The tardy bell rang, and I quirked a brow at the growling teenager underneath me. He tried to buck again, whining when he couldn’t get free. Sighing, I shook my head and tapped his nose with a stern frown, “bad dog,” I told him, and his eyes widened again. “Behave.”
Shocked, he went limp and stared at me with something odd flashing in his eyes before they hardened, and he glared hatefully. Sighing, I rolled my eyes but released him since he was calmer. “Leave Dakota alone,” I warned, turning my back on him and walking away as if I lacked a care in the world. It took all of my strength to do so, to act as though he was of no consequence and expose myself to a potential attack. It came as I knew it would, and I turned, flipping the boy over my shoulder using his momentum. He coughed, and I shook my head with an expression of pity. “I only defended myself this time to help your lesson in reality sink in. Just because you think you’re untouchable doesn’t mean you are, Kyler.”
With that, I walked away, leaving him lying on the floor in the middle of the hall.
Emergence of Thunderclouds
I walked to the office, asking if the school had showers I could use. They tutted over me, sending me to the girl’s locker room with an offer of clean clothes. I declined because I knew how to clean mine and dry them in minutes. You learned to do so when the rams who bleat annoyingly loud obsess over you. Geez, it was a good thing I didn’t allow my ego to inflate what with how much everyone focused on me. You’d think I was a celebrity from the way the kids in my previous schools obsessed over me.
I stumbled a step once in the locker room, and the changing girls looked at me with raised eyebrows. Claire and Marissa glanced at each other before approaching me with grim frowns. “Are you all right, Angel?” Claire asked with a worried frown, and I chuckled.
“Yeah, at least until I run into Kyler again,” I told her with a slight smirk. Her brow furrowed, and I shrugged. “I may have uh taught him a lesson that will rankle and make him hate me even more. If I hadn’t, I do not doubt Dakota would be in the nurse’s office.”
“You protected Dakota?” Marissa asked sharply, and I nodded, gulping while I took a step back from the fury in her expression. Instead of attacking me like I feared, she shook her head with tears in her eyes and pulled me into a hug to cry on my shoulder. “He’s important to me,” she admitted in a thick voice, a soft sob echoing in the silent room. “Dakota and I are together, we are soul mates, and that you risked yourself to protect him puts me in your debt. I am so thankful, Angel, and so happy. Please, let me help you whenever I can. You do not understand how much this means to me.”
I swallowed nervously. I would have preferred an attack rather than Marissa making me into some sort of hero. I did what anyone with a conscience should. “You owe me nothing,” I whispered uncomfortably, and she smiled.
“Oh, I do, Angel, I truly do. I owe you much,” Marissa disagreed with warmth in her eyes. Shrugging, I dropped my gaze and shuffled my foot while hoping she’d get bored and leave me alone.
“Um, if you don’t mind, I need to take a shower,” I mumbled after an awkward moment. “Dakota saved me first, anyway. Kyler tried to make me swallow toilet water because he doesn’t like how I talk to him.”
“He did what!?” Marissa snarled, and I flinched away from her. “Sorry, um, can I help?” Horror filled me, and she burst out laughing. “I meant with your clothes, sweetheart. I see that part of your hoodie is soaked.” Thank the moon and stars because I do not swing that way, nor would I enjoy that kind of attention. Albeit, what would hurt the most, was knowing we shared an intimate moment while she was in a relationship with Dakota. That would crush my soul and leave me more broken than even my monster desired.
Sighing with relief, I shook my head. “I just need to clean it in the sink and use a dryer to dry it quick. I have a free period, so I’m good,” I explained with a shrug. Claire tutted, and I found myself stripped of my hoodie and pushed towards the shower while a few girls brought me shampoo and soap. I blinked at them, but they smiled in response and shooed me into a shower.
This school was really fucking weird. Shrugging, I stripped, making a noise of irritation when Marissa cheerfully announced they would clean my shirt too while snatching it. I growled under my breath but took a quick shower to make the dirty water a mere memory. Ugh. Seriously, what idiot first thought that would be funny? It’s just nasty. Bleh.
They offered a towel through the pathetic curtain once I turned off the water, and I dried myself. When I stepped out, I found my clothes dry and ready to
