Change

6

THE NEXT MORNING, I went into work and spoke with the Dean as soon as he came in. I told him I had some personal issues come up and I would really appreciate it if I could take the week off. Since we had nothing important planned for the week and he didn't need me there anyway, he let me have the time. I warned him that depending on how things went, I might need the next week as well. He said I had the vacation time available, I might as well use it during the summer while he needed me less.

With the time off arranged, I headed over to Bill's house. I pulled into the large circular driveway and parked my car next to Bill's pickup. As I approached the door and reached to knock, it opened beneath my hand, startling me. I gasped and jumped before noticing Bill standing in front of me, grinning.

"Come on in," he said, turning to lead me deeper into the house. "I heard your car in the driveway on my way to the kitchen."

I grinned at his upbeat mood and followed him. "What do you have in mind for me today?"

"We already know your strength and hearing are coming in. Have you shifted again? On purpose this time?"

"Yeah," I told him about shifting the day before. "OH! That's something I was supposed to tell you about. While I was in wolf form, I could think my responses to Brandon and have him hear them. He said I'm telepathic and to make sure I told you about it."

"Well, it means you have the ability to do at least one-way communication. Have you heard any strange thoughts from others?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"You might not notice it at first, or you might not realize what it is at first. Sometimes you hear just random things, a sentence here and there, and with your hearing still coming and going you might think you were actually hearing someone say it."

"I did have that happen. I was out shopping on Saturday, with Izzy. I thought the sales girl was just being rude, but it's possible... Then it happened again, later at the club." I thought back over the things I had heard in the club that night.

"Wait, did you say you went to a club on Saturday?" he blinked in astonishment.

"Izzy and I had been planning it for weeks." I knew it was a weak excuse but I was going to use it anyway.

"How did that work out for you?" His tone was suspicious.

"Sometimes it wasn't too bad. Sometimes it was like I'd climbed inside one of the speakers and was going to be bounced across the room at any moment. By the time I gave up, I had a massive headache."

"I'm surprised you didn't walk in and turn around and walk right back out. Those places are hell on normal hearing, much less our sensitive ears."

"I know that now, but I didn't think about it when I went, and I didn't want to back out on Izzy again," I said.

"Instead of letting down a girlfriend, who would probably understand if you had just told her you didn't feel good, you tortured yourself. Sometimes, girl, I wonder about you."

"Yeah, I know. So does everyone else." I grinned.

"You were saying before I interrupted that you were hearing things at the club Saturday night?" "Yeah, and now that I think about it, most of it were things most people wouldn't say out loud. One girl didn't like her date and couldn't wait to escape. Another was determined to get revenge on her cheating partner. I just thought the noise was wreaking havoc with my hearing. But it happened again last night at dinner."

"Sundays are family dinners, right?"

"Yes, sir," I reverted to the habits my parents and grandparents had made sure all of us learned as children. I don't always use the term of respect with my friends, but I do with anyone not my age.