human_girl | read what i'm feeling

During lunch break, Maria usually sat with Anita and Nikitha, two loud, bubbly Darrowian girls in the junior class who had happily included her as their third wheel. The three of them could talk excitedly together about the cute new clothes at Darrow Mall or debate over which boys at school were the cutest, but Maria knew that she would never be truly close to them. Any direct mention she made of her life before Darrow made Anita and Nikitha uncomfortable. She would always feel like the odd one out

'At least it beats eating alone.'

But as the lunch bell rang on Thursday, Maria sent off texts to both of them saying that she urgently needed to go to the library to study for a test. It wasn't a complete lie. She did need to study. The only way it was a lie was that she had no actual intention of studying.

She was worried about Ree.

Maria had tried calling Ree multiple times that morning to ask if she wanted to come downstairs to share a special 'homemade by Maria DeLuca' apple crumble with cinnamon ice-cream. Maria knew that there were a number of reasons why Ree might not be able to answer her phone or reply to Maria's text messages. Perhaps her phone was broken or lost. Perhaps Ree was busy. But old habits die hard, and an unanswered phone for Maria had come to mean that a friend was likely in serious danger.

She sat at a desk in the back of the library, staring down at her phone, mentally arguing with herself about whether or not to fake sick or lie about a doctor's appointment in order to leave school and check that Ree was safe.

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When I knew she wasn't watching, I went over to the window and pushed it open. We were on the first floor, and there were hedges along the edge of the building. It was perfect.

I hid down between foliage and concrete as I stripped down to my morphing suit. I folded up my clothes and made sure they wouldn't be found in the next ten minutes.

Then I morphed.

I focused on the osprey inside me, and felt the changes start up. I morphed as quickly as I could manage. I felt the bird's instincts bubble up underneath my conscious mind. This was an easy morph. I had done it often enough that I didn't need to fight the instincts back to keep control.

I used my new, keen ears to listen to the inside of the library. I could hear the buzzing of the fluorescents as loudly as if they were a mack truck. What I didn't hear was "Where's Cassie?" or "What's she doing outside turning into animals?"

When I was sure it was safe, I hopped up onto the window sill and looked around. Everything looked different as an osprey. I could see the tiny hairs on Maria's arms. I could see every tiny wrinkle the librarian tried to hide with cold cream and foundation. I could even see the house fly buzzing about the room.

I quickly joined him. I let out a loud screech as I flapped just inches below the brilliantly bright lights. I hoped Maria took the hint!

It was hard for Maria to not turn around, especially when it started to sink in that, at any moment, a bird could come flying past her head. But Maria kept her head and eyes in front her. This could be her only chance to get out of school and save Ree. More than that, she didn't want to get Cassie, who was so selflessly helping her, into trouble.

Fortunately, the bird didn't fly into the back of her, but there was no way Maria could have missed it. The thing was huge! She covered her ears as it let out a loud screech.

All attention in the library was on the bird. Some people ran toward the exit. Others watched with excitement. Maria was pretty sure she saw the librarian running out of a storage closet with a broom.

'Go! Go go go! There's no time!'

Climbing out of a window in wedges and a denim mini skirt wasn't an easy or graceful task, and Maria pretty much faceplanted into the hedges. Once she had two feet on the ground again, she ducked down as low as she could while still being able to run. She kept going until she'd made it around the side of the building, where she stopped to catch her breath and wait for Cassie.

'Where is she? She must have seen me from wherever she's hiding.'

Oh man, this was such a bad idea. The broom came sailing at me. It was hard to maneuver in such a tight room! Ospreys were meant to glide over open water. Their bodies weren't meant for tight curves. We weren't falcons! I felt the broom whoosh by me, narrowly missing my tail feathers.

SCREE! I cried. I flapped madly, zipping around the room as awkward as a turkey. Through the glass, I saw Maria sneaking away. She made it!

Oof!

The broom knocked the wind out of me and sent me crashing to the floor. Yow! I flailed until I was on my feet again. My talons dug into the rug of the library floor. I saw the librarian bearing down on me. I was done for.

Maria hadn't expected to jump out of the window and not see Cassie there waiting for her; and then when she'd snuck away until she was out of sight of the library windows, Maria had thought Cassie would see her and follow. Less than a minute had passed, but she was already beginning to worry.

"Did she tell me to meet her somewhere else?" Maria said out loud to herself. "God, we really should have discussed this plan in more detail."

It crossed her mind to make a run for the school gate, to look for Ree alone, but that wouldn't be fair to Cassie.

'Maybe she's hurt?'

"Cassie? Cassie?" Maria slowly made her way along the line of hedges in search of the girl.

With my sharp osprey hearing, I could make out Maria's voice. Was she coming back? What if she was caught?

I ruffled up my feathers and curled my wings out, trying to make myself look huge and scary. The librarian jerked the broom. I did a bird-hop backwards and hit one of the chairs. I wasn't very heavy, but it moved, just enough. I saw my out!

I bolted, as fast as my little bird legs would carry me. I flapped madly, trying to take to the air. I could see the window. So close!

"Someone shut that window!" the librarian bellowed. "Get animal control on the phone!"

Oh no. If animal control got ahold of me, I'd be in a cage for way longer than the two hour limit! I had to get out of there! I felt my muscles burning as I flapped my wings. There was no lift here in the building. I was doing all the work, and I felt like I was getting nowhere. The window seemed to inch closer as the librarian chased me with that stupid broom.

'Oh, crap!'

Maria was beginning to feel like she was in a farce as she spun around and started running back in the direction she had just come from. She needed to get away from the window or the librarian would see her. She felt sort of bad that they had brought an innocent bird into this, but not as bad as she would feel for herself if she got caught.

There was some sort of green electrical box not far ahead. Could Cassie be hiding behind that? Regardless, it would be a good place for Maria to hide and wait.

'Maybe I'll try calling Ree again...'

Almost. Almost! I could feel the breeze from the window— There! My tail feathers just passed the window sill as the broom smacked against it. Man, that librarian was really pulling no punches! I let out a triumphant tseer! as I flew around the building. I would have to sneak back to grab my clothes, otherwise Maria would wonder what the heck I was doing in a leotard.

I landed in the hedges around the corner, then hopped and hawk-walked through, back to my clothes. Time was ticking. As soon as I saw my clothes, I de-morphed, then quickly dressed and crawled through the hedges. I stood once I'd rounded the building once more.

"Maria?" I hissed, pretending to have been waiting for her this whole time.

"Oh my god!" Maria shouted in surprise at the whisper of her name.

"Cassie? Where were you hiding?" she asked in a much quieter voice. It was possible someone in the library might still hear them through the window.

"I was right here!" I said. I knew it didn't sound convincing, but maybe she would brush it off. I quickly waved my hand to gesture her closer. "Come on, we've got your friend to find."

"Really? How did I not see you?" But there wasn't time to stop and wonder. Cassie was right - they needed to look for Ree! "Whatever, you're here now. I think we can get out through that gate over there. Let's go!"

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