Shifters (The Neturu Chronicles Book 3)

by Sarah Carter

  She glares ahead and then grabs her cell phone. Lexi dials a number and waits. A voice picks up. “Lexi, go to school.”

  “What? How do you know?” she gasps at Grandpa Drake.

  “I’m sitting here with your father.”

  “You OUTRANK him. Please, don’t make me go,” she whines. “Rule. Rule over Dad. Your decisions outweigh his.”

  “Not when it comes to parenting,” her grandpa Drake sighs.

  Slamming her head back, Lexi goes, “If you make me go into that school, I’m just going to run through it, and I mean THROUGH it. Then I will flip over every desk and just terrorize everyone. Then I’m going to scream that the Neturu exist.”

  “No, you won’t.”

  “Oh yes, I will,” she retorts.

  “Lexi, there isn’t an all Neturu school,” Grandpa Drake says. “You need to do this.”

  Tears well up in her eyes. “I hate you guys. I’m not going in there.”

  “Lexi...”

  Suddenly, there is a knock on the window. Lexi looks up. Connor is standing outside her car. He shoves his hands into his skull hoodie pocket and smiles. “Shit. I have to go.”

  “Go to school.”

  “Whatever.” She ends the call and rolls down her window. “Hi.”

  Connor looks her car up and down. “Dude, nice car. What year is it?”

  “It’s a 1965 Mustang Shelby,” Lexi whispers.

  “Damn,” Connor whistles. “Your parents buy this for you?”

  “For my 16th birthday.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “How old are you?”

  “I will be 17 in three weeks,” Lexi says, very quietly.

  “You’re a junior,” Connor says. Lexi nods. “So am I. I just want to apologize for Jackie. She was way out of line. Your hair rocks. She’s probably just jealous.”

  Lexi looks down and whispers, “She has a thing for you.”

  “Why do you say that?” Connor asks.

  “That was her totally trying to lay claim,” Lexi exhales. “It doesn’t matter. This was a mistake. I’m leaving.”

  “No, you can’t seriously leave because of her,” Connor laughs. He reaches in and steals Lexi’s keys.

  “Hey!” she screams. Getting out of the car, she snaps, “Give me my keys, Connor.”

  He shoves them into his pocket. “Nope, you are going to stay and enjoy your first day at Walker High. There’s so much to show you. So many people you need to meet. I’m by far the most important.”

  A smirk twitches on Lexi’s face. “That’s nice of you to say.”

  “Nice!” he scoffs. “Usually I’m a major asshole.”

  Her eyebrows shoot up. “Seriously?”

  Connor shakes his head. “No, I’m not an asshole at all. Sometimes if I’m defending people, but otherwise, nope. I’m the guy who everyone wants to be with because I’m hilarious and fun.”

  “That’s good to know,” Lexi murmurs, shuffling her feet. Her hands are sweating out of nervousness. She tries to wipe them on her pants.

  “So, I’m Connor Manning and you are?”

  “Lexi. Lexi Blakely.”

  “Daughter of Dr. Blakely?”

  Lexi smiles and nods. “That’s my dad. He’s my best friend.”

  “He looks so young to have a seventeen-year-old daughter. Holy cow.”

  She smiles. “I was two when they adopted me. They were both nineteen.”

  “That’s still a young age to adopt a kid,” Connor says, looking confused.

  “It was an emergency situation, and I needed a home,” Lexi says. “You should go to class. The bell is going to ring.”

  “Nah,” Connor scoffs. “The bells have been down for weeks. It’s been great. You can lie and be like, ‘My watch is a different time.’”

  Opening her mouth, Lexi pauses before saying, “I have a feeling the bells are fixed.”

  Suddenly, there is a high ring of bells. “Oh shit,” Connor gasps. “Come on.” He grabs her hand and starts to pull her through the cars. “What is your first class?”

  “I don’t know,” Lexi replies. “I was supposed to be in the office a half an hour ago.”

  “Oh, rebellious,” Connor laughs. “Are you a bad girl? Are you going to smoke out back?”

  “No, smoking is nasty. It makes you smell awful and probably taste awful,” Lexi states. “I could never imagine kissing a smoker.”

  He turns around and winks. “I guess you’ll never kiss me then.”

  She raises an eyebrow. “Eww.”

