<Chapter Three>

         The Gardens is a zoo/amusement park about 10 minutes away from Cassie's house. We debated whether or not we should take the bus/have me drive or to fly as birds to test out my new morph.
         "It would take to long to morph and all. It's already 5:00, and I have to be home by 6:30." Jake said to us. We decided to go by car/bus.
         Ax, who also has to follow the "2 hour time limit" had to demorph, then morph again to human, to reset the morphing clock. After that, we had to figure out who would drive with me in my car.
         Rachel, who I think looks up to me, quickly volunteered to go with me in my new Volkswagen beetle. The rest would take the bus.
         Rachel and I climbed into my small, blue car, and we sped off, passing the bus stop where Jake, Cassie, Marco, Ax, and Tobias waited (Ax in his human morph). On the way, I told Rachel about my "experience" with Mrs. Hayden. She didn't say
anything. She was probably thinking, not about how we would be "doomed forever", but most-likely a plan to "save" me. That's Rachel for you, always looking for a mission to go on. Marco even calls her "Xena, Warrior Princess."
         After we found a parking space at The Gardens, I turned the ignition off, and we sat there, not saying a word to each other. Then I looked at her, and she looked at me, and.... we both cracked up laughing. Something I hadn't done in a long time.
         We got out of the car and waited for the others to arrive, which took only a few minutes.
         "Hey, Marco! Philip (that's Ax's name in human, it would be a little noticeable if they called him Ax)! Jake! Cass! Over here!" Rachel called to them. Cassie's mom works at the Gardens, so Cassie could get in for free, and get discounts for the rest of us. I paid for everyone, because  I was the reason they were there.
         Cassie ran in, and ended up finding out that her mother was actually doing a presentation about dangerous, wild animals. She had a lioness out with her now, even letting kids pet it. Cassie went over first, and convinced her mom to let her hold the lioness while her mother went into some habitats to grab a tiger, which was the next animal to be taken out.
         As her mother was away, Cassie called me over. She said this was a perfect time to aquire this animal! I got close, but I got a little scared. You don't know how big one of these lionesses is until you are up close and personal with it. This things are huge! I reached out my hand to her fur, and concentrated. Her DNA became apart of me. I saw Cassie's mom approaching, with the tiger, and I jerked my hand away, and backed up a few steps.
         When her mother arrived with the tiger, she gave it to Cassie (mind you, Cassie is a small girl, and these animals were huge! Yet, the animals gave her no trouble, in fact, I think they enjoyed being the center of attention!). Cassie's mother left with Kiara, the lioness (named after Simba's daughter in the movie The Lion King II.).
         Cassie motioned for me to come over and I acquired that, too. This time I was more scared about the tiger than I was about the lioness. I reached a shaking hand out and touched it's beautiful orange and black pelt. It was amazing, to just be able to touch it, let alone morph it!
         That was all the work we got done that day, because soon it was 6:15, and Jake had to leave. On the way home, Tobias rode with me, and Rachel rode the bus.