The Familiar (20 page)

“The air feels heavy. I can feel the moisture when I breathe,” he explains matter-of-factly.

I shrug my shoulders, taking his word for it. We head back to the motorcycle, walking carefully down the crumbling steps. As soon as I put my helmet on, and hop on the bike, big, fat raindrops splash on my visor. Jared revs the engine, and takes off smoothly, picking up speed when we hit the road. A few minutes into the journey, the rain goes from a drizzle to a heavy downpour. We’re instantly soaked, and he’s forced to slow down on the slippery road. I hold on for dear life, hoping that I’m not cutting off his circulation. I’m relieved when I finally spot the camp up ahead.

We pull into the covered garage, and Jared turns the engine off. When I climb down, and remove my helmet, water pours all over my face and uniform, despite its supposedly water repellent feature. Jared’s just as soaked. He takes one look at me and laughs. “You should change into some dry clothes and have a hot cup of tea.”

I hand him my helmet. “Thanks for today. It was interesting… and fun.”

I kind of feel like giving him a hug, but suddenly, I’m overcome with a shy awkwardness. As I walk away, the heat of his gaze burns my back.

28

At breakfast the next day, Louise and Akiko give me the third degree, glancing furtively as I take my first bite of food.

“So explain again what you guys did yesterday?” asks Louise, trying really hard to stay composed.

I roll my eyes and take another bite of my waffle. “Geez, what do I have to do for you to believe me?”

“Well, hello! You ride a motorcycle with a super hot guy to some mysterious location and you just practice shape shifting? That’s it? And you wonder why I don’t believe you?” she utters dramatically.

“I already told you, guys… I’m not interested in him like that.”

I know I’m not disclosing all the details of my outing with Jared, but I can’t believe Louise is giving me such a hard time about it. I glare at Akiko pleadingly, as she butters a piece of toast.

“Hazel’s right. She’s told us a bunch of times that she’s not interested in Jared. Maybe it’s time we believe her?” says Akiko, raising an eyebrow at Louise as she crunches of the slightly burnt toast.

Louise snorts, but seems to relent. “Okay, okay… Maybe you’re right. Sorry, but I just can’t help myself sometimes.”

Samir yawns, chugging his orange juice before grumbling, “Are you girls done with your yammering? Because we’re going to be late for class.”

We smirk simultaneously and finish our last bites in silence.

When we get to the field for our land animals class, we’re surprised to find Maya front and center.

“Good morning. Ivana has been called away by the Council for a short mission. She should be back for the next class, but till then, I’ll be your substitute teacher.”

I can see intrigue plastered on everyone’s faces, but Maya seems oblivious, smiling at us brightly.

“Today, I’d like to challenge you with a really unique simulation exercise. It will teach you the invaluable skill of camouflage… Many times we shift into creatures because of their speed, agility, strength, or ferociousness. But learning to use an animal’s ability to hide can really be handy when you’re in a threatening situation. Short of becoming invisible, this is the next best thing. Over there…” she says, pointing to the other side of the field, “is what we call The Terrarium”

She takes a small remote from her pocket, and presses a button while pointing it out towards the empty field. At the blink of an eye, exactly half of the field is boxed in by electric blue neon lines, and on the end closer to us, is a shimmering doorway, presumably, the entrance to The Terrarium.

“Once inside, you’ll experience four different ecosystems in which you’ll have to choose the animal that will best camouflage you in that particular environment. You will have two minutes for each level. If you’re unable to shift in time, you’ll be disqualified. For this simulation, feel free to use land, air or water animals. Is everyone ready to begin?”

I sense the excitement among my classmates, but I sigh, knowing I’ll have to fake my results yet again.

Maya has us pick numbers from a glass jar that materializes out of nowhere, hovering in the air as the students reach in one by one. When it’s my turn, I stick my hand inside and feel around with my fingers till I grasp a pearl-like bead the size of a pea. As I pull it out, it pops, sort of like a kernel of corn as it explodes into popcorn then, the number three appears on the palm of my hand, as if written by a calligrapher with permanent ink. Maya peeks at the tattoo-like number. “Don’t worry. It will fade in a few hours.”

Once we have our assignments, we wait for our turns, sitting nervously on the grass, as Nalani, who had the unfortunate luck of drawing the number one, walks towards the simulator door. When she reaches it, she pauses then disappears as she walks though, the shimmering door disappearing with her. Once she’s gone, Samir faces us and holds up his palm. “I got seven… What did you guys get?”

Louise holds up the number ten, and Akiko does the same, showing the number five on her petite, almost child-like hand. I display my number three and smile anxiously.

