Rare Blood

1st Phase

Ren has his arms crossed and pfft. "It was too quick for her to see! I barely saw anything, you just jumped and changed." Jake growled and leapt in the air again, changing quickly into his human form.

"Well that is the idea!" Jake retorted. "Well, you have to show her again!" Julie knew she had to jump in or else all hell would break lose. "No, it was okay. I saw everything." She reassured. Ren casted his friend a worried look. "Are you sure? It's not that hard he could do it again." He asked. "It's okay really." She placed a hand on his arm and smiled. He returned it kindly. "Okay then, I guess it's your turn." He replied ruffling her hair. She slapped his hand off at once making him laugh. "Alright, rip away from your human shell, got it." She stood on top of the log that she was sitting earlier in order for her to jump high enough. Bending both of her knees she repeated Jake's position and jumped as high as her legs could take her. Julie tried to 'rip away' from her shell by flexing her muscles and stretching her body but she felt no change apart from an overstretched muscle. She remembered she had to land but it was too late to position herself and she landed on her sides. Julie bellowed in pain as she hugged her knees towards her. Her friends instantly crouched beside her. "Julie, are you okay?" Hunter's frightened voice echoed in her ears. Julie moved slowly to face her friends while yawping in pain. "Yeah, nothing broken." She replied in a whisper. Jake settled next to her with a panic expression. "Can you get up?" He asked. Julie let out a painful moan. "Maybe in a minute." "You do know that landing is an important part of jumping right? Fraser asked her. Bryn glared at him and pushed him away from them making him fall out of balance. "Sorry!" He mumbled. "Sorry Julie, those are only the ways we know how to shift." Ren spoke apologetically. Julie shook her head slowly. "It's okay Ren. No one gets it the first time right? You said that yourself. I just need to keep doing it. I'll get it by tomorrow . . . somehow." She replied. Julie could fill a stabbing sensation on her back; however she tried her hardest to ignore it and got up from the ground. Her friends observed her for a while just in case she fell over. Jake and Ren had their hand out as she stood. "Phew, I'm good." Not really, she thought.

Over and over again, Julie tried to run or jump while her friends sat on her previous position watching her fail by the minute. Each time she ran and leapt she ended up on the ground or hugging a tree. Jumping just made her look ridiculous. The sun had finally moved west and the sky is turning in its usual shade of pink and lilac. Before Julie could try another jump, Hunter stood up from her spot and stretched. "I think you should rest Julie. We've been at it for hours." She said wearily. "No, I have to at least be able to do it once!" She replied exhaustedly. "Perhaps tomorrow you would be able to." Ren replied soothingly. Julie ignored her friends and jumped in the air as high as she could when an unfamiliar laugh entered her ears. She looked around where it came from, completely forgetting to land on her feet. Her bottom met the ground first and that added a searing pain in her body.

She grunted in annoyance and she heard the laugh even louder this time. She stared at her friends who were all stood up from their position and staring behind her. Still on the ground Julie turned around and saw Rhydian's friend Ben. Julie stood up forcefully and glared at him. "What are you doing here?" Ben stopped laughing and cleared his throat. He raised his shoulders and exhaled loudly. "I'm on patrol, problem?" He asked rhetorically. "Yeah, your presence." She retorted. Julie turned back to her friends who now stood there stunned. "What's wrong?" She asked. Hunter bit her bottom lip and stared at Ren. "We're supposed to be on patrol now too Julie." Ren spoke. Julie's face turned into a frown. "Oh, I see. Well, you all should go. I'll see you later." She replied hiding her disappointment. Her friends gave her a big hug before retreating out of the forest. She smiled to herself and sighed. When she turned around she was startled when Ben was still there. "Unless you have another way of shifting, you should go." Ben smirked and walked towards her. "Why are you so rude to me?" He asked playfully.