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"Well, who else knows about this? This changing?"
"No one I’d be turned into some sort of top secret medical experih to be locked away in an insane asylum for the rest of my pitiful life," I snapped "Your son already thinks I’m crazy without that little tidbit added to s"
Mrs Carpenter nodded, her face thoughtful "I see Now, tonight you looked just like Shash I couldn’t tell the two of you apart Why’s that, do you think?"
I shrugged again "Ever since I started changing, I always looked like Mrs Montgoe tabby, my foster mother’s pet Maybe I turn into whatever anied the side ofyou don’t own a cow"
"Well, at least you weren’t a wolf Or a grizzly bear," Mrs Carpenter said with a shiver "I would have shot you without hesitating if that had been the case" She looked at me with a frown "Tell ed for the first ti with the Montgoone to a party with some kids from school They were totally bad kids, but I was desperate to fit in There was alcohol at the party and I wanted them to like me So I tried alcohol for the first time--tequila" Mrs Carpenter’s eyebrows shot up "Don’t worry It was the biggest ot wasted and passed out When I woke up, it was the ht I had been dumped in someone’s front yard and all I wanted to do was catch rats I didn’t even realize I wasn’t hu ed on rats till dawn" My stoans, and bones
"When I changed back toin so up undigested chunks of rat ht htmare Until a dirty homeless man tried to attack me I kicked him in the crotch, ran out into the road, and was almost hit by a police car That was the first time I was picked up for indecent exposure" I looked at Mrs Carpenter She was leaning toward er to hear more
"I thought it was the alcohol that e I haven’t touched it since, but when the e back
"That’s why I have a police record, why I ae, don’t even want to But it is as unavoidable as e, I can’t take my clothes withthe "Well, I knew you weren’t up to no good when they found you naked in the streets My gut toldAnd Ollie thinks you’re a prostitute!" She began laughing, a full-bodied chuckle "You, a prostitute!"
I se when the moon is full, or any time you want?"
"Only at the full moon," I said, but then remembered the day in track when I’d tripped on the hurdle My vision had sharpened and rown into claws "Honestly, I’ve never tried to change I try to avoid it"
"Well, ie Mae You’ve been dealt a hard lot in life I hope you make sense of it one day, because I sure can’t I don’t knohat to do with you now" She looked atanis, I suppose there is nothing to do, is there? Unless you want ht of the next full irl I’ll just keep re myself of that"
She looked rather dazed as she took my empty bowl to the kitchen When she came back, she said, "Let’s not move you out to the barn just yet Not until anihed Ia punch, but I was relieved at the thought of staying in the house Taking a deep breath, I asked the question that had been troubling me since she’d found me in the barn "What’s a Skinwalker?"
Her lips thinned and she wouldn’tof them draws the lot I stared at the tan brick school through the rain-streakedand wished I could shrink down into my seat and disappear When all the students had filed off, I dragged myself to the exit and stepped into the rain My feet refused to take another step
The parking lot hirl with students They hurried past ain
By the ti, I was soaked clean through My bra was visible beneathwet black T-shirt and my drenched hair looked blacker than black despite that it wasn’t black anyed forward
As I pushed the school door open, the tardy bell rang and students evacuated the halls My shoes squeaked and squelched on the linoleuym and my feet screeched to a stop before the rest of my body Hands clamped down on lared up at Bridger
"Can I talk to you?" he asked
"Nope"
"I need to talk to you I tried calling your house yesterday, but Mrs Carpenter said you were grounded frorounded Leaveattached to soet hurt I turned toward the locker rooreally i so i ride home? What came up?"