You Call This a Gift?
Chapter 21: Annalisia

I made it back towards the dining hall and continued jogging. I went all the way up past all the girls’ cabins and back down the other side and back around to the dining hall. I walked in the door pushing my hair away from my face and looking around for the girls. I didn’t see them, so either they were still sleeping or I missed them.

I grabbed a tray and looked at the food in front of me. I grabbed the spatula and placed a cheese omelet on my tray. I also grabbed toast, a banana, and a cup of cranberry juice. I turned around with my tray in hand and peered at the crowd again looking for anyone I knew. I noticed Jonah sitting alone and looking in my direction. I hoped he hadn’t seen me this morning, as that would be embarrassing. I plopped down on the bench across from him. His face lit up with a smile as he let out his “good morning.” I said it back and began to eat the food on my tray. The jog was fun and all, but man did it peak up my appetite. I finished my food in a matter of minutes and looked up to see Jonah laughing.

“Well, someone was hungry, I can see,” he said still laughing between words.

I pushed his shoulder and said, “Don’t judge me because I like food.”

Then, we both broke out in laughter as everyone looked at us wondering what we found so funny. I met his eyes when the laughing stopped, and for a moment, I thought he might lean forward and kiss me, but he didn’t. Rather, he turned his head away and looked at his phone.

“Oh crap, I need to go,” he said as he jumped up and ran out the door leaving his tray behind. I sighed and stared down at the tray he had been using.

I pushed open the cabin door and plopped down on the couch. The girls were in the kitchen playing canasta. I lay back and dozed off. In my dream, I was in the dining hall again and Jonah marched up, swung me around, and just as he was about to kiss me, Sable shook me awake.

“Time to go,” she said and then ran out the door.

I met Miss Humai at the bench again and we started the exercises again. I told her about yesterday and the new power I discovered.

“I suspected that when I heard about your ‘hot flashes,’” she said. “That’s the number on indicator of a shapeshifter. Your body heats up as it attempts to take the shape of another. The more you practice shifting, the easier it gets. Once you have a handle on it, you will only feel the heat for a second, but at first it can be quite painful. Have you told your mother yet?” she asked.

“I completely forgot,” I said remembering my plan to call her this morning.

“Give her a call later and let her know. She will be so excited!” she replied smiling. “Well, now that I know that, let’s take a turn working on that power,” she said. “Close your eyes and pretend you’re a bunny. How does it feel? Imagine the feeling of little legs and fur all over your skin. Imagine how it feels to hop. Play it all in your mind,” she added.

I did as she said; I pictured it all; I pretended I was a bunny hopping through a field grass pushing down beneath my feet, dandelions blowing in the breeze. I felt the heat hit my body and pain surged through me. I opened my eyes and shook my head. “I was still me,” I thought looking at my ten fingers. “It didn’t work. I felt the heat, but it didn’t work,” I said annoyed.

“It didn’t work because you let the pain distract you and overtake you. You must ignore the pain and stay focused on being a bunny and the way that it feels,” she said with encouragement.

I tried three more times before lunch and every time I was still me. Same old lame me. “You call this a gift?” I asked annoyed with my failed attempts.

“It is a gift, and once you learn how to use it, you will appreciate it… it only gets easier from here you will get it…but let’s get lunch and then start again,” she said motioning for me to follow her to the dining hall.

I dropped two slices of sausage pizza on my tray, grabbed a bottle of Snapple and made my way to the table. Kenna, Sable, and Lorraine sat talking about the success of their day, while I sat moping about my failures of the day.

“What’s wrong, cupcake?” I heard Jonah say with concern in his voice as he sat down next to me.

“Nothing, just can’t do anything right today,” I said with an attitude.

“I bet I know something you could do right,” he said with a wink.

“Eww!” I said pushing him over with my shoulder.

He started laughing and I couldn’t help but smile when I heard him laugh. He looked into my eyes smiling back, and just like in my dream, he leaned closer as if he were to kiss me. All was interrupted when he brushed his hand over my cheek.

“You have tomato sauce on your face,” he said laughing again.

I pulled away in embarrassment and looked in my phone camera to wipe it away. “How could I be so stupid to think he would kiss me?” I thought to myself feeling stupider than ever. I finished my food and went back outside to meet Miss Humai.