𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒔

~1~

Mountain Springs Highschool is a unique school for students who have bird wings and almost feathers for hair-- yet somehow, its more infamous for its messy cafeteria.

The crimson tables stand tall, angles crooked and legs wobbly. The tops are made of metal, which is stained with a revolting smell that would even drive the dirtiest of rats away.

The walls are a crusty, pale yellow, peeling away at the promise of mold in the corners.

The sound of constant chatter echoes around me as anxiety begins to swell in my chest. It seemed as though everyone could talk about anything and everything without getting bored and my brain can't seem to handle it. The scent of rotting school food burns my nostrils. I remember with a shiver the last time I tried their food-- A half-cooked pizza that tasted like dry sandpaper.

At least I bring my own food, I glance down at the sandwich in my hands and smile. I wonder if the wavering scent of the bread could calm me down, so I take a bite. The tuna and cheese blend in my mouth in perfect harmony. For a moment, my anxiety seems to go away, until I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, punk," said a cold voice behind me. "Whatcha have today?"

I sigh. Why does this obnoxious boy always target me? What do I have that he wants? CAN'T I EVER ENJOY A SANDWICH?

I choose to ignore him. I really don't want to deal with this today-- I just want to eat! I take another bite of my delicious sandwich and then take a sip of my chocolate milk.

"Seriously?" He growls. "This game again? Mm... Fine, but this is a two player game, and I want to play!"

Before I can utter a word, he snatches the sandwich from the napkin it laid upon.

My hazel eyes twitch but I manage to keep my composure, taking another sip of my chocolate milk. My wings lay against my back, smooth and still as a calm waterfall.

"Okay, fine. You asked for it," he mumbles and leans close to my ear. "Jay-Jay isn't here to protect you, so why don't you stand up for yourself?"

I remain silent. I feel my wings bristle, and my surroundings seem to become quiet. I slam my chocolate milk down on the table, my feather-like hair bristling. "You might want to take that back, Sparrow," I warned. Nobody brings up Jay and gets away with it.

Jay is my best friend and my boyfriend, and he mysteriously vanished one November night. Nobody heard from him since then, especially me.

Rumor says that he got taken by a giant owl...

I think he was just kidnapped.

"Why should I? Jay was a coward, just like you are. Come get your sandwich if you're sooo brave!" Sparrow tries to taunt me.

"Take. It. Back," I repeat, my words slow and cold. My wings start to spread out.

"Nah, I kind of enjoy seeing you get angry."

I stand to my feet, whipping around to face the brown-haired boy. Some of my hair sticks itself on my pale face and appears like a mask. At this point, my wings flare out like flags.

An evil, smug smirk makes its way across Sparrow's face as I glare daggers at him and blow my hair out of my mouth, spitting out a few strands.

I ignore the proud, amused glint in his abyss-dark eyes, reaching for my beloved sandwich.

With his free hand, he shoves his giant palm in my face, pushing me out of the way. As I regain my balance and try to scan where he went, I see him near the cafeteria exit.
The crowd behind me whispers an "oooh."

I ignore them and watch in horror as he drops my sandwich to the floor, right next to the service dog-- A chocolate Labrador retriever named Polly.

She wags her otter-like tail and looks at the sandwich, tilting her head. She sniffs at it, licks her lips and--

"Wait!" I cry. Suddenly, I feel millions of eyes on my back--

--she gobbles up the sandwich in about three seconds.

I bring my saddened gaze to the exit of the cafeteria. Sparrow smugly stands with his arms folded against his broad chest, smirking like he owns the entire world.

The entire cafeteria of kids goes silent. Then, they explode in a loud eruption of laughter. Most of them, anyway.

I feel my world shrinking. My vision beings to tunnel and my heart begins to race. The laughter of the other high-schoolers starts to build up and it starts to feel like its right next to me, in my head.

The chorus of laughter got louder and louder.

I try to stand to my feet, balling my fists and glaring at Sparrow. The laughter behind me pounds into my skull, even louder than the beating of my heart.

If Jay were still at school. . . what would he do?

The thought of my best friend again causes my eyes to water, but I don't cry. I never cry.

Instead, I stand firmly, staring straight ahead at Sparrow.

The crowd gasps. "Fight, fight, fight!" They chant.

I just might.

I'll fight.

Then I'm going to get out of this Hell hole and find Jay.