Shadow Boy by R.J. Ross Page A

distance. “Don’t you DARE!”
    “Hi,” I say stupidly, not wanting to let go of the hand. “Do you have a boyfrie—” my chair goes sliding back through the room, with me still in it. It stops when it hits the wall. For a moment I just sit there, stunned. “What just happened?” I finally ask as everyone starts laughing their heads off.
    “Rocco is off limits!” Carla says, glowering down at Elidee with her hands on her hips.
    “He’s your boyfriend?” Elidee asks. “You should have—”
    “N—noooo, but—but he’s off limits!” Carla says.
    “Can I at least get my pancakes?” I ask a bit childishly as my stomach growls. “I’m starving.”
    “Two girls fighting over you and you’re focused on the pancakes?” Max asks as he stops beside me. He shakes his head and waves a hand, using his powers to bring my tray to me. I grab it, but stand and head back to the table to grab the syrup and coffee. Elidee and Carla turn to look at me in shock.
    “I’m guessing… pheromones?” I say, looking over at Freddy.
    “Yep, she’s Prisma’s daughter.”
    “I’ll remember that,” I say. “Nice to officially meet you, Elidee, Olivia, Jennifer,” I add, moving my tray to one hand and grabbing Carla’s arm. “Don’t fight with your friends, Carla,” I say.
    “She tried to manipulate you!” Carla complains as I pull her along with me. “That’s dirty!”
    “So is traveling by shadow,” I say, sighing as I drop down at the table Cisco’s sitting at. “Some of us come with shifty powers, Carla. It’s how you use them that make the difference,” I add, remembering the conversation with Zoe with a little smile.
    “Trying to steal—” Carla stops, blushing slightly but still obviously pouting. “To steal—um—people’s attention is NOT right!” Then she stops, looking at me, “Unless you actually LIKED her, that is…”
    “Nah, don’t know her,” I say, shrugging. “And it seems to me that you’re overreacting. How many guys has she tried that one since she came?” I ask Cisco.
    “As far as I can tell, half of them? I think she sort of slips up a lot,” he offers. “But I haven’t been here that long.”
    “Did you get angry over all of them?” I ask Carla curiously.
    “I—it—well, it was sort of funny when she did it to Justin,” she admits, a little grin pulling at her lips. “You should have SEEN how mad Malina got! The pool started shape-shifting and everything!”
    “Has she tried it on Max?” I ask, eagerly. “That will be one heck of a show!”
    “No, but we should talk her into it!” she says, practically bouncing in her chair. “Oh, but that would probably get her cell phone destroyed,” she admits after a second. “I wouldn’t want to make Zoe mad—I bet it’s scary.”
    “It is,” I say, nodding, “It’s pretty terrifying. But she could do it to Ward!” I suggest.
    “Yeah, but… well, nobody would save him,” Carla says a bit guiltily. “I mean, he’s my brother and I love him, but—”
    “That’s so mean,” I say, cracking up.
    “Ward’s a pain in the butt!” Carla replies. “And ever since he left, Mega’s been calling and asking for him, but Ward made us SWEAR to not tell him his phone number! So WE have to deal with the Mega calls!”
    “Poor Carla,” I say, reaching over and giving her a one-armed hug by habit—and then going still. “Er, yeah,” I say, pulling away. “So what about Lance? He’s back, too,” I say, looking around for my animal shifter pal. “Actually, where is he? And Piper?”
    “Lance is doing homework, Piper’s sleeping,” Carla says. “You all have a TON of catching up to do.”
    “Oh. Crap,” I say, realizing abruptly that I’m in the same boat. I start eating as fast as I can.
    “Did you see my dad?” I look up at Cisco’s question, realizing that I’d forgotten all about Carla’s promise.
    “Sorry, Cisco, we didn’t get down South—we wound up running into Shadowman a lot