Shape Shifting Love

Chapter Six

Chapter 6

Mason

Once Michaela has gone Hayley, who is still sitting in the corner looks up at me and gestures with her eyes for me to come over. I wonder over without Leo or Kate noticing because they are too engrossed with each other, I guess. I sit next to her as she settles her book down beside her.

“So you’re new,” she says in a whispering tone. Already shocked that she is talking, and let alone talking to me. I mean she has never spoken to anyone in this place, so why me? She stares at me with those bright green eyes looking straight into mine, as if looking for something.  Then her eyes dart from one side of the room to the other.

“It’s not safe here, follow me.” She stands up but hesitates for a second looking at Leo and Kate and then back at me. “Well what are you waiting for?” her voice much more afraid and her hands twitching as she cradles her book in her arms. I stand up and follow her up the stairs, but she keeps distance between us as we make our way up to her room. When she opens the door I can see that the walls are covered with posters of dark, physic things that look rather odd. The floor is covered with a layer of papers that she has scribbled words and pictures on for one reason or another. She places her book carefully on the table next to her and sits on the floor, moving the papers to make a circle for me to sit in next to her. She looks at me with those green eyes again, but I can’t look back. The way she stares at me with such intensity is unsettling.

“Why are you talking to me, I mean I’ve heard that you have never spoken to anyone in this place so why me?” I ask Hayley with relief as she smiles after I have finished speaking.

“Because you’re different and your friend has that necklace, basically you have probably figured out that I’m not normal right?” She looks at me for an answer so I nod, not realising what I have said yes to until she starts speaking again, “yeah I know but I’m not bothered by it because I am probably the last person you would to come across, but I need your help.”

“Help with what? I’m not agreeing to help you with anything before I know what it is.”

“I thought you’d say that,” she replies, “ok where do I start? When I was younger I saw things, people who could change into other people and objects,”

“Shape shifters?” I ask shocked that I even know what she is talking about without her explaining it first.

“Ah so someone else has heard of them too. Ok so for years now I’ve been trying to help them out ever since they saved me from a car crash, I don’t know how they just did. Well they asked me a few years back to help them help their friends and family, they got caught in between to moments and time and the only thing apparently to bring them back is a necklace. The exact necklace your friend has around her neck.”

Trying to take in all the things Hayley has been telling me and only now realising that she basically wants me to steal from my best friend. I mean how can I answer a question like that straight away?  I stand up hastily and don’t look at her. My mind has never been this confused, I can’t steal from my best friend just to help some girl I’ve just met and barely know anything about. But I guess if I explained to Michaela why I needed her necklace she might understand, won’t she? I dunno, I’ve just got to think it over some more, “look,” I turn back to Hayley, her eyes boring into mine once again pleading me to help her, “I’ve got to have a little more time to think this over and I’ll get back to you on it, is that ok?”

She looks down and begins to fiddle with a piece of paper she has picked up.

“I’m sorry, but it’s just I’m not too sure on what is happening at the moment but I will talk to you about it tomorrow once I’ve had some time.”

She looks back up beneath her bright hair and nods and I’m glad she does. I make my way over to the door and turn back to say, “I should be getting back, Michaela might be wondering where I am, sorry.” So I leave Hayley there on the floor surrounded by a million and one papers knowing I will be back there soon even though I know I shouldn’t be.