Shai Soi

Chapter 6

     Being a Shai Soi was not great. It was two weeks after my 'Change', and nothing had actually... changed.

Sure, I could turn into a lioness- even faster than the majority of my kind, but it still sucked. Everyday I suffered through school and exams, and then I had to haul home to practice my 'gift', (sometimes resulting in the loss of my clothes-don't ask), until midnight.

Gift. Yeah, more like pain in the a-

BEEEP! I dove out of the car's way. I was on my daily walk to Absolute Bordem (my school). After my change, my parents encouraged me to engage in physical exercise, blah, blah, blah. In other words, I was kicked off the bus.

Like I said, being a Shai Soi sucked. But I guess my lioness reflexes were coming in, otherwise I'd be a puddle of Rebecca goo.

"Watch it, girlie!"

"Go back to your own town, tourist!" I shouted back. The driver flipped me off but continued.

Did I mention being a Shai Soi sucked? Staying up so late makes anyone cranky. I was already sleep deprived studying for stupid tests! Now even the slightest noise sets me off.

I arrived at school with an only slightly crushed lunch bag printed with tire tracks. Unfortunately, I got to school five minutes late.

To make matters worse, Mr. Jacks- the main cafeteria custodian- made me stop for morning announcements. I rushed into Spanish before Principle Drinkrum, (yes, that's his real name), could start the Pledge. The door slammed shut, interrupting the morning 'Silence Session'.

Thirty pairs of eyes were on me... again. I hurried to my seat and rushed to get by textbook. The zipper on my backpack stuck on its track.

"Come on..." My face burned. It became uncomfortably hot in my hoodie. "Come on you stupid..." I yanked at it again. I could hear my classmates giggling.

"... stand for the Pledge of Allegiance..."

The only sounds were my pounding heart, the straining fabric of my backpack, and the ruffling of jackets as people stood for the flag.

"Come... on... you stupid.... zipper!"

"Miss Hunter..."

"...to the United States..."

"Come on..."

"Miss Hunter..."

"...to the republic ..."

"Come on..."

"Miss Hunter..." Senorita Marr stalked closer.

"...liberty and justice for all."

"Miss Hunter!"

"WHAT!"

RIIIP! My momentum sent me flying into my desk. Bone banged against metal with a resounding CLANG!

Unable to contain themselves, the class busted out laughing. Senorita Marr made an effort to calm them, but to no avail.

Black and purple spots danced in my eyes. Tears swelled. I couldn't deal with this. I wouldn't.

Grabbing my backpack, I sprinted out of the room, up the stairs, and into the library. (Yes, the library. I like to read. Sue me.)

There, I locked myself in an old storage closet and cried. I didn't care about skipping class, I didn't care if the school closed for the night. My life was just a miserable blobfish of a mess.

What good was it being a Shai Soi if you couldn't show it off? How cool would it be to show everyone that 'Reject Rebecca' had more to her than being a laughingstock? What if every time someone insulted me, I could bare my lioness fangs in challenge?

What if I walked out of this closet as a lion right now?

The impulse took over. I crouched on all fours. Inhale.... exhale... inhale...

Tingling ran up and down my body. My nose picked up the librarian's lemony shampoo. Loud clacking of computer keys filled my ears.

Inhale.... exhale...inhale...

CREAK!

"Ah!"

A boy with glowing green eyes peeked from behind the door. He had brown hair that went every which way. His canines, unusually sharp, shined along with the rest of his perfect teeth. His brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I swiped away my hot tears. I recognized his smooth voice. The boy peeking into my abandoned storage closet was the sophmore Nathaniel Slithan.

Nathaniel was famous at our school for being the smoothest talking student to ever set a foot in Boar Hill High School. His story was how in his first year, he was dared to steal Principle Drinkrum's most prized possession and place it on top of the roof. And sure enough, the next day everyone came to school to behold a 1982 National Croquet Champions trophy dangling from a the letter 'i' in the Hill sign.

Nathaniel's was seen on a school camera and he managed to talk his way out of it! No expellsion, no suspension, not even a detention. He was any freshmen's hero.

And he was talking to me.