Only a few minutes pass, and Nalani emerges looking defeated, her shiny, bronzed shoulders slumping. She crosses the field, and sits down without uttering a word. Maya tries her best at an encouraging smile. “It’s okay, Nalani. We’ll work on getting better results next time.”

Donovan stands and strolls confidently down the field. As he disappears into the simulator, my heart beats rapidly, knowing that it’ll be my turn the minute he emerges. I close my eyes, in an attempt to zone out the chatter around me. I concentrate on my breathing, and think about the ocean, its waves lulling me to an almost trance-like state. Suddenly, I hear cheering, and open my eyes. Donovan appears victorious; his all-American boy good looks and his athletic prowess remind me of a football player who’s just scored a touchdown. Maya claps her hands and exclaims, “Bravo, Donovan, well done!”

He tries to look humble, but he’s exuding cockiness, and it’s obvious that he’s done extremely well.

“Hazel, you’re up,” says Maya looking my way. I ignore the stares as I make my way towards the simulator. I do my best to stand tall and pull my shoulders back, hoping that I’ll fool them into believing my charade.

When I step through the doorway I hear a whirling sound, as if I’m walking into a giant vacuum. Inside, the lights are dim, but I can tell by the grass under my feet that I’m still standing on the field. I walk further and wait. A whistle echoes, bouncing off the simulator walls, and suddenly, it’s almost pitch black. Then a few seconds pass, and the lights slowly brighten, reminiscent of an early morning sunrise. I’m standing in a lush and dense rainforest. The air is humid, and the light is barely visible through the thick canopy of leaves above me. Vines, exotic plants, and flowers cover everything; even the ground is blanketed by a dense layer of green.

I evaluate my surroundings, examining the bright green hues. It would make sense to shift into some sort of green jungle creature like a lizard or green leaf insect. A parrot might blend in, but with the wrong plumage, it would stand out like a bright stain in the sky. It seems like a good choice, not too out of place, but weak enough to get me a top score. With my mind made up, I close my eyes and visualize a macaw parrot with bright red feathers, and green wings. I leap into the air, and as soon as I feel wings by my sides, I flap them swiftly. Just a few awkward moments, and I’m gliding across the virtual sky with only my green wings camouflaged by the surrounding greenery.

I sense the simulator is about to make a change, so I fly low, and shift back. It’s suddenly dark again, and I stand still waiting for the environment to change. As the scene brightens, I realize that I’m standing in the tundra, its barren landscape and snowy mountains looming in the background. The only plants are rust colored mosses that cover the ground like a thick carpet. The logical choice would be a small fox or rodent with reddish fur. Instead though, I decide on a clumsy looking reindeer; its giant set of antlers stick out in the flat, treeless landscape. When my body changes, the weight on my head becomes almost unbearable as the jagged antlers jut out like enormous tree branches. My large hooves feel unwieldy, even on the fluffy thick moss below. I stare at the distant mountains, and see the horizon begin to fade. I shift back and wait.

When the light appears, I’m standing in the middle of a desert. It’s flat, and mostly brown, except for the tall cacti and rocks that are scattered across the sand. I picture a scaly brown lizard or desert tortoise in this environment, but rather, I concentrate on visualizing a desert hare. Though the hare’s coloring mimics the brown sand, it’s abnormally large ears look misplaced and awkward. I hop around, feeling funny with my floppy ears. Like clockwork, the setting is pitch-black again, and I shift and wait. The fatigue is beginning to make me weak, but I try and keep the energy flowing, knowing that the next scene will be the last.

As I wait in the shadows, a cold gust of air gives me the chills just as the light brightens. I’m temporarily blinded by the glare of the untouched snow and ice around me. Everything is white, and the air is so cold, that I’m almost frozen in place. I think quick, trying to picture an arctic animal that’s not white. But my mind goes blank, and the temptation is too great, so I decide to give this last one my best attempt. I focus my thoughts on one of my favorite animals, the snowy fox, picturing its white fluffy fur and coal black eyes. I shift and drop to the ground, landing on the snow silently. I feel instantly warmer, my thick impenetrable fur blocking out the cold frigid air. I curl up on the snow, and cover my black eyes and nose with my thick, furry white tail. I know that I’ve completely disappeared, into the vast white scene. The frigid air starts to dissipate, and I uncurl my body, shifting just as it gets dark. I know I’ve aced it, but I’m confident that my other results were mediocre enough to lower my final score.

