Shifting Forms For Clumsy Felines Read online

  The way she smiles at me makes me certain that I've found a friend.

  My focus slips to the rugby pitch. Make that two friends.

  And with the flat night out coming up at the end of the week, hopefully I'll make more.

  3

  Krissi

  * * *

  The moment I step inside my flat I breathe a sigh of relief and head towards the kitchen. I have plenty of work to do after my lectures today, but I want to start brewing my cup of tea before I head to my room.

  "Hey, Krissi," Jeremy says as I step inside.

  "Hey." I smile at him, pleased it's him in the kitchen. I don't dislike any of my flatmates, but he's the one I enjoy seeing the most. Maybe it's because we have a love of sports in common.

  Or maybe it's something more.

  I push the thought aside. I have enough to focus on without adding a potential relationship into the mix.

  "I just boiled the kettle, do you want a cup of tea?"

  I nod. "Please. My mug's in..."

  "The second cupboard. The purple mug with the polka dots, right?"

  A warm fuzzy feeling fills me. "That's the one."

  He pulls my mug out of the cupboard and goes through the motions of making me tea. After a couple of weeks living here, I know how to make everyone's tea and coffee, so it doesn't surprise me that he knows too.

  "Good day?" he asks.

  "Ish," I admit. "I'm struggling to understand some of the stuff my economics lecturer talks about, but I got some books out of the library, so I'm hoping that'll help." I dump my bag on the table and sit down so he knows I'm not about to run off and abandon him after he's so kindly made me tea.

  "I could go through some of it with you?" Jeremy suggests. "It took me a while to understand it, so maybe I can help you."

  "You did economics?"

  He nods. "It was one of my modules last year. I was glad when it was open."

  I chuckle. "I think I will be too. But I promised Dad that I'd take at least one business module a term."

  "Even if you're not interested in it?"

  "It's a small price to pay for help with my tuition."

  "Ah, right. I can understand that."

  "Don't your parents have expectations of you?"

  "My parents don't really pay much attention to me," he admits. "I'm the middle son. My older brother is already giving them grandchildren to occupy their time, and my younger brother is a musical prodigy. The most interesting thing about me is that I almost ended up engaged to the Shifter Queen."

  "You say that like it's a bad thing." I hope he's going to tell me what happened there one day.

  He lets out an uncomfortable laugh. "It is when she wasn't actually on board with the whole thing."

  "I thought you said you were friends."

  "We are. But that happened after. Kayra knows a thing or two about meddling parents."

  A small pang of jealousy shoots through me at the way he says the other girl's name. I squash it down. I have no right to be jealous, and even if I did, he's already said they're just friends. I have no reason not to believe him.

  "It must be hard to be the Queen."

  Jeremy raises an eyebrow. "Most people talk about how good the parties and the clothes are."

  I shrug. "It seems like there's a lot more to it than that to me. I'm sure the parties and clothes are nice, but that doesn't really mean anything when there's all the responsibility of being the monarch and all the people to look after."

  "Maybe you could come with me next time I go to the palace?" he suggests, bringing two cups of steaming tea over and setting mine down in front of me before joining me at the table. "I think you and Kayra would get on well."

  "I'm sure she has better things to do than meet me."

  He chuckles. "I mostly go to social events," he promises.

  "So I'll be going as your plus one?"

  "Something like that."

  I have to admit there's something appealing about the idea. "And everyone will be shifters there?" I wrap my hands around my mug and let the warmth sink into me.

  "Probably. It's not unheard of for non-shifters to attend social events at the balls, but it's rare."

  "I don't think they'll want someone with my poor shifting skills around."

  "Are they really that bad?" he asks.

  "Last time I shifted, I tried to walk along a very flat wall and I ended up falling off."

  He chuckles. "I'm sorry, just the image of that is amusing."

  I smile reassuringly at him, wanting him to know that there are no hard feelings for his reaction. "I saw the funny side after a while," I admit.

  "We've all done something like that," he promises.

  "I doubt it."

  "It's true. Why else would there be a training agility course for shifters once a term?"

  "There is?" That sounds intriguing. And useful for those like me who aren't necessarily the best when it comes to things that should come naturally to shifters.

  Like being grateful and not falling off things.

  "You don't already know?"

  "Am I reacting like someone who does?" I take a sip of my tea.

  "Ah, fair enough."

  "This is good, by the way. Not everyone can make a good cup of tea."

  "So true, have you tried Michaela's yet?"

  I grimace at the mere memory of the witch's tea-making skills. "I don't think I've ever met someone who can manage to over brew tea and make it super weak at the same time. It's a special skill."

  "She did tell me that her potion skills were bad at the beginning of term," Jeremy muses. "Perhaps that's why."

  "That could be it."

  "Anyway, the agility training," he prompts. "I can send you the information on it if you want?"

  "Is it bad to say that I don't know if I do?"

  Jeremy smiles, a warm look of understanding crossing over his face. Something about him constantly makes me feel at ease, as if I'm in a safe space where I won't be judged for anything I say or do. Even if that's admitting that I'm terrible at shifting despite being born with two forms.

