SWITCHERS
in case you didnt read it, these two characters Kevin and Tess were shapeshifters, but all "switchers" lose that ability at the age of fifteen (when they have to choose their final shape.)
They battle creatures that produce "coldness" and win. (its not important, who cares, forget about it.) But on his fifteenth birthday, Kevin was caught in a forest fire and burns in the flames. Tess thought he was dead, but he turned into a phoenix, to rise from the ashes.
MIDNIGHT"S CHOICE
Kevin returned to visit Tess in his phoenix shape, but is caught by the zoo! Tess also meets another switcher named Martin who uses his powers as an evil vampire.
The phoenix and the vampire fight over magical possesion of fourteen year old Tess, who opted to stay human for the time being. When her choice was clear, the two magics (dark and light) neutralized and Kevin and Martin turned back into humans by default.
But that fight was the eve of Martin's fifteenth birthday...and would he choose an everlasting vampire or a mortal shape?
ps. Martin is forever scarred by the death of his father in a car accident.
pps. Kevin has no home, so he's staying at Tess' house for the time being.
~~~~~~~~~
Tess and Keven woke up around 6 pm, exhausted from last night's adventure. Just remembering...it was difficult, the phoenix and the vampire had been real but a distant dream.
It didn't matter anymore. Kevin was with her, and that was what mattered. She would never be lonely, alone. He was everything in her life, and she had just realized it yesterday when she nearly lost him.
Meeting outside their rooms, they exchanged glances. "Martin," Kevin said, his eyes worried. "He's fifteen, and forever what he chose to shift to."
Walking out to the front door, he searched for his jacket. It was laid out, sparkling clean, with his other freshly laundered clothes. Tess' mother materialized from nowhere, and handed them a folded bill. She winked and motioned for them to leave, pointing hastily at the door. Smiling their thanks, Kevin changed his clothes and left.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Tess knocked on the door. "Martin?" She shivered from the wind's chill.
His mother answered. "Tess! Its nice to see you. I hope you're here to see Martin..." her voice trailed off expressively.
Gulping back her fear, Tess nodded. "Can we?"
The woman motioned for them to enter. Kevin whispered in Rat that she looked better already, without her blood being drained away by a vampire son. "Cheeks pink, yup yup, more blood healthy."
Tapping cautiously on Martin's door, Tris and Kevin walked in. Bundled on the bed was Martin. They strained to see his face, his mouth and teeth. Tris squeezed Kevin's arm, willing with all her might that Martin hadn't chosen to be a vampire.
The edge of the sheet lifted, and two red-rimmed eyes peered out. "Tess?" his voice whispered, clogged with tears. "You came." His green eyes, puffy with long crying, widened when he saw his former Phoenix enemy. "Ke- Kevin?"
His teeth were normal, human! Inside her heart, Tess celebrated. "Martin!" She sat carefully on the edge of the bed, Kevin standing behind her. "It's okay, we can still be friends."
The tired boy leaned back, cocooned in his quilts. "So tired," he muttered. Then, touching her hand timidly, he added "Thanks."
"Anytime." With that, she grinned and walked out the door with Kevin. "Be back tomorrow." Tess patted his hair, and felt Kevin stiffen behind her and nearly drag her out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kevin trudged beside her. "Tess!"
"What?"
He hesitated. "Do you trust him?" he asked, suspicion clouding his eyes.
"I think so. He can't change anymore!" she exclaimed. "Are you feeling anything strange?"
Striding along at a quick pace, Kevin nodded. "I think so, but who knows?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grabbing a bag of potato chips, they headed up to her room for conference. Stripping off their warm coats, they settled against the wall. Silence prevailed for a while, but the chip's crunching filled the air shortly.
"Tess?" Kevin asked suddenly.
"Yes, Kevin?" she replied, stuffing a chip into her mouth.
His dark eyes misted with anger, fear and...something else. "Did you like Martin?"
"Did I like Martin?" she thought out loud. "I suppose so, he had the kind of character that would lead people. But, he still used manipulation and fear, that was a downside. Overall, he would be normal if he stopped sucking bloo-"
Placing a firm hand on her shoulder, Kevin interrupted her thoughts. "I mean like like."
"No," she said, glaring into his dark eyes, seemingly black but speckled with brown and gold. "Were you jealous?" she teased.
He twitched. Seeing the startled response he gave, Tess' heart flipped over. Dear God, he was. He was jealous. Jealous...
"You were!" she accused, her face paling.
Looking away, the boy scowled. "If you put it that way..."
"But why?"
Staring down at his hands, Kevin spoke slowly and softly, though he still wore a defensive expression on his face. "When I was alone, just with the Rats and all, I had a family but no one to really talk to. You know, about Switching and stuff. When I figured out you were a changer too..." he gulped, but continued, "I wasn't so lonely anymore."
"When I died and rerose a Phoenix, I was lonely again. You were the only one who was ...something to me. And I think i would just die if Martin had become that someone to you, instead of me."
After his uncharacteristic speech, Kevin remained staring at his upturned palms. His dark hair wisped into his eyes, hiding them from her sight.
Gently, Tess touched his arm. He startled, and shook the heavy ends of hair out of his face. In a quick movement, she hugged him tightly. "I would have become Phoenix too, whatever you chose that day," she breathed, "just to be with you." Wiping away her tears, she added softly, "It was unbearable when you were gone."
"Well," he said, trying to hold back tears of relief, "I'm here now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Martin sat up in bed, depressed. It was too late, too late! No more switching. Sniffling, he tried to curl up for comfort, but his tail got in the way.
His tail?
He was a rat.
His mind racing, Martin scurried over to the calender. Shuffling through its unused pages, he came upon that month. He had thought it was the seventh. But actually, it was the fifth. He was mistaken.
Martin still had two more days before his fifteenth birthday. He could still switch shapes.
~~~~~~~~~``
by the way, did anyone but me read these books?