I can feel the grass under my feet again, just as the neon doorway appears. I walk through it, and on the other side make eye contact with Maya. She tries to hide her disappointment with a forced smile. It’s at that moment, that I know I’ve conquered mediocrity. I feel like jumping and screaming out, but instead, I do my best to sulk and drag my feet towards my friends.

Maya looks sympathetic, tilting her head in a motherly way. “No worries, Hazel, you did fine! With some practice your scores will be higher next time.”

I sit and Louise places her arm around my shoulders. We watch Jasper saunter to the simulator, as Akiko nervously fidgets. I can see she’s tense, and wonder if there’s anything I can do to help. It then occurs to me that if I can’t be the one to win, the least I can do is help someone else do better. I’m not certain it will work, but I decide to try and implant some ideas in Akiko’s mind, the ones I would have used had I wanted to win. I peek at Akiko from the corner of my eye, hoping that her mind is open enough to allow my thoughts in. I focus on the top of her head as Louise babbles in my ear. I go through each scenario, picturing the chosen animal clearly, as I project the ideas towards her. When I finish with the fourth scene, Akiko catches me staring, and gives me a shaky smile. I couldn’t have planned it any better because Jasper emerges from the simulator looking like he’s already won. Maya huffs obviously impressed with his performance. “Amazing job, Jasper! This is going to be a close match!”

Akiko flashes us a pitiful look before she paces towards the simulator, dragging her feet as if they weighed two tons each. I cross my fingers, and hope that at least some of my ideas managed to make it into her head. Samir seems concerned for Akiko, fixating on the doorway, while twiddling his fingers involuntarily. Louise makes small talk, in an effort to lighten the mood.

“I think I’ll have pasta for lunch, maybe spaghetti. What do you think?” she asks looking over at Samir.

He smiles at her politely. “Sure, spaghetti sounds good. Though I might have some mac and cheese or maybe the tuna casserole,” he says, taking another glance at the doorway through the corner of his eye.

“Hmmm… tuna casserole, yum!” replies Louise with the bubbliest voice she can muster. Suddenly, we hear a gasp, and Akiko leaps out the doorway with a mixture of shock and exuberance on her face.

Maya checks her timer and does a double take. “Akiko! You’ve not only completed the challenge, but you’ve aced it in a record time!”

Our jaws drop, and even Akiko looks like she can’t believe it. I secretly smile, my heart doing mini somersaults of joy. I’m not only ecstatic that my telepathy has worked, but I’m happy seeing Akiko on the winning end for a change. Even though there are many challengers left before the exercise is over, I know that Akiko should at least fall somewhere in the top three.

As Akiko joins us, all smiles, Samir gives her a bear hug, practically squeezing the life out of her.

“I knew you had it in you this whole time!”

She’s dazed, but her face is beaming nonetheless. “I have no idea how I pulled that off! It was like a little bird was in my head helping me along.” I have to stop myself from reacting when I hear those words coming out of her mouth.

“Samir’s right… You had it in you this whole time. You just need to believe in yourself more,” I say, hoping to inspire her.

“Thanks, Hazel.” I smile, knowing that even though Akiko is privy to my little secret, I’m almost sure she’s clueless to the fact that I had anything to do with her success.

The rest of the class whizzes by, with many students, including Louise and Samir getting impressive results. Only a few are disqualified, leaving the rankings for top ten pretty wide open. At this point I’m not really sure where I stand, but at least I’m certain that I won’t be at the bottom.

The silence is unnerving while we watch Maya tap her clipboard, tallying the results. When she’s done, we lean forward in anticipation.

“I’d like to congratulate all of you for giving your best efforts today. This is the first time I’ve interacted closely with all of you, and I’m thoroughly impressed by the talent I see before me. In a moment, you’ll see the results above you. These scores were based on a combination of speed, and effectiveness with extra points for creativity.”

She taps the clipboard one more time, and a bright beam of light projects the scores. The top ten results are:

Akiko

Jasper

Samir

Donovan

Khari

Louise

Lance

Emilie

Hazel

Henry

I’m satisfied with ninth place, but I continue looking glum for the sake of authenticity. Akiko is shell-shocked, and we almost have to shake her out of it, snapping our fingers in front of her face and shaking her shoulders from side to side. On our way to the dining hall, several classmates congratulate Akiko, turning her cheeks hot pink.

The fanfare continues through lunch, as we celebrate with a feast and some sparkling apple cider.

Akiko still looks overwhelmed, but I can see that she’s starting to enjoy the attention.

“I had no idea winning would feel this good.”

“Let’s make a toast!” says Louise, as we all hold our glasses up.