I finish the quiz quickly, walk up to Mr. Holloway's desk, and set the paper on his desk neatly. "May I be excused?" I ask while shooting a smirk in Everett's direction. Mr. Holloway reaches for my paper to grade before answering my question.
He scribbles a three-digit number with his red pen and hands me my paper. "Yes, you may be excused." He smiles kindly and returns to read a small pocket-sized book. I quickly take the paper and turn back to my desk. I pack my stuff back into my backpack and swing the backpack onto my back. I move to the door by Everett's goons after I share a quick and quiet conversation with Monroe.
I plan to spend some time in the gym before my class comes to train and spar. It's ironic if you ask me, the government training us and teaching us self-defense. We're never going to use it unless an Abomination gets into a rough situation. And even then, they'll just use their powers.
I walk to the door, shooting Everett a glance as my hand wraps around the door handle. Suddenly, my ears start ringing as the room suddenly goes silent for a split second. My eyes widen as I realize what's happening. I see Joseph and Henry, one of Everett's friends, standing in the middle of the room with his eyes closed and his body tense as he focuses on the sounds of the room. Joseph has sound manipulation while his brother, Henry, has the ability to create illusions. My guess is the brothers are covering an attack.
Just as a strong wave a realization hits me, a strong arm wraps around my waist and lifts me off my feet. Adrenaline courses through my veins. My brain studies the surroundings quickly for an escape. I use my enhancements from birth and pull the doorknob hard, the metal comes out of the door with ease as I see Everett staring at me with a glare full of anger and disgust. The strong boy holding me tries to take the metal weapon from my hands, turning around to face the rest of the classroom in the process. I see the rest of the class carrying on with the test while I struggle in the arms of the boy holding me.
I pull my arm back and throw the metal doorknob at Henry, the one creating the illusion of all the students taking the test quietly. It hits him in the back of the head as Everett reaches me and pulls back a fist to hit me in the face, then, suddenly, my ears start to ring for a split second as the rest of the classroom can hear the commotion. I see Joseph helping his brother as his head bleeds heavily.
Everett realizes the rest of the class is now aware of his attempt to attack me and sits back down at his desk quickly. The strong arm tightens its grip as other boys head in my direction, possibly to rough me up. My heartbeat starts to speed up rapidly as I search for a solution. I desperately wrap my hands around his arm and close my eyes to focus.
I concentrate on my breathing as I feel a faint, but powerful buzz travel throughout my body, through my blood, veins, every part of my body. It feeds off my anger and focus. I move the strong feeling to my hands as I tightening my grip around the arm. I release the feeling and let it take control over my hands voluntarily.
I force my eyes open when the boy cries out in pain, the scent of burning flesh fills the air. I land on two feet easily and back up till I feel the door behind me. I clench my fists beside me as I concentrate on the boys struggling to get back to their seats before they get in trouble. Anger courses through my body, a power source for my abilities to shine.
I focus on the boys scrambling to their seats before Mr. Holloway sees them. Mr. Holloway is on the floor next to Henry, oblivious to me and the boys in the corner of the room. I take a deep breath continue focusing all of my strength toward the boys. The buzzing feeling returns and I let it course throughout my entire body.
I look down at my fists and slowly turn my fists inward, toward my body as Mr. Holloway stands with his white shirt stained with blood. As soon as my fists are facing my body, I speedily tilt them upward, and all the boys on my side of the room fall out of their chairs with excruciating pain. I rotate my fists slowly, feeling my joints grind from the motion that brings unbearable pain to the boys.
I have eye contact with Everett as he grabs at his neck in pain. A smirk grows on my face as I tilt my head to the side. I flex my fingers as the boys squirm on the floor. I fold my fingers to snap as teachers and students crowd outside the open door of the classroom to see what's going on.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Some just never learn that actions have painful, painful consequences." I say before I snap my fingers. My fingers snap loudly right before pain rips throughout the bodies of the unfortunate boys in front of me. I feel my eyelids becoming heavy as the ability to keep so many people in pain at once takes a lot of focus and energy.
Sharp pains vibrate throughout my temples as I place my hand against the classroom wall to help me balance. My breathing becomes quick and shallow, raspy. My vision starts to blur as my ears ringing loudly, tuning out everyone but me and the boys on the floor. I start to feel the same pain they do in my collarbone, the pain of my bones breaking, being forced back together and broken again.
Thin, dark blood starts trailing from my nose and my ears as I slump to the ground underneath me. I let go of my psychological hold on the boys. The ringing in my ears fades away slowly and the blood slows its flow from my nose to my mouth. The rest of the classroom comes back into view, boys on the floor groaning in pain as the faint buzz of power completely leaves my body. My vision clears to see Monroe heading towards me while Mr. Holloway deals with the boys.
