Broken Feathers

Two Fingers

Chapter Six: Two Fingers (Jake Bugg) 

  

The weeks passed slowly, autumn months changing into early winter. The first frost settled on the preparatory on the same morning I sat in the English class I'd started in, but this time the teacher stood at the front, reading my essay aloud. Her voice and my words rang out, a comforting blend of familiar phrases in an unfamiliar tone. But when she finished, her praise rang in my ears, and the soft murmurings of my peers – as they agreed – made me feel as though I'd actually done something right.  

There was no secret for my hate of school, but even my dad had started to come around the idea that I was going to make this work. There had been less fights, less scriptures burnt into my skin, and it felt fantastic.  

"Keep up the good work, Jay," the English teacher trilled as I disappeared through the door, pulling my bag over my shoulder. The smile on my face was genuine, and it felt like a turning point. I was doing this. And it wasn't difficult. It made me wonder why I had rebelled for so long. It felt good making other people happy and I was damn good at it.  

Through the crowd of students that made their way to their next classes, I spotted a shock of blonde hair through the sea of people. I hadn't spoken to her since she'd blown me off that day, and I had done well to keep my distance. But the sudden confidence spurred me to move towards her, lip slipping between my teeth as I tried to keep my cool. 

Star fought with her locker, apparently completely oblivious to the people moving around her. She was other-worldly – as though she didn't quite belong in this place. "Um...hi." 

It wasn't a life changing introduction, but it was going to have to do. 

"Hello," she said, looking up at me with surprise. Well, at least she wasn't telling me to fuck off again. A flicker of hope twisted at my stomach, urging me forwards. 

"How's it going?" I asked lightly. Star nodded politely. 

"Okay, I guess," she replied stoically. "And with you?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine." This conversation was going to go nowhere if neither of us had nothing to say. "Got many classes today?" 

"I'm about to go into my last one," Star murmured, nodding towards the expanse of corridor. "Are you actually going to your classes?" 

Something stung in my chest, as though her desire to write me off so easily hurt more than anyone else's dismissal.  

"Yes, yes, I am," I said flatly, looking at her.  

"And how are you finding it?" Star's lips twitched slightly, as this entire thing was a joke. 

"Good," I replied, my recent praise ringing in my ears. "English teacher says I'm a prodigy." 

"Well, there you go then!" Star exclaimed brightly. "Worth showing up for." 

"Yeah," I murmured, grinning. Good. This was good progress – she wasn't shooting me down and I wasn't fucking up the conversation. This was good. 

"Well, I'm very happy for you." 

A warm glow radiated in my chest, making my toes curl in delight. And that was the exact moment that it all went to shit. 

"Hey, don't be anything you can't spell, Jenkins!" Someone called out as they walked past, a group of boys jeering at Star. Something in me flicked and moments later I'd spun around, my arm across the speaker's windpipe and a red haze settling over my vision. The roar of blood in my ears, the thump of my heart racing as adrenaline coursed through me.  

"Wanna say that again?" I snarled, trying to reign back my wings.  

"Hey, chill out man!" The boy spluttered, struggling against my arm.  "Apologise to her," I growled. And the sound was so guttural, so feral that it shook even me. Vaguely, I heard Star breathe that it was fine. And the fool I was holding up tried to defend his actions.  

"APOLOGISE!" I bellowed, breath catching as the white-hot pain rocketed through my back, the sound of clothes ripping filling the air as everyone in the hallway gasped. I suppose it was a sight to behold; not everyone would see an Angel's wings in their lifetime. 

I dropped the boy wordlessly, making a futile attempt to pull my clothes over my exposed body, trying to hide the wings from view. Silence rained down on me, the thump of blood in my head the only noise.  

I couldn't meet Star's eyes, pushing past the small crowd and escaping into the cold winter's day. The bitter freeze met my naked torso, and the sting of it racked my system like tiny pin pricks. But I didn't care. What chance did I have with Star, now that she knew that I truly was a freak?