisters grinding her teeth in her sleep in the next room (he was pretty sure it was Alyssa). All of that and the constant shitty background that sounded like "weeeee". Fucking fantastic.

Home sounds were difficult enough, but now that he was back at school, he was beginning to wonder how he had ever gone to classes like that. The noise was brutal. The shouting, cackling, whispering. Oh, the whispering. It was slowly becoming the worst of all. People let themselves be such assholes when they thought you couldn't hear them. The whispers he caught were frequently about him. They were mostly about steroids, gangs and surgeries, but there was one he particularly liked, the one that said he hunted animals at night and drank their blood for strength and good looks. If only they knew.

He managed to get to his locker when he caught a familiar smell approaching him. A heady perfume and a chocolatey shampoo. He inhaled deeply and turned to face it.

"Hey, Soph," he said sheepishly, preparing himself for the inevitable blow.

"Hey, Soph?! HEY, SOPH?! Are you fucking serious, Jared?" Sophie's eyes widened in anger and he looked into them, as deeply as he could, hoping to feel what he saw in Sam's thoughts – the world-clashing, gravity-stopping connection, the pull in his stomach, the tingles in his body…anything, really. But other than the various angry shades of brown, he saw little else there.

"Soph, can we do this after school?" A crowd of curious eyes was slowly beginning to form and there were whispers, always the whispers.

"No, we can't fucking do it after school! Are you for real? You disappear for weeks, not answering my calls or texts, and now you want to do this after school? I'm sorry, didn't you have enough time to come up with an excuse for your behavior?"

Weeeee, went his ears. A slight tremor to his fingers. Shshshsh, shushed the whisperers. Breathe.

"I was sick, Sophie, you know that," he tried. How was he supposed to do this? What excuse could he possibly give her and not be an asshole?

"Too sick to pick up the phone? Bullshit. I went to your house a dozen times, at least. You couldn't have waved from the window or something? I honestly -"

WEEEEEEEEEE. Shshshshshshshshsh. In and out, nice and easy. Just like Sam taught you.

"Sophie, please, can we just do this later? I - "

"NO. I can't believe you, you – "

WEEEE WEEEE WEEEEEE. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. Calm the fuck down.

"- and the fact you're lying to me only makes it – "

WEEEEEE WEEEEEEE WEEEEE WEEEEEEE. You don't want to phase in the middle of your high school hallway, do you? Stop it.

"– and another thing – "

"I can't do this!"

"I – What?"

"I can't do this, Sophie, I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?"

"This," he gestured between them, "us."

"Jared," Sophie pleaded. When he didn't say anything, she opened and closed her mouth and pursed her lips. She stared at him for a moment, then started blinking fast, like there were two furious butterflies on her eyelids. Her tiny chin was trembling a little and her eyes became glassy. Jared had never seen her looking so young, so confused. And he had never felt like such an asshole. He reached out to take her hand.

"Sophie, I'm really – "

"Get the fuck away from me," she hissed, slapping his hand away. Jared could hear her heart hammering in her chest as she turned on her heel and marched away, pushing a freshman out of her way so hard that the boy almost fell. Jared pinched the bridge of his nose. Was he supposed to follow her? Apologize again? What use would that even be? Maybe it was better this way. Maybe it would be easier for her if she hated him. Maybe.

The audience was still around, a bunch of gaping, muttering jerks.

"The show is over, don't you have anywhere else to be?" he yelled and slammed his locker shut. The whispers suddenly stopped. Well, great. It was about fucking time.

Over the next few days, Kim still couldn't wrap her head around Jared's new look. The school, including some members of the faculty, drooled over him; the height, the taut muscles you could make out even through his shirt, the face that looked like it had been airbrushed to perfection. But, somehow, all of it made Kim feel sad. Wasn't it too much of a burden for a high school junior, to be openly ogled like that? Wasn't it lonely? It certainly seemed so, because he was alone most of the time, as far as Kim could tell. He came to school, marched to his classes and then disappeared as soon as the last bell rang. She rarely saw him talk to anyone and he didn't smile, at all. His usual chair in the cafeteria was always empty now. Kim wondered where he ate his lunch. Was the library his new shelter, just like it had been hers? Why was she even obsessing about it? She shook her head and closed her locker.