  Stopping, his jaw drops. “Eww to kissing me in general or because I’m a smoker.”

  “I’m not answering that,” Lexi mumbles, her cheeks growing hot.

  “Are you gay? Because most girls can’t resist me,” Connor replies. Lexi’s jaw drops, and he bursts out laughing. “The look on your face is payment enough for that comment. I was only kidding.”

  “My Aunt Aurora and her wife Nancy are gay, and you should be scared of them. But, please...don’t tease me,” Lexi whispers. “I get enough of that.” She yanks her hand away and walks to the building.

  Connor jogs up next to her. “Listen, it was playful teasing. I wasn’t trying to make fun of you or anything. And I was joking around. I’m not that conceited. Lots of girls resist me. I’m actually very picky myself.”

  “That can be a good thing,” Lexi sighs.

  He bumps his hip against hers. “Are you picky?”

  Nervously, she laughs. “Oh. Well. Pretty sure I will end up with thirty cats.”

  Laughing with her, Connor says, “Cat lady, huh? Wouldn’t have pegged you for that. Are you going to be a recluse? Crazy hair? Never leaves the house?”

  Lexi laughs and sighs, “Probably.”

  “Low self-esteem or what?” Connor asks. “Not to be pushy.”

  She stops and turns to him. “I’m the only one like me in this whole universe. That’s the honest truth.”

  “Being one of a kind is a good thing,” Connor says. “Individual. That’s sexy.” He winks at her, and Lexi’s eyes widen. “No Barbie doll cardboard cutout.”

  “No,” Lexi laughs. “My hair’s purple. I am smarter than anyone in this school. And I’m wise beyond my years. Plus, I don’t do the whole girly girl thing. I’m like my mom in a lot of ways.”

  “Your mom’s not girly?”

  “Oh god. You should have seen the stuff she would wear when she was my age,” Lexi snorts. “Trust me she’s a girl, but in her own way.”

  They get to the front door, and Connor stops. “So, this is it.”

  “Can I have my keys back?” Lexi asks, sticking out her hand.

  “Nope,” Connor replies. “This means you have to find me at the end of the day. Maybe even give me a lift home in your sweet ride.”

  “How am I going to find you?” Lexi inquires, trying really hard not to smirk.

  He shrugs his shoulders and opens the door. They walk in. “I guess you will just have to think of a way. See ya later, hon.” With that he turns and walks away.

  Lexi smiles broadly. “Little do you know I will be able to see when you blow your nose today.” She thinks hard and nothing comes up. “What in the hell...” It’s then that she realizes she can’t see him. She can’t see him at all. This has never happened before. Lexi shakes her head and tries to clear her mind.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be in class?” a voice says. She turns to see an older gentleman standing behind her. He has salt and pepper hair and a grey beard. “Young lady,” he says again. “Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”

  “I’m new,” she replies. “I’m looking for the office.” Even though she knows exactly where it is.

  “It’s around that corner and on your left. You should have been there a while ago,” the guy says, giving her a stone stare.

  Lexi shrugs her shoulders. “I got lost on my way here.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Lexi Blakely,” she replies, slowly.

  “Is your fat
her Dr. Damien Blakely?”

  Reluctantly, Lexi nods. “Yeah.”

  “He removed my grandson’s brain tumor a year ago. My name is Andrew Blyce.” He extends his hand and shakes hers. Suddenly, he gets a different look in his eyes, and he softens. “Wow, well, we should definitely get you into the office. Why don’t I escort you there?” He gestures in front of them. Lexi steps in front of him and rolls her eyes. Okay, she knows she has an ability. Maybe school won’t be so hard.

  Mr. Blyce helps her through everything in the office. He ends up being the principal, and Lexi’s happy she is on his good side. Finally, they make it to her first class. Advanced Chemistry. They walk in and everyone gets quiet. Lexi’s hands start to sweat, and her cheeks light on fire.

  The teacher walks over. It’s a woman with red hair. “Hi. I’m Ms. Appison.” She reaches out and shakes Lexi’s hand. “We were just talking about the next experiment. You will need to join a group for lab.”

  Lexi vigorously shakes her head. “No, I can do the labs by myself.”

  “What’s the fun in that?” Ms. Appison laughs. “Let’s put you with a group. Any volunteers?”

