Different (1)

Chapter 4

‘Stop.’ I yelled, as I stood up and made my way to the cafeteria doorway. The place where Tyler was about to be beaten up.
‘Is that you, transvestite?’, Theodore asked.
His gang members laughed loudly. I didn’t let that stop me. There was no way I was going to let a guy, who had raised his voice against something wrong, get hurt. No freaking way.
I felt the patterns appear in my hand. Red, of course. I would make an excuse for it, later. I didn’t care about them right then.
That’s what I have been talking about, my subconscious said. It sounded happy. It craved violence.
I reached them and Tyler looked up at me. He had a cut lip and a bruised eye. They had already beaten him up, so why the show off?
Why do you care? Just fight already!, said my subconscious. It’s in times like this that it’s the most active.
I started picking Tyler up but Theodore thrust his foot on Tyler’s back, forcing him down. Tyler winced.
‘Let go of him.’ I said quietly, the patterns now almost maroon.
‘Aww……’, cooed the blonde girl, ‘A transvestite meets one more of its kind. Such an emotional first meeting. It breaks my heart to say that it will be short-lived.’
I chose not to answer. I had eyes only for Theodore since he was the main threat. One hit by him and Tyler was as good as dead.
‘Let go. Please.’, I looked up at Theodore, pretending to be a weak girl who wanted to help someone desperately. It would not exactly be called pretending but….get the meaning, ok? No one seconded me. No one spoke. It’s always the same. Everyone’s too scared to say something in fear that they will get hurt.
Theodore looked at me with those dark eyes of his. Again, it felt as if he was searching for something. But he failed.
‘Kick him.’, said the brunette.
She seemed more eager to get Tyler beaten up than the giants or the blonde or even Theodore.
‘ I can’t.’ answered Theodore, ‘With her shielding him.’
He slowly removed his leg from Tyler’s back, his eyes still on me. I looked away. Anywhere but those dark eyes.
‘Then kick her as well.’ said the blonde. The giants were no longer laughing. They seemed to be dead serious.
Theodore smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes.
‘Now, now Clara.’ he said, addressing the blonde, ‘I would never do that. But in your case, I could make an exception.’
Clara’s mouth fell open. He was threatening to hit Clara? A girl he had known for a time much longer than he had known me? Strange.
‘Let’s go.’ Theodore said, turning around. Clara glared at me and so did the brunette, whatever her name was.
I started helping Tyler up, thinking that there was no danger. I was wrong, as always.
The moment I withdrew my eyes from the gang, in order to help Tyler, a leg came hurtling towards Tyler’s right side.
Defend, said my subconscious.
Instantly my hand was up and I stopped the leg. The patterns were starting to glow slightly. At that moment of defending myself and Tyler from the leg I lifted the denim jeans, that covered the leg, slightly. Patterns.
I pushed the leg away with as much force as I thought would not be able send a person flying over, and looked up. Theodore.
He looked down at me with a horrified expression which, for the first time, mirrored mine. We had seen the patterns. I couldn’t believe that I was not the only one with them. The only one cursed with them.
They make you different, said my subconscious.
‘They make me dangerous.’ I retorted, in my mind.
‘WHAT THE-?’ yelled the biggest giant of the three, as he lunged for me.
He punched me square on the face making me fall on the floor. The pain was intense. My face had probably started to go black from the bruise the punch had left. I felt dizzy. But the giant didn’t stop. The next punch was aimed at my stomach and I screamed.
I could hear urgent whispers being exchanged between the students. But the tears in my eyes made me incapable of seeing anyone.
Another punch delivered on my thigh. There was no sign of Tyler near me. At least, I had saved him.
‘Stop it, Ronald.’ I heard a voice say. It was the brunette’s. She sounded worried.
Stop him!, my subconscious yelled, he’ll kill you.
Another punch on my stomach. I couldn’t scream. Why wasn’t anyone saving me? Why was no one trying to help me?
All the adrenaline I had pumped up to save Tyler had left. I was scared. I was afraid.
The last thing I remember is feeling a sharp pain on my face as Ronald kicked me.