"Yo," came a voice from behind her and she jumped, clutching her chest.

"Jesus, Paul, you should wear a bell. Don't sneak up like that."

"I can't help that I'm a ninja," he smirked.

"Oh? I thought you're Shaft."

"Hahaha, that's fucking hilarious," he mock clapped. "And to think I wanted to surprise you. Oh, well, I guess you don't want to know. I'll be on my way, then," he said in a fake haughty voice and started to leave.

"Wait, what was the surprise?"

"Pfft, wouldn't you wanna know," he pursed his lips and looked down his nose at her.

"Come on, Paul, tell me," Kim laughed.

"No."

"Please."

"I'll need a little more convincing, I'm not easy, you know."

"Your dating record says differently. What do you want?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Something itty, bitty, sweet-y – I'm out of adjectives – you're hiding in your left pocket."

Kim raised an eyebrow at him, touching the left pocket of her cardigan and finally remembering the forgotten candy bar she'd left there.

"How did you even know it was there?" She handed him the candy.

"Are you kidding? I can smell chocolate from miles away," he mumbled, already tearing the wrapper.

"So, what was the surprise?"

"Right. I talked to Goldstein. I apologized and he's going to give me a B."

"B?!"

"Relax, Connweller, you're still getting an A."

"But, you should, too. We worked hard on this!"

"Seriously, it's fine. I hadn't gotten a B since… well, I can't even remember, so it must have been forever ago. And I did fuck up his class. It's really cool," he said, biting into the chocolate.

"If you say so."

"I do say so. Rejoice, Connweller," he shouted and mockingly raised his arms into the air, accidentally striking Embry Call, who was passing by, with his elbow. The chocolate fell out of Paul's hand and hit the floor, breaking in two. Paul turned to face Embry.

"Sor- "

"Hey, watch it, moron!"

Paul froze. "What did you say to me, sophomore?" He spat it out like a swear word.

"I said you should watch it. Moron." Embry - shy, lanky, doe-eyed Embry - enunciated the word like it was burning in his mouth, taunting Paul to do something. They were about the same height, but everything else was on Paul's side: strength, speed, technique. This wasn't going to end well. Kim covered her mouth with her hand.

Paul started shaking, his whole body vibrating violently. He rushed forward, stepping onto the chocolate, and grabbed the collar of Embry's shirt. The sound of ripping quickly followed. Embry pushed Paul away – to Kim's surprise, he actually managed to push him hard – when somebody ran over and grabbed Paul from behind, dragging him away. Paul elbowed around, simultaneously trying to free himself from the person holding him and kick Embry.

"Let go of me!" Paul bellowed and Kim finally realized who was holding him – Jared.

"Will you knock it off, already?! Jesus, you'll be suspended for, like, a month if a teacher sees you, come on, man," Jared grunted when Paul managed to hit him, but he didn't let go.

Embry was still standing there, not breaking eye contact with Paul. If anyone had told Kim she would live the day to be scared of Embry Call of all people, she wouldn't have believed them. But she was. There was this look in his eyes, one she'd never seen on him and she had to back away. He looked like a cornered wild animal that had nothing to lose. And he was ready to fight. Paul, on the other hand, was trashing about like a rabid dog, trying to break away from Jared.

"Embry, go away," Jared ordered. "And you," he grunted at Paul, "calm the fuck down or I will beat you up, I swear!"

"You fucking wish, pretty boy," Paul ground out but he calmed a little. Embry was still there, glaring at Paul.

"Embry, dude, are you fucking deaf? Go. Away. Don't you have classes?"

Embry glared at Jared too, but started walking.

"I'll see you later, you little bitch," Paul yelled after him and Embry just gave him the finger.

