Animorphs by K.A. Applegate

Shawn shook his head. "It's fine. It's down the road about a mile or so." He answered. "Why'd you move here of all places? It's not a very big place..."

October
"My mom wanted to be closer to my grandparents. In case of emergencies or whatever," I say sort of lightly. Wow, talking to a guy. "Sorry. I'm October." I smile slightly. "Thanks for the directions."

Dakota walked swiftly back to the restaurant, glancing back a few times to make sure he was still following. Upon reaching the restaurant she stepped in,holding the door for him politely.

Karelle glanced at the restaurant door slightly worried about where Dakota had gotten to and spotted HR with a smile. Noticing the new boy she rise a brow but didn't say a word.

Shawn nodded. "That's good though." If only I had family like that. He slapped himself mentally. He couldn't let himself think of that. "Name's Shawn." Shawn went up to the counter to pay and looked back at October as he did so.

Phoenix quickly ducked into the restaraunt and like most places, he had never eaten or been in here before. If only there was something simple. Familiar...or maybe he wouldn't eat at all. It wouldn't matter anyway....not like his parents fed him. He felt someone's gaze at him and turned to see it was another girl. Probably just curious as to why he was in here....Phoenix felt so out of place.

October
I follow, getting out cash for the jeans and sweatshirt, feeling sort of awkward. Why was he waiting...? The guy hands me the bag and receipt and I thank him, turning towards Shawn again with a small smile. "And...you go to the high school in town? Just starting out, but I haven't noticed you before."

Shawn takes his bag full of clothes. "Yeah, I do. I'm in the sporty group...but I don't hang with them much. I'm mostly at the pool or sometimes, the football field."

October
"Oh well... biology girl, i guess you could say," i say. "I like ecology best though." So he was one of those jocks? Like he'd really care about someone like me...

Shawn's dark emerald eyes quickly looked her over. She wasn't bad at all actually, despite the sweatshirts from the guy's section...but that didn't really matter. "That's cool." He could never understand biology. That was one of his flaws with the whole school thing.

Karelle waved at Dakota who smiled and wooed over to the table, ploping down next to Karelle. "Sorry, I jut simply had to improve out little group here with another member. This is...." Dakota paused, "Um...well...he's a friend I believe so yeah. "

Karelle smiled a bit and shook her head. "Nice to meet you.' She greeted Phoenix. "I'm Karelle."

Phoenix took a seat beside the guy and looked at each of them. "Nice to meet you all actually....I'm Phoenix..." He wondered about this group and how they all knew each other, but he wouldn't pry. Phoenix had just met them after all.

Tyler looked at the new guy and instantly knew he was a loser, rejected from society. Tyler looked away from him when the guy took the remaining seat next to him. "Tyler," He muttered, looking out the window at nothing.

Karelle was busy glaring at Tyler to reply so Dakota rolled her eyes and did it for her. "That's an interesting name, I must apologize for not asking it before inviting you to join us. I'm Dakota." Glancing around she gestured at a waiter. "Order whatever, my treat."

Tyler felt a pair of eyes on him and he turned his head to see Karelle glaring at him. He gave a look as if to say 'What did I do now?' and a dark, mysterious glint hid in his eyes.
Phoenix shook his head. "It's fine and honestly...I'm not that hungry..." He didn't want her spending extra money on some random loser at the mall. She probably worked for that money and he felt like it was a waste to spend it on him.

Dakota rolled her eyes and turns to the waiter. "Can I have a coke and a hamburger for my friend here ? Just add it to my check." Then she looked at Phoenix and rose a brow as if to say I dare you to say no.
Karelle glanced at Phoenix then back to Tyler and continued to glare at him, her expression saying 'do you have to be so rude?' She crossed her arm and sighed a bit. She was pretty sure e was right now. He was just like all the other popular guys. Annoying and rude.

Phoenix didn't object to her adding on a meal for him. If she wanted to spend it...it was her choice he guessed. He didn't want to be a pain...unlike most guys, who were totally the opposite. Tyler rolled his eyes then glanced at Phoenix. He could see the black eyes through the side of the glasses. Hmph. Tyler sighed and drummed his fingers on the table for a few seconds.

