Page 21

9

Krissi

I try notto get too frustrated over the swimming words on the page in front of me. I've been trying to get the rules of the Shifter Paradox through my head for hours, and I'm not getting anywhere.

My phone buzzes and I turn it over to find a message in the group chat with Jeremy's picture next to it.

I type back without thinking about it.

I smile and put my phone back down, turning my attention back to the textbook in front of me. I'm going to get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing I do.

Five minutes later, there's a knock on my door.

"Come in," I call.

Jeremy pushes it open with his back, two steaming mugs in his hand. He sets one down on the desk.

"You all right? You look like you're about to scream at your book." Concern lingers in his voice.

"I am," I mutter. "We've been learning about the Shifter Paradox and I just can't get my head around it."

"Oh yeah, I struggled with that one too. I think it's because we're shifters. It seems so contrary to what we've grown up knowing."

"That doesn't help me understand it," I point out.

He chuckles. "That's fair. Do you want me to go through it with you?"

"Do you have time?" Hope blossoms within me, and I don't think it's because I might finally understand what the paradox is supposed to be about either.

"I'm not doing anything important."

I sigh. "Tea and private tutoring, how are you single?" The moment the words are out of my mouth before I can think twice about them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"It's fine," he mumbles. "So what's the problem?" He sets his tea down at my desk and looks over my shoulder at the textbook.

"I just don't get it. What's the paradox even supposed to be about and why does it matter?"

"The why it matters is the easy part," he responds. "We have to learn this because it's the way the world works and if we understand that, then a lot of things fall into place."

"Hmm."

"You don't agree?"

"I think the world can be a miserable place whether we want it to be or not."

"I thought you were supposed to be acheerleader."

I groan and throw him a disapproving look. "You know that's not why we're called that."

"I do, but I wanted to see your face when I said it." He grins at me as if it really is as simple as that.

"Okay, so that's why I'm supposed to know about the paradox, but it doesn't explain what it is."

"I suspect you already know. The paradox is simply that we change size, but that doesn't make much sense. How can something as small as a mouse or as big as an elephant be hiding within a human body?"