In Cold Blood [BNHA] [GirlXGirl]

Chapter Seven

~Toga's POV~

"I think freaks are way more fun." Iris' words echoed through my mind throughout the day. Any time one of my peers cast a wary look my way, made a snide comment or did anything mean, I heard her words in my mind and it brought a smile to my lips.

My family had always found me disgusting and made me believe something was wrong with me. The actions of my peers and even on occasion my teachers seemed to mirror my family's beliefs. Perhaps I wasn't the wrong one, maybe they were all wrong. If Iris knew, would she be disgusted by me too? I jumped as a shrill whistle blast sounded from the track below. Iris had mentioned she was being forced to join track by her Uncle.

I glanced down at the track below from my seat in the bleachers. Would she be upset that I'd come to watch? It seemed like she thought of me as a friend, and didn't friends do this sort of thing? Go to support each other at sports practices and things? Iris was standing uncomfortably next to the track coach wearing her P.E. clothes, a pair of short navy blue shorts and a plain white t-shirt with the school's crest on the front right chest. The shorts were snug and shorter than what seemed appropriate revealing her ghostly pale legs. The shirt was also snug and revealed the black sports bra she wore beneath it. The boys on the track team were eying her like she was a piece of meat.

"Listen up everyone!" The coach yelled, though everyone had already turned to look at him the moment he blew the whistle. He had a firm hand resting on Iris' shoulder and it looked like that was making her even more uncomfortable with the whole situation. I could see her small white fists clenched tightly at her sides, trembling faintly from the strain. "This is Iris Kan." The teacher's hand moved from her shoulder to her back and I noticed her whole body tensed and she cast a hostile look at him. The teacher seemed visibly shaken and quickly removed his hand from her. I felt my heart pound in my chest as I lost myself in her blood red eyes. They were filled with a wild rage and violence that made my stomach lurch in a strangely pleasant way.

Those mesmerizing blood red eyes flicked in my direction and I felt my breath hitch in my throat as they widened a moment, surprised to see me before a small dazzling smile twisted across her lips. Those blood red eyes glittered, shifting from hostile to warm and welcoming in an instant. I waved shyly and her smile grew. She offered me a quick nod of acknowledgement that just looked so cool and effortless I felt somewhat strange and giddy. It sort of reminded me of that giddy tickly feeling I felt when I saw blood, that strange fascination and need for more.

"Are you related to Vlad King?" One of the boys near the back of the group asked, he was probably the only boy who wasn't eyeing her like a piece of meat, which was refreshing for some reason. I felt a strange urge to make the ones who were ogling her suffer, greatly. I didn't understand why and I was worried that my 'condition' was worsening.

"Not by choice." Iris' voice was cold and had a dismissive finality to it that hung in the air like a threat. She folded her arms in front of her and her posture shifted, she was on edge and like a wild animal cornered, she was exuding a wild threatening aura, daring anyone to come closer at their own peril.

It seemed her message was received as all the other students quickly averted their gazes looking anywhere but at her.

"Everyone finish stretching and give me 4 laps." The coach blasted on the whistle once more right in Iris' ear. She threw him a dark look before stepping forward. The students parted like the Red Sea to avoid her.

Iris sat off on her own and begrudgingly stretched before following the others to the track. She left her long white hair down, it flowed in wild waves around her dainty frame as she chose to walk her laps instead of run. I couldn't help but crack a smile as I realized it was her way of rebelling. I covered my mouth to quiet the giggle that threatened to escape me as I watched her walk around the track at a leisurely pace. She tucked her hands behind her head and let out a yawn. I couldn't contain my laughter and a giggle escaped me.

"What the hell is that freak doing here?" One of the boys paused in his running and turned to me on the bleachers.

A few other students stopped and turned to me and I felt a fleeting moment of panic well up inside of me as I realized the coach was purposefully seeming to be busingy himself with his phone.

"You're not welcome here, freak." One of the popular girls who'd been laughing at me earlier in the morning while my bag had been stolen sneered at me.

I ignored them and kept my gaze trained on Iris. Her blood red eyes had narrowed into fierce slits as she spotted the populars approaching me, menacingly. Her casual walk turned into an impressive sprint as the populars reached the bleachers. My heart thundered in my chest as I watched her sprint, she was fast!

Iris cleared the fence separating the bleachers from the track in one swift leap, "back off!" She snarled as the boy who'd first noticed me reached out to grab me. Gracefully she gripped the bars of the bleachers and propelled herself upward, not breaking stride.

Everyone looked up as she flipped through the air and landed gracefully on the stairs. She grabbed the arm in front of me, gripping it hard and spun, using the momentum from her running against her opponent. The boy who'd been about to grab me was jerked off balance and I heard a resounding 'clang' as his skull bounced off the metal railing of the bleacher stairwell.

There was a chorus of gasps as he dropped to the stairs, unconscious before two of the other boys let out snarls of anger and lunged at Iris. Though she was petite, she didn't look the least bit scared or anxious. "The hell is your problem?!" Iris hissed as the two boys lunged at her.

"Iris!" I panicked as she managed to dodge the first swing but the other punched her hard in the gut. A third boy swung and punched her in the face as she doubled over from the gut punch.

Time seemed to freeze in that moment as I heard the faint 'plip plop' of something splattering across the metal bleacher stairs. Iris staggered back a step, her fists clenched tight and lifted her head, her eyes ablaze. My heart stuttered as I saw blood dripping from her nose, down her lips and dropping off her chin. Her shirt had a few blood droplets beginning to stain it and I watched entranced as the blood staining her shirt began to grow.

"...blood..." I breathed shakily, entranced by the rivulet of blood streaming down her face before another thought broke through, they hurt Iris! I felt something shift inside of me, all the hurt I kept tucked away turned to anger and rage. "Iris!" I jumped into the fray. I had no idea what I was doing, I'd never been in a fight before, my parents always cautioned me to be good and stay out of trouble, to keep my head down and be the perfect student and perfect daughter.

I grabbed a pen from my bag and swung at the nearest boy. There was an intriguing tearing squish sound as the tip of my pen pierced the flesh in his arm. The boy let out a scream of pain and everyone else suddenly screamed in terror. I stabbed someone! Instead of the guilt and fear I'd expected to feel, it felt strangely exhilarating. Stunned, I froze in place watching as blood began to trickle down his arm. I was too entranced to realize he was now lunging at me.

I felt an arm hook around my waist and gasped as I felt myself topple back onto the bench as Iris lunged forward, her hair flying wildly behind her as she tackled the boy. They both tumbled down the steps and I noticed her hand deftly wrench my pen free and grip it tightly in her now bloody hand.

A sharp whistle blast made us all jump and the coach came running and shouting, his face red in anger, "IRIS!" He snarled as she got to her feet with the bloody pen in hand, "principal's office now!" He roared.

She glanced over her shoulder at me and offered me a small reassuring bloody smile mouthing the words, 'it's okay.'.

I felt the blood drain from my face as I realized she was taking the blame for stabbing him, to protect me.