The Irony of Regret

2

Song of the chapter: Sound of Silence by Disturbed or Simon & Garfunkel

Quote of the Chapter: 'You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.' -Leon Trotsky

Malice was exactly what her name implies: malicious. She was cold as ice. She looked like it, too. Ice blue hair, black eyes, and scars that made constellations on her face.

Malice was a force that repelled all kindness. The moment she stepped into Jefferson High School, everyone noticed her presence. She gave off a bad aura. She was the kind of girl that made others shy away from her.

She intimidated the office ladies and nearly punched them when they messed up her schedule. She made a dent in locker 203 when it wouldn't open. And she slammed the door to her first period class, and she scared her teacher when she didn't speak. She only glared.

During third period she got detention for refusing to remove her baseball cap.

She wandered the halls during lunch. Not hungry, as usual. She walked through the whole school. She was then able to navigate to fourth period.

Fourth period was her free period, so she went out to the school bleachers. She smoked two cigarettes before deeming it was too cold to stay out longer. She then went to the library and read Dante's Inferno.

She went to fifth period after that. She found the teacher to be bland. She doodled for the whole period. It was a particularly gruesome image of a beheading during the French Revolution. The face of the victim was her teacher.

She got her previous detention sentence extended.

During sixth Malice continued her decapitation portrait.

When the last bell rang, she was about to walk out of the school when she was stopped by a teacher and taken to the detention room.

As usual, no one was ready for her. But, James Park was especially surprised when the familiar cold eyes came through the door.

Malice fancied the detention to be tedious. The teacher left after ten minutes for a conference. James and his friends - Nolan Ellison, Lex Bellany, and Beau Thornton - pestered her for the entire time. They asked her about the tally mark tattoo sleeve. They enjoyed her showy clothes.

She never spoke. She didn't flinch. She never even turned back to look at them. 

The time dragged. She didn't move for the duration of the time. She sat in silence, watching and waiting, like a predator following prey. After exactly seventeen minutes and twenty nine seconds Malice closed her eyes. She focused on her breathing and heartbeat. She imagined pulling the trigger. She smirked.

She pictured the last boxing match she saw. She remembered everything.

"I think she's sleeping."

"Poke her and find out."

"What?! No way! What if she isn't sleeping?"

"So, just be fast. She won't know it was you."

"Yes, she will. Dude, do you see her? She's like crazy tough."

They didn't whisper very well. Malice heard him coming.

She felt his breathe move her hair. She felt his hand move the air around her next to her face.

She felt him draw near. He inhaled and - Malice grabbed his hand while it was only millimeters away.

She jerked to her feet, taking him with her. He let out a strangled cry, and she twisted his arm behind his back.

"Ow, I'm sorry lady. They made me do it; I swear. Ouch, that hurts. Stop it." Nolan whined, nearly in tears.

Malice released his arm and shoved him into another desk. She turned away and sat back down, closing her eyes and returning to her meditative state.

"You said she wouldn't know it was me!"

"It's not my fault you're an idiot. You breathe too loud."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No."

"Yes."

"You're making him mad."

"No."

"Yes."

"Guys, you're annoying him. You should probably stop."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"He's really mad. You might want to quit that. Don't say I didn't tell you."

"NO!"

"YES!"

"Enough." James had a way of influencing people. He didn't threaten them; he didn't even raise his voice. They listened out of respect.

"Sorry." Beau and Nolan often argued in a playful and foolish manner. They were like brothers. They all were.

Malice found their group dynamic to be interesting. James was the obvious leader; he was withdrawn, severe, and respected. Lex was his closest friend, and he was similar. He was serious and had the weight of the world on him. Nolan and Beau acted childish. They were there for entertainment. They added nothing to the duo of James and Lex.

And Malice. She couldn't be any more unique, but still she melded into the background.

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As usual, let me know if you have suggestions or mistakes I made.

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-Danniele