"What do you mean by change my ways?" Zen said in irritation. At this point, she was ready to bite someone's head off if provoked any further.
"If you consider yourself a girl, then act like one."
"I am a girl and I am acting like one," Zen fired back angrily.
"Not with that hair and those dark gloomy clothes. Are you going to a funeral?"
"What's wrong with the way I am? And why does my dress bother you so much? I'm the one wearing them, not you."
"Anyone would call you a guy in that attire of yours. Change yourself or leave this dorm."
"Just because I keep my hair short and dress like a guy, I can't stay in the dorm anymore?" Zen scoffed. It was suddenly becoming increasingly tempting to grab the witch's neck in a chokehold and squeeze the living daylights out of her.
"This is an all-girls dorm, Zen."
"I am a girl."
"Not with that attitude, you're not. Change yourself or leave."
"I'm not going to change just because you told me to."
"Should we stop her?" In another scene, Nadia's concerned voice could be heard at the back.
"No. Let Zen deal with this." Madilyn stopped her, partly because she didn't want to interfere in Zen's affairs knowing Zen wouldn't want her to and partly because she was dying to see what scene was about to unfold next.
"This is getting messy. When Dark Zen is out, we don't know what she'd do."
"Hush." Madilyn silenced Nadia upon catching a not-so-friendly look from the warden.
The warden gave them a warning look before turning to Zen. "You have to. I don't want any half girls in my dorm."
"Well sorry to disappoint you," Zen shot back mockingly, "but you've got to live with it. I'm not changing the way I am just to cater to your services. I am who I am and nothing you say or do will change that. No law says I have to act and dress differently just because I'm a girl. Or did God personally come and tell you that?"
"Zen! I will not tolerate your behaviour any longer." Enraged and mortified, the warden raised her right hand.
Zen could see the slap coming from a centimetre radius. Her trained eyes traced the movement before raising a hand to block the seemingly vicious blow. Holding the warden's hand in a vice-like grip, Zen coolly responded, "I can't with you too." And giving a slight painful twist to the wrist, Zen forcefully dropped the warden's hand and struck her with a searing gaze.
"How bold of you!" the warden screamed in pain, anger and five hundred pounds of fear. "Zen, you have just broken dorm rule number 4. Pack your bags and leave immediately. Get out of my sight!"