Dragon Girl [Hawk ff.]

--- Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

[Strike first]

***

Though the classroom walls were bare, the windows were large, and that was the only thing that kept Kim going. Everyone wanted a window seat in Mr. Hyde's class; at least that's what she noticed during her time at West Valley High School. Sitting in the unsubdued light of the morning was what made literature class pass by quicker. Outside the sky was blue except for a few marshmallow like clouds drifting slowly as the time passed by.

That day she was lucky enough to land a window seat; she arrived earlier than usual because her sister was kind enough to offer her a lift. After yesterday's incident, Kim couldn't find it in herself to get on the old yellow school bus. She dreaded even the thought of going anywhere near that thing. But if she were to arrive with it, Kim would've most likely ended up in the seat beside the door, right at the front of the classroom. A seat nobody wanted. A seat that was usually occupied by the nerds and outcasts of the school.

People like her.

A year ago, when Kim transferred here, she didn't quite fit in. People made fun of her because of her shy, insecure nature, nerdy hobbies, and even her ethnicity despite the fact that some of her bullies were of Asian descent too. Overall, she was an easy target, and the other students didn't hesitate much when it came to making her life a living hell.

Kim still remembered her sister's encouraging speech on her first day of school. It felt like a lifetime has passed since then. With all the bullying time passed by slowly. The days blended in together, most of the time she didn't even know the current date.

But there were still things she was glad for, like the few people she actually managed to befriend. In most cases it wasn't even common interest that brought them together, but common pain. They were all bullied by the same group of students, and this brought a strange sense of comradeship among the victims.

And right now, one of Kim's fellow victims and friends was the one occupying the dreaded seat at the front. Demetri Moore was his name, and the girl had to admit, he was sometimes annoying beyond belief. If she wanted to be honest with herself, deep inside she understood why the others bullied him. Even Kim herself felt like punching him sometimes, even though she was never the violent type.

After a while Demetri shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He turned around, searching the classroom with his eyes until his gaze met Kim's. He must've felt the girl staring at him. She felt bad for leaving him to his own devices while she enjoyed her window seat, but she wanted to be selfish just this once. It was the first time she managed to grab one of the good seats in months.

With a weak smile, Kim sent an apologetic glance his way. Demetri just rolled his eyes, and turned to the front.

Just then, Mr. Hyde entered looking as inspired as an overused pair of socks, and the girl could already feel a daydream starting. The teacher's squeaky voice became but a background noise as she began to imagine what life would be like if her bullies finally left her and her friends alone.

*

The classes passed by in a blink of an eye, and lunch came sooner than Kim expected. So far it has been a rather monotone day. No teasing and no bullying occurred, which really put the girl on edge. Uneventful days were few and far between, and they usually lead to a very paranoid mood on the girl's part. Kim didn't like it when her days were filled with uncertainty; she spent every minute in fear that her bullies were waiting for her with a cruel joke just around the corner. Following schedules and daily routines were more her thing, it gave her a feeling of stability, even if the bullying was part of it more often than not. Having her bag being thrown into the trash can was one such example. It happened every day, but at least she knew that she would be left alone after.