"Are you entirely sure this is necessary, Deanna?"
"Isaac, people judge each other based on appearances," Deanna said. She didn't look at Isaac: she was focused on me. Sweeping blush across my cheek-bones while I stood perfectly motionless. "That's just a fact of life. What are they going to think if Eve walks out there looking like she just spent all day running barefoot through the woods?"
"Umm, through a parking garage, actually," Reza said.
"And a huge corporate building owned by a complete jacka-"
"Be nice, Jewel," Deanna said.
"We're wasting time, here," Isaac said. "The longer we wait, the bigger the crowds are going to get."
I wiped sweaty palms on my thighs. The urge to vomit was getting stronger every second. Deanna had asked me repeatedly to sit still while she fussed with my appearance, but I was finding it exceedingly difficult.
"We could just... you know sneak away or something," I suggested. My throat was so tight that I could hardly speak.
"Evelyn, I explained this to you already," Isaac said. "We can't simply walk away when the public has seen something like that. It could be disastrous."
"But-"
"Eve, look up at the ceiling and try not to blink."
I followed Deanna's instructions while miniature tremors raced up and down my spine. I was actually kind of grateful for the simplicity she was bringing to the situation. She wasn't asking me to make a completely improvised, world-altering speech to thousands, perhaps millions of people. A speech that would likely be played on every single news station all over the world for days and weeks and maybe even decades to come. She wasn't asking me to reveal a massive secret the entire world. All she wanted was for me to hold perfectly still while she applied a coal black liner to my lower eyelids.
I tried to focus only on that. On keeping my arms and legs steady. On keeping my head tilted slightly backwards. I focused on the cool, gentle pressure being applied to my eye-lids and the look of concentration on Deanna's face...
Nope, not working. I still wanted to throw up.
Deanna caught my eye and gave me a reassuring smile. "Listen, Eve, don't worry. We'll be right there with you." She looked my up and down. "Okay, let's deal with that hair."
"What's wrong with my hair?"
"It's looks like you just stuck your finger in an electrical socket. Here," she rummaged around in her purse and pulled out a black elastic band. "How about we tie it back?"
I hated having my hair pulled back. All that mass and volume scrunched up and wrenching on the back of my scalp. It never failed to give me a headache.
But, I didn't protest. I had bigger problems to worry about at the moment.
I planted my feet in place while Deanna forced my hair into a tight bun, leaving a few curls loose around my face. What the heck was I going to say to all those people? How was I going to explain this? Where would I even start?
And, more importantly, how were they going to react? Would they even believe me? Would I believe all this if I were in their position?
"Remember, Evelyn," Isaac said. "This is going to be a big shock to most of the people out there. Try and ease them into it."
"Umm, right," I said. Like I had any idea what that meant. Seemed like pretty vague advice to me.
"There may also be a few skeptics. Although... considering what they just saw... maybe not as many as you might expect. In either case, they'll ask you some tough questions."
"Ya think?"
"The most important thing is for you to remain calm. Don't let your emotions get the better of you. And make sure to keep your animal side firmly under control."
"Sure," I said weakly. Keep the animal in control? I didn't exactly have a good track record in that particular area.
"Are you finished yet?" Isaac asked while Deanna circled around in front of me to examine her work. My scalp felt uncomfortably tight. I resisted the urge to pull on my hair.
"Almost. We just need to deal with the shoe situation."
I looked down. My feet were bare, covered in dirt and grime. One of my nail beds was torn and smeared with coagulated blood. When had that happened?
"Danielle, do you have anything that will fit her?" Deanna asked.
"I don't think so," Danielle said. "I'm a size nine."
"I've got some extra shoes in the car," Jewel volunteered.
Deanna hesitated. Her gaze dropped to Jewels feet. She was wearing the usual skater shoes, the colours worn, the laces frayed, soles stained from dirt and mud. "Are they used?"
Jewel appeared genuinely confused by the question. "Yeah, why?"
"Well..." Deanna said, "better than nothing I suppose."
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I found a big, yellow concrete divider and sat down while Deanna and Jewel ran to the car. I was a jumpy, twitchy bundle of nerves. I bounced my left foot up and down, causing my whole leg to vibrate. My eyes were fixed on the ground. My throat felt tight. I was having trouble swallowing.
Julian and Isaac were talking quietly a few meters away. Danielle and Shane had gone with Deanna and Jewel to the car. It seemed like they were trying to give me some space. A little time alone to mentally prepare and psych myself up. Part of me was happy for the solitude. Another part was terrified by the sheer panic that threatened to swallow me up every time my inner thoughts took over.
Whatever they thought I might be doing over here, I was definitely not psyching myself up. I was swirling into an abyss of terror.
I almost wished they would speed things up a little. I just wanted to get this whole thing over with. All this waiting was going to give me a freaking heart attack.
Someone dropped into the space next to me. "So, how about I distract Isaac while you run?"
My mouth twitched just the tiniest bit at the corners. "I seriously doubt that would work, Rez."
