two things. He hadn’t slept in a while and this would surely suck.
“How’s it going, Rory?” I said, sarcastically. He cracked his knuckles and stood up.
“Shut up, Lucas! If I wanted to hear anything from you, I’d smack it out of you!”
“Calm down, we’re already locked up in this room for the next hour. Maybe we should try getting along,” I helplessly tried to reason with him. It was a waste of time.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” he roared. With a stomp of his booted feet, he made his way toward us. Olivia immediately jumped in front of him.
“What’s your problem, Rory?” she scolded.
“You and the nerd are my problem,” he said, with his eyes stabbing me. Man, when would these bullies get new material? “I’m here to serve my time, not watch a couple of idiots play the Dating Game!”
Olivia shoved herself into him only inches from his face. “Call me an idiot again. I. Dare. You.”
“Ha, ha, ha, are you serious?” Rory wiped his mouth in anticipation and stared past Olivia directly at me. “You really gonna let her fight your fight, Lucas?”
His words made my blood boil. The lines of my tattoo warmed with a dull glow as Ripley dared to make an appearance. I quickly hid my forearm behind me as I turned to face him dead on. His eyes focused harder on me. Olivia placed a hand on my chest, firmly.
“Lucas, no. He’s not worth it, not today.”
“He’s the only one who’s in trouble, Olivia,” I smiled, and snapped my fingers behind my back. Ripley spun to life inside my slightly opened fist, tiny and fierce.
“Bring it on, geek!” Rory taunted. I nodded to Olivia just as she noticed my coiled fist behind me. She looked unsure but slowly backed out of the way. Rory didn’t waste another second. He lunged forward with teeth clenched and dirty fists pushing outward. I gulped a large piece of oxygen and closed my eyes. Instantly, I shot my arm in front of me and slammed my open palm into his chest. A puff of blue and black smoke painted his T-Shirt and lower neck.
“Ahhh!” Rory hollered, before falling silent. His body immediately flew backwards landing back in his chair at the desk he had previously occupied. His torso slumped forward as if he had fallen asleep at his desk. He was unconscious but not terribly hurt. He’d probably wake up with a decent headache, but I made sure not to hurt him too badly.
“Lucas!” Olivia snapped.
“No worries, I just stunned him.” I revealed my hand with a silly wiggle of my fingers, exposing my open palm. Ripley’s glowing gold eyes stared from inside letting her know that it was all under control. Swiftly, my magical weapon faded away into my skin and my markings along my arm fell back to normal.
“You can’t do that,” Olivia said, directly.
“I’ve spent my whole high school experience being pushed around by him and his loser buddies, maybe it’s time for me to stand up for myself. Taylor won’t always be there to save me,” I said, more upset than I was planning.
“What if it had killed him?”
“But it didn’t.”
“Lucas, you know I’m right. You have to be more responsible until you learn how to control your new…gift.” Her eyes fell on me hard and angry. She was right. I didn’t like it, but she was.
“Okay,” I wilted.
Suddenly, we were joined by Mr. Parker, the school’s Guidance Counselor. He was in charge of after-school detention. He actually volunteered for the duty. His face jabbed through the doorway led by his thick glasses. They dangled almost at the tip of his nose, just a nudge away from falling to the floor. He searched the mostly empty classroom before directing his attention my way.
“Ryan,” he sulked. “Of course it would be Mr. Ryan.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Parker,” I mumbled, and sat down in my chair. Olivia followed my lead.
Mr. Parker then acknowledged Olivia with a head nod. “Ms. Weaver, as usual.”
“You’re late,” she said. He immediately grew upset, but
“How’s it going, Rory?” I said, sarcastically. He cracked his knuckles and stood up.
“Shut up, Lucas! If I wanted to hear anything from you, I’d smack it out of you!”
“Calm down, we’re already locked up in this room for the next hour. Maybe we should try getting along,” I helplessly tried to reason with him. It was a waste of time.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” he roared. With a stomp of his booted feet, he made his way toward us. Olivia immediately jumped in front of him.
“What’s your problem, Rory?” she scolded.
“You and the nerd are my problem,” he said, with his eyes stabbing me. Man, when would these bullies get new material? “I’m here to serve my time, not watch a couple of idiots play the Dating Game!”
Olivia shoved herself into him only inches from his face. “Call me an idiot again. I. Dare. You.”
“Ha, ha, ha, are you serious?” Rory wiped his mouth in anticipation and stared past Olivia directly at me. “You really gonna let her fight your fight, Lucas?”
His words made my blood boil. The lines of my tattoo warmed with a dull glow as Ripley dared to make an appearance. I quickly hid my forearm behind me as I turned to face him dead on. His eyes focused harder on me. Olivia placed a hand on my chest, firmly.
“Lucas, no. He’s not worth it, not today.”
“He’s the only one who’s in trouble, Olivia,” I smiled, and snapped my fingers behind my back. Ripley spun to life inside my slightly opened fist, tiny and fierce.
“Bring it on, geek!” Rory taunted. I nodded to Olivia just as she noticed my coiled fist behind me. She looked unsure but slowly backed out of the way. Rory didn’t waste another second. He lunged forward with teeth clenched and dirty fists pushing outward. I gulped a large piece of oxygen and closed my eyes. Instantly, I shot my arm in front of me and slammed my open palm into his chest. A puff of blue and black smoke painted his T-Shirt and lower neck.
“Ahhh!” Rory hollered, before falling silent. His body immediately flew backwards landing back in his chair at the desk he had previously occupied. His torso slumped forward as if he had fallen asleep at his desk. He was unconscious but not terribly hurt. He’d probably wake up with a decent headache, but I made sure not to hurt him too badly.
“Lucas!” Olivia snapped.
“No worries, I just stunned him.” I revealed my hand with a silly wiggle of my fingers, exposing my open palm. Ripley’s glowing gold eyes stared from inside letting her know that it was all under control. Swiftly, my magical weapon faded away into my skin and my markings along my arm fell back to normal.
“You can’t do that,” Olivia said, directly.
“I’ve spent my whole high school experience being pushed around by him and his loser buddies, maybe it’s time for me to stand up for myself. Taylor won’t always be there to save me,” I said, more upset than I was planning.
“What if it had killed him?”
“But it didn’t.”
“Lucas, you know I’m right. You have to be more responsible until you learn how to control your new…gift.” Her eyes fell on me hard and angry. She was right. I didn’t like it, but she was.
“Okay,” I wilted.
Suddenly, we were joined by Mr. Parker, the school’s Guidance Counselor. He was in charge of after-school detention. He actually volunteered for the duty. His face jabbed through the doorway led by his thick glasses. They dangled almost at the tip of his nose, just a nudge away from falling to the floor. He searched the mostly empty classroom before directing his attention my way.
“Ryan,” he sulked. “Of course it would be Mr. Ryan.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Parker,” I mumbled, and sat down in my chair. Olivia followed my lead.
Mr. Parker then acknowledged Olivia with a head nod. “Ms. Weaver, as usual.”
“You’re late,” she said. He immediately grew upset, but
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