Being Death

Chapter 1

"If you think for one second I would trade the kingdom, my freedom, and my life for your approval, you're sorely mistaken. I wouldn't give you what you've asked for if you threatened to kill me right this moment."

"Well, you see, that's where you've made your mistake. You thought I'd warn you." I rake my blade across her throat as horror fills her large eyes. I smile as blood gushes out and pools thickly on the floor.

"...how...co-could?" She gasps and claws at her throat in terror as I tear the signet ring from her finger.

"How could you not know?" I slip the ring on my finger and step on her neck slowly. "I told you from day one that I would win this fight." I step down harder and she gasps. "It's not my fault," I crush her windpipe under my heel with a satisfying crack, "that you chose not to believe me."

"Ava."

"Ava..."

"Ava!"

"Huh?" My eyes shoot up to the front of the room to see a very frustrated Chemistry professor and at least a dozen sets of eyes locked onto my face. I feel heat rush to my face, chest, and arms and I know I'm turning bright red everywhere. I pull my hair over my chest and arms and ruefully remember my decision to wear a t-shirt today. "Um, yes, Mrs. Turner, what was the question?" She glares at me as she paces back to the problem on the board.

"I asked you to please provide the balanced equation for this reaction." I narrow my eyes and quickly determine the answer, angry that she tore me away from such a long-awaited scene. Bethel was getting on my last nerve and it was about time Cryline took her out.

"From left to right, three, two, one, two, three." She looks agitated but relents as she has little to complain about. I'm smart, I could be in a much more advanced class than this and she knows it but frankly, I'm lazy and unmotivated, unlike the other overachievers around me who desperately strive for excellence. Her annoyance is tangible and many students smirk at my perceived arrogance.

"Correct," she mumbles. "Does anyone have any questions about how she got there?" Two or three kids raise their hands and I tune out their simple inquiries. Several students look at me blankly while others turn back toward the board. Oh, the endless power struggle between my chemistry professor and I. She simply cannot help but challenge me but the look of defeat is enough to satisfy my blood lust. Not that it's just her fault. Several of my teachers are horribly offended by me. I read nearly every second of every class but they can't trap me because I can answer any question they can throw at me. So technically, they can't even complain and it drives them up a wall.I don't enjoy annoying them, it's just a byproduct of two opposing wills.  My eyes flick to the clock. Another day, another set of classes and a group of people who I can in no way relate to. I look back down at my book and wait for the end.

The bell finally sets us all free and we siphon out of the small double doors at the front of the classroom. My eyes lock onto the ground as I shuffle out as nonchalantly as I can manage.Just wanna go, mind your own business Mrs. Turn-

"Ava, can I speak with you?" I clench my teeth and slowly turn to Mrs. Turner, knowing full well what she's about to say. She tucks some of her frizzy blond hair behind her ear and steps out from behind her desk. I glance at the clock. Ten minutes.

"Uh, yeah, of course. What's up?" I shift my backpack from one arm to another and nervously tap my toes on the ground. She waits until the last straggler exits before she looks at me intently. Her heels clack across the floor as she gathers some papers off a table at the front of the classroom.

"Ava, you are a very bright girl. Exceedingly bright." She sighs. "You ace my exams with no effort, you complete all the homework with perfect scores, and you're able to solve problems ten times faster than the average student can." She picks up an eraser and begins to clean the board. "I get it, you're too smart for this and you're bored." She looks back at me with a tired face and I nod. "Is there any reason you don't take AP classes Ava? You're obviously taking too easy a path and you're capable of so much more. Do you ever think of applying yourself?" I feel myself smile in spite of my annoyance.