The Dragon's Daughter

Chapter 1

Friday 2:45 pm

My face burned with embarrassment and anger. My mind buzzed with a thousand things I wanted to say, but my mouth just couldn't seem to settle on any one of them. My eyes did the talking for me and I stared down my tormentor, my breath coming in little huffs. Why could I never find my voice at a time like this? It wasn't like Hector being a dick was something new; I just hated having attention called to my disability.

All the eyes staring at me—it was more than being seen. It was being seen as a broken thing. And I hated it.

Maybe I hated myself a little in these moments too and all the swirling emotions were too much to bear. I felt the weight of them settle into my bones like the world was crushing down on me. I felt llike I was going to explode.

"Quit playing with your balls," Sy, one of my best friends, arrived to my defense and deftly snatched the basketball Hector had been dribbling, "and fetch like the little bitch you are." He threw the ball and it made an echoey thump-thwack in the gymnasium as it bounced away.

"Oooooooh," came a small chorus and a few laughs from Hector's posse.

"You gonna let him talk to you like that?" said Garret, one of Hector's major hangers-on.

Hector's face had already darkened and, at the goading from Garret, he stepped up to Sy, "Now is that any way to talk to your betters, Cry? I was only trying to include her in our game. Right guys?" Hector sneered broadly, and his crew smirked and nodded agreeably.

"Yeah, for sure, we were just offering the cripple a chance to play with us." Garett couldn't keep the amusement from his voice.

My hands were shaking in frustration and I was certain my voice would tremble with the same emotion. But I opened my mouth to speak anyway. "I'm not bothering you. Why don't you stop bothering me and let me get back to my walking." I gestured to the little path I'd be making back and forth in front of the wall of bleachers.

"Walking," Hector snorted. "Is that what you were doing? Looked like some kind of duck waddle from over there, but whatever." He shrugged.

"You can go to hell." My voice shed any tremor it had.

I knew for damn sure that I didn't look like a duck while walking. It wasn't until I ran that I started looking like a duck. And frankly, if a Tyrannosaurus Rex appeared in the gym I'd rather die than do my duck waddle run in front of Hector or any of these bro dudes. Just eat me, lizard king.

As I stood there, mouth set in a determined line, ready to spew forth more invectives in his direction, Hector laughed. His crew started laughing. That hatred from before started bubbling up inside me. It was white hot behind my eyes as I rolled them dramatically.

Then I stepped up into his personal bubble and kneed him right in the nuts.

"Twwwwwerrrrrrrrrppppppp." The sound of coach K's whistle cut through the gym just as Hector doubled over clutching his family jewels. Of course, Coach had to pick this moment to return from wherever he always disappeared to. Gym class usually ran like Lord of the Flies. Just my rotten luck.

"What's all this?" Coach approached where we were standing, "DelaRosa, why you all hunched over, son?"

I expected the dirtbag to rat me out and took a breath, preparing myself to argue that I was provoked beyond the bounds of human reason. Shockingly, Hector did the unexpected. He glanced in my direction and simply replied, "I mis-timed a dribble with the ball, sir. I was doing a 'between the legs crossover' and...."

"Ouch." The coach sucked his teeth in sympathy. "Just walk it off and save the fancy stuff for the playoffs."

I listened to coach admonishing Hector to be more careful as the crowd dispersed. I couldn't help but smugly note that it was Hector who was walking funny now. Serves him right. I probably shouldn't have resorted to a physical altercation to solve my problems. I knew that. My dad would be disappointed when I told him about this. And I would tell him—because I told him everything.