3. Trevor

3

TREVOR

" T revor, do you want to practice shifting with your Grandpa?"

Trevor skidded to a stop in the doorway. "With GRANDPA?" he said in tones of disgust. It only occurred to him then his frankly terrifying grandfather might be in earshot, and he looked around in alarm.

Fortunately, the house was empty, except for Trevor and his dad.

In a bizarre twist of fate, Grandpa Damien was going to marry Miss Tawny the piano teacher, and Trevor had very mixed feelings about that topic altogether.

His lion was hopeful that a wedding would have lots of good food. There were cupcakes at Clara's dad's wedding. Trevor hadn't realized at that time that the voice in his head was anything more than his own imagination, but he knew better now.

I like cupcakes! Especially the crinkly wrapper!

"I was hoping I could…ah…have lessons with you and Miss Andrea," Trevor said awkwardly. "You're nicer. "

His dad's expression in return was confusing, like he was proud and embarrassed and also a little regretful. Trevor knew that his dad felt guilty about not being around when he was really little, was that why he looked like he'd just found a fly in his mouth? "But you're a lion," his dad explained, "and so is your grandpa. He might be able to show you things that I can't."

Hunting! his lion suggested. We should learn hunting!

"I guess," Trevor said with a shrug. He put his backpack down by the door and took off his muddy shoes as he came into the house, leaving them where they fell off his feet.

"Have you been practicing on your own?" his dad asked suspiciously.

Trevor went to the fridge. "Do we have cheese sticks?" he asked as innocently as he knew how.

"Trevor," his dad said with a sigh. "You know how careful we have to be."

"I'm careful," Trevor whined. "You wouldn't believe how careful! I'm like the king of careful!"

I'm the king of the jungle! his lion yodeled unhelpfully in his ear.

"Do you do it at school?"

"No!"

"At Aaron's?"

"Aaron's dad is a shifter!" Trevor reminded him. "It's okay there!"

"But Aaron has neighbors," his dad countered. "I need you to promise not to do it unless someone responsible is with you."

" Aaron's dad is responsible," Trevor muttered.

"Promise!"

Trevor heaved a sigh. "I never get to do anything ."

His dad's sigh was even better that his. "It's so unfair ."

Trevor knew when he was being mocked. "Well, why don't you show me, then? You're always saying you have time to make up for, but then you're too busy with your bakery! "

He watched his words hit a nerve and felt bad the moment his dad flinched. He didn't know how to take it back, so he just stuffed a cheese stick in his mouth so he wouldn't say more and stomped up to his room.

The cheese stick was gone and Trevor was lying on the rumpled mess of his unmade bed wondering if he should go downstairs and get another one when there was a knock on the door.

"Yeah?"

His dad was carrying a plate with apple slices spread with peanut butter. "I thought you might be hungry still."

"Yeah." Trevor sat up and his dad sat on the bed next to him, making it sag in the middle. "You want one?"

They ate apples and peanut butter in silence for a little while.

"I think you're right that I should teach you a little bit about shifting," his dad said unexpectedly. "I don't really think of myself as a good teacher, but I'll try, okay?"

"Right now?" Trevor said hopefully, but his mouth was full of peanut butter, so it sounded like it had several extra ells and an owl in it.

Shifting! Hunting! Pouncing! Play! His lion clamored to get out.

"Wait until you get your clothes off!" his dad cautioned. "Andrea's already threatening to dress you in burlap sacks until you stop ripping up your shirts."