  Everyone stares at her. Lexi feels about an inch tall. Then a hand raises. It’s a guy. His hair is blue, and he has a tattoo on his neck of a Nordic star. The girl next to him glares at Lexi. It’s Jackie. “We would be happy to have her join,” the guy cheers.

  “Thanks Derrick,” Ms. Appison replies. She turns to Lexi. “You can go take a seat next to Jackie.”

  “Oh, awesome,” Lexi sighs.

  “Miss Blakely,” Principal Blyce says. “If you need anything, just come to my office.”

  “I will. Thank you,” she whispers. Lexi walks over and sits down next to Jackie. Jackie looks at her with an annoyed expression. Jackie then leans her chair back on its back two legs.

  “Sorry, Mom,” Lexi whispers. Jackie’s chair slips out from underneath her, and she falls backwards. She hits the floor with a bang. Everyone starts laughing.

  “Are you all right, Miss Tammeron?” Ms. Appison asks. “You’re not supposed to be doing that.”

  She gets up off the floor and is bright red. Lexi is trying not to smirk. “I’m fine,” Jackie snaps.

  “That was awesome,” Derrick laughs.

  “Shut up.”

  Derrick looks at Lexi and wiggles his eyebrows. Lexi smiles and looks away. The teacher starts lecturing on Redox reductions. This is easy for Lexi, so she sits and stares out the window. The teacher explains the lab, and everyone gets started. Derrick is the first to say, “Well, this makes no sense.”

  “It so sucks that you are my lab partner,” Jackie groans. “Ugh. If only we were allowed to choose our own.”

  “Like I would choose you,” Derrick counters. “I tolerate you since you feel the need to cling to my best friend.”

  Lexi perks up at his statement. Jackie rolls her eyes. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “Whatever, Jackie. You have a snowball’s chance in hell in getting together with him. Give up already.”

  Jackie glares at him. “Let’s do this experiment. Now, maybe we can get better explanation.”

  “Actually,” Lexi says. “I can explain it to you. No problem.”

  She gives her a look. “Of course you can.”

  Getting quiet, Lexi shuts up. Derrick leans forward. “Don’t let this bitch get to you. Explain it to me.”

  “Okay,” Lexi replies. “So, what do you understand about the basic form of this lab?”

  “Nothing,” Jackie drawls out. “Not that you really understand it.”

  Lexi stops and is now pissed off. “Listen I have a 175 IQ. I don’t need to go to school. I pretty much know more than my neurosurgeon, top of his class at an Ivy League college, father. Doing and explaining this simple little lab to you? Not hard.”

  “Snap,” Derrick laughs.

  “Yeah, right,” Jackie snorts. “Why would you even be in high school?”

  “My parents and the rest of our...family...feels like I need to socialize more. I’ve been homeschooled my whole life. They feel as though I need to get out more.”

  Jackie rolls her eyes. “So, your parents are forcing you to make friends.”

  “I have friends,” Lexi retorts. “We are part of an elite group of people. They live all over the place. Paris, Rome, London, Abu Dhabi. All over the place. We are thicker than thieves.”

  “That’s cool,” Derrick says. “Have you been to any of those places?”

  “All but Abu Dhabi. The hair wouldn’t fly there. I’ve travelled all over the world my whole life. There, pretty much, isn’t anywhere I haven’t been. North Korea. I haven’t been there. And some of the Middle East. I would probably be stoned to death. Otherwise, yeah, I’ve been everywhere.”

  Derrick’s eyebrows go up. “Wow. That’s amazing.”

  “Your parents must be rich,” Jackie counters.

  Lexi contemplates for a minute before replying, “Yeah, we actually are. We don’t flaunt it. Okay, my mom doesn’t. My dad does. Though I totally rear-ended someone in his Ferrari. He was a little pissed about that.”

  “Your dad let you drive his Ferrari?” Derrick draws out.

  “Yup.”

  Jackie clicks her tongue and gives Lexi a look. “You’re totally lying.”

  Glancing up at the teacher, Lexi sees her busy with other students. Lexi whips out her phone and opens the pictures. “That’s pre-accident, and that’s post-accident.”

  “Whoa,” Derrick exclaims. “That’s crazy. My parents would have killed me.”

  “I’m a daddy’s girl. He was happy that I was safe. It’s just a car, as he would say.”

