Youth ✿ Paul Lahote [1]

x. the change

   "I'm not doing your homework for you, Em. You have to do some of the work too."

   Alex stated to a clearly distracted Embry Call. His eyes were gazing out the window of the living room in the Call household and when Alex spoke the boy nodded in acceptance but she could tell he took none of her words in. 

   Once again the boy simply mumbled a reply, not thinking nor hearing what Alex was really saying.

   The small brunette fought the struggle to roll her eyes for what felt like the millionth time in the past hour. Embry was the one who asked her to come here in the first place, claiming the history homework they both shared would get done a lot quicker if they worked on it together. 

   Alex grabbed a pen from where it rested on the table beside her and chucked it right at Embry, the pen smacked right on the side of his cheek. Alex smiled.

   Embry turned his head quickly at the impact and sent a small glare Alex's way. "What the hell, Alex?"

   "You're not listening to me. What are you thinking about?" Alex asked Embry kindly, her interest wasn't faked either she genuinely cared about what her friend had to say. Something was plaguing his mind and the brunette knew that it was better when you could tell someone about these things.

   Embry looked at Alex but shook his head rather quickly, gaze diverting to look at the history homework pages open in front of him. "Nothing, I'm just tired."

   "Bullshit," Alex announced at the sight of his face. He wouldn't look away if he was telling the truth, she had dealt with her twin doing the same thing to her many times. This wasn't her first rodeo. "Embry, tell me what's up. I can help, or at least try to."

   "I just feel weird," Embry answered now honestly. He had no other word to describe what was going on inside him. It was like nothing he had ever felt before and it puzzled him.

   Alex narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Weird in what way?"

   "I don't know," Embry's voice seemed frustrated, like he had asked himself that same question more than ten times. He was sure he had a fever and knew that some kind of sickness was coming on, but Embry felt there was more than that going on. Something was brewing inside him but he had no clue how to tell Alex exactly that. "I think I'm coming down with something."

   Alex's eyebrows raised at that fact. She moved in her chair and raised her hand to Embry's forehead. Upon touching his russet skin the brunette had to pull back immediately – the heat of his skin was intense, even hotter than the temperature of Paul's skin she had grown used to touching. 

   Embry sent the girl a questioning glance at how fast she had retracted.

   Alex tried her best to fumble a smile, reassuring the boy in front of her that all would be well – she hoped at least it was as convincing as she tried to be. "You've got a fever, Embry. Like a really bad one."

   "I know," Embry felt like his skin was burning from the inside out. It was no wonder that Alex had moved away from his forehead so quickly, he felt like he was on fire and he only bet that it was the same feeling on the outside. "I'll tell my mom as soon as she gets home from work."

   Alex nodded but wasn't sure if she should. Embry's mom probably wasn't the right person to tell about this and that was why the girl quickly excused herself to the bathroom and was pulling out her cellphone from her pocket as she scurried off.

   Paul had told Alex that Embry wasn't a guaranteed person to shift. His mother didn't have Quileute blood and she was the only one who actually knew the identity of his father, which left him a case to be solved. Alex knew however that this was the beginning of the shift, his body temperature being the giveaway of it all. She didn't know who else to call but Paul, he could help Embry.