Chapter 4

Ohnomore hybrid is, for the moment, at least, intertwined with Synergy 13, so many events are the same. But Gabe and Maren see things though different eyes, and react differently to the same words and their thoughts and actions reflect this. So please read both stories to see how each of them thinks and see what is happening.

I got up early again and this time paid a little more attention to my appearance. I picked out some clothes I thought would be tasteful and even tried to get my hair into some form. I made some sandwiches for both Maren and myself before I ate a quick breakfast and then I was on my way to the Community Center. I saw Maren from a distance and smiled to her. She smiled back and waved. As we got closer both her and I began to say, "I'm sorry."

Realizing she'd just apologized to me for some reason,. I motioned to her, saying, "Go ahead."

She replied, "I'm sorry I shot you with my stun beam. I shouldn't do something like that. I hope I didn't hurt you?"

I sat down with her on a bench, "I didn't mind that Maren. It kinda nice. I guess I should tell you I'm an electricity elemental. I had no problem absorbing what you shot me with."

Her eyes got big, "Still I shouldn't have done it. I usually have my power under better control, but my emotions ran rampant yesterday. I know better than to use my power like that. I can be quite dangerous you know. In fact I blew up a mountain with my power with the force of an atom bomb."

Now it was time for my eyes to go wide, "That was you who blew up that mountain near Yellowstone?"

She swallowed and screwed her eyes, "Yes, it was. Why do you ask?"

"Because I wasn't too far from there myself. I saw the explosion. It happened only a day before I..." I trailed off.

Suspiciously, she asked, "Before what?"

Swallowing to calm myself, I got out, "Before I scared my pursuers away with a lightning storm that I made worse than normal."

She looked at me, "That was you? I saw a freak electrical storm in Montana just before I came back here."

I nodded, "Yes. But back to you, you mean everything you said about the reason you're taking these lessons is true? You really were kidnapped and blew apart a mountain?"

She nodded, "And you? How much is true about your story?"

Then, after I was admitted to the hospital I went through MORFS again. It cured most of my hybrid characteristics and gave me an elemental power, but my parents who are both hybrids, rejected me for no longer being hybrid. That's why I came here to live with my uncle."

She looked at me with a look between respect and compassion. Then she asked, "What kind of hybrid were you?"

I looked puzzled at her, "A canine. Why?"

She looked lost in thought before responding, "I think that's why I felt awkward around you. I felt like that before with another Canine hybrid. My feline hybridism reacted to it."

I was about to say something when a man walked up to us. "Hi Maren! And you must be Gabe Kramer. I'm Mr. Brands, your teacher today."

We got to our feet and followed him inside. Inside the classroom he asked, "So how is my favorite student? Zap any students lately?"

I thought, 'How the hell does he know about my powers? I never told him, Did he hear it from Aunt Vanessa? But she would keep it quiet she said.'

Then he continued, "Hey I'm only kidding, Maren."

I sighed, 'He must have meant Maren with her power. Of course! I wasn't even his student.'

Maren looked up to him, "Well yesterday I did happen to zap Gabe here with my stun beam."

I interrupted, "But she didn't know that I'm an Electricity Elemental, so it just fed my power."

Now Mr. Brands looked perplexed. "So instead of one student with powers I have two? Well that is a surprise. I'd like to know more about both of you. I already know quite a bit about the things Maren can do and I'm writing a scientific paper about such things. Don't worry I'll let you two read it first and I'll keep your names out of it."

After we'd talked a bit more about what he wanted to do he asked me if I could demonstrate my powers. I powered up and made lightning dance between my fingers. Rubbing my hands as if I was making a snowball, I created one of my patented lightning balls. After I dissolved it, I told him, "I don't dare do much more, as I can be quite dangerous with these lightning balls. But I can also detect electrical impulses and power almost any electrical device."

Mr. Brands discussed with us things about our powers for half an hour before we started our physics and math lessons. Maren was quite good at it and helped me with some problems. After our lessons we walked out and sat down on the bench again. I surprised her with the sandwiches I'd made for us to eat. As we were eating, she started again, "I'm really sorry for getting mad at you and shooting you."

