CHAPTER IV

A few weeks after arriving, Cameron decided she owed Jackie for the tour, and reluctantly joined her for a drama class practice at 1 o'clock. She sat in the third row as Jackie stood up next to her and called, "Okay, guys! Let's do it again—a little louder this time!"

"Okay!" the gold-and-purple creature (Zillion "Zill" Martinez) and his girlfriend, a red kangaroo (Kayla Christling), called back.

Cameron relaxed in her seat as Kayla's piano-playing eased the tension that remained inside her, and she closed her eyes as the two students sang a beautiful duet. I think I'm getting used to this place, she thought, a smile coming to her face.

Suddenly, a loud, exaggerated sigh interrupted the duet, and Cameron opened her eyes to see the jackal-ghost thing (Damian Beelzly) leaning on the piano. "You sing like an angel, Kayla," he crooned as the duet came to a screeching halt.

Startled, Kayla let out a screech and darted away.

Jackie grimaced. "Ooh."

Zill shot Damian a scowl.

"Every time!" the jackal complained.

-

P.O.V. – Students

"Ya know, Damian," Zill said, annoyed, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to hit on my girlfriend. Especially right in front of me."

Damian stared at him, undaunted. "Does it upset you?" he asked, deadpan.

"Yes!" Zill snapped, his irritation growing.

"Sorry! No habla English, Señor Zilliano!" Damian spun with a shrug and sauntered away while Zill simmered behind him.

Kayla peeked out from behind Zill. "Sorry about that, Zill," she apologized. "I always get nervous when he gets too close."

"'s okay, babe," Zill told her, putting an arm around her. "It's not like he's any kind of competition." He gave Kayla a reassuring kiss on the forehead while she gave him a grateful smile.

Damian scoffed from his place next to his cousin, Jackson Wells, who sat at the drums. "Can't they ever just get a room?" Damian groaned.

"Dame, why do you care, anyway?" Jack replied, giving his cousin a sidelong look. "Your chances with Kayla are zero. And she's terrified of you!"

"Nah!" Damian replied, waving his hands dismissively and laughing. "Religious girls are just a challenge." He smoothed back his ears and added roguishly, "But they always give into temptation in the end."

Jack rolled his eyes.

-

P.O.V. – Cameron

"Alright, guys! That was great!" Jackie called encouragingly. Then she turned to Cameron and asked, "What did you think, Cam?"

"I thought they sounded fine!" Cameron replied honestly.

Satisfied, Jackie turned back to the stage. "Okay! Break time, guys!" she announced. As the students dispersed, she looked at Cameron again. "Oh, hey, Cam! I wanted to ask ya somethin'." She held up a poster that had been sitting on the chair next to her and explained, "Every year, I host a little talent show to sort of entice more students to explore their passions! Would you like to help me out with it this year?"

"Um... sure," Cameron responded. "That sounds fun..." "Great!" Jackie gave Cameron a big, unwanted hug. "Thanks! It'll be fun, yes it will!" She pulled back and added, "Normally, Al helps me, but he's not very good at organizing."

"Well, it'll be nice to help you out, getting to bond with one of the only other humans I've seen here," Cameron commented hopefully.

At that, Jackie burst out laughing. "I'm not human!" Jackie giggled.

Cameron's hope quickly died away, and her face fell. "Th-Then... what are you, exactly?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"I'm an Avian!" Jackie responded proudly.

Cameron cringed. "I don't follow you," she lied, having a sickening feeling that she knew exactly what Jackie meant.

"Hm..." Jackie tapped her chin. Then she asked, "Do you know what a 'shapeshifter' is?"

"In fantasy stories, yeah..."

At that, Jackie's arms suddenly transformed into giant wings as she threw one around Cameron. "Avians are bird shapeshifters," she explained. "We usually take human form because it can be easier to handle things with hands rather than with wings!" She went fully bird-mode as she added excitedly, "And it's easier to eat fun foods or kiss with mouths rather than beaks, y'know?" She cocked her head and asked teasingly, "Are you scared of birds, too?"

