Interlude 2 - Sam’s Story

"Dinner's ready!" Sam's mother called out to the household.

Sam put down her pencil, leaving her math homework in a semi-complete state. Her mother promised to make her "world famous" meatloaf and Sam was eager to get downstairs and dig in.

Sam noticed there were only three place settings. "Where's Becca?"

"She's over at a friend's house,” replied Sam’s father. “Something about a science project, I believe." He exchanged a quick glance with his wife.

"Glad I'm not her,” Sam gleefully commented. “I would hate to miss your meatloaf, Mom."

Her mother stared at her for a moment. "But you are your sister..." her mother trailed off.

Sam looked down at herself sheepishly. More accurately she looked down at her sister's body. She had been shifting into her sister's form so frequently that she actually forgot her current appearance.

Sam didn’t notice her parents exchanging more concerned glances before sitting down at the table for dinner.

After dinner Sam excused herself to return to her homework.

"Hold on Sam," her father began. "We need to talk."

Sam sat back in her chair. She could see from her parent's faces that something was wrong. She hoped she wasn't in trouble. She fought the urge to shift into the family cat and run away like she did when she was younger.

"You've been wearing your sister's form a lot lately," her father continued. "And even if we could stop you - which you know we can't - we would never forbid you from using your powers,” he paused then reiterated his stance on shifting. “The world is too quick to judge our kind and I won't stand for that in my house."

"I sense a ‘but’ coming..." Sam knew that while her father was pro-Shifter, he was rather conservative with what forms Shifters could and should take.

"But," her father's voice now stern yet filled with concern, "your actions and behavior have started to negatively impact your sister."

"I know she doesn't really approve of me wearing her clothes, but I try to make sure I don't wear anything she was planning to wear herself, and I always wash everything before I return it!"

"It's not just about her clothes anymore. She is starting to become paranoid that you are going to try to embarrass her while impersonating her."

"What? No! I would never try to embarrass her. You have to talk to her."

"I have. And I explained to her as best I could that young Shapeshifters feel a strong urge to use their powers, and that you are no different. Now I don't know the mental gymnastics she has been doing to try to come to terms with having a secret twin at home, but it doesn't matter anymore."

There was an uncomfortable pause. Sam cocked her head in confusion.

"She is at a friend's house tonight, but not for a science project. She gave us an ultimatum this afternoon. If we don't get you to stop assuming her form, she won't come home."

Sam opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. It was hard enough dealing with regular people when they learned of her lineage. But now her sister hated her?

"Honey," Sam's mother broke the silence, "can you tell us what happened with Allison?"

Sam's eyes darted around nervously. "What does Alli have to do with anything?"

"Well according to Becca, you were seen kissing Allison while looking like her." Sam's mother looked at Sam with concern. "I know that it's not uncommon for boys your age to have a crush on your sister's friends..."

Sam slammed her fist onto the table. "I am not a boy! How many ways do I need to show you that before you believe me?" Tears were starting to run down her cheeks.

"Look son-," Sam's father started, but as Sam stared daggers at him he quickly corrected, "Sam, I know it can be confusing for kids your age to start discovering who they are. Doubly so when that kid is a Shapeshifter. You have to stop shifting into real people. Especially after what happened with Allison."

"What happened to Alli?” Sam asked, panicking. “Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Sam's mother reassured, "but her parents found out she was kissing a girl and are sending her to a private school to make sure that she - how did they put it - 'returns to the good path'."

"That's terrible! She did nothing wrong!"

"She manipulated you," her dad said solemnly. "She found out from Becca that you were using her form a lot and saw an opportunity to experience something her parents were repressing. Yes, they were wrong to do so, but she took advantage of your powers for self-gain. And now she has lost her best friend and is being carted off to a special school."

“So what happens with me?” Sam's voice cracked as she spoke the words.

"Sam, I freely admit that I have taken too passive a role in your life recently. It was much easier to relate when you were younger, but as of late I have found myself not knowing what to say or how to respond. Sure, when I was your age I spent some time as the girls I liked, thinking that would help me to know them better, but this is different. I don't recognize you anymore. I - we - want to help, but we don't know how."

"I told you how! I asked for my own girl's clothes, but you told me it would be a waste of money since it's ‘just a phase’. I begged for weeks until you reluctantly let me borrow Becca's clothes. I know she wasn't completely on board, but at least she could see I was struggling. And now you want to send me off to some special school to punish me for being who I am?"

"We want to help. We want you to have the space to freely discover who you are. Unfortunately, we took too long, things got away from us, and now we're short on options. We love you. That will never change. But right now, we all need a little space. And you need something we haven't been able or willing to give you. Real freedom."

“So, what, you’re kicking me out?”

“No…never. But, there’s this school-” Sam’s dad tried to say.

“A school?” Sam interrupted, getting up from the table. “So you want to send me away like Alli’s parents did to her? Try to change me into something I’m not.”

“You don’t understand. This school-” Sam’s dad tried again to explain, but Sam turned her back and stormed out of the kitchen.

As Sam fled, her parents consoled each other, hoping and praying that they were doing the right thing for their… daughter.