"Just a suggestion. But, I think we could pull it off. I can make a pretty big scene when I want to. I mean, I might not be able to shift into an eagle or a grizzly bear or a saber-toothed tiger but I could, you know, streak or something."
That startled a laugh out of me. A very choked and high-pitched laugh, but a laugh nevertheless. The knot in my chest seemed to loosen very slightly. "I'm going to completely mess this up. I know I am."
"What makes you think that?"
"Because I always mess things up?"
Reza gave me a confused look. "You do?"
"Oh come on, Rez. You can't tell me you haven't noticed."
"I've noticed a lot of things about you, Eve. But that's not one of them."
"Are you serious? What about the horse shifter I almost killed on my first day in the village? Creating a huge panic? Scaring the hell out of the birds? Causing all that damage to the school?"
"Well, technically that was the horses."
"Don't you remember the laser pointer incident?" I went on, ignoring him. "The mouse incident? The whole fiasco with Lucas?"
Reza chuckled. "Hard to forget about that one."
"First I lost my temper and shoved him through a wall. Then I shifted into a saber-toothed tiger and almost killed him," I counted my transgressions on my fingers as I spoke. "I got myself and the rest of you chucked out of the village, even though you didn't even do anything. I crashed through a complete strangers window..."
"I thought that was intentional."
"...and now I just shifted in front of thousands of people! Honestly, Rez, I don't know how I can mess up any worse. But, apparently Isaac is determined to make me try! I'm probably the last person who should-"
"Eve?"
"What?"
"Shut up for a sec."
"But, I'm not finished venting ye....." the words trailed away when I realized how close he was sitting. Our knees touched. His torso was turned towards me. I could see every one of the thick, dark lashes that framed his eyes. He had that look on his face again, the one I had noticed just a few moments ago at the top of the parking garage.
Guys had been physically attracted to me before. I knew what desire looked liked. I had even seen it on Lucas's face once or twice during our disastrous first date.
But... the look Reza was giving me right now... it was somehow different. It went a lot deeper than just pure physical attraction. Exactly why he would look at me that way-after all the glaring inadequacies I had just listed-was a complete mystery in my mind. But, hey, why mess with a good thing?
I found myself leaning in closer. Reza's hand slid around to the back of my neck. He closed the distance and our lips met.
Fireworks exploded in my stomach. A warm, tingling sensation started in my fingers and spread up my arms into my chest. Everything else slipped out of my mind. All the fear and anxiety seemed to vanish for just a couple of brief seconds.
"Ahem."
We broke apart with a start, much sooner than I would have liked. Jewel had returned with a pair of skater shoes, slightly less tattered than the pair she currently had on. "Did you want these, Eve?" she held up the shoes with an impish smile. "Or should I come back later?"
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Within a few moments, I was standing stone still in front of a massive, seething crowd. I felt like the amount of people on the streets had tripled. Bodies were packed together like sardines. Traffic had come to a grinding halt. It seemed I had singled-handedly shut down the entire neighborhood.
News vans were crammed into every corner, surrounding the area like a pack of wolves. The reporters were front and center, shouting questions and waving microphones in my face. Camera's flashed from all directions, half blinding me and putting any epileptics in the crowd at serious risk of having a seizure.
At least a dozen video cameras were trained on my face, reminding me of another day that felt like a thousand years ago. Of being scooped up and carried into my house by an overly zealous police officer while I shouted protests and cameras swarmed around me.
I was completely frozen. My brain refused to work. Isaac's advice spun through my head, playing in an endless loop. Ease them into it. Be prepared for skeptics. Be prepared for tough questions.
But the questions were coming in by the truckload. At least a dozen at a time. He had mentioned absolutely nothing about how to deal with that
"What are you?" someone shouted.
"Where did you come from?" another person yelled.
"Are there others like you?"
"Are you in any way connected to the group of Vigilante Wildcats that have been making their way across the United States?"
Vigilante Wildcats. That was a new one.
One guys shouted out: "Did you seriously just turning into a ginormous bird?"
I probably could have answered the questions, if only people would slow down and ask them one at a time. As it was, I just stood dumbly with my mouth half open and all could think was the Jewel's shoes were too tight and they were pinching my toes.
I looked at Isaac in desperation. He gave me a nod and gestured to the crowd, as if to say "go on." Next to him, Deanna smiled encouragingly. Jewel gave me a thumbs up. Danielle, who was standing near my left shoulder, gave me a supportive pat on the back. Reza side-stepped a little closer and slipped his fingers though mine.
I felt my confidence stabilize and turned to face the crowd.
I took a deep breath and spoke calmly and clearly.
"My name is Evelyn O'Connor. And these are my friends Isaac, Julian, Reza, Danielle, Jewel, Deanna and Shane."
The crowd had suddenly gone very quiet. My voice seemed to carry for miles.
"But, you probably know us better as the Vigilante Wildcats...."
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End
Author's note: THANK YOU to all my readers!! I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it for you!
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