Page 3 of Shifting Forms For Clumsy Felines

"Not the current one," he says quickly. "I get on well with Kayra."

I stare at him, unable to formulate any of the questions racing around my head. "You know the current Shifter Queen too?"

"Yes. It was her mother that was the problem."

"Wasn't she deposed by Queen Kayra?"

"She was," he responds. "It's a long story. And not one for here." He glances around, reminding me that we're in the middle of the Freshers Fair. It's probably not the best place to be talking about the biggest political scandal to rock the shifter world since the 1800s.

"It sounds intriguing," I admit.

"Then I'll be glad to tell you it another time. But why don't we focus on the fair instead? You've signed up for cheer squad, what else do you want to be part of while you're here? There's ShiftSoc if you want to spend more time with shifters."

"What does a shifter social club even do? Shift and hang out in a room?"

"I think it's just an excuse to drink and party, like most of the societies." Laughter lingers in his voice. "But it's never a bad thing to be part of something like that."

"All right, then. Why don't you lead the way." I'm not sure whether I want to be part of it, but I promised my parents I'd make the most of my academy experience. Getting a social life is part of that, even if it's less important to me than my studies or cheer practice.

Despite my reservations, Obscure Academy is an experience I can only have once, and I don't want to miss anything while I'm here. Luckily for me, I seem to have found a guide who is determined to help me.

2

Krissi

"Take a break,"Zara instructs, waving us all away.

I relax and let my arms fall to my sides. The fringe of my pom-poms tickles my thigh even through the workout leggings I'm wearing. I dread to think what they'll be like when I'm in uniform. It surprises me the academy isn't able to provide us with some that are better quality.

I head over to the benches to grab a drink. I'm not new to cheering. I know that if I want to stay on top form, then I need to stay hydrated.

"Hey," a girl I recognise from tryouts says as she grabs her water bottle.

"Hi." I wave at her, causing a rustle from my pom-pom.

"You're new too, right?"

I nod and drop my pom-poms on the bench so I can take a drink from my own. "I'm Krissi," I say, holding out my hand.

"Grace." She gives my hand a shake, then drops it quickly, probably because we're both sweaty from our workout. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I offered mine to her.

"What do you make of the Captain?" she asks.

I shrug. "She's tough, but she has to be."

"And how many cheer captains do you know who aren't?" Grace quips. "I've had my share of taskmasters."

"Same. I don't think you can get anywhere near competitive cheering without encountering a few."

"So true." She sighs. "I love it anyway."

"Me too. It's the perfect combination of gymnastics and…"

"Dance," she finishes for me. "I know what you mean. Mum pushed me towards ballet for the longest time, but it wasn't the right fit for me."

"Mine tried to get me to focus on gymnastics." I'd been terrible at it though. I know lots of people who are great at all the tumbling and tricks they need, but for me it wasn't quite right. When I got a chance to try out for my first cheer squad, everything fell into place.

"How are you finding the academy?" she asks.