want from ARES?”
“I want to learn. Learn how to control Shifting.”
“Yes, yes, very good. We can do that. Of course we can do that. But first. A petite faveur, that’s a small favour. From you.” He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Who told you about Shifting?”
“I, er…” I couldn’t tell them about Aubrey. I had no idea what kind of trouble she would get in if they knew she hadn’t handed me over as she was supposed to. “I met this guy,” I lied, not meeting his eyes. “I was out with my friends and I, well I Shifted–”
“And this was Friday night, correct?” Morgan interrupted.
“Yes, like I said.”
“Just checking. Do go on. You were having fun with your little friends.”
I didn’t like the way he said the word “little”. It was like he was saying “defenceless”. Or “delicious”.
I pressed on. “Yes, and after I Shifted, this guy stopped me and explained what had happened. And then when I went home, a card was waiting for me. So I rang you.” I rushed through the last bit, hoping he wouldn’t scrutinize my story too closely.
“And this guy?” Morgan said, inspecting the ceiling. “What did he look like?”
I hunted around for an image and I remembered Zac. I didn’t care if he got into trouble. I described him, as vaguely as possible.
Morgan squinted at me. His eyes little slits. Perhaps he recognised the description or perhaps he didn’t believe a word of it. He stood up and walked slowly back to his seat and rattled off an amendment to my file on his keyboard.
“Tell, me Scott. What would it mean to you if I were to say the letters… SLF?” he glared at me, as if trying to read a reaction on my face, as if trying to catch me out.
I kept my face as still as possible. “Um, are they a band?”
“How about The Shifters Liberation Front? Does that ring any bells? Ding-a-ling?”
I pursed my lips together and shook my head. “Nope. Sorry.”
“Hmm, we’ll look into that,” he said. “But in the meantime, we have you.” He stretched out his palms. “Mr Scott Tyler who wants to learn how to control his powers. I am very glad to say that you have come to the right place. In fact,” he slapped both hands together,“you have come to the only place.” He laughed again.
“So you will help me?” I thought about what had happened and a shudder rippled through me.
“Of course we will Scotty. That’s what we do here at ARES. Help people. Of course, you’re signing up a little later than most of our…” he paused, finding the right word. “Recruits. And I doubt you’ll ever become anything special. But it’s never too late to learn, is it now? So.” He sprang up out of his chair, sending it rocking towards the window. “There’s no time like the present. Let’s get you signed up and we can begin training.”
“Today?” I said. I was starting to feel like everything was out of control.
“Well, we can’t have you running around, Shifting willy-nilly, now can we?”
What was with this guy? He was only a teenager but spoke like he was thirty years older. It was safe to say I didn’t like Morgan. Not even a tiny bit. He was smug, patronising and, well, quite a large git. But no worse than a lot of my teachers.
I stood up and he gave me that “manly” slap on the shoulder again, harder this time, and led me out of the room.
Chapter Twelve
He guided me back down the corridor to a door marked 101.
“Room 101?” I laughed, nervously. “So will you make me betray everyone I ever loved in there or something?”
Morgan stopped and took a pass card out from his inside pocket. His brow wrinkled in confusion.
“1984? Big Brother?” I suggested.
“I never watch reality TV,” he said, turning his back and swiping the card through an electronic reader. Locks clunked and the door opened, revealing a large white room. The floorboards squeaked slightly under our weight as we walked inside. The room was occupied by five small
“I want to learn. Learn how to control Shifting.”
“Yes, yes, very good. We can do that. Of course we can do that. But first. A petite faveur, that’s a small favour. From you.” He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Who told you about Shifting?”
“I, er…” I couldn’t tell them about Aubrey. I had no idea what kind of trouble she would get in if they knew she hadn’t handed me over as she was supposed to. “I met this guy,” I lied, not meeting his eyes. “I was out with my friends and I, well I Shifted–”
“And this was Friday night, correct?” Morgan interrupted.
“Yes, like I said.”
“Just checking. Do go on. You were having fun with your little friends.”
I didn’t like the way he said the word “little”. It was like he was saying “defenceless”. Or “delicious”.
I pressed on. “Yes, and after I Shifted, this guy stopped me and explained what had happened. And then when I went home, a card was waiting for me. So I rang you.” I rushed through the last bit, hoping he wouldn’t scrutinize my story too closely.
“And this guy?” Morgan said, inspecting the ceiling. “What did he look like?”
I hunted around for an image and I remembered Zac. I didn’t care if he got into trouble. I described him, as vaguely as possible.
Morgan squinted at me. His eyes little slits. Perhaps he recognised the description or perhaps he didn’t believe a word of it. He stood up and walked slowly back to his seat and rattled off an amendment to my file on his keyboard.
“Tell, me Scott. What would it mean to you if I were to say the letters… SLF?” he glared at me, as if trying to read a reaction on my face, as if trying to catch me out.
I kept my face as still as possible. “Um, are they a band?”
“How about The Shifters Liberation Front? Does that ring any bells? Ding-a-ling?”
I pursed my lips together and shook my head. “Nope. Sorry.”
“Hmm, we’ll look into that,” he said. “But in the meantime, we have you.” He stretched out his palms. “Mr Scott Tyler who wants to learn how to control his powers. I am very glad to say that you have come to the right place. In fact,” he slapped both hands together,“you have come to the only place.” He laughed again.
“So you will help me?” I thought about what had happened and a shudder rippled through me.
“Of course we will Scotty. That’s what we do here at ARES. Help people. Of course, you’re signing up a little later than most of our…” he paused, finding the right word. “Recruits. And I doubt you’ll ever become anything special. But it’s never too late to learn, is it now? So.” He sprang up out of his chair, sending it rocking towards the window. “There’s no time like the present. Let’s get you signed up and we can begin training.”
“Today?” I said. I was starting to feel like everything was out of control.
“Well, we can’t have you running around, Shifting willy-nilly, now can we?”
What was with this guy? He was only a teenager but spoke like he was thirty years older. It was safe to say I didn’t like Morgan. Not even a tiny bit. He was smug, patronising and, well, quite a large git. But no worse than a lot of my teachers.
I stood up and he gave me that “manly” slap on the shoulder again, harder this time, and led me out of the room.
Chapter Twelve
He guided me back down the corridor to a door marked 101.
“Room 101?” I laughed, nervously. “So will you make me betray everyone I ever loved in there or something?”
Morgan stopped and took a pass card out from his inside pocket. His brow wrinkled in confusion.
“1984? Big Brother?” I suggested.
“I never watch reality TV,” he said, turning his back and swiping the card through an electronic reader. Locks clunked and the door opened, revealing a large white room. The floorboards squeaked slightly under our weight as we walked inside. The room was occupied by five small
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