Cameron stared at the gigantic bird, turning pale. "I'm pretty scared of all animals, to be perfectly honest," she croaked out as Jackie leaned close. "It's something I'm gonna have to get over, I guess..."

"That is the best attitude to have, Cam!" Jackie squealed, throwing a wing around Cameron and pulling her into her bosom. "I am so proud of you!" She gave Cameron another very unwanted embrace.

-

Carrie leaned against the theatre's entrance, arms crossed. "Hm..."

-

"Okay, guys, break is ov—" Jackie began to say, turning back to the stage.

RIIIIIIIIIINNNNG!!!

Jackie jumped and pouted. "Oops! Looks like I lost track of time there!" She shifted back into human form and sang, "Class dismissed!"

-

P.O.V. – Students

"So, Zill..."

Zill turned as Kayla walked up behind him, an eager expression on her face. "You excited for next week?" she asked, grinning.

"Next week?" Zill repeated. What the heck is next week? he wondered—before catching a glimpse of the talent show poster out of the corner of his eye.

Oooooooh. "Oh! Next week! Yeah!" Zill said quickly, grinning back at Kayla. "I have something special planned for the two of us," he told her, bobbing his eyebrows before kissing her on the head.

Kayla giggled and hopped off to her next class. "Bye, sweetie!"

"Catchya later, baby!" Zill called back, shooting finger guns in Kayla's direction.

-

Kayla sighed, leaning against the locker next to Vanexa's. "I can't believe next week is our three-year anniversary!"

Vanexa grunted.

"I wonder what he has planned?" Kayla gushed.

Vanexa stared at her blankly.

"I mean, I don't mind whatever he planned," Kayla went on. "Anything would be fine with me. But he always does the most romantic things!" she added, hugging Vanexa tightly.

Vanexa let out a low growl.

Kayla giggled almost maniacally as she hopped away.

Vanexa rolled her eyes and opened her locker, only to be licked in the face by a small red fox (Spam), who'd been hiding inside. She glowered at him while he gave her a sheepish grin.

-

"So Zill, what are you and Kayla doing for next week?" Jack asked as he and his best friend walked down the hallway.

"Oh, I have the best idea for us!" Zill assured him. "Y'know that song we sang from the musical freshman year?"

"Yeah! The year you hooked up," Jack recalled.

"Well, I figured it would be the perfect song to sing for the show!"

Jack paused. He stared at Zill in confusion, tilting his head. "The show?"

"Yeah! The tryouts are next week, and I know Kayla's really stoked!"

Jack chuckled at Zill's obliviousness. "Uh, heh... Zill... I think you're, uh... forgetting—"

"—forgetting you have some real competition this year!" Damian interrupted as he appeared out of nowhere, clamping a hand over Jack's mouth. "Your winning streak has come to an end," he sneered at Zill.

"You sure about that, squirt?" Zill replied with a mocking smirk.

Damian let out a snarl but kept his hand firmly clamped over Jack's mouth.

"O-kay... well, see ya, Jack!" Zill told his friend. "I gotta go to work early today."

"Bmmf," Jack replied, waving.

Once Zill was gone, Jack shoved Damian away and snapped, "What's your issue, Dame?"

"I can't let you remind that show-off of his anniversary!" Damian growled. "It's his own fault he forgot."

"So you think you can stop me from telling my best friend he forgot his three-year anniversary?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Yessssss," Damian hissed with an evil chuckle.

"Try!" Jack challenged.

Damian pursed his lips thoughtfully.

-

"Comfy?" Damian snickered.

"Damian!!!" Jack shouted, tied up in a locker thanks to the half-demon jackal's superior strength. "Let me out of h—"

Damian slammed the locker shut, muffling Jack's words. "It's only a week, Jack," he called as he walked away, putting on a pair of sunglasses. "Hang tight.

"Just... a... week..."