Fiory School of Shapshiftion (Ahem. dear dorks, that's shapeshiftion without the e)

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

It was dark, which wasn't the weird part. I mean, it WAS night. But there were erie sounds coming from, like, everywhere. Hoots of owls, which I guessed were just transformations, but also creepy squeaking noises.

"Yana?" Growled a voice.

My eyes popped open. A smallish grizzly bear leaned over me. "Whajawant?" I mumbled.

"Yana." He said, transforming into the cockish form of Lark.

"My name's Yali now." I told him, feeling overwhelmed and confused for no good reason. "Yana doesn't exist anymore."

"Don't." Said Lark, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Never tell yourself that. If you do, you'll have no hope of staying yourself. Your name is the last human thing you have."

"But I don't want to be a worthless piece of swack." I whined. "I want to be a normal snow rabbit."

"Have you made any new friends?" He inquired.

"Why?" I narrowed my eyes, even though he wouldn't be able to tell. "Why is it your business?"

"Um, lemme see. Maybe because you're the only person within a hundred miles of here who doesn't think I 'betrayed everything that's right'. Or possibly because your loyal, abusive caretaker decided to drop everything and go sulk in a corner. Or maybe because I still have feelings!" Softer he added, "Listen Yana. Swack is a dirty word. Like swine. If you must use it, remember that swacks aren't too bad. You used to be one. It wasn't terrible was it? Being a swack. Personally, I miss it. It's so much less stressful."

"Um," I said, trying to remember how this speech had started. "Yeah, I made friends. One of them said you were a good friend that she'll never forget, or something."

Startled, Lark looked up. "Who?"

"I dunno. Someone named Addy I think."

Lark stopped breathing for a moment. His nails dug into my sheets, ripping them.

His voice got all thick. "Yeah. We were friends. Sure. Just friends. On the brink of something more. But then, the day before the Ceremony, I got a letter from Guiseppe saying that he had murdered my father, and held my mother hostage. If I didn't choose him over Fiory, I'd be a swacky little orphan." He suddenly stared straight at me, and I sensed his look boring into me even in the pitch darkness. "What would you have done, Ads?"

"Yali."

"What?"

"You called me Ads."

"Don't be silly. Why would I call you that? Listen, it's late-"

"Ya think?"

"-and I need to get going before I get caught."

He transformed and disappeared into the hallway.

I couldn't sleep for HOURS. He had called me Ads. He said they were on the brink of something more. But if I asked Addy, she'd answer, and I'd feel guilty about intruding.

That's what I was thinking as I was drifting off to sleep...