  "It's not bad at all," he assures me. "How about if you decide to go, I'll go with you? I'll even make sure to fall off a few things to make you look better."

  A soft snort escapes me. "I don't think that's necessary, I'll be making a fool of myself enough for both of us."

  "And in all likelihood, I'm not as good as I think I am anyway." He grins. "Isn't it strange that we're athletic in our human forms, but not as much in our shifted ones?"

  "My theory was that the clumsiness all got directed into the wrong form and I was always supposed to be graceful as a shifter but something went wrong."

  "That doesn't sound implausible."

  "Though it could also just be that I've neglected my shifter side while focusing on my human talents and I've done it to myself."

  "You sound like you think that's a bad thing?" He takes a drink while he waits for me to respond.

  I take a moment to collect my thoughts. A small part of me is surprised I'm sharing them with him, but I've already got more in common with him than most people do, and I don't think there's anything wrong with the two of us exploring that connection so long as it doesn't distract me from my studies and cheerleading practice.

  "I'm not sure whether it's a bad thing or not," I admit. "Sometimes I feel like it is. And like I've brought this on myself." A stray strand of dark brown hair falls in front of my eyes. I reach up and push it back, which seems to draw Jeremy's attention to my face.

  "Maybe it doesn't matter if it's your fault or not," he suggests. "If you're happy with the person you are, then who cares whether it was you who did it to yourself, or if it's just something nature decided. All you have to do is make the most of the talents you've been given. And I've seen you cheering, you have talent."

  "You've been watching me cheer?"

  He grimaces. "Sorry, that sounds a bit creepy, doesn't it? I promise it isn't. I just catch sight
of the squad when there's a break in our practice."

  "It's okay, I understand," I promise. "I watch your rugby practice during breaks sometimes."

  He raises an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that I've admitted to something like that. To be honest, I am too. Jeremy doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would take advantage of a situation, but I'm not used to being this freely spoken around anyone. I had friends at my old school, but they never really liked it when I delved deeper into my shifter problems. Probably because they didn't see them as real problems.

  But now I'm sitting across from someone who understands. More than that, someone who comprehends what I'm talking about and sees past it.

  "I'll think about the agility training," I promise. "And if I do go, then I'm holding you to your promise and you're coming with me."

  Jeremy chuckles and drains the rest of his tea. "You have my word. And let me know if you want help with the economics stuff."

  I let out a small groan. "I almost managed to forget about that."

  "You can put it off for tonight?" he suggests. "Get yourself a pizza and watch a film or something like that? Just because you're here to learn doesn't mean you have to do it all the time."

  "Spoken like a true second year," I tease.

  "I owe it to you all to pass on my wisdom," he retorts. "Or else I wasted all that time for nothing."

  I shake my head in bemusement, glad I've found someone who is so easy to spend time with. Though if I'm not careful, I'm going to find myself falling for him without realising it. I've seen enough movies to know how these things go.

  Jeremy gets to his feet and picks up his mug. "Are you done with yours? I'll wash it at the same time."

  I nod and hand it to him. Our fingers brush against one another as he takes it from me, causing butterflies to erupt into life in my stomach.

  Perhaps it's too late to avoid potential feelings, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it and not a moment sooner.

  4

  Krissi

  * * *

  The kitchen is the loudest I've ever heard it, and far more full than it has any right to be. To say the flat is built for nine people, it shouldn't only take six to fill up the kitchen. "Who are we missing?" Essie asks, slurring her words more than she should be. It takes a lot to get a supernatural drunk, and she's well on her way to it.

  I can't say I'm too far behind.

  "Bernie said she was joining us after class," Michaela says.

  "Oh yeah, it must suck to be a vampire," Essie responds. "They have to cram all of their lessons into a shorter space of time, and then if they want to hang out with anyone who isn't a vampire, they have to move straight on to that."

  "Being able to heal easily and not ageing at the same rate sound good to me," Michaela mutters.

  "Me too," I agree.

  The other girls turn to look at me with surprise written all over their faces. "Don't you have good healing? You're a shifter."

  "It's never felt that way when I've hurt myself," I admit.

  "But Bernie only makes seven of us, who else is missing?" Essie says as she looks around the room and tries to work it out.

  "Jeremy," I say, realising that the other shifter is missing. "He must be at practice still."

  "And the guy from room eight?" Fiona suggests, surprising me. The mermaid seems to be the most reserved of all of us, though maybe it's just because it's early in the term and we're just starting to get to know one another.

  A collective noise of assent goes around us.

  "I don't think I've ever talked to him," Michaela admits. "Have you?"

  I shake my head. "I think he's called Craig, though?"

  "Maybe he's a ghost?" Essie suggests. "They're real."

  "Only one way to find out," Michaela responds. "Hey, Dylan."

  The reaper pulls his attention away from the game the boys are playing and slides down the bench. "You said my name?"

  "We wanted to ask you about Craig," Michaela says.

  He frowns. "I'm not sure I can help, I don't know anything about him."

  "Oh." Michaela slumps back in her seat. "I was hoping he was a ghost or something."

