As I spot Jack maneuvering his car into a parking spot, he beckons me over. I slide into the back seat, my eyes falling on two unfamiliar faces. "Hey James, these are Tommy and Lewis, some of my oldest buddies," Jack introduces.
"That name rings a bell," I muse, my memory stirring with a hint of intrigue.
"Nice to meet you, James, " Lewis says
"Great, another one of your friends," Tommy says
Jack parks his car in front of his house, and we get out before we head in. Tommy pulls me off to the side. "Do you need something?" I say
"Look, I used to be Jack's best friend before he met you, so I don't trust you. I have my eyes on you," Tommy says
"Yeah, alright, dude, calm down. It's not that serious," I say
"It is to me. I have my eyes on you," Tommy says as he walks toward the house.
"Wait, I saved him two years ago in the forest," I think.
Lewis walks up to me. "Sorry about Tommy, He's like that to everyone. Don't worry about it," Lewis says
"Yeah, thank you," I say
I head into the house, and Jack stops me before entering. "James, I kinda need to talk to you," Jack says
"What's up?" I say
"There's been this video sent by one of your classmates," Jack says
"Don't even continue that," I say
"I gotta ask, is it true?" Jack says
"Nope, it's just fake," I say
"I see. I had a feeling it was fake. I guess some people have it out for you," Jack says
"Yeah, you're right about that," I say
Me and Jack head inside the house. "There's sodas in the fridge. Take one if you want," Jack says
"Your mom still hasn't come back," I say
"Nope, I kinda like this, though I get the whole house to myself, and I enjoy it. I get to have friends over all the time and set my own rules," Jack says, his tone light and casual, reflecting the easy camaraderie between them.
"Sounds like fun," I say
"It is, so I'm going to make the most of it," Jack says
"That's cool," I say
"Anyways, I probably took enough of your time. I'll let you go," Jack says
I head into the living room and sit on the couch next to Tommy. "Tommy, what do you do in your free time?" I say
"I go hunting with my father," Tommy says
"You have any crazy stories?" I say
"There was this one time two years ago when this bear was attacking me, then this wolf, I swear it had a conscience. It stood on two legs. It was a freaky experience, and to top it all off, it took me back to my father. It sounds far-fetched, I know," Tommy says, his voice filled with a mix of awe and disbelief.
"I see, that's interesting," I say
"Yeah, why are you interested in this, though?" Tommy says
"I was just curious, that's all," I say
"I see. Maybe you're not as bad as I thought you were," Tommy says
"Yeah, same," I say
"Thanks for listening. Jack was right about you. You're a good listener," Tommy says
"It's no problem at all," I say
"Anyways, tell me about yourself," Tommy says
"Well, I attend Westside High. Classes are online. I have a teacher that makes school very terrible," I say
"That sucks. What about your family?" Tommy says
"I don't want to talk about it. Too many bad memories," I say
"I understand. I'm sorry for asking," Tommy says
"It's fine, you didn't know," I say
I start to feel the pain. "James, are you alright?" Tommy says
"Sorry, I need to head to the bathroom real quick," I say
"Uh, alright then," Tommy says
I quickly walk to the bathroom and I lock myself in. "Why did I do this? I feel so stupid for accepting that invite." As I shift into a dragon, I think, "Well, this is quite unfortunate. These wings are going to be a problem." my wings knock into a few things, making them fall to the floor
"James, are you alright? I hear stuff falling in there," Jack says through the door.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just tripped," I say, forgetting my voice changes when I shift.
"James, do you have a sore throat or something? You sound different," Jack says
"Don't worry, I'm fine, I promise," I say
"Alright, just make sure you clean up whatever you knocked into," Jack says
After waiting 30 minutes, I return to my human form, clean up the stuff I knocked over, leave the bathroom, and head back to the living room. "James, you're back. Glad you're feeling better," Jack says
"Yeah, sorry for worrying you," I say
"Anyway, you want to watch a movie?" Jack says
"Sure, I'm down with that," I say
"Great, I'll get it set up then," Jack says
I sit next to Lewis. "Hey James, what's up?" Lewis says
"Nothing much, just wanted to get to know you more," I say
"Nothing too interesting about me. I just go to school and do homework. That's about it," Lewis says
"I see, so just like me then," I say
"I guess so," Lewis says
"Alright, we're going to watch home alone," Jack says
"Alright, cool," I say
Jack puts in the disc. "You can never beat the classics," Tommy says
"Yeah, that's for sure," I say
After the movie ends, everyone starts to head to bed. "Goodnight, James," Jack says, sleeping on one of the couches.
I lay on one of the remaining couches and headed to sleep.
YOU ARE READING
life as a shapeshifter Remastered (book 1)
FantasyJames Carter was a 15-year-old who became a shapeshifter after one of his father's experiments five years ago. He has to keep his powers a secret while having the death of his father loom over him his entire life. Can James keep his powers a secret...
