Howdey green beans! Hope you are well. If you're reading this...I have a lot of love for you. Cheers...
I woke up feeling groggy, my eyes were stinging and my whole body felt as though it were on fire. I sat up blinking sleep from my eyes. What had happened? Had I fainted?
'About time sleeping ugly,' I recognised Saoirse's voice immediately, although it took me a moment to locate her. I realised I was still in the dining room. I squinted trying to make out the scene in front of me. Gradually three faces came into view. Two worried looking ones, and one bored looking one.
'Gave us quite a scare there,' Josh muttered offering me a hand which I took gratefully. He heaved me to me feet, making sure I was steady enough to stand. After a slight wobble I was able to regain my balance enough that I was sure I would not do a face plant on the floor, always a good sign.
'What....just, what?' I spluttered, trying to find the right words.
'Well, you confirmed our suspicions.' Saoirse replied, very un-helpfully.
'So do you just LIKE being cryptic or...' I snapped. Josh leapt between us, obviously anticipating a round two. Truth was, I didn't know what was wrong with me. I'd never been that angry before. Not ever. Not even when my sister burnt my face with her straighteners on the first day of school and left me with a huge red scab on my face that refused to budge for at least three months. It wasn't even Saoirse's fault, although her smartass-ness did not help.
'Oh move Josh, she's not gonna snap again,' Saoirse ordered sounding exasperated and shoving Josh none too carefully out of her way. She gave me a knowing look. 'The anger's hard to control, isn't it?' I nodded staring at my shoes.
Aiden cleared his throat loudly giving Saoirse a pointed look. She sighed and pulled out a compact mirror from the back pocket of her jeans, holding it out to me.
'Um...' I trailed off, giving Saoirse a questioning look. She shook the mirror impatiently, indicating for me to take it. I took it, and with a reassuring smile from Josh, held it up to examine myself. I gasped.
'What the...'
'Don't worry, it's not uncommon for this to happen,' Aiden said in a soothing voice. I barely heard him, curling one strand of now-blonde hair around my finger.
'Why am I...why am I BLONDE?' I breathed, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I was beginning to look like a clown, wheat-blonde hair, one gray eye, one brown eye. Before I had more time to study my new look, the mirror was yanked firmly from my shaking hands, and slid back into its denim home.
'Probably best not to dwell on that.' Saoirse dusted her hands briskly earning a reproachful look from Josh.
'Anyone care to explain?' I asked, tugging great handfuls of hair forward so I could examine my new colour.
'Ok, here's the thing. It's pretty common for shape shifters to not have control over their power at the start. In fact, it's the norm. It usually happens when they feel strong emotions.' Saoirse paused to raising a single eyebrow, giving me a meaningful look. 'But there's something I didn't quite get around to explaining to you...' She trailed off, avoiding meeting my gaze, shifting uncomfortably.
'What?' I asked, reluctant to hear her reply.
'Ok, well, the thing is, it IS common for things like THIS,' She motioned at my hair, 'to happen. But usually, it takes weeks, months even, before a shifter is anywhere near ready to do anything that advanced.' I started to interrupt but she ploughed on as though I hadn't spoken. 'You remember when I was telling you about the signs? Like hair getting a few shades lighter? Well I've never seen anything like it. Your eye I mean. It changed colour completely. It's, it's...it's incredible really.' She finished with a note of reluctance. I sat there, opened mouthed trying to work out what she was saying. In the end I gave up.
