Feathers: Book One of The Phoenix Queen Trilogy

Chapter 2: New Guy, Old Problems

Chapter 2: New Guy, Old Problems

"Smelling better, trash girl?"

A fierce tick started in Shay's jaw, Vanessa was really starting to get her goat today. Not even a moment after the bell had rung, letting the students into the building, the little flaxen haired she-devil had positioned herself in front of Shay's locker, throwing the first insult of the day in her face, before she could even get to homeroom. "You would know wouldn't you?" Shay inhaled deeply, "Is that a new perfume of yours? Bodie de Odair?"

As her personal pain in the ass sputtered, trying to come back with a proper insult, Shay moved passed her to get her books from her locker.

Her mistake.

In lieu of a spoken retaliation Vanessa slammed the locker door shut on Shay's wrist before strutting down the hall. She flicked her hair of her shoulder, fairly skipping down the hallway as Shay had bit her lip in an effort to stem the flow of obscenities that had threatened to flow over her lips.

Her wrist still throbbed even though it had been two periods prior that it had been shut in the door. Mr. Gibbons stood at the front of the class, reading off his sheet off announcements as Shay drummed her fingers against her desk impatiently.In less than four hours her daily exercise of sociability had long ago lost its appeal. With a throbbing wrist, head, and ego, all Shay really wanted to do was go home and crawl in bed and never emerge.

The old man's voice was shakey as he read, "It has come to the attention of the staff that bullying has been occurring among the Junior class." He looked up at them, his wrinkle framed eyes magnified by his too big glasses. "Now, I don't know where they would have gotten an idea like that. In my day we took our bruises and gave'em back twofold!"

The class slid into its usual cycle of half-hearted interest, boredom, and slumber, as he launched into one of his days-gone-by tales of his childhood. Her mind and spirit sapped, Shay slid deeper into her seat. She really wished that the staff would keep their noses to themselves if they weren't going to fix the problem. By saying, "it has come to our attention", they had put a crosshair on every bullied kid in school.

No bully liked to be ratted out.

So they tended to make sure that their victims didn't feel brave enough to speak up again.

For the rest of class Shay alternated between doodling in her notebook and listening half-heartedly to Mr. Gibbons wondrous escapades. By the time the bell rang for fourth period she felt as if she were ready to face the Hall of Public Embarrassment, ahem, Gym Class.

Rocketing out of her seat as quickly as she could Shay hastily calculated in her head, Okay Vanessa and her zoo crew will priss in the restroom for a good five minutes, take two minutes to walk to the changing rooms, and then one more to complain to the instructor. I have approximately eight minutes to change and be out of there before she arrives.

Any person who was on the I Hate You list of Vanessa Greenway learned very quickly her habits, and especially to never break the cardinal rule.