Miffed

Chapter 2

Jim came barreling out the front door as did Jane's mum and several neighbours. All had had looks of shock and concern on their faces. I glanced down at the todler cradled across one hip. He was a beautiful child and I felt sudden fearce joy at being able to save him. I gave him a tight hug that served only to make him shierk louder. Then hands reached out to rudely tug him out of my arms. I looked up from my now empty embrace to encounter the angry eyes of what must be the mother to this child.

Crack!

The sting that resulted from the slap that landed accross my cheek served to stiffen my stance and tingle my finger tips. I knew was in danger of revealing more of myself then I was comfortable with these people knowing. I abruptly moved away from the shireking mother and child, dodged Jane and persistent questions to reach into the car and drag out my bag before I swung away from the gathered crowd and made to walk to school. I was fuming with every step of the way and managed to get  to the end of the block before a rough hand gripped my sholder and had me swing about to face my attacker. I had a rough idea over who it would be and so was unsurprised to see Jim standing there with something a little more then concern on his face.

But I was beyond anger and reason so I placed both hand on his chest and shoved him a pace back, "I have to get to school, I am runninng late you would be better served putting in your questions to Jane."

I turned back to wrench my arms free and continue to trudge down the lane.

"I'll give you a lift," he said as he stood back and let me go.

"I'll walk. I need to walk this off," was all I said in reply.

I reached just as the school bell rang. I pushed my way through the rushing throng of teenage bodies and made my way to my first class. Craig met me at the door and gave me a quick raised brow at my disgruntled look. I ignored him and moved a head to take my seat. Just as I was by now suspecting, this was definately not my day. Brett the jock. Brett the invincible. Brett the handsome. Yes, I know the last is a little funny but its true regardless for that is the most apt description for his amazing looks. Anyhow, back to my point, that Brett sat at my desk. There was a rhyme in there somewhere. Momentarily destracted into humor by my own wayward thoughts, I managed a polite, "Get the hell off my seat!" Alright, that wasn't at all polite but it was my seat and I have had a shitty morning of it so far and besides I was so not impressed by Mr. Jock here. No I was kidding in part for that is not his real surname. I was however dead serious when I said that jocks as a rule do not even pinge on my radar.

"Ariane, sweetheart! My desk was a little wobbly this morning, you wouldn't mind if I took yours now would you?" came his way too sweet comment. If he intended that to molify, he failed miserably.

"Get your shit off my chair," I said enunciating each word with startling clarity. I was so not in the mood for anymore shit.

Brett took one look at my I mean business look and quietly stood up. He towered over me for a minute, his gaze staring straight into mine before he finally shifted and moved back towards his own seat.

It was a horrible start to my day. Word flew like grass fire across the school that I stood up to Brett rather then caving in like most of the fillies here did. But I so did not appreciate his I'm the stalion. The mare I may be but his broodmare I was certainly not. I ignored everybody that day which was not unusual for I did just that every other day. At lunch I joined my usual crowd of Craig and his team of misfits. Stef turned up a little later to swing into the vacant slot beside me. Stef was my other best friend. Like all best friends would do she took one look at my dark expression and made no reference to the happenings of the day. I saw her exchange a glance with Craig but neither of them said anything. I didn't either. I just quietly listened in to the talk going around the table and was silently greatful that that talk fenced around my confrontation with Craig.

I was suddenly greatful that tomorrow would be a day at work and I'd be spared the drama at school. But running away was not the solution. This I know too well for I've done that before. Right after mum died infact, before dad and I became buddies. I packed my bag with some meager belongings and climbed out the bedroom window and then I trudged down the road in a straightline with no aim or purpose in mind.

It was how I was found. Dad it seemed by sheer chance ventured into my room not too long after that.  to check on my that night. Something I did not know he had been doing on and off eversince mum died. He saw my empty bed and open window and took off in the car after me. I was found just blocks away, for it seemed that even though my night vision was amazing, my sense of direction was paltry by comparison. The sound of the bell ringing jolt me back into the present.

I was walking back after school that day lost in my musings of my past and confounded by recent developments when a car drivng by suddenly pulled over at the curb. The door to the jeep swung open and the long limbs of the hottest guy I'd ever seen emerged. Kay, was nerd turrned jock. My past aquiantence that when on having achieved jockhood post puberty, I moved to  disassociate with. Kay was a senior, this was his graduation year.

"Ariane, how are you?" said Kay in the usual mild sort of greeting a near stranger would issue. Given my present state of turmoil all I managed was a mere grunt in reply. I then proceeded to ignore him as I continued to walk down the street for I was still in a no talking cause I've got too much to process mode. But as luck would have it he swung into step alongside me. We walked together both in silence before the ridiculousness of the situation finally got to me.

"What do you want?" I swung to face him stopping him in his stride. I would get this over with so that I may ponder in peace without an audience.

"Jane told me what happened this morning. She said you saved that kid, that you used that strange blue shield to do it,"  he said staring at me straight into my eyes.

Then I remembered that him shifting onto jock status had not been the sole reason I had dropped him of my acquiantance radar, he knew what I was or at least what I could do for honestly even I did not know what I was.