Phoenix

Chapter 3

The next two classes were just the same as the first two. Boring, except for the fact that there was an extremely attractive new student named Jackson, sitting near me the entire time. People didn't stop approaching him, asking questions, but not once did they acknowledge my presence. They acted like I wasn't even there. Which was better than biology when people said all those rude things. Not that I wasn't used to it, it still sucked.

Everyone knows that the top dogs of the school don't like me, so in turn, they don't like me either. No one wants to get on their bad side, and most people don't even question them. They can't do anything wrong.

How I got onto their bad side? I really don't know. They haven't liked me since I moved here last year.

I prayed they might have moved or that I could move again during the summer, but I didn't see either of those things happening soon.

"I'm hungry. Where's the cafeteria?" Jackson asked, making me jump in surprise. I forgot he was there. I guess I'm just not used to someone being beside me and I don't think I'm going to get used to it either.

"It's this way," I answer and pointed in the direction of the cafeteria before heading in that direction, leading Jackson.

"What's their best dish? Do you even eat cafeteria food or do you bring your own?" He started up with his questions again.

"I don't think I've ever met someone that asks so many questions," I say and shake my head at him. It's true though, I'm not annoyed, just surprised. He doesn't seem like a curious person, but he is. I shouldn't judge appearances though.

"I just like to know things and you need questions to get answers. Just tell me to shut up if you find it annoying," Jackson said with a shrug and the guilt hit me hard in the chest.

"It's not annoying. I just don't usually talk to people so I'm not used to it. I'm sorry," I apologize quietly. The last thing I wanted to do is make him feel like he is being annoying, he's not.

"Is this- "Jackson began to ask but was cut off by someone else.

"Hey, Phoenix, it's time to spend some time with your friends, we miss you," The voice came from behind me, but I knew it was Nick.

"You got your buddy to the lunchroom, I'm sure he can figure it out from here. You can pick him up later." Blythe then said and I turned around to see the two standing beside each other.

I wanted to tell them no since I was supposed to stay with Jackson... I couldn't bring myself to do it though. If I said no, they would probably kill me.

"Okay..." I said quietly before giving Jackson an apologetic glance. He looked a little confused and slightly offended that I had agreed to leave. "I'm sorry."

Without a chance to hear him respond, I was pulled away with Nick and his friends down the hall, away from the cafeteria. I didn't have to ask where we were going, I already knew.

My heart began to race in my chest as I walked, well, was dragged through the back doors of the school by Blythe as he and his friends followed behind then soon surrounded me once the doors were closed.

I went to apologize, just so maybe they wouldn't be so brutal this time. But before I could get out a word, the air was suddenly knocked out of me whenever my back met the hard brick wall behind me.

"You think just because you got some big guy beside you, you can skip out on your daily punishment?" Nick spat in my face while gripping into the collar of my shirt, pinning me to the wall.

"N-No... O-of course n-not... I-I just got distracted a-and-" The wind was knocked out of me once again whenever a hard fist made contact with my already bruised stomach, making the pain feel worse than a normal punch would have. I gasped for air and coughed, attempting to double over, but Nick kept me up against the wall.

"Don't try making any excuses you freak!" He growled through gritted teeth and I managed to hear a few snickers through my cries. I know I shouldn't look weak and cry in front of them, giving them the satisfaction to see me cry in pain. How could I stop the tears when I was scared and in pain? "You need to learn to stay in your place."

Nick then slammed me up against the wall again before dropping me to the ground. A few people then stepped forward and began to kick every inch of my body.

I screamed in pain but was quickly silenced by Blythe who grabbed onto my hair and tugged as hard as he could. "Shut up! If you scream one more time, I'll make sure you never scream again." He snarled before slamming my head into the concrete ground and I bit my tongue, the only thing escaping was a pained whimper.

Nick then began to kick my stomach once again and everyone else went back to what they were doing, kicking and punching my arms, legs, back, stomach, chest. They made sure I hurt everywhere. All I could do was try to focus on silencing my uncontrollable sobbing.

I could already feel my body starting to form new bruises on my unbroken skin and mix with the old ones, too. I could barely breathe, the pain was unbearable, but I had to bear with it anyway. Even though I should be used to it by now, it still hurt every time.

One last kick went straight into my chest and I gasped for air once more. Their laughs were drained out by the ringing in my ears and my crying. I hugged my arms around myself tightly, not really know how it would help, but I wish it did.

"Let's go, we shouldn't waste any more time on this loser," Someone said, but I wasn't quite sure who. All I know is that they had finally left, leaving me all alone, sobbing and aching from the pain that they just caused.

Everywhere hurt, I couldn't pinpoint places where it hurt the most or the least, I just knew that everywhere was in pain. Except my face, my head hurt from when Blythe slammed it into the ground, but my face was untouched. I guess it's so they don't get into trouble if someone sees my face. My clothes covered everything else.

The sobs only grew quieter, but the pain only grew the longer the bruises started to set in. I hugged myself tighter, now aware of the freezing air around me. I didn't have my coat with me, I had left it in the classroom. I deeply regret that decision.

I decided that crying wasn't getting me anywhere, it only made me think about the pain even more. So I tried to think of something else to distract myself from how awful I felt. I thought about all the people that have it worse than I do. All those people that are freezing all the time with nothing to keep them warm. Or the people that don't have enough to eat.

Yes, I'm bullied most of the time and I'm in a lot of pain right now, but some people are abused at home too and have nowhere or no one to run to. I still have my mother and that made the pain bearable. That I should fight and get passed the pain because I'm not totally unlucky.

After several minutes that felt like hours, I finally calmed down enough to move somewhere else. I stood, but only barely, by using the wall to support me as I hobbled over to a small corner outside the school. Every step I took was pained and my legs were screaming at me to stop walking. I was cold and I wasn't prepared to go back inside, not yet, so I had to keep walking. The corner blocked all the wind and that was enough for me. I winced every time I made a wrong move and agitated my wounds, but I wanted to be out of the cold.

Slowly and very hesitantly, I crouched down to the ground once more, yelping when I accidentally landed in the ground a little too hard, causing a shot of pain to up my back. Once it was bearable for me to move again, I curled up into a small ball, trying to keep all the warmth in my body that I could to make myself as comfortable as I possibly could, wishing I could use it. I needed it.

I looked around at my surroundings to make sure no one was there. When I saw no one and heard no sounds on anyone approaching, I decided now it was okay to use it. My arms wrapped around my upper body, slowly letting the warmth of my fire wrap around my cold and aching body.

Yes, I meant fire. Not like real flames that burned everything that it touched. I meant the fire that I could control, make with my mind, tell it what to do. It wasn't normal, even in books about pyros or pyrokinetics, it wasn't normal. Fire is supposed to burn, but mine doesn't.

I sighed softly in relief, it didn't heal me, but it did take away all my pain. It also warmed me up without needing a coat. This was much better than any blanket or coat, but it's not like I could be walking around with fire surrounding my body all the time.

Sometimes, I imagine that someone is here, holding me tightly and telling me it's all alright and that it will get better. They keep their arms around me and protect me from the world and promise to keep me safe. They speak and whisper sweet things to me, making me only focus on them and not the pain or the cold. That it's their body that's warming me up instead of the flames. I get lost in the thought. So much so, that sometimes I even think it's real.

That is until I open my eyes and realize that it's just a dream.

This is my reality, the cold hard truth. That it's just me out here, comforting myself with a fire that I shouldn't be able to control.

It's just me.

I am alone.