  Dylan chuckles. "I'm afraid not. There aren't enough humans around here for there to be any ghosts. There are loads in the town centre though."

  "That must be so cool to be able to see them," she says.

  He grimaces. "Not really."

  "So you don't know anything about Craig?" I prompt, hoping it takes him away from the subject he's clearly uncomfortable with.

  "Nothing. What about you?" he asks Cyprus, inviting the other guy into the conversation.

  "Nope, he's a mystery," Cyprus says. "I thought I saw him go into his room once. And Jeremy says that he can hear him on the other side of the wall."

  "Oh and there was food in the fridge," Fiona pipes up. "Some leftover chicken or something like that."

  "You mean today?" Dylan asks, a horrified expression on his face.

  "Yes, why?"

  "I kind of threw it away."

  The whole table goes silent as his words sink in.

  "Oops?" Michaela offers.

  "It looked like it was turning bad," he responds. "I didn't realise it was Craig's."

  "We can replace it on our way back tonight," I say. "It was from the chicken place across the road, right?"

  He nods.

  "Great, then we'll just get some more tonight, problem solved."

  He smiles at me, seeming more reassured than before.

  The door opens and I turn my attention towards it, hoping that it's Jeremy walking in.

  "Oh phew, you're still here," Bernie says.

  "We're barely getting started," Michaela assures the vampire. "Grab a seat and grab a drink, we're going to get you druunnnnk."

  Bernie chuckles. "All right, just let me go get changed and I'll join you." She disappears again, though I know she'll be back quickly, she doesn't take very long to get ready.

  "All right, let's get this party started properly," Michaela says. "What do you think, Ring Of Fire?"

  We all groan. It may only have been a couple of weeks since term started, but we've already learned how deadly this game can be.

  And how fun it can be.

  "I'll grab the cards," Cyprus says, getting to his feet and grabbing them.

  Michaela places a pint glass in the middle of the table and we all help spread the cards around it with their faces down.

  The door opens but I don't look up this time, expecting that it's Bernie returning right up until there's a whiff of cologne right by me.

  "Hey," Jeremy says softly.

  I turn to face him, a small smile on my face. "Hey," I return. "You look good." The words are out before I think twice about it. His open-necked shirt fits him well, which isn't a surprise given the rugby induced muscles he's sporting.

  "And you look gorgeous," he responds.

  A blush creeps to my cheeks and I pull down the admittedly short skirt of my dress. I know I look good, but there's something different about Jeremy saying it than someone else. "Thank you."

  "Whoo, Bernie!" Michaela calls as the vampire reenters the room. "We're all here, that means it's time to start."

  Bernie chuckles. "It doesn't seem like you've been waiting for me too hard." She pours herself a healthy measure of vodka into a glass and tops it up with tomato juice.

  I wrinkle my nose. I hope I'm not going to have to drink a dirty pint with that in later, I can't stand tomato juice.

  "Will you hand me the tabasco?" she asks Cyprus.

  He nods and tosses it over to her to add to her drink. That's going to be vile when added in with everything else.

  "All right, I'll start," Michaela calls. "We have a couple of hours until the taxis come to take us to the club, so that gives us plenty of time."

  "Did someone at least invite Craig tonight?" Dylan asks.

  "We put a note on the fridge." I wave towards it.

  "Seven," Michaela calls, ho
lding up the seven of clubs. "Boo, that's a boring one."

  "Yes, but you get to control it," Bernie points out.

  "What's seven again?" Jeremy whispers to me.

  "Heaven. When Michaela points to the ceiling, we all have to, and the last person has to drink," I say.

  "Has to what?" Essie asks with a teasing note in her voice.

  I groan. "I'm no good at drinking games."

  "That's twice! You need to take two consumptions of your beverage," she responds.

  "You sound ridiculous," I point out, being careful to pick up my glass with my left hand so I don't get dinged again.

  "I have an eight," Fiona says, holding up her card. "And I pick Dylan."

  "What did I ever do to you?" the reaper asks.

  "Nothing, you just seem the most sober."

  He chuckles and leans back in his seat, not protesting too much about the fact he has to drink every time she does. The game may be competitive, but it's also a lot of fun.

  My voice grows hoarse from the shouting and laughter that ensue. By the time we get to the club, I'm going to be ready to dance the night away without a care in the world.

  And I can't wait.

  5

  Jeremy

  * * *

  It's hard to make sense of anything happening in the club with the music pounding and the swaying bodies of hundreds of students. Not all of them are from Obscure Academy, but I recognise a lot of them from my lectures or from around.

  Someone bumps into me and I turn to apologise before realising it's Krissi. Her cheeks are flushed with a combination of the heat and the drinks she's been putting back, but it only makes her more beautiful.

  Though apparently clumsier too.

  "Do you want to get some air?" she yells over the music.

  If I didn't have decent hearing thanks to my inner tiger shifter, I don't think I'd have heard her.

  I nod and hold out my hand to her. If I was sober, I'd know better than to touch her like that. But as far as Krissi's concerned, I find it hard to ignore the draw I feel to her.