Smoke and Ferns

Unusual Behavior

At last, the clock reached five and the children were free to leave. Miko had dashed out the classroom and out the front doors, while Jack calmly strolled out. Fern and Raf had met in the hall and slowly walked along as they discussed their shared science project before they left for the day. The pair met up with Raf's other friends who began to try and talk with Fern again.

Miko had just finished complaining about her failed escape attempt when an empty soda can hit Raf in the back. The usual trio jumped, not expecting the sudden projectile. Fern, however, completely changed from the somewhat relaxed girl to alert and posed to strike in a matter of moments.

"Whoops! Sorry, shorty, thought you were the trash can! Haha!" The culprit in question was none other than Vince, the school's head bully. Miko and Jack glared at the boy and nudge Raf towards the black and yellow muscle car parked along the side of a motorbike and green armoured car.

Suddenly, a low animistic growl swept the area. The three friends looked around, expecting to see a stray dog or something of the like, but no. The teens glance back at Fern, whom the sound was originating from, with shock and surprise. Fern's whole demeanour changed to that of a defensive animal. Hackles raised, teeth bared and eyes locked onto her target.

Vince scoffed, looking back at his lackeys for confirmation that there was actually a growling girl in front of them. Jack was preoccupied with preventing Miko from charging ahead and recording the whole scenario while Raf was shuffling away from the situation. He remembered the last time Fern was angry and her previous encounter with the bully. But it seems the ginger boy did not.

Vince approached Fern in a careless manner, ignoring her warning growls. She gave a final warning in the form of a ferocious snarl before he ruffly grabbed Fern by the shoulder, intent of shoving her aside.

This was his first mistake.

Ferns growls are muffled as her mouth clamps down on the boy's wrist, breaking the skin underneath his jacket. With a yell of pain, Vince reeled back clutching his wounded appendage. "Y-You bit me?!?" He exclaimed, looking at Fern with fear, disgust, and rage. With his other hand, he went to strike the girl. 

His second mistake was being unaware of his surroundings, unlike Fern.

The girl's back straightened, sensing the metal pole of the street light behind her. Swiftly slipping aside, Fern kicked the boy's knees from out under him, sending him with a direct collision with the hard surface of the pole.

The surrounding spectators flinched, including a few particular vehicles, at the resonating chime that came after. Vince fell to the floor, clutching a bloody nose, groaning. His eyes snap open as the harsh sunlight fades from his vision, Fern's shadow falling over him like a cloak of fear.

The girl stared without emotion at her downed opponent, not speaking a word. Vince's companions fled seeing their leader fall, Vince following soon after with pure terror in his eye.

Ferns gaze never left his retreating figure until it disappeared behind the walls of the school. With a huff of victory, Fern turned to ensure her friend was unharmed, only to find two gobsmacked teens and an twelve-year-old hiding inside of a sports car.

Fern tilted her head slightly, unaware of how peculiar her previous actions were. "What?" Miko was the first to recover, "That. Was. AWESOME! You have to teach me how to do that some time!" Fern looks immensely uncomfortable with the situation, backing away from the energetic girl. Jack started to pull the Japanese girl away from the British one, "Come on Miko, we have to get to the bas- I MEAN the Science Fiction Club, yeah." He chuckled nervously at his near slip-up. Fern noticed his stutter but did not call upon it. She simply nodded, "Good day then." Fern casually walks away, back home, back to Him.  Once the trio snaps out of their shock, they meet up with their Guardians and set out for the Autobot base.

Fern moved through the old wooden door, careful to not make a sound to alert him. Removing her school trainers, she slowly crept into the foul-smelling residence. Standing only on the balls of her feet, she moves into the living room past an unconscious Shane, never one removing her eyes from his drunken form, shoulders down and head low.

Slowly retreating into the kitchen, her gaze falls to the floor, sensitive eyes catching the glimmer of broken glass shards ahead. The stairs to her room only meters away, Fern carefully climbs onto the somewhat clean counter-top and begins to inch closer to the open doorway. The girl approaches the edge of the counter, needing a leap to continue.

Mimicking an owl, she bobs her head to judge the distance. If she guesses wrong, she faces multiple lacerations on her skin. Just as she is about to clear the distance, a loud 'crash' and curses resonate from the room behind her. Slipping slightly, she clings onto the edge and stills, straining her hearing for any further movement. Upon the sound of soft snores and even breaths, Fern hauled her body back onto the counter and clears the leap onto the stairs.

Removing the formal attire she makes herself were, Fern pulls on a dark green shirt, matching hoodie, and a pair of dark denim jeans. Lastly, she pulls out a pale green backpack littered with embroidered patches. The largest is a white flower on a pale blue background, green diamond-shaped points on the petals, and the word 'Yorkshire' embroidered in black above it.

Tying up her long blond hair, she puts on a pair of dark green glasses with dappled brown arms and a pair of black ankle-high boots. Throwing on her pack, Fern glances at a photo frame by her bedside, a woman in her early thirties with red hair was smiling on a sofa, with Fern having the same expression while hugging the older woman.

Smiling softly, Fern gently brushes her thumb over the picture, "Miss you, Mummy." Without another word, the girl moves to the window and opens it fully. Lowering herself out, she glances one last time at the photo, before dipping out of sight.

{Edited}