'Taking Flight' book one of the Growing Wings Trilogy

Chapter 27

Chapter 27 Tori

I stand in the corridor silent for a few more minutes shocked that a little teasing could go far enough that they would fight.

I could feel the heat in my cheeks and my ears and the bubbling anger in my stomach. I clench and unclench my fists frustrated breathing deeply and trying to control my anger.

"This is a new school, and new start Victoria. Don't stuff it up" I tell myself over and over again. Eventually I storm into the dorm room and slam the bathroom door shut, stripping down and stepping into the shower.

I sit on the shower floor for what feels like hours staring at the water trickle down the shower walls. After a while I stand and turn the water off stepping out of the shower.

I wrap a towel around myself and then look at the foggy mirror, I had forgotten to turn the fan on.

I reach out tentatively to touch the mirror and yank it back almost immediately as if someone had burned my hand.

I used to write on the mirror in my bedroom back at home. It was sort of like a comfort, imagining all the anger flowing through my body and into my finger where it escaped in words, trickling from my body like blood.

I breathed deeply and tried again touching the mirror this time and hesitating before moving my fingers across it to form words.

'I feel it deep within, it's just beneath my skin, I must confess that I feel like a monster'

When I'm done I stare at the words on the mirror and think about the rest of the song whispering the lyrics.

I switch the fan on and slowly the moisture on the mirror disappears the words replaced by my face.

Angrily I tuck the towel in tighter and leave the bathroom going over to my bed and changing into my pyjamas.

I notice Ayalisse is not in her bed but I can hear her rustling around in the kitchen. I wonder what she might've decided to make today and follow the sweet smells.

When I enter the kitchen I find Lis standing in front of the stove frying an egg.

I look at the table in confusion and notice the pineapple, pickles, beetroot, lettuce, carrot, tomato and cheese.

The delicious smell hits me again and I realise that it's meet. Patties for the burgers.

I silently take a roll and fill it up with everything except the pickles, beetroot and tomato and walk over to the stove.

Ayalisse smiles weakly at me and I try not to make eye contact, looking instead at the egg.

"Can I have one?" I ask.

Without a word she flips one onto my burger and I mutter my thanks taking a seat at the table and beginning to eat.

Ayalisse joins me and we eat in silence.

When I've finally finished my burger I stand and excuse myself telling Ayalisse goodnight and leaving the kitchen before she can reply.

I crawl into my bed and stuff my head in my pillow thinking about how long I could stay like that before I needed to come up for breath.

Reluctantly I turned over so that I was staring at the ceiling but it brought the memories of yesterday back so I turned over onto my right side.

It wasn't comfortable so I switched to my left side and lay there for a few minutes.

My blankets were wrong, my position was wrong. The room felt hot and stuffy and I needed to get out.

I jumped out of the bed frustrated, feeling like I was going to scream and went to my suitcase pulling out a pair of black 6 inch heels and dark skinny jeans. I throw on a black tank and a leather jacket noticing a set of fluffy slippers next to my suitcase that didn't belong to me.

I look up to see Ayalisse standing beside my suitcase.

"Where are you going?" She says "we're not allowed out of the dorms after 8" she adds her arms crossed over her chest.

I growl in frustration and she jumps back with a scared look in her eyes.

"I don't fucking care" I whisper/shout trying not to actually yell.

Ayalisse opens her mouth to protest but I interrupt her.

"Don't! Just don't try to stop me okay. I.... I have.... Look I need to go" I say and leave the room.