SHAPESHIFTER

CHAPTER ONE

It was just a normal day in lab for me and my friends. We all crowded around a narrow white marble countertop, our gloves slipping on the slick surface as we watched the chemicals boil over the test tube. 

Mike pushed in beside me. "Misha, who's is this?" he whispered, glancing around nervously.

The teacher was watching. We weren't supposed to talk right now.

"W-what?" I blinked, confused, as I had been watching the experiment for so long and not paying attention to anything else around me. "Oh, that?" I pointed lazily at the bright green chemical, bubbling and fizzing over the top. "It's Arissa's. Mine is over there." 

Both me and Mike turned to stare at a small blue flask holding a goopy blue liquid. There were two taller pink tubes beside it, one knocked over and spilling out onto the counter. "Uhh...what's the pink stuff?"

"I have no clue," I clenched my jaw and reached for the tube, the corners of my mouth turning down in concentration. I had to stay in place and reach backwards, as my table was right behind Mike, or else the teacher would give me a write up for not paying careful attention to the experiment going on in front of me. But I had bet that mine was next, and I didn't want to look stupid.

"Misha Lynn Carter!" I flinched as my name was called. Was I in trouble? The teacher always talked in her same old boring voice, so you could never tell whether she was mad, or happy, or just plain calling your name. I pulled my hand quickly away from the pink tubes, jerking my wrist and painfully bringing in across my chest to hold it. 

"Yes, Ms. Warreck?" I bit my tongue as I spoke, trembling. I hated being put on the spot like this! I hate when I have to present my experiments!

"You're up, missy. Get to your station." Ms. Warreck tottered up to me on her stiff old legs, and reached out a pale bony hand to tap my shoulder. "Good luck, missy."

Ugh...

I shuddered. 

It horrified me when little old ladies called me missy. Especially Ms. Warreck, with her creepy skeleton frame and pale ghost skin. If I made  mistake she would probably say, "Well, there goes that flask, missy. Better get that money to pay for it, or else you'll be sitting with Principal Bowman for day." 

Eeee!! 

Her voice was so squeaky and dry. I pictured her saying it to me in front of the others back at the classroom, which made me shudder a second time.

Suddenly I was aware of her snapping her thin crinkly fingers in my face, jerking me back to reality. "You better get to work, missy. No time should be a-wastin'!" And walked off on her fragile twig legs.

Mike stepped aside to let her pass, then scooted up to my side. "Misha, do you need my help?" he asked quietly, placing his hand on the bottle I was about to pick up. "I can say that I'm your partner. If you'd want me to, I mean."

I thought for a moment. Mike was one of the smartest kids in our class. In our grade even, and if I could get him to help me, then I would be set! "Well,...sure," I whispered, gently taking the bottle from his hands and placing it by the pink tubes. "So, now what?"

Ms. Warreck eyed me from the back of the classroom. Arissa, my best friend, stood next to her boyfriend Thomas at the end of her table, watching. "Haven't you ever handled these chemicals before?"

I shrug. Not really,... 

"Okay, here," he says, pulling the blue flask of goop toward us. "So you mix this with that clear liquid over there, and then add a teaspoon or so of the powder right here. If this goes well, it should fizz and make a tiny pop. You'll get a good grade."