“Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? ‘Cause you look like a mangled dead person.” Someone barked behind me. I rolled my eyes and flipped them off with both hands, making the kid choke on his tongue. His gaggle of pals erupted into a loud chorus of “ooh!” as they clapped him on the back. Real mature, boys.
People are really insensitive. That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned in the past few months, and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.
“Hey, guys, shut up! Her slur ‘n’ stagger isn’t something you should make fun of!” another guy said, hooting. I recognized him to be an ex-friend of mine. Jeremy was always kind of a dick to everyone else outside of his friend circle and, now that I wasn’t in it, I remembered how cruel he really was.
“For your information, my speaking skills are a thousand times better than yours will ever be. As for my ‘stagger’, at least I can still walk and chew gum at the same time.” I said, whirling around, my words saturated with obvious anger.
Jeremy sneered to maintain his act, but I noticed his ears turning red.
“You still chew gum? Aren’t you on a strict ‘brains-only’ diet?” Whitley, a small nerdish kid the guys recruited onto their team so they could get all the answers to their exams, said, puffing out his chest like an obnoxious bird.
“Which is why I haven’t eaten you guys,” I replied swiftly. The group actually stared blankly at me, which just further proved my point. I gave them a final glare and a sarcastic wave before starting on my way.
And, because they’re assholes, of course the jerks needed the last laugh. “The undead always twitch like they have Tourette’s. At least Zuri and Noah will be able to relate now!”
Jeremy didn’t even have time to laugh before I had my right hand wrapped around his throat and my other pinning his shoulders into a locker.
“Say that again. I didn’t hear you.” I hissed through clenched teeth. When he didn’t reply, his eyes wide and a dumbstruck look on his idiotic face, I used my still-new strength and gripped tighter.
"I’m sorry, Zuri! I was just showing off! I didn’t mean it!” the pig squealed. My eyes narrowed and I opened my mouth to demand he prove it.
“Zuri,” someone sighed in my ear. At the sound of his voice, my grip automatically loosened and I dared a look over my shoulder. Noah stood a few feet away, an unreadable expression on his face. I lowered my eyes to the floor and silently released Jeremy. He and his pals quickly scattered.
“Zuri . . .” Noah said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder and steering me towards the front of the school.
“They’re immature, and they’re dicks and tools and scumbags and pricks and I – ”
Noah grabbed my hand to stop my babble, but didn’t say another word. I looked down at his healthy and toned hand grasping my smaller gray-ish one.
Unfair, I tell you. Death really is unfair.