"Nice, real mature," Jared muttered. He managed to turn Paul to the other side and dragged him down the hallway.

"Come on, man, I think that's enough school for you today," he said to Paul as he led him away. Kim scoffed in protest but neither of them turned to acknowledge her. She was left in the middle of the hallway, gaping at their retreating back and Paul's chocolate-smeared footprints.

Jared didn't usually skip school but, as he was backing out of Paul's driveway, he decided it was a good decision. Better safe than sorry. Sam had told him to watch out for Paul and to take action if he noticed anything strange. Paul trying to rip another dude's face off was as good a reason as any to 'take action'. The whole time they were driving, Jared could almost feel ripples going down Paul's spine, the tension in his muscles. Any day now. He felt bad for Paul, for the fact that he would go through everything he had to go through, but also… he was excited. Selfishly, Jared was glad he wouldn't be alone with Sam anymore. Sam was a great guy, but he was also stiff and somehow…fatherly, so he was more of a boss than a friend.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Speak of the devil.

"Hey, Sam. I've just dropped Paul off. I'm heading home."

"Good. Leave your car at home and come back to Paul's place."

"Why?" Jared rolled his eyes.

"We're babysitting tonight."

"Is this really necessary?" Jared huffed and shifted uncomfortably. They were sitting just outside Paul's house, hidden behind the trees, listening for anything strange coming from the within.

"No, I just really like lurking in teenage boys' backyards," Sam retorted.

"Touché. So, do you think it'll happen today?"

"I don't know," Sam rubbed his eyes, "but Paul has, like, one third of your self-control. We have to make sure he doesn't phase inside or hurt anyone."

"He really freaked out today. He almost got into a fight with this other guy, it was stupid, really."

"Who's the other guy?"

"A sophomore. Embry Call. He's not usually like that, I don't know what happened."

"Keep an eye on him as well, will you?"

"You don't think…?"

"I don't know. But it doesn't hurt to be cautious."

Just then, a loud groan came from the house and both Jared and Sam jumped to their feet. Even though they couldn't see much lest they blew their cover, they could hear Paul swearing and banging around the house. Soon, a beer can flew out of the closed window, spraying glass all over the yard. Then came another. And another.

"What the hell…"

"Be prepared, Jared, I think this is it."

"How are we supposed to get him out? What, break into his house?"

"Well, even that is a better option than letting him phase inside," Sam said. "If that happens, I don't know how we'll get him out."

But they needn't have worried. Paul got out on his own, carrying in his arms a bunch of liquor bottles and he started smashing them against the ground. The pungent smell of alcohol surrounded them.

"Drunken asshole…I'll show you…" Paul muttered between the breaks. When the bottles lay in front of him in a pile of shards, he retreated to the house and returned with a giant, plastic, sunny-yellow suitcase. Jared looked at Sam and he just shrugged. Paul threw the suitcase on the ground so hard that it cracked in several places, then he grabbed the handle and hit it against the ground until the handle broke off and pieces of yellow plastic flew about. He let out a cry that was more fitting for a wounded animal.

"I hate you!" he snarled at the destroyed suitcase. "Fuck you! Fuck you." He sat on the ground, panting and sweaty, then he looked into the trees, right to where Jared was standing.

"I know you're there, Cameron. What the hell are you doing in my backyard? And with that asshole?" He didn't even sound surprised. If anything, he sounded worn out. Sam nodded at Jared and they emerged from the trees.

"What gives, man? Are you running with this guy now?"

Jared remembered himself from a few weeks ago. Sweaty, in pain. Angry. So, so angry. And Paul was the spitting image of it. He looked at them with exhausted eyes but the flame was there. He would fight both Jared and Sam until death if he needed to.

"I am," Jared sighed. "And you will, too."

"What are you talking about? I don't want anything to do with this turd."

"That's quite enough," Sam used his alpha tone. "Jared, help him up."

"I'm not going anywhere!"

"Relax, man," Jared said. "What's happening to you right now, I… I know, ok? I'll explain everything. I promise. I got you… brother."