After everyone had finished reading their pamphlets, they went back to awkwardly twirling their thumbs and nibbling their nails. Except, of course, the girls who insisted on digging their nails into Teague until they bled his attention dry.
"Everyone done?" Gabe asked, freeing Teague from having to return a flirt. He slowly detached a brunette from his arm, looking slightly disgusted and even more terrified. Maybe being freakishly attractive was a bad thing. Sometimes.
Actually, no. It's still a good thing.
The room was silent, so Gabe shrugged and continued on with speaking. "Any more questions?" He prodded with a sigh. The room was still silent. Gabe rolled his eyes. "Please, everyone, don't all speak at once. I won't be able to hear you."
I grinned, but didn't laugh. But I felt someone needed to break the silence, so I said, "Is there anything special about having a soul mate? Would you even have anything in common with them?"
Gabe smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Typically... no. Soul mates don't tend to have a large number of anything in common; they have to fall in love like anyone else."
I arched my eyebrow skeptically. "So, basically, it's just two people that happen to change into the same animal and can sometimes hear the other think? There's no magical connection? Everyone just expects you to fall in love and have many many childrens?"
He chucked, but shook his head. "Soul mates are special. They just know things about each other sometimes."
The class was watching as I laughed, "Yeah, that's called being forced to fall in love with someone then be able to analyze and correctly read their every body language sign. It's a cause of being called 'soul mates' not because you are 'soul mates'. That is nothing special." About right there is when Gabe stopped liking me.
I could see Gabe forcing his smile, tell his tone was trying to be polite. "I think it's hard for those who do not have a soul mate to understand what it's like." Hm. A week into this shifting business and I'm already arguing one of their foremost beliefs. Kudos, Fisher. You really know how to piss folks off.
But I was really good at pissing people off. Aside flipping pancakes—I'd have to check in with IHOP to nurture that ability—getting people's feathers ruffled was my only talent. So, I continued to speak, "Do you have a soul mate? Is that how you understand your reasons?"
Gabe shifted awkwardly in his chair. "Well, no, but I've heard from many they easily fell in love—" I cut him off.
"Because they were expected to and believed having a soul mate was special," I countered. "Like that one story about the little train riding up a hill, but expect chanting 'I think I can' over and over, they chant 'I believe I'm in love, I believe I'm in love'." I shrugged, "Kind of stupid to just blindly accept something like your future spouse."
Gabe ran a hand through his brown hair. "I'm sure once you meet some soul-mates, you'll see how in love—" Once again, I cut him off.
"My God, boy!" I groaned, throwing my hands dramatically into the air. "How many times must I tell you! Of course they're in love! They've been told they're in love with someone and are expected to love that someone! I'm just saying that maybe it's your society making them fall in love, not this whole soul—" Gabe's turn to cut me off.
"OKAY," He yelled, looking anywhere other than me as he said, "Any other questions?" Silence. Gabe rolled his eyes again, clearly frustrated with his oh-so-terrible loss to a new shifter. "Fine, then I'll just give a few tips you can use while in animal form. Anyone here a bird?"
YOU ARE READING
Destined Fur More
Teen FictionOverlooked my whole life, living in the shadow of my brother. I wasn't pretty. I wasn't smart. I loved food and was overall hostile. Maybe this is why no one bothered to tell me I was adopted? Let alone mythical creature?