Unspecified Rage

Put the flesh to the flesh

Julia kept telling herself not to get involved, and yet the fact that she recognized the voice somehow drew her feet over to the side of the wall. She leaned her back again the wall, crouched down and looked out over the side. She duked her head back and chewed a lip in frustration. Do not get involved. It is not your problem. There was the nice guy from class, Andrew, and about six much bigger guys in what looked like a bully circle standing around him.

She could hear them mocking the smaller student. Walk away. Not your problem. She tried to convince herself. But then she heard the first blow land, and heard Andrew cry out in pain. Dammit you're going to be the idiot hero aren't you? She asked herself, aready realizing that her feet were carrying her around the corner.

It seemed ridiculously easy for her to walk over and step between Andrew and the jerks beating the tar out of him. They didn't seem to even see her come towards them, but suddenly she was there. She managed to reign in her bloodthirsty desire to flatten a skull and simply pushed the biggest jerk-off away.

"Enough." she warned, voice low and serious. Threat and violence radiated from her frame, but somehow the 6 idiots just didn't realize they should fear this tiny little tinkerbell. Admittedly, 5 foot, 100 pounds and cute as a button are not the most threatening of descriptions. But despite looking harmless, Ju was anything but. She knew the damage she had caused in the past and was trying to avoid causing now.

"Awww look, Andrew's girlfriend has come to rescue him." Jerk One taunted.

"Nah, she's the new girl, she has no clue of the way things is here." Jerk two interjected.

"Are, the way things are here. And you're right, I don't know. But admittedly I don't care either. You are not hurting him anymore. It is that simple. Now please walk away before things get out of hand." Julia interrupted calmly. Her utter lack of fear confused the bullies.

She'd been jumped once in her old school. She'd not had as much control over her mood swings then and had mouthed off to the wrong jock's girlfriend. They waited until she wasn't concerned about it anymore. On a Friday night when she wandered away from her house, suddenly there was half the football team, all drunk and ready to 'avenge' Bianca's honour or some other bull like that. Oh they'd hurt her, and she ended up spending a few nights in observation at the hospital. She hadn't wanted to fight, had in fact tried to run away from the situation. But they'd knocked her down and stomped on her repeatedly. Then one got the genius idea to make it look somehow self inflicted. They'd slit her forearm from palm to elbow. When they'd expected her to be weak and easy to handle, she'd lost control of her temper for a moment and despite her best efforts, could not remember what'd happened. When she woke up in the hospital, three of the jocks were so beat up they were unrecognizable, one was in traction and the rest were too traumatized to talk about it. So once she was out of the hospital, her family had packed up and left.

Jerk one moved as if to walk away, but Julia recognized the mean streak in him. He'd have to hurt or humiliate her before he was satisfied. End it before someone gets really hurt. She told herself sternly. So when jerk one suddenly swung around to backhand Julia, she'd already moved at an angle to him, out of reach and close fist decked him. They'll just keep coming at you if you don't do this right. she heard in hte beck of her mind, realizing that she had to carefully control the amount of damage cause.

So as he reeled from the punch to the jaw, Julia brought her leg up and kicked him in the stomach, pushing him away and to the ground. Without hesitation, she jumped on him and hit him in the face again, just once. She heard her blood throb in her ears and could see the edges of her vision haze red and stopped herself as suddenly as she'd started.

She leaned her face in close to his bloody one and whispered. "He's mine now, you touch him again, and I will finish what I started." then she got back to her feet, and looked at the remaining 5 jerks. "He needs an ice pack and a beer. I suggest you guys go take care of that." They grabbed their friend and hauled him away, not saying anything but giving Julia some wide eyed looks.

Julia looked at Andrew after the bullies had left and saw the look of astonished fear on his face. "What in hte name of god was that?" he asked, voice breaking a little.

"You helped me, I helped you." she explained uncomfortably.

"No I got that part, I mean, what the hell was that? You came out of NOWHERE and beat the snot right out of him! I never even saw you MOVE?!" Andrew freaked.

"You've been hit in the head too many times. Of course it looked that way." I dismissed with a shrug. "Let's go, I'm craving a burger." she changed the subject. Hell of a way to make your first friend. She said to herself. Of course, it's also a hell of a way to end your first day here. Mom's gonna freak at me.

"Ah, Julia, your nose is bleeding." Andrew said, trotting along beside me. I touched fingertips to nose and came away crimson.

"It happens. I get bad migraines." I explained and held the already bloody bandana to my nose. Speaking of headaches, now that the throbbing of my heart beat faded, it was replaced by a growing pressure in my temples. This one's gonig to be a doozy. So I put the almost forgotten joint in my lips and lit it up.

Andrew looked at me with shock. "I'm allowed. It helps settle things for me." I explained with an uncomfortable shrug. I hated having to explain to people how nothing else even dinted the pain.

But Andrew didn't ask or judge, instead he laughed. "I can completly understand that." and he held up a hand, showing how it was shaking.

Julia inhaled and smiled, passing it over. "Don't let anyone see that. I'd get in shit." she offered. With obvious experience, Andrew palmed it, hiding it from sight but still allowing him to pull a drag from it. Holding it in for a second, he started to cough and Julia laughed at him.

"Out of practice?" she teased with a smile flitting about her lips.

"Strong shit." he countered with a geeky grin.

"Don't think I like you or anything." she added, in mock seriousness.

"Of course not. Would never think of it. But thanks." he added, more solemly.

This is a bad idea. I said to myself, burying the worry down with the pain and anger. Friends make you weak, give you a vulnerable part. I looked at the shy kid next to me, brave for a moment and he handed my smoke back to me. I hope I can protect this.