The Awakening of a Wild Child

The Process of Awakening

Andromeda Jeung has always been different.

Since she was a child, she has been something other. Her teachers saw it, kids around her saw it, and her Dad definitely knew it.

Andromeda has accepted the fact that she will never fit in.

Since she's been old enough to have her own thoughts and emotions, she has known that she does not blend into the grand painting of modern American society. Her oddities course through her blood and they will never leave her until she takes her last breath.

She is accustomed to the harsh words of teachers who become exasperated by her inability to learn, has gotten used to the disapproving looks from older women as they assess her lack of femininity, has learned to ignore the jabs at her race from her classmates. She has come to terms with her otherness, has resigned herself to people's hostility.

She has come to terms with it.

Totally.

However, this does not mean that she particularly likes being mocked and ridiculed for who she is. She rather hates it, you see.

Especially when it comes from girls like Nancy Bobofit, who go to schools like Yancy Academy and think they deserve more than everyone else just because their family has some cash and her parents didn't care enough to teach her basic morals.

If Andromeda had a dollar for every time a kid like Nancy Bobofit curled their upper lip at her, she would probably have enough money to keep her Dad out of work.

They always mocked her for one thing or the other. From her range of learning deficiencies to her lack of grace, they always found something to pick at her for.

Right now, it is her hair.

"It looks like a fucking bird made its nest on your head and then decided to murder its family on it," Nancy says, her face scrunched up in a snarl as she reaches towards Andy and pulls a lock of hair.

Andy growls and slaps her hand away.

Nancy and her friends snicker amongst themselves, and Nancy starts taunting Andy again.

Andy should honestly care less for their half-assed insults and their aggressiveness. She should be used to them.

Andy grits her teeth to keep from launching herself at the girl. Andy tries really, really hard. Her anger begins to rise up, and it burns the blood beneath her skin until she feels like she might explode.

She tries to calm herself, but she's no good at it.

That's where her friend, Grover, comes in. Grover is her only friend at Yancy, and he is a bit odd. He has a muscular disease which prevents him from ever playing in P.E but never prevents him from running for enchiladas. Grover looks older than all the kids at Yancy, he's the only one with a goatee or any facial hair at all, but he cries easier than the any of them. And he likes plants. But Grover is kind and patient with her, something almost no one ever is with her.

Grover places a hand on her arm and tries to calm her down, whispering soothingly, something along the lines of 'she's not worth it.' Andy can't hear all too well with the blood rushing in her ears, but she tries hard to calm herself.

They are currently standing in line as they wait to board the bus. The class is off to some field trip which will apparently help them understand Ancient Greece better or whatever. Andy's just trying really hard not mess this up because she hasn't got a good history with field trips (she's blown up a school bus and swam with sharks before, they're both too long of stories to tell at the moment). And Andy is already on probation, she really can't afford to mess up, again.