Page 28 of Switched

Tessa smiles at AG. “Wow, aren’t you the perfect RLW already! We’re lucky you joined.”

“We are?” Raza says, and I hear what sounds like someone’s foot being stomped on. “I thought she was making us mad.”

This can’t be good.

“I’m just trying to help,” AG says, scratching her neck suddenly. She starts to scratch her hands too.

“Ignore them. They’re a little too into being RLWs,” I tell AG. “And napkin folding.”

“And that is why you don’t belong in this group, Gilly,” Tessa snaps. “Napkins are important! AG could tell you that. She’s a real princess. As a matter of fact, maybe we should start serving her as well.” She stands up and bows to AG, who gapes.

“Tessa, you don’t have to bow,” AG says, scratching her right elbow. She’s scratching so hard she’s starting to make a red mark and her eyes are brimming with tears. “I just want to be part of the club. I’ve never been in a club before. That’s all.”

“Part of the club or president?” Tessa rips off her RLW president button. “Maybe you want this too.” She tosses it across the table to AG.

“That’s enough, Tessa,” I say, but Tessa isn’t looking at me. Her face has changed, and she suddenly looks concerned. She points to AG, but no words come out of her mouth.

“What’s happening to your arm?” Tessa asks.

We all turn to AG, who looks down in horror. Her pale arm is suddenly growing hair at an alarming rate, almost as if… AG slaps her arm hard and the hair recedes for a split second, then starts to grow back.

“It’s happening to your other arm now too,” Raza points out.

AG laughs awkwardly. “Must have been that planting spell I tried in Fern Woodland’s class. I should go talk to her. If you excuse me…” With a curtsy, she exits quickly.

“What was that about?” Maxine asks.

“I don’t know.” All I know is that AG’s clearly upset. “If you’ll excuse me.” I motion to Maxine. “Come on.”

By the time we get out of the classroom, AG is long gone and the hall is empty. Before we can figure out which way to go, we hear a growl.

“It came from this way!” Maxine points to a hallway to her right. We hurry down it, and a creature galloping on all fours rushes past us. It’s wearing our school uniform.

AG?

The creature bursts through an exit leading to the Pegasus stables. We quickly follow, stopping short when we reach the Pegasus corrals. The Pegasi have flattened themselves against the barn wall. Now I see why: a half-girl half-beast is cowering in the opposite corner.

Allison Grace’s hands are covered in dark-brown fur. Her head has sprouted horns, and her back is hunched and twice its normal size, shredding what remains of her uniform jumper. Her eyes are now yellow, and fur has taken over her cheeks and chin. She opens her mouth, revealing sharp fangs. AG lets out a growl so deep I could swear I’m standing in front of Professor Wolfington.

“Don’t look at me! I’m hideous!” AG says in a gravelly voice. She sounds surprisingly more human than beast. “Did anyone see me? Were you followed?” She claws at the walls of the barn, leaving scratch marks. “I can’t let anyone see me like this! Especially not Tessa and Raza. If they knew—Aaaoooooh!” She covers her face with her furry hands.

“Stop howling!” I rush over. She recoils in horror. “Someone will hear you.”

Interesting. Unlike Wolfington, who is menacing when he’s in wolf form, AG seems to only change in appearance. On the inside, she’s still a frightened girl.

“Oh, who am I kidding? They saw the fur on my arms. They know. They’re all going to know now! Once they realize they can make me turn by upsetting me, they’ll start making me transform all the time!” She wipes her snout. “Once Father knows I’m being made fun of, he’ll make us move again. I’ll be back to homeschooling in the castle! Do you have any idea how boring it is to do group projects when your only choice of partner is Mother, Father, or servants?”

“Pretty boring.” I sit a few feet away from her. Maxine comes and does the same. “But you don’t have to hide, AG. FTRS is awesome because it accepts everyone. We have all type of students here—trolls, ogres, fairies, pixies, mer-people. No one is going to judge you because of the way you look. We don’t care that you’re half…um…” Is there a politically correct way to call her a beast?

“Half-beast?” AG supplies. “I really like you Gilly, but let’s be honest: no one wants to be friends with a princess who looks like a wolf! Royalty shouldn’t look this way, even if I was born with this condition. Father thinks it has something to do with the curse Stiltskin placed on him, which is why he’s been on the hunt to find him for years. Once I turn, it takes me a half hour to turn back—if I calm down. And how can I calm down when I’m upset? If Father could reverse this curse, I wouldn’t have to deal with this! A princess should be beautiful and delicate and not have claws instead of nails! I want to be normal like everyone else.”

“What’s so great about being normal?” I ask. “I feel like it’s the things that make us different that people remember.”

“No, those are the things people make fun of,” AG sniffs.

“Don’t give them a chance to make fun,” I insist. “Own your beast side.” AG stops panting and looks at me oddly. “If you’re all ‘Yeah, I’m a beast who could cut off your arm. What are you going to do about it?’ they’ll think you’re cool.”

“I already think your secret identity is cool!” says Maxine. “If you want to roam the forest, no one bothers you. If you want to hang out with animals, you can become one. If you want to jump high or be fast or scare someone, you can do that too! If you ask me, being part beast is a gift.” AG doesn’t say anything. Maybe we are getting through to her.