Monstrous Love Tales

For Far Too Long (Orc)

An old, beat-up red truck pulled into the parking lot of the middle school. Wearing old boots with her worn jeans and blue flannel shirt, Beth Walker made her way to the front office. She was taken to the principal's office by a student working in the office for the class period. There sat her only child, a daughter of thirteen years old and an orc boy about the same age.

Her daughter, Elisa sat with her head hung down, wearing her school basic uniform. Her caramel-colored hair was still perfectly braid from the morning and not a scratch on her.

The orc boy on the other hand was holding an ice pack on his face and there was blood on his white shirt. When Beth walked in, the boy looked at her, terrified. He was on her left side, where the long scar down her face was along with a black eye patch.

"There was an incident on the classroom. From what your daughter told us, this ... boy approached her with the intent to hurt her. She defended herself" The principal said.

"That is a lie!" The orc boy cried. The principal told him to be quiet. Beth glance at the boy with her good eye. His eyes were watery, tears already spilling down his face. HIs black hair was long and braided from his face. The orc boy looked up at Beth, his brown eyes pleading with her. Beth noticed that he just started to get his tusks. The orc boy's skin was a light spring green.

Beth looked at her daughter. The girl dared not raised her blue eyes to her mother. Beth was silent as she walked to the window. There, she watched a large white SUV pull up and a male orc dressed in jeans and a nice red flannel stepped out. Beth recognized the boy for she has knew his father, many years ago.

"Elisa. Speak the truth." Beth spoke, her eye still looking out the window.

"That is the truth, mama!" Elisa huffed. Beth turned her head sharply at the girl. Her good eye, pale blue like the sky stared at her, waiting. "Declan wasn't trying to hurt me or nothing like that. He said my hair was pretty and my friends teased me about him having a crush on me. I...hit him because I was mad." Elisa confessed.

"Young lady, thank you for telling the truth." Ragnar Towers, the orc walked in. He looked at his son. "I say she is strong." He looked over at Beth.

"And in the wrong. Is she expelled from school?" Beth asked the principal.

They looked over at the young girl. "Since she confessed that Declan had done nothing wrong, three days out of school suspensions."

"Would you have expelled Declan if she did not?" Beth looked at the principal, knowing the boy would have gotten a more severe punishment for being an orc.

"Well...there would have been an investigation to her claim." The principal stuttered, trying not to anger the woman.

"An investigation?" Beth raised her eyebrow at the principal. "Elisa, collect your things. I will come back tomorrow to collect schoolwork for her to do at home." Beth voiced, waiting for her daughter. Walking out the door, the human woman and the orc male took a moment to look at one another. It had been a long time since they were in the same room, so close.

*

Later that night, at their little farmhouse, Beth and Elisa were eating dinner. Another simple meal, Beth was having to make everything stretch. The horses she usually boarded were gone. The owners found another boarder who had cheaper rates. Her services as a farrier were being unitized at a low rate.

Beth looked out the window at the kitchen where they ate. In the distance, she could still see the lights for the Towers Ranch. She grew up in her farmhouse with her mother and father and was familiar with the lights in the distance.

"I don't want people thinking I like Declan." Elisa declared, breaking the silence.

"People are stupid." Beth replied, looking at her daughter. "I know this for a fact. A person's opinion should not dictate your life."