It was barely Thursday and Jared was already in jitters. Saturday seemed tragically far away and he was counting the hours. Sure, he saw Kim at school every day, but it wouldn't be the same. To be alone with her, on a kind-of-date, well...
"For fuck's sake, I am not mentally equipped to deal with this shit," Paul's groan sounded in his head. "Can you stop thinking about Connweller for 10 minutes, let me rest my brain?"
They were patrolling around with Sam, making another stop at Embry Call's house. We double check him every day, Sam said. Any day now and Embry would join them.
"Leave him be," Sam told Paul.
"Easy for you to say, you're just as irritating with your constant thoughts about Emily."
"And you will be, too, when you imprint," Sam said calmly.
"You mean if I imprint, which isn't going to happen," Paul grumbled.
"Whatever you say, wise ass. Can we focus on the task, please?" Sam's tone grew a bit more serious and they instantly felt its pressure on them. For Jared, it was always the same, like two hands pinning his shoulders, forcing them to go lower. Paul huffed, but he stopped complaining.
They had been standing behind Embry's house hidden by trees for quite a while and nothing was happening. Jared could feel Paul getting antsy, eager to move on. He himself was a bit tired. Still, Sam hovered, reluctant to leave, so they did too.
"I'm telling you, leave me alone with him for 10 minutes and he'll phase instantly," Paul finally lost his one ounce of patience and started pacing about again.
"We don't beat people into phasing, Paul," Sam's voice sounded weary. "Please, don't make me repeat that every day."
"Suit yourself. He'll never phase this way."
"Yeah, he will," Sam sighed. "Many others will, too. And they have to do it on their own terms. We just provide a little help, some guidance and that's that. Don't always rush, it's not a race."
"You sound like Old Quil."
"Well, he's a wise man."
"I'm pretty sure he's just old," Paul countered and Sam let out a frustrated sigh.
"Do you like being like this?"
"Like what?" Paul taunted.
Suddenly, a movement caught Jared's eye. Embry was leaving the house. He was muttering something and Jared strained his ears but -
"Bull-headed? Cynical? Annoying?" Sam started to lose his patience.
"Guys, he's -" Jared tried.
"Oh, I'm annoying because you can't make a simple decision?"
"Guys, Embry is -"
"When you are Alpha, then make your own decisions, but until then -"
"Seriously, you're giving me the 'while you're under my roof' speech? Unbeli-"
"HEY, IDIOTS, HE'S COMING OUT!"
Sam and Paul turned to him, snapping back to attention.
"Alright, Cameron, Jesus. No need to have a heart attack," Paul muttered.
"Look," Jared mumbled, looking at Embry. He was a pitiful sight; sweaty and shaking like a leaf, muttering under his breath. He was clinging to his normal life by a thread but the wolf was just as desperate to crawl out.
"Sam, I think Paul might be right. We have to do something. I mean, look at him."
"Yeah, Sam. I also think Paul might be right," Paul gloated.
"Shut up," Sam ordered and then sighed. "Fine. Let's do what we can."
Jared and Paul were missing school - again - only this time Jared texted her to let her know. Kim actually blushed when she received his text. He didn't state the reason, but Embry Call was also absent and Kim could only deduce one thing from it - he was phasing and they were with him.
"No company today?" Sophie chirped stopping by Kim's locker. "Did your loser boyfriend ditch you again? Oh, wait, I forgot, you have two now. Slut alert," she smiled sweetly, but her eyes narrowed. Kim's skin prickled.
"Sophie, is this really necessary?" The question came out apologetic and childish and Kim almost winced at the pathetic tone.
"Is what?" Sophie elegantly tapped her long fingernails against her forearm.
"This. The whole... Mean Girls routine."
"I just call it like I see it," Sophie raised an eyebrow at Kim. "So, I'm curious. What did you do to get their attention back, since you obviously crave it?"
"Sophie, I di-"
"Did you blow them?"
The question came like a fist in the stomach and Kim gasped. Sophie snorted.
"To be honest, I didn't think you had it in you, looking like a nun and all. Guess I was wrong."
"I- I didn't- what?!"
"Don't worry," Sophie said sweetly, "I won't tell anyone. But I suspect they will figure it out eventually. People talk, you know."
Kim's stomach twisted into a knot and sweat trickled down her back.
"Figure what out? You know it isn't true!"
"Do I, though?" Sophie raised her chin. "Because the last time I talked to you, you were sniveling around because of Lahote. You were a pathetic sight. So, imagine everybody's surprise when you walked into school hand in hand with him, grinning, suddenly BFFs again. And not only him, Jared too. Jared, who hasn't hung out with anyone in months, suddenly decides to follow you around like a puppy. So, riddle me that!"
"And bl- blowing them is the only way I could have achieved that, in your opinion?" Kim stammered, then pursed her lips to stop them from trembling.
"Well, I suppose it's not the only one," Sophie raised an eyebrow suggestively.
Kim dumbly stared at her for a second, not getting it. What was Sophie hinting at? Then it hit her.
"Why are you always such a bitch to me?" The words flew out of her and she almost clasped her hand over her mouth to stop them, but it was too late. Well, no backing down now.
"Excuse me?!" Sophie's eyes went wide, then narrow. It was not a good sign.
"You're always insulting me. What have I ever done to you?" Kim said, a tremble in her voice making her sound years younger. "Why do I bother you so much?"
"It bothers me that you're hanging around my boyfriend all the time!" Sophie's cheeks flamed. She winced as soon as she finished the sentence, like she'd said too much. So, that was it? Sophie was... jealous? Of Kim? Ridiculous.
"Then you should probably talk to him and not to me. He's not a baby, you know, he can speak for himself."
"Well, aren't you a clever one? Be careful, Kim. I could easily stop being nice to you."
"Oh, because you've been so nice to me so far?" Kim almost laughed. She knew she should be wary of Sophie. Sophie was notorious for spreading gossip and making it stick. People actually listened to her. She could ruin Kim's life, until the end of high school at least. Kim should be scared, she knew she should. But then, she remembered Embry Call. A sophmore, hidden in the woods somewhere, his body growing and breaking, with only a twenty-year-old and two juniors to guide him through it. And as she thought about it, Sophie seemed to get smaller. Younger. Not as important. Kim gently closed her locker.
"Do what you think you need to do, Sophie," she said quietly. "I'm not your enemy." And with that, she turned and left.