"Don't be silly. I'm the one to blame. You've always looked good to me, but yesterday you looked sensational. I should've said something nice about it. It took some advice from my aunt to open my mind and tell me I should have told you so."

She looked at me, "You asked your aunt for advice? Who is your aunt?" Then I think she saw the light dawn, "Dean O'Dale is your aunt?"

"Yes, well not really my aunt. She's living with my Uncle Frank. They might go further in their relationship in the future, but they haven't yet."

She asked, "Don't you have to go to work today?"

"I've got a few days off. Andre, he's the owner, is changing some things inside, so it's closed. Besides, I have an appointment later this afternoon with Gavin."

"Oh, I have an appointment with Gavin too! When's yours?" she asked.

"At 4 o'clock so I have lots of time to kill until then."

"I have mine at 3. Would you mind going there together with me?"

I smiled, "No problem, Maren. But I want to ask you something else. What do you say we go to the beach with the other guys tomorrow? We can sunbathe, maybe swim a little and have fun with the others."

She hesitated a little, "Um ... I don't know if I can go. I mean, if I should."

"Why? What's wrong? Did Morfs give you some kind of deformity on your body, or are you just too shy to show yourself? Please, tell me Maren."

She flushed pink, "It's not that. But I don't own a bathing suit or anything like that." She hesitated and I looked expectantly at her to continue. "The truth is, I never learned to swim."

Surprised, I looked at her, "That's it? Well I an teach you I'm quite a good swimmer. Not that I will win many races, but I can hold my own. Or is it a cat thing and are you afraid of water?"

She reacted indignantly, "No, it is not a cat thing. It's just that before my MORFS I had a serious disease, and my life expectancy was measured in years, not decades, so I never bothered to learn how to swim."

I pretended to be indignant, "Sorry, don't kill me!"

She smiled at my words. Then her tail swished in front of me and I grabbed it and started stroking it. She began purring and closed her eyes. She moved her body a bit and leaned towards me. When she opened her eyes, our heads were suddenly close and with our lips close enough I took a chance. Leaning towards her, I lightly brushed her lips with mine. After seeming to enjoy it for a moment, she pulled her head back, startling me.

I was about to ask her a bit sharply why she had done that that when my memory connected several things together. I remembered that Snake had told me that Maren used to be a boy with a serious disease, who'd changed into a girl. And just moments ago she'd told me the disease part herself again. 'I can kick myself. Here I am kissing a girl who used to be a boy. No wonder she's shy. She's probably confused about this whole thing.'

I stroked her tail again to get her into a good mood again. This time she did purr again, but kept looking at me. "Maren I'm so sorry. I should've remembered that you had a gender change during your MORFS. I can't begin to understand what you're going through emotionally."

She flushed again, "It's okay. It's not your fault, it's mine. I've been steadily growing into being a girl, but sometimes I still try to resist becoming one totally in my mind. I think it's time I resign myself to being a girl both in body and mind." She leaned towards me and retuned my kiss, not just brushing my lips That was my turn to be totally surprised.

I enjoyed it immensely, but after a few seconds an idea came to me. I broke off the kiss, "You said that you don't own a bathing suit?" When she nodded I asked,, "Well what do you say we go shopping for one?"

She hesitated, biting her lip before answering, "Okay. Are you buying?"

I laughed, "I had that coming. Yeah sure, I'll pay. I did ask you to go shopping with me, so the least I can do is buy it for you. Do you have any preference as to where to shop?"

"Sure, I know just the place and they have some clotheslines especially for hybrids with a tail like me," she replied as she got to her feet.

When we got to the mall, she went straight to a store that didn't look too big in front. But it was deep inside, with several stories full of clothes. Maren quickly found some bathing suits, picking out some with long sleeves and sort of pants legs.

I shook my head, "Maren you can't wear those! You'll look ridiculous." I picked up some bikinis that would show off her assets extremely well. "Here, these are more suited for the beach."

