"Can't you just zap it wel ?" Del a asked.

"I wish. But I'm afraid I would ... screw that up, too," Miranda said, her tone fil ed with a bit of self-loathing-no doubt a result of her visit with her mom.

Miranda looked at Kylie. "Do you think that girl ... the one who scanned you for a tumor ... might be able to heal it?"

"I don't know," Kylie said, and noticed how the bird's eye color had gone from black to blue. Then she noted how the bird stared at Miranda. Cal Kylie suspicious if you want, but she'd seen that gaga-look before on a certain shape-shifter's face. She glanced at Del a, who met her gaze and then rol ed her eyes.

Oh, yeah. It was definitely Perry.

"I think the humane thing to do is break its neck," Kylie said.

"Oh, definitely," Del a echoed.

Kylie edged closer. The bird turned his head to peer at her and actual y flinched. That's right, you little twerp, you'd better be afraid of me.

"You're so cruel." Miranda brought the bird to her breasts, then tucked her chin down to talk to it. "Don't you worry, Miranda's gonna take care of you," she cooed.

"Why don't you check its sex to see if it's a boy or girl?" Kylie couldn't help but snicker. Miranda's poor-thing expression twisted upside down as she final y caught on to what Kylie was saying. Miranda glared suspiciously at the bird. "Perry, is that you?"

The sparkles started popping al around Miranda's hands. Miranda jerked her palms from beneath the bird. Landing right on his butt was a redfaced Perry.

"I was just flying by. I didn't ... I didn't do anything wrong. I wasn't even looking in the windows." His gaze shot to Kylie. "And don't you touch my ears or my neck." He got up and ran off.

"I should turn him into the rat he real y is," Miranda said, apparently embarrassed she'd been fooled. Kylie completely understood Miranda's feelings, then she remembered seeing embarrassment on Perry's face, and she knew why, too. The last person he wanted to look bad in front of was the girl he had a crush on. "You know he likes you, don't you?"

Miranda's mouth dropped open. "No, he doesn't."

Del a snorted but didn't say anything.

"Yes, he does," Kylie said. "You should have seen him the other day when you ran off with Chris for the Meet Your Campmates Hour. He looked like a whipped puppy. And the whole time we were together, he kept asking questions about you."

Miranda stood there, her mouth agape. "If he likes me why hasn't he said something? We were even here together last year."

Kylie glanced at Del a. "You wanna help me out here?"

"Nah," she said with a grin. "I think you're doing okay on your own."

Kylie turned back to Miranda. "I wasn't here last year, but..."

"But what?" Miranda asked.

Kylie shrugged. "I don't think he knows how to tel you he likes you," she said.

"Oh, please. He's not shy."

"He's not shy being a class clown or the class smart-ass. But when you get him alone, he comes off pretty tongue-tied. Honestly, he wasn't half as annoying, either. I personal y think the downside of being able to change into anything is the fear that you don't know who you real y are."

Kylie stopped and considered her own words. "Gosh, I actual y sounded smart right then. Didn't I?"

They al laughed and started walking to breakfast. They were halfway there when Miranda swung around to face Kylie. "You real y think Perry likes me?"

Kylie chuckled. "Yes."

Del a raised her chin up and sniffed. "I smel loooove in the air."

"I'm not..." She paused and then said, "Did you smel it on him?"

"No," Del a admitted. "But that's because shape-shifters don't put out the same pheromones. I'm not attuned to what a horny bird smel s like."

They al giggled and then started walking again.

"He's cute, though, isn't he?" Miranda asked.

"In a way," Kylie said.

"Maybe a little," Del a offered, and then asked, "so, what are you going to do about him?" She placed her hand over her heart to add drama to the question.

Miranda shrugged. "Wait and see if he makes a move."

"Why wait? If you want him, go get him. Don't be a wuss."

"Right." Miranda flipped back her hair and put it up with the band she had on her wrist. "I don't see you putting the moves on any guy."

"That's because I'm not pining over anyone here."

"Liar," Kylie said.

"Please," Del a said. "Who do you think I got the hots for?"

"Steve, the tal shape-shifter with sandy-colored hair," Kylie said matter-of-factly. "You couldn't stop looking at his butt the other day."

Del a's mouth dropped open and she rol ed her eyes. "You are so wrong." She fanned herself with her hand. "But the boy is eye candy to the max."

They al chuckled. "What about you?" Miranda asked Kylie.

"I don't have time to pursue anything."

"You got the same amount of time we do," Miranda said.

"No, I don't." Kylie stopped walking. She hadn't told them about her two-week deal with Holiday, and for good reason. They weren't going to like it. "I ... Holiday agreed to talk to my mom about my going home after two weeks."