Instinct

11. In Limbo

“You’re just jealous because you’re poor and you don’t have parents!” Gina sneered. “Nobody loves you and that’s why no one will hang out with you. No one wants you here, freak!”

Alexei snapped. She flew at the girl, rage burning through her as brightly as it ever had. They tumbled to the ground and Alexei heard Gina’s head connect with the ground. The other girl cried out, and Alexei heard the collective outbreak of chaos around her.

“Get off of her!”

“Oh my god, she’s crazy, she’ll kill her!”

Alexei punched the girl in the nose, ignoring the hands clawing at her face and her neck, grasping for purchase on her hair. Blood spurted from the wound, covering Alexei’s hands just as a larger set of hands wrapped around her and pulled her away, jerking her so fast her head snapped back and she dragged the other girl with her for a couple of feet before they were totally separated.

Alexei’s chest heaved with anger and effort as she shoved out of the hands of the person holding her back.

“Alexandra Lorenzo!” snapped the voice as she yanked free, wiping her hands on her jeans.

She looked up at the man, a history teacher called Mr. Roberts, as he grabbed her arm again, wrenching her away from the fallen girl. Alexei gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to pull away from him again.

Another supervising teacher had run over, Mrs. Grayson, had fallen to her knees next to the bloody-faced witch Gina, who was sobbing hysterically and holding her hands to her ruined face, and pressed a wad of paper towel over the draining nose.

“You don’t know anything!” Alexei screamed, even as Mr. Roberts was dragging her away and yelling that that was quite enough. “I hope you get what you freaking deserve, you stupid bitch!”

The doors banged open as Mr. Roberts pulled her along. Alexei stopped resisting as much the moment the doors slammed shut behind her and the silence of the empty corridor swallowed her up. She could hear their footsteps pounding against the linoleum flooring and her harsh breathing rushing out of her lungs.

She cast a glance over her shoulder at the doors, feeling a mixture of shame, fury and gratification at what she’d just done. Gina had had it coming a long time, and Alexei had just been so done with her power plays.

“Do you realize how much trouble you’re in?” Mr. Roberts asked, irritation rolling off of him in bursts that buffeted her back.

“I don’t care,” she bit out.

He sighed, and before she knew it, they were in the principal’s office and he sat her down harshly in the chair in front of the desk. Mrs. Neal looked up, startled and saw the blood on her hands and the flush of anger on her cheeks and stood up.

“What happened?”

Mr. Roberts looked down at Alexei, she could feel his hard eyes on her even as she stared down at her hands, grinding her teeth and struggling not to roll her eyes. Leanne Neal glanced between them and dismissed Mr. Roberts, tucking a stray brunette hair behind her ear. She took a deep breath and leaned forward.

“What happened, Alexandra?”

Alexei wanted to scream that that wasn’t her name, but as far as anyone was aware, Alexei Armstrong was Alexandra Lorenzo. And until she was willing to throw everything away she’d just have to deal with the stupid name. She gritted her teeth and twisted her hands in her lap.

“I punched Gina Wellesley in the nose.”

Mrs. Neal sat back, blinking owlishly for one second, and then two. “Why?”