"Come on, Indigo. I got 'cha." She grasps my hand tightly and pulls me up as a wave of vertigo hits me and the room starts to spin. Monroe grabs my backpack as I steady myself with the wall. "Let's go to the gym and clean your face." I nod and we walk out of the room, leaving behind the chaotic scene.
I stare into the mirror in the gym locker room, looking over my appearance. I have dried blood covering my nose, ears, and hands. The blood caked on my fingers encases them like gloves. I turn on the sink, leaving flecks of blood on the handle. I massage the soap into my palms, turning the silky, ivory soap into a messy crimson color. I stick my hands under the warm water and watch as the red liquid swirls around the sink.
Monroe walks into the locker room with her stuff from Mr. Holloway's classroom. I pull my hands out from under the water to dry them. "Can you wet a washcloth so I can clean my nose and ears, please?" I ask. She nods and pulls a washcloth from under the sink. She starts to stick the washcloth under the water, but she drops it in the sink and pulls her hand away quickly, shaking it violently. "I asked you to wet it, not drench it."
She scoffs. "Yeah, but that water is boiling hot! I'm surprised you didn't burn your hands." She says as she turns off the water. "I'll be stretching and waiting for you." She tells me before leaving the locker room. I nod in acknowledgment.
My attention shifts from Monroe to the washcloth. I grab it and wring it free of water, not understand what Monroe said about the water is hot. The washcloth feels cool and warm, not burning hot. I shake off the mental question and clean my face of the dried blood.
Once I finish cleaning my face, I change into the clothes I keep in my backpack for gym class. I wear a black tank top with some grey active shorts. I tied my hair up in a tight, secure knot. I lock my backpack in one of the lockers and head out to the combat area where Monroe waits for me.
I see the seniors sparing in their self-defense class while Monroe is busy gawking at the muscle and attractiveness. I roll my eyes as I make my way over to my best friend. She meets my eyes then she motions for me to hurry up and get over to her. Her motions are quick and rushed as if she's eager to show me something.
I jog the rest of the way over to her and once I reach her, she grabs me by the shoulders and turns me in the direction of the seniors. I follow her line of sight to the two seniors sparing in the middle of one of the rings.
The two burly seniors fight skillfully and quickly, their actions in sync with one another. They even have similar traits, they must be twins. The way the two can block each other strikes easily then attack and the pattern continues. It's mesmerizing and amazing to see two different people able to move as one single cell.
"Wow, that's amazing. They must have some kind of psychological link or bond with each other. Their moves are flawless." I say to Monroe as the boys continue to fight. "Come on, let's do a little sparing of our own." Monroe nods and we take our spots at the opposite sides of the circle.
We both start circling around when Monroe launches toward me at a quick speed. I stay in a low, defensive stance and clash with Monroe. She grasps my forearms tightly and tries to force me to my stomach on the ground. I use her momentum against her and drop to my knees, lurching my body and Monroe's forward. She lands with a thud on the matt under us. She stands quickly by I run into her at full speed, performing a running sweep flawlessly. I take her leg out from under her and she lands on her stomach. I hold her hands behind her back as my left knee is planted in the middle of her back and my right knee holds down her left knee, forcing my entire body weight on top of her.
"I submit." She says into the matt underneath us. I release my hold on her and help her off the matt. "My god, Indigo. Did you have to knock the wind out of me? I can't breathe." She says as she bends over and places her hands on her knees, panting and tired. She shakes her head and slowly stands back up. I wait with my hands on my hips, ready for her to get her energy back so we can have another match. "That's it. I'm done. You're too fast for me to fight." She pants out.
I feel my face scrunch up. "Really? I didn't even move that fast..." I say, more as a question than a statement. Monroe looks at me with wide eyes and tilts her head to my right.
"Ask them. They'll agree with me." She says as she stands up straight, her arms crossed. She pops her hip out, her sass obvious. I turn my head in the direction she gestured toward. I see the seniors that were in the middle of their combat class watching us. Their eyes analyze my every move, watching me with caution. Some boys look at me with smirks on their faces and turn and gossip to their friends beside them. I raise a brow and cross my arms over my chest.
I see a sharp movement out the side of my left eye. I turn to my right swiftly, barely dodging a large figure that zooms past me. I drop into a defense position as one of the twin seniors turns back to face me. "We figured you wanted a real challenge." His low, raspy voice says before I feel the presence of a figure behind me. "All abilities allowed."
"You're going to regret that," I respond with a wicked smile on my face. "You ready to feel some pain?"