Karelle sighed and glared down at herbook, going back to reading.

Dakota rolled her eyes and thanked the waiter as he brought them their drinks. Taking a sip from hers she smiled and made an effort to get the conversation going. "So, I am sorry to say I don't think I've seen you around before. What school do Yu go to? Public?"

Tyler listened to the conversation between Dakota and the new guy...Phoenix. He needed to learn about the guy if he was going to be around them. Tyler wondered, not for the first time, if there was something besides going to the mall and school. Something unknown to them. It was a strange thought...but it came up every now and then.
Phoenix nodded. "Yeah, public. I don't stay in school any longer than I need to..." His eyes went strange, it was as if they were reflecting, like water. "I only stay for swimming..."

October
"I guess," I say, shrugging. But he seemed honest about it. I glance over and catch him looking me over. This wasn't usually the way it was - jocks going after me, the bio girl. "My mom's involved in the animal hospital in town. I got interested through her, you could say."

Dakota smiled, glad she'd found something about him that was interesting conversation. "You like to swim? That's neat." She grinned, taking another sip of her coke. "How often do you go swimming?"

Karelle tried concentrating on the book, her mind once again going back to that day, when they'd heard the screaming in the cave.

Shawn grinned. "Well, that can happen with the parent's influence...though I'm totally opposite from my parents." His dad was a teacher at the university. His mom though, was a doctor and Shawn found out quickly that her patients....had a thing for her. His mom never stopped them...just went with it and she told Shawn to never tell anyone.

Phoenix took a sip of his drink and forced a small grin. "I try to swim every other day. I've been mostly doing it three times a week....I'm like a fish in the water." He was surprised at himself for talking like this....freely.

Tyler looked back at everyone. It felt like a weird day....something was off about it. He didn't know what though. His mind flipped to the day when they were....little-ish and going into the tunnel....the screams of humans and...what he said at the time, aliens. Tyler knew it couldn't be possible. Aliens? No.

Dakota hesitated, her fibers spinning the draw in her cup for a moment as she pursed her lips considering her words. She smiled a little, pushing away what she had considered saying. "I love to swim, perhaps I'll check out the school pool sometime."

Those words caught Karelle's attention and she shook her head a little. As far as she knew Dakota couldn't swim and was terrified of drowning.

October
"I suppose. My brother is like you though," I say with a laugh. "There are those days he likes to disappear from home for a few days at a time, which is normal for my family..." I roll my eyes. Though he's been disappearing more often lately... I don't know, maybe chasing the increased population of girls around...

Phoenix felt a sense of...belonging. It was strange to him, a foreign concept. He felt as if he could actually get along with this group, that is, if they let him stay. "Yeah, you should. It's actually pretty big."

Shawn wondered why exactly...that he would leave like that. "It's normal for him to just disappear for a few days?" He knew he was repeating her words, but it was just...different. As much as he would like to lie low for a couple of days from his wrecked dad, he couldn't.

October
"Yeah, he's always been a wanderer. Stay in the mountains on his own or goin on the trains to some little known city or whatever..." I shrug. "Gives some interesting stories at dinner."

Dakota nodded and opened her mouth to say something as the waiter arrived with their food. He quickly passed it out and took away whatever cups needed to be refilled. Gripping her very thick Burger in one hand she smiled at Phoenix and took a bite as she tried t think of what to say next. "What do you like to do besides swimming?"

Karelle glared at the salad for a moment, considering the book with hesitation. Dakota would probably kill her if she read instead of eating she decided. Reluctantly she sat the book back in her bag and pushed the salad around with her fork. She wasn't hungry, those memories still echoing through hee mind.

Phoenix looked at the food. It actually looked pretty good, so he took a bite from the burger. "That's about the only thing..." He answered, embarrassed. It was his family's fault that he was the way he was. His whole family was messed up and his parents were actually filing for a divorce right now...

Tyler began to eat, but his mind wasn't on it. He knew he should just forget about those memories...but he couldn't. They echoed in Tyler's mind, the screams of women and children, and the yelling and cursing of the men.

Shawn shrugged. He didn't know really what to say about it, so he decided to switch topics. "So...where do you live?"