The Shifter

Chapter 8

I lay in my bed and looked at the ceiling. It was past bedtime for the campus but I couldn't sleep. Electra told me why she wanted to talk to me, now it just makes me want to win more. I studied the black rubber kind of spider Electra stuck to the roof to scare me the first days of school, as my thoughts trailed on.

My mother, she could shift just like me. She was dying, and I learned this from my friend. Why couldn't someone else tell me? Electra cried a little while telling me the news, my mother was her second mother, and it hurt her just as bad.

I blinked looking at the rubber spider. "Why?" I questioned myself. I was slightly glad that my roommate was asleep and couldn't hear me say why.

Why did I want to come here? I could've been homeschooled and my mother would have taught me what I need to know. This one, it was the best. I could've gotten the same education, I don't know why I begged my mother to take me here. Why?

I quickly blinked, trying not to cry as I saw her face slightly form in my mind. She looked like me, or should I say I looked like her. Her hair was short and brown, and her eyes were blue on the outside, and gold around the pupil. That was the only difference between us, her blue eyes and my green ones. She was always found smiling and making others happy as best she could. So when I asked her to take me, she did, for my happiness. I never stopped to think about her happiness.

Will it make her happy if I came to see her on her death bed?

I needed to win the competition, now more than ever. I don't care if it will be against the rules to see her in a mortal hospital, I don't care if that means I never go back outside. I will see her, and Electra will too.

I closed my eyes and thought more of her and happy thoughts about me growing up. I smiled a single tear went down my face. Before I knew it I was asleep and wasn't aware of it.

***

"Fauna!" Shouted Electra sending me out of a dream about my mother. "We over slept!" She said. She was hopping around on one foot trying to get her pants on, and her shirt was around her neck, not even fully on.

I shot up and looked at my phone, I slept through the alarm? "Crap! I'm sorry!" I said, jumping up.

"Doesn't matter right now. Just get dressed!" Her shirt and pants were on now, and she was tying her hair back in a ponytail.

I grabbed a white dress and ran to the bathroom. I quickly took off my sleepwear and slid the dress on, fast and quick. I looked at my hair and decided it will have to do. I walked back out and put on my sandals. I glanced at myself in the mirror and sighed.

"Alright, let's go hurry to breakfast, maybe we can grab a muffin and eat it in class." Electra said.

"Thanks Sparky." I said smiling.

Electra rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag, and I copied her.

Once we were down there we had obtained a muffin, but that was it. I put mine in my bag and went to first period, as fast as I could. When we got there, two seats were open in the back. Without a second thought Electra and I sat down quickly. I pulled out the muffin and placed it on my lap and prayed I wouldn't get anything on my white dress or get caught.

Electra smiled at me, "We did it." I laughed. She dug into her muffin, and ate it quickly before the teacher arrived. I didn't even see her unwrap the poor thing. I opened mine when the bell rang and picked at it.

The teacher yammered on about something and looked around the class room. Three people sat in the desks in front of me, so I shouldn't get caught. I ended up devouring my muffin before the end of the class, but the entire period all I could think was if my mother was fine.

***

Gym, a time to prove yourself. Since we were doing the contest, we were arranged to meet with everyone tomorrow after school 'ends.' And by we, I mean the people who have a chance into getting out of this prison and actually going somewhere where birds chirp and the sun shines. Electra, River, and I will be attending the announcement, so now I get to see from different classes who might go with us.

I was actually looking forward to this meeting, I would like to see if Emily made it through another day of competition. I would be surprised. They say we will be challenging each other and I wanted to challenge Emily, I don't want her there. A smirk reached my face when River spoke, "What is that smirk for?"

I shook my head, "Electra did you tell him about . . .?"

She blinked before her lips formed an O. She shook her head and turned to River and whispered into his ear about my mother. This wasn't because she didn't want to make me sad, it was because we didn't want the entire school knowing about my mother. I didn't want the pity I don't know if Electra does, and if she does that is highly disappointing, but pity wins don't count. At least not in my book they don't.

Pity wins are like not winning at all. I want to prove that my friends and I are stronger than this entire class, and especially against Emma. Maybe she might leave me alone, if I were to win against her. Pity wins, why do people count that as wins? Maybe they know they were too weak to fight so they take whatever they can get.

"Fauna, today you are against, Timmy, and Sandra." She pointed to the partners. "Since last time you didn't go, because your team has three, who will fight alongside you?"

I looked at Electra than at River, "Volunteers?"

Electra quickly said she would do it. We got into an area as the other two pairs followed our ways. River stood at the side and gave us a thumbs up smiling. He was being cliché and that was weird. I looked over to my best friend.

"When I whistle." The male teacher announced loudly. He slowly raised his hand to his mouth.

"Blow the whistle already." Some random guy shouted from the crowd. Everyone laughed, including the teacher. Finally the sound of a whistle filled my ears.

Action.