The Shifting

By Alyssa Poulin

Preface

I never really gave much thought to the supernatural. I've heard all the myths of dragons, goblins, fairies and so on. There are countless websites and books about the mysteries, but I haven't gotten to reading them. But as an average girl, with an average brain, in an average school, I never realized the true danger of those creatures out there. As I fell from my crib that day as a one-and-a-half-year-old, clumsiness has become a habit. That's me. Marie-Katherine-Jennifer-Anne. My last name? Much too confusing. My mom couldn't decide on a name, so she named me all of them. I live in Ontario, Canada, but moved down to a busy, tourist attraction of a town, called Orlando, Florida with my mom. I miss the cold, and my dad, but enjoy the heat and nobodiness Until I suddenly took a different path and got a complex , new way of life in its place.

CHAPTER 1 Rude Introductions

As I walked to school wit my iPod blaring, I noticed a group walking and chatting on the other side of the street who didn't normally came this way. It was mid-summer, and they wore heavy jeans and hoodies. I knew this group very well, they were known as the 'gangsters' and they were in a neighbourhood no one 'cool' went through. A new boy was with them, he caught my eye. His smile infectious and shocking jet black hair stood out like a sore thumb, obviously dyed. He was listening to another member of the group, when he looked away and rolled his perfect brown eyes. He glanced up and he met my gaze, he looked troubled. I felt the surprise and shock cross my face. The boy slowed his graceful walk which came to the point where the group noticed his pause and his face turned back towards the pile of teens and smiled apologetically. Something I did not expect to happen, well, happened. He started his way towards me. ME. I could feel the burn of his confused eyes on the top of my hung, embarrassed head.

"Hello." he nodded politely. I peeked up through my dark chocolate brown hair, cheeks showing the slightest amount of shyness. I looked long enough to see his dazzling smile. I now understood why it was infectious. His perfectness overwhelmed me and I could swear my legs were thinking of giving out on me.

He looked puzzled. He took a cautious step towards me, my heart wanting to jump out of my fragile chest.

"I'm new here, my name is Lucas. Please don't laugh." he pleaded. I couldn't say anything. My brain wasn't working. His posture stiffened, like he was about to take a blow from a rampaging bull.

"Hi?" I managed to squeak. Lucas seemed to relax a bit. He seemed calm, but troubled.

"I noticed you were walking alone, so I felt the need to…accompany you." Very gentleman-like. "Do you want to, um, walk to school? With me? Wait, sorry, I'm being rude. What's your name?"

"Um, sure, and Marie." Uh-oh, my babbling monopolized the greeting, making my cheeks bright red. "Well, actually, my name's longer but my nickname is just Marie. My mom couldn't decide on a name, so she just picked 'em all! Sometimes, when I'm nervous, I tend to babble a little, so just ignore that. Did you ever find out the real reason the chicken crossed the road? I didn't." Oh, gee, my brain IS NOT WORKING! I finally gained control again, just in time. "I think I'll stop talking now, 'bye."

I hurried to get away from the embarrassing conversation and turned back towards my mother's house. Leaving him dumbfounded and speechless. Suddenly, he was in front of me.

"Wait. You should go to school. Why are you going the opposite way?" his deep eyes were wide with concern.

Sooner than I knew, we walking on the pavement of the school parking lot. He took me to my locker then strode off to his. All I could do was stare like an idiot.

*********

He found me in homeroom, and we sat across the aisle. At the back, where the teacher didn't pay much attention to. We talked three quarters of the class, but somewhere near the end he'd coaxed me in to sitting with the cool group at lunch.

We got there before the others and sat down at the round table, the one with knife slices on the edges.

"So this is it, huh?" I asked, feeling the ridges and dents the group had cut. Clearly, he wasn't paying attention, because he was staring at the most popular girl in school's table, them laughing hysterically. Though it always seemed to be oblivious to their noise. I waved my hands frantically in the way of his stare, when her icy glare reached the table. I froze, her eyes locking mine in direct line with Lucas's too. One of her friends noticed the glare and cocked her head. The owner of the icy glare didn't seem to notice. Her friend tapped her and she finally lost my stare.

"Who's THAT?" he asked bug-eyed. I looked at him disapprovingly and he was lost. His daydreams were constantly taking all of his focus away from you. I sighed and counted backwards.

"3...2...1...cue Lucas." I smirked. He blinked at me and was intently waiting. "That's Senna. The most obnoxious, self-centered girl- actually, we can't say 'girl' you should say monster." I informed him. He whipped his head around, surprised at my insult and at that moment, Senna made her way over to our table. She flashed me a cold glare then smiled warmly to Lucas. He was totally in to the 'go out with the new kid then break his heart scheme' though he had no idea that was what's happening.

"Hey new kid. Want to have lunch with us? We're so much cooler than your loser friend Too-many-names." she put her hands on her hips and shifted her weight to her right. I so badly wanted to stick my tongue out at her and pull Lucas away. Well I at least got the last one done.

I tugged at his shirt and hauled him out of the cafeteria doors. He was still in his strange smile-and-dream-of-Senna trance. He was grinning and rolling his head from side to side. I decided I had enough of this so I shook him violently and he blinked several times before finally showing human-ness.

"What? I'm dreaming of Senna…" he sighed happily. I rolled my eyes and he folded his arms impatiently.

"Well DON'T!" I hissed. The bell rang and Lucas grumbled:

"Yeah, no lunch for me… gotta interrupt my daydreams." he slunk towards History class.

***

Marie, what's with Senna? She looks pissed. I wonder if she's upset about Lucas… Carly

My new friend Carly had shoved a note under my arms and I got a paper cut. I pouted after that. I glanced over and found her extremely close to my face, biting her lip curiously, yet impatient. I began to write unhappily.

Carls, I don't want to talk about it, so don't go asking for trouble. Lucas is starting to fall for the scheme though.

I handed her back the note quietly and she had her lower lip in full pout. Eyebrows furrowed, she unfolded the note and her brows suddenly shot up. She stared at me in disbelief. Her pencil scribbled furiously on the page and folded the paper up quickly and shoved it in to my waiting hands. She was now looking towards the head of the class.

I hadn't noticed when Mr. Lawres asked a question.

"The Boston tea party?" Carly guessed.

One suspicious eyebrow of our history teacher's shot up. I rolled my eyes under my eyelids. I was sure that wasn't the answer anyways, seeing as we were studying First Nations.

"So you think the First Nations had the Boston Tea Party to resolve their tribe problems?"

Carly looked at him sheepishly and he returned to his lecture. Her note was written messily and I could barely make out the words. I thought it said:

WHAT?? I can't believe Lucas is dumb enough to even believe the first flirt! Tell me more at your house. Yes, that's a demand.

I held the note in my hands, bewildered. Out of nowhere, the note disappeared. I looked up to find Mr. Lawers holding the paper filled with notes.

***

I took my place in the detention room, for the first time in my life. My face was stained with the tears that overflowed. In front of me was a boy with his head down on the old rickety desk. His hood was up, and it looked familiar. Too familiar…

I heard a sigh and the boy straightened out. He turned around and immediately, I knew it was none other than…

"Hey Marie. What're you in for?"