J X K

Where To Start

Jared's POV

"When are you going to tell her?" The excited look on Emily's face makes my nerves worst. I don't have the slightest idea how I'm going to tell Kim without sounding like a lunatic. Where do I even start? Her being my soulmate? Or the existence of werewolves?

"Yeah, when are you going to tell her?" Paul smirks, kicking his feet up on Emily's table. Her scarred face storms over as her usual sweet personality completely vanishes.

"Feet off the table." Sam soberly warns before Emily reminds Paul how the table use to be her grandmother's then just shoves them off altogether. Paul instantly straightens up, muttering a quick sorry to Emily. Her face smoothes over as she buffs out the spot with one of her good dish towels.

"Didn't you just ask this Kim girl out, Jared?" Sam asks, lowering down into a chair with two plates full of food stacked so high they look like miniature mountains.

"Kind of..." The tips of my nails sharpen up to monstrous pointy ends that dig into the back of my neck a little too deep that they break the skin. "I asked her out a couple of times, and Kim finally gave me a yes, but that's it so far. We haven't really talked since, or made plans or anything."

"You should call her."
"You should call her." Sam and Emily state unanimously, Sam's tone bored while Emily sounds like she's holding back a laugh.

"Call her?" I ask.

"You know, the thing they use to do after going up to her father to ask for his blessing." Sam rolls his brown eyes.

"Right before you could watch TV in color." Paul jokes.

"It might be old fashioned, but it works." Emily insists with a peck on Sam's cheek. "Sam use to call me every morning to win me over."

"Don't tell the boys that." Sam grumbles with his shoulders hunching up as he gets shy.

"Every morning, huh?" I chuckle.

"Shut up." He growls.

Later

"What if her one of her parents picks up?" Scabs fight to take shape at the back of my neck, but struggle against the instant werewolf healing. I focus to keep my hands down at my sides instead of reaching up to further sink my claws in.

"Then you say hello." Emily encourages, handing me the phone.

"Don't tell him what to do, I wanna see him struggle." Paul swats his hand at Emily.

"What am I suppose to say if Kim picks up?" I ask, flipping off Paul with my spare hand.

"Then you say hi to her." Sam instructs in a bored voice.

"I said don't help him." Paul insists with a snicker. "My, how the mighty have fallen."

"Be nice to your brother." Emily scolds.

"I am." Paul nods, trying to bite back a cynical grin. "I haven't even said half the jokes about their couple name I thought of."

"Shut up, Paul." I shoot him a warning look. I fight to keep my fingers loose around the phone or I'll crush it between my hands like it's an empty soda can from my nerves alone. I really can't afford to buy Sam and Emily another landline. I can't tell whether those are beads of sweat on my back or fur spiking through and irritating my skin.

"I forgot her number." I shoot out of the kitchen chair, hearing the wood creak or sigh in relief like it was threatening to snap under me. Am I shifting? Or am I going to puke? I can't tell.