To read Part Three, please click here.
"Tim, do you have chameleon eyes or something?" Alia asks abruptly after our food arrives.
"What?"
"The first time we met, your eyes were blue. Then, at the archery range, your eyes were brown. And now, they’re light green." She takes a bite of her cheese pizza slice.
Darn it, John was right. This is going to be trickier than I thought.
"Alia, what are you talking about? Are you alright?"
"Sorry, I’m just the kind of girl that notices a person's eyes the first time I see them."
"It’s all good." But she’s too sharp, smarter than I thought; she’ll definitely suspect now. Maybe I should tell her I’m a shifter, but the good type.
She smiles oddly. "Anyways — "
"I lied earlier. I’m not a wizard," I interrupt her, taking in a breath. "I’m a shapeshifter. But I’m not an evil one; I use my power for good." This better not backfire on me. My whole plan could get ruined. I stuff some dry garlic bread into my mouth before I say anything else I might regret.
"Oh. Cool." She looks down at her food. That’s it?
"Have you met good shifters before?" I ask, hopeful that this will work, that I can still get closer to her.
"Yes, actually. I have two friends that are shapeshifters. They’re pretty nice guys. I’m not close to them, though, my best friend is."
"Great. So you’re still okay with . . . this?" I gesture to both of us, this dinner date.
"Yeah. I am." Alia smiles and takes a sip of her drink.
"So what about you? What are you?"
"I guess if we’re being honest . . . " She hesitates for a moment.
"You can trust me. I want to get to know you better." She needs to tell me, this is the best way I can incorporate her into our plan. This will make it go a lot more smoothly.
"Uh. Right." She pauses for a moment, then smiles. "I’m just a regular wizard."
"What type of wizard?" Why's she acting secretive about it? Well, I can't judge. I'm still being secretive about my identity.
"Oh, um. Isn't a regular wizard considered an elemental wizard here?" She bites her lip. That’s strange. Something's off.
"I guess so?"
She nods. "Yeah . . . So moving on, do you have any siblings?"
"I have a sister. What about you?" Great, small talk will help ease things up.
"Only child. I live here with my best friend." She grins.
"Cool. So I’m curious, can you tell me more about these shapeshifter friends?"
"Why?" She raises her eyebrows
"Just to know about others like me and what they do and all." Shoot, maybe I brought that up too soon.
"They just go to the same magic academy my friend goes to. Nothing to tell, really."
"Well. I think it would be nice if I could, you know, meet them sometime or something." I smile, hopeful.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Why? Is there a problem with that?" I feel heat creep up my neck for some reason.
"No, no problem at all. It just seems kind of weird, but alright."
"Why does it seem weird, Alia?" Does she suspect something?
"N-nothing. It’s nothing. We’ll do that later. It’s getting pretty late. I’m going to head home." She puts down her napkin.
"You want me to drop you off?" I ask kindly.
"No, thanks. I’ll text you later, bye." She hurries out of the diner. Why did she start acting weird all of a sudden? What's wrong with her? Is she lying about her identity too?
Regardless of that fact, it'll be nice to get to know new shapeshifters. And the more shifters I recruit for my plan, the more powerful we'll be. I don't know about bringing Alia into it anymore. She's definitely hiding something. Or maybe that 'something' could help with the plan after all.
"What?"
"The first time we met, your eyes were blue. Then, at the archery range, your eyes were brown. And now, they’re light green." She takes a bite of her cheese pizza slice.
Darn it, John was right. This is going to be trickier than I thought.
"Alia, what are you talking about? Are you alright?"
"Sorry, I’m just the kind of girl that notices a person's eyes the first time I see them."
"It’s all good." But she’s too sharp, smarter than I thought; she’ll definitely suspect now. Maybe I should tell her I’m a shifter, but the good type.
She smiles oddly. "Anyways — "
"I lied earlier. I’m not a wizard," I interrupt her, taking in a breath. "I’m a shapeshifter. But I’m not an evil one; I use my power for good." This better not backfire on me. My whole plan could get ruined. I stuff some dry garlic bread into my mouth before I say anything else I might regret.
"Oh. Cool." She looks down at her food. That’s it?
"Have you met good shifters before?" I ask, hopeful that this will work, that I can still get closer to her.
"Yes, actually. I have two friends that are shapeshifters. They’re pretty nice guys. I’m not close to them, though, my best friend is."
"Great. So you’re still okay with . . . this?" I gesture to both of us, this dinner date.
"Yeah. I am." Alia smiles and takes a sip of her drink.
"So what about you? What are you?"
"I guess if we’re being honest . . . " She hesitates for a moment.
"You can trust me. I want to get to know you better." She needs to tell me, this is the best way I can incorporate her into our plan. This will make it go a lot more smoothly.
"Uh. Right." She pauses for a moment, then smiles. "I’m just a regular wizard."
"What type of wizard?" Why's she acting secretive about it? Well, I can't judge. I'm still being secretive about my identity.
"Oh, um. Isn't a regular wizard considered an elemental wizard here?" She bites her lip. That’s strange. Something's off.
"I guess so?"
She nods. "Yeah . . . So moving on, do you have any siblings?"
"I have a sister. What about you?" Great, small talk will help ease things up.
"Only child. I live here with my best friend." She grins.
"Cool. So I’m curious, can you tell me more about these shapeshifter friends?"
"Why?" She raises her eyebrows
"Just to know about others like me and what they do and all." Shoot, maybe I brought that up too soon.
"They just go to the same magic academy my friend goes to. Nothing to tell, really."
"Well. I think it would be nice if I could, you know, meet them sometime or something." I smile, hopeful.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Why? Is there a problem with that?" I feel heat creep up my neck for some reason.
"No, no problem at all. It just seems kind of weird, but alright."
"Why does it seem weird, Alia?" Does she suspect something?
"N-nothing. It’s nothing. We’ll do that later. It’s getting pretty late. I’m going to head home." She puts down her napkin.
"You want me to drop you off?" I ask kindly.
"No, thanks. I’ll text you later, bye." She hurries out of the diner. Why did she start acting weird all of a sudden? What's wrong with her? Is she lying about her identity too?
Regardless of that fact, it'll be nice to get to know new shapeshifters. And the more shifters I recruit for my plan, the more powerful we'll be. I don't know about bringing Alia into it anymore. She's definitely hiding something. Or maybe that 'something' could help with the plan after all.