Lost Girl

Chapter Two: The Newcomer

Hames sat on the paint chipped picnic bench outside Willow High. The burgundy walls of the lunchroom doing nothing to defuse his headache. The ground was covered in a heaved snow. A makeshift pathway led to the bench Hames had cleaned off for a smoking area. Though the school staff had also cleaned off the no-smoking sign, which Hames had chosen to ignore. 

He was usually alone, they called him a freak. He couldn't blame them, he looked like one. They were like bees. He didn't bother them, and they didn't bother him.

The bell rang out in the small courtyard. That called him into the red brick hell to sit among angsty demons with idiotic tendencies. Nonetheless, he climbed off of his bench and made his way to class.

From the corner of his eye, he could see people whispering. The feeling of peering eyes had him squirming. It wasn't until he rounded the next corner that he realized it wasn't him they were whispering about. He pulled his hood higher and pushed the sunglasses up his nose.

Against the lockers was a small frame pinned by five of the Street Sharks, one of the few gangs that ran in the school. Frank, the Street Sharks right-hand man, stood with his board in hand as he pinned her against the lockers. Her form shrinking against the lockers, like a withering flower to a flame.

Leave it, leave it. You aren't her hero, leave it. He gripped his bag strap as his jaw clenched. Hames bit his lip and made his way towards the large group.

Hames wedged himself between the small girl and the hundred fifty pound shark. He reared his fist back and knocked Frank across the face. Frank fell on his fat ass.

The crowded hallways went quiet except for the few of ignorance heading to class. Frank looked up with wide eyes as he held his jaw. Hames clenched his fists. Frank climbed to his feet and bolted out with his pals at the speed of lightning.

He turned toward the girl to see startling blue eyes and blonde hair. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Good." He turned to walk away when she reached out to grab his arm. He flinched and shoved her hand away, reeling from the pain of open wounds.

Hurt sparked in her eyes as she let go, "sorry. I wanted to thank you. You helped me out."

Hames nodded his head. "Bit of advice, stay away from the gangs. They're vicious on mid turf."

"Oh." she nodded along. "How do you know when someone is in a gang?"

That stopped him in his tracks, he spun around to face her. "You're new here?"

She nodded.

Hames groaned and placed his hands on his head. "No wonder they were after you. God, I'm a moron." She cocked her head to the side, like a bird. "The gangs usually have an insignia on them. and roam in packs"

She nodded, "okay. Thank you, again."

"No problem."

He left her in the English wing, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. She shouldn't be around the likes of him. She would get eaten alive with his lifestyle. The most he could do to help her would be to stay away. So he made his way to AP Chem.

Hames walked out of Spanish and toward the exit. Before he could get to sweet freedom, a gang of guys stepped away from the lockers. Recognizing them, Hames focused on getting around them before they caught him.

Too late. The Street Sharks had circled around him like they smelt blood. Hames had shown them they're in to take him down. No amount of people you had at your back matters if your enemies catch you alone.