  Derrick looks up at Lexi. “Does he have anything else?”

  “Yeah. A collection.”

  “Does he let you drive them?” He asks.

  Lexi shrugs. “Sure. But I have my own car.”

  “What is it?”

  “A ’65 Mustang Shelby,” Lexi states.

  “Oh my god. Screw Connor. You’re my new best friend.”

  Getting an idea, Lexi asks, “Speaking of Connor. Where can I find him at the end of the day?”

  “Why? You know him?” Derrick replies.

  “I need to find him after school, but he’s making me figure it out on my own. I presume his best friend may know.”

  “Why do you need to find him?” Jackie growls.

  With a sigh, Lexi says, “He stole my car keys, so I had to stay. Somewhere, in this school, he has my car keys in his pocket.”

  “I’m finding him, and we are going joy riding,” Derrick states, nodding his head.

  “Do you know how to drive stick? Either of you?”

  Shaking his head, Derrick replies, “No. We don’t.”

  “Little hard to go joy riding in it, then,” Lexi laughs. “Anyway, Connor says I’m taking him home, so he gets to ride in it.”

  “I give him rides home,” Jackie says. “He lives right by me.”

  “No idea where he lives. I live over on Clear Water.”

  “Whoa!” Derrick yells. “Those houses are huge. Holy crap.”

  Lexi smiles. “I have three younger brothers and a sister. I also have my own suite. We need a big house. My mom never really thought about having kids but ended up with five. Though, my youngest siblings, twins, are only 9 months old.”

  “You’re how old?” Derrick asks.

  “Oh, I’m almost 17, but my parents adopted me when they were 19,” Lexi explains.

  “Whoa, that’s young.”

  “It was an emergency situation, and we bonded instantly. I couldn’t ask for cooler parents. They are pretty awesome,” Lexi states.

  Ms. Appison is suddenly in front of them. “Are you guys working on your lab?”

  “Uh...” Derrick draws out.

  “Yeah,” Lexi says. “I was just explaining that this experiment is about Colourful electrolytes. It will cover the topics of oxidation and reduction, electrolytes, Elect
rochemistry, and the chemical industry.” They all stare at her. “Would you like me to explain further?”

  Raising an eyebrow, Ms. Appison asks, “Do you have a book?”

  “Not yet,” Lexi chimes, blinking her eyes with a smile.

  “Very well,” Ms. Appison says. “Obviously you understand the lab. Please, make sure you don’t do it to its entirety.”

  Lexi shakes her head. “I won’t.” With that Ms. Appison walks away. Lexi turns to her lab partners.

  “What did you even just say?” Derrick asks.

  “I could tell you how to take a tumor out of any part of the brain,” Lexi sighs, putting her head on her hand. “I seriously do not need to be here.”

  “Why aren’t you at some private academy?” Derrick asks. “For genius kids.”

  With a shrug, Lexi says, “I don’t know. I chose public school. I would probably fit less into a private academy than I do here. I doubt the purple hair would fly.”

  “Yeah, what product do you use? I can’t get my hair that vibrant, or at least get it to stay like that,” Derrick says.

  “Oh,” Lexi whispers, grabbing at a loose tendril. “It’s a product from Europe. Super expensive.”

  “Damn. Yeah, I can’t afford much,” he sighs. “It’s awesome nonetheless.”

  “Thanks,” Lexi replies. “Okay, let me explain this lab to you guys. First, you start with the explanation....” She leans forward.

  At the end of class, Derrick walks out with Lexi. “So, what’s your next class?”

  She looks down at her slip. “French. I’m taking French and Italian.”

  “Two languages? Good god, why?”

  “I’m fluent in both,” Lexi laughs. “My Uncle Jackson knows seven languages. He made sure I was properly schooled. So, it’s two classes with easy A’s. Not that I won’t have a 4.0 GPA anyway.”

  “Conceited?” Derrick laughs.

  Lexi sighs. “No, I’m just really smart. It’s kind of annoying sometimes.”

  “I’d rather be a genius than struggle like me.”

  “I can help you if you want,” Lexi offers.

  Derrick smiles and nods. “Chemistry is a bitch.”

  “How did you get into Advanced Chemistry?” She asks.

  He snorts and says, “I cheated off of my partner last year. Now, they expect me to actually know this stuff.”