Thatcher's grinning face looks at me.
I look at Zane, eyes wide and filling up with tears.
Gianna. Gianna.
"You-you made me-Gianna."
I stare down at Thatcher, tears falling.
A spike of heat mixes with my pain and stabs me.
I pull back my hand and slap him across the face. Hard enough to make welts. That bleed.
I slap him again. "YOU- I TRUSTED YOU! You KILLED HER! YOU-YOU-"
Thatcher looks up at me, his nose busted and lip bleeding. His brow is swollen from Zane's punches and his scalp is bloody.
"Incorrect. You killed her. Nobody told you to listen to me."
"You're my FREAKING GODFATHER!"
I cry harder, my chest wrenched up. My stomach hurts harder and a fresh wave of blood stains my torn shirt.
Zane steps forward quietly. Waves of fury pour off his body in waves, making the air around him cold.
His voice is quiet and sturdy. "You killed her. And you were here all along. How could I have been so stupid?"
He laughs bitterly. "Guess my dad was right, huh Thatcher?"
Thatcher simply looks at him.
Zane steps forward again, his face contorted with rage. His scythe arm twitches at he stares at Thatcher.
"You're not worth it at all. You're a filthy rouge. Who's about to die."
He rushes forward, slicing Thatcher's chest.
He grits his teeth, only letting out a freakish whine.
Tears flow down my cheeks,pooling under my chin.
"I trusted you. You were my godfather.
You killed my best friend. I killed my best friend."
"I asked you to join me, Aria. I wanted you to be my side. You are my god daughter."
Zane looks at me. "What?"
I cry even more, sobs wracking my chest, making it hard to breathe.
"He-he told-told me- Gianna was-was dying. I-I had to-to take-ake her-soul."
"Aria......"
Thatcher lets out a bark. Blood stains his lips. "Oh yes. Aria is quite the loose cannon."
I swing my scythe suddenly, landing on Thatcher's neck. "SHUT UP."
Thatcher looks up at me. "Are you going to kill me? Put me out of my misery? Look at me, my nose and leg are broken. My head's bleeding. Are you going to kill me? The way you killed those other girls?"
I suck in a breath, another stab of pain lancing through my torso.
Zane looks at me, his brow furrowed. "Aria, what's he talking about?"
Thatcher's eyes shine triumphantly. "Didn't tell your boyfriend, did you Aria? Didn't want to tell him you're a killer?"
"SHUT UP!" My vocal chords stretch and my throat burns.
My arm twitches against his neck, cutting him.
Zane grabs my wrist, his hand cold and tense.
"What is he talking about?" His eyes blaze and burn into mine.
Thatcher lets out a bitter chuckle.
"Yes, Aria. Tell your sweet boyfriend what you did."
"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!"
My throat now hurts as much as my stomach.
Zane's grip on my wrist tightens.
"Aria. Please."
No, no no NO NO THIS IS NOT HAPPENING.
Fresh tears run down my cheeks, my leg painfully twisting under my weight.
"I-I.... Have some..... Issues."
Zane stays silent, staring at me.
I shift around. "I was bullied. Y'know, hair, clothes, etc, the usual stuff."
I shift under his gaze again.
"There were these 5 girls. Pop-popular types. High heels, Prada skirts, that type of thing."
I wave my hand in front of Zane. He doesn't move.
"They pushed me around, they froze me out. I didn't really have any friends, not like you and Gi-Gianna."
Silence.
"What happened?" Zane's grip on my wrist is still tight.
"They- they got me during our break time. I was sitting by this tree, sketching something out. One of the girls, Brittany I think, came over and kicked me. When I didn't do anything, she grabbed my sketchbook. She said something and the other girls came over. They.....ripped it up. I tried to get it back. But they pushed me down and kicked me."
I take a breath, it rattling through my chest.
Zane's hand feels warmer as he grips my wrist. His eyes are bright and alert.
"I cut my hands and knees and I- I started to cry. It stung like hell. One of them started kicking me in the chest, saying all this schist,' Can't you fight Freaky? Why don't you get your big brother to help you Freaky?'"
My throat hurts from how bitter my voice is.
"Another pulled at my hair and Brittany handed her some scissors.
You can guess what happened. I tried to pull away, I tried to fight back. I yelled and screamed and kicked. But no one came to help me. Not even the teachers.
Brittany came over and pointed at me.
'Look guys, Freaky's crying!' They came over and started giggling. They laughed- they laughed as I cried. And no one helped. Because no. One. Cared. I hated them all. Everyone at that school. I hated those girls the most. They made me-they made me feel like I was worthless. So unworthy. So freakish. I thought about I could-I could do."
I look down at my bloody legs, falling silent in shame.
Zane's hand drifts from my wrist to my hand. He entwines our fingers and pulls me closer to him.
"I-I tried to stop. But I was so tired of being treated..... Like I was less than human. And I was so angry-so angry."
My voice breaks. "And I couldn't stop myself....."
Seconds of silence pass by, feeling like hours.
"From killing them," Zane finishes.
I nod miserably. "I made it painful. I made my scythe stick. I made them cry and scream for a change. And I-I was the one laughing."
I break down, sobs wracking my chest. Huge sheets of hot tears fall, burning my eyes.
"I killed them! I killed five girls, Zane! How can you stand to be around me?!"
I pull away from his grip, backing away.
"I'm a murderer! Don't you understand?! I'm a killer! I'm a.... Freak."
My face falls and tears drop off the end of my chin. Zane comes up to me and pulls me into his chest.
"It's ok," he smoothes my hair.
"No. No it's not!" I cry.
"Yes, it is. You're a different person. You're better."
I cry into his shirt, guilt swallowing up my throat.
Even Thatcher stays quiet as I sob.
Zane's arms are wrapped around me, tight and warm.
His grip tightens. "And I promise you, no one is ever going to make you feel worthless. No one."
I squeeze him tight and he plants a kiss on my head.
I sniff and pull away. I turn toward Thatcher, summoning my scythe to my hand.
I swing. I stop it inches from the side of his head.
Thatcher flinches then screams as he hits his broken leg.
"What do we do with him?" I spit.
Zane walks next to me. "Seeing as his leg is brok-"
He doesn't finish his sentence.
YOU ARE READING
Prep School
Fantasy15 year old Aria is not your ordinary teenage girl. She's not exactly normal but she doesn't stick out either. She has powers. Powers that mortals like you and me can't handle. When she moves to a new school, she has to learn how to control her powe...
