Shapeshifters

15

WHEN SUNNY AND I walked into the laser tagging place, Lazer Lifelong, Petunia was already there with the last minute friend. As Sunny paid for us, I studied the person Petunia brought. He had dark chocolate brown hair with the most forest green eyes. When Sunny finished paying, we went to go say hi.

"Hi!" Sunny said with a big smile. "I'm Sunny!" She tried to shake hands with him, but he looked at it confused. There was almost a familiar way he looked when confused.

"Hi! Rose," I told the stranger politely. "Where are you from? Because you're kind of obviously not from here."

"He said he's from Sunpark," Petunia told us.

"Sunpack," He corrected.

Sunny and I looked at each other in surprise. Neither of us knew what to say.

"Wasn't that where you were from Rose?" Petunia asked.

I nodded and smiled. "Yeah. That's right."

The mystery guy obviously knew he had to be discreet when talking about Sunpack so he explained, "Rose was still in Sunpack when I left." Uh-oh. "So who are you really?"

Sunny gave me the look of "what". I shook my head.

As if I would tell him. I told myself. Not even Sunny knows who I really am.

"Maybe if you're lucky," I eventually disclosed to him. "I'll tell you."

"How about a deal?" Petunia asked so cheerfully. "The teams can be Sunny and Rose against me and the new guy. If we win, Rose has to tell the new guy her real name."

"And if we win?" Sunny asked.

"The new guy has to tell us his name."

I could tell the new guy was nervous about it, so I had to make sure they won. I pulled Sunny aside to talk with her. 

"We have to let them win," I told her hastily. "Then I can figure out who he is and give him a different name. One that won't make people ask questions."

Sunny agreed and we went back to Petunia and the new guy. Sunny told them we agree to their deal. The two of them shook hands on it and we went to get out vests on.

When we were let into the arena, it was bigger than what Sunny had remembered. But it also had more hiding spots then she remembered also. Sunny and I stuck to our plan, but altered it a bit to fit in with the new guy.

I was going around to start distracting Petunia when the new guy ran right into me. I tried to go around him, since he really had no idea what was going on, but he wouldn't let me. Instead he started pushing me, he walked towards me, causing me to back up, and kept doing it until my back was against the wall.

"It's you," He said. His eyes were cold and lifeless as he stared at me. "I've missed you. It's been lonely."

I explained to him how to shoot the gun, hoping he would shoot me and walk away. Instead, he walked right up to me and kissed me. What was surprising was not that he kissed me, but that I kissed him back. I'd never had a boyfriend in my time in the human world, so I had no idea what I was really doing, but I had seen Sunny and her ex, Gavin, kiss many times.

When I broke off the kiss, he asked sadly, "You have no idea who I am, do you?" 

 "You'd think the confused looks and blank stare would have answered that for you," I said sarcastically.

When I said this, he shot me and walked away. I stood there for a few minutes, trying to wrap my head around what had just taken place. When I finally told myself to forget it and go distract Petunia, I ran. Not wanting another hold up. I rounded the corner and saw Sunny already having a shoot off with Petunia.

I crouched low behind a wall. I got my shot ready, and fired. I shot Petunia in the back and she wasn't expecting it. Sunny asked me what happened, and I told her I'd tell her later. 

 After the game, Petunia and the new guy won. So Petunia and Sunny went to return everything and left me and the guy alone.

"The deal is kind of pointless now huh?" He said, trying to break the tension. "I know who you are. You're Light." He paused. "It's me. Dust. I now know why you didn't tell me about Shapeclaw. You couldn't. I understand now."

"You can't be called Dust here," I told him. Completely ignoring the fact that he had said my father's name. "We need to give you a new name. They call me Rose here because I told them it was my name, they don't know who I really am." I thought for a minute then replied, "I think you could pass as a guy named Case."

"What kind of name is that?" He asked. "That's not a pack name."

"No, it's a human name," I answered. "You have a lot to learn if you are to stay here." He opened his mouth to say something but I stopped him. "Not here. We can't talk openly about Sunpack or anything pack related. You probably have questions, so I have an idea to help you learn everything. But you have to do one thing," He nodded. "Let me do the talking."

Dust agreed and we went to meet up with Petunia and Sunny. Dust introduced himself as Case and he rode with Petunia home and I with Sunny. On the way home, I asked Sunny if there was a way for Case and I to talk without anyone around. She said that she could probably live with Petunia for the time being. I thanked her.

When we got home, Sunny told Petunia the plan and thankfully, Petunia complied. By that night, Sunny was at Petunia's house, giving Dust and I the space we needed to consult.