"No way!' she snorted. "No way am I ever going to wear something like that."

She looks so cute when she's indignant, and I couldn't help laughing. "Well the one you picked out will make you a laughing stock for everyone on the beach."

As she looked at the ones she had picked, a voice asked, "Maybe I can be of some help? I gather that you're not agreeing on what to wear to the beach?"

We both turned to the saleswoman and I smiled, "My friend here has never been to the beach. so she needs something that's fashionable so she won't stand out too much with our friends."

"Hi, I'm Anita, let me look around a minute." She searched in the racks of clothing and came back with three different bathing suits. "Here, try these on. There's a changing booth right over there." She pointed to the left and back of Maren.

I waited impatiently for her to come out. When she did, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She looked stunning in the light gray very revealing suit, even though she looked uncomfortable in it. Not in the sense of ill fitting, more like she felt embarrassed. Quickly, she said, "I'll try another one on."

She stepped out not too much later in a shiny wet look black bathing suit. She looked good in this one as well, but not as good as the first one. Without a word, she stepped back into the booth and came out a little later with the third on. This time it was almost a two piece. Like a bikini, but with a metal ring in front connecting the top and bottom. I nodded, it looked good on her, too, but I still liked the first one best.

Maren stepped back into the booth and came back out fully clothed. "I don't think any of these are for me. Maybe I should look further?"

I protested, "Nonsense Maren. I agree that the last two aren't really you. But the gray one really suits you. And your tail isn't bothered by it either."

Anita agreed with me and added, "I do know a lot about hybrids with tails and none looked as good as you did with the gray bathing suit on."

Maren seemed to be thinking about it, so I thought that she needed a little more convincing. "I know you've never worn a bathing suit like that before. But there's a first time for everything. You look good in that gray suit."

She punched me in the shoulder, "No need to say it. I know it already. Just let me decide on my own, okay?"

Anita asked softly, "Well, what will it be?"

Maren was silent, lost in thought but finally said, "Okay, I'll take the gray one. I just hope I don't regret it."

Anita took the garment for Maren to the register, telling her, "Oh you won't. This is one of the best we have. I'm sure you will like it."

I followed her and Maren to pay for it. It was expensive, but it was worth it. Anita pointed out is was made with nano-tube fibers, meaning would be very sturdy and would give her a lot of wear without damage.

I carried Maren's bag as we walked to the MORFS center, arriving a bit early while talking about the beach trip the next day. I told her about the country I was born in. I told her about all the waterways we had and that we were pressed to learn how to swim early on. We saw Gavin walking by as we were checking in at reception. He waved Maren over and looked a bit surprised that I was already there, too.

I sat down in the lobby while Maren followed Gavin to his office. Figuring I was in for a long wait, I picked up a magazine and looked through it. I saw an article about cooking with tips from a very well known chef, so I started reading. Time flew by very quickly and before I knew it, it was nearing 4 o'clock, still no Maren or Gavin in sight, so I kept on reading. When they finally emerged from his office a half hour late, I got up and raised an eyebrow, questioning what had taken them so long. When they got closer I saw that Maren had been crying. 'Why did she cry? What did Gavin ask her? I hope she'll be okay.'

Gavin asked, "Gabe, do you want to do it quickly or would you mind rescheduling? I'm running out of time."

I answered casually, "Oh there's not much to tell, really. I helped out a demolition crew while practicing my power. The site was quite secure so I don't think that it is a problem, unless you see differently."

Gavin cocked his head, "I will check it, but I don't think that it is a problem. What did the men say?"

"The foreman thanked me and said that I was welcome on their next job."

Gavin laughed, "Well that's good to hear." He turned to Maren, "I guess we're done here then? Now remember Maren, another appointment soon okay?"

I looked at Maren, who nodded and went over to the secretary. I waited till she was finished before escorting her out of the building. We were walking towards my home when Maren suddenly said, "Gabe I can't go with you to the beach like we were planning. Yesterday I found a baby squog. She's dependent on me and requires lots of care. Isabel took over for me today, but I need to take care of her tomorrow."