~::Oh-so-angry::~
The first time I broke Puck's nose, I was fourteen.
He had played a really nasty prank on me, and I was furious. I'll admit, I hadn't really been thinking. One second I was glaring at his stupid, cocky face and the next, he was sprawled on the floor, clutching his nose in pain.
The second time I broke his nose was just a couple of weeks after the first time. He was really getting on my nerves and the next thing I knew; I'd broken his nose again.
Granny Relda had been horrified and I'd been grounded for a month. To top it off, a family meeting was held where everyone agreed that I should attend anger management classes. I'd felt shocked and betrayed, but they explained that it was for the best. Daphne had winked at me and said that I wouldn't want to end up seriously hurting my future husband.
Seriously, my nine-year-old sister had said that.
I'd been too appalled and embarrassed to argue.
So the first two times I'd broken Puck's nose, I'd basically signed myself up for three years of anger management classes. I'm not kidding- I'm still attending them. I tried convincing them that since Puck and I are dating now- yeah, I know- shocker- I wasn't going to be bashing his face in any time soon, but they wouldn't hear any of it; so yeah- anger management classes, Yay me! Not that they were working, because the third time I'd broken Puck's nose, was well, this afternoon.
I managed to get myself a week's worth of detention and I had to sign up as the director for the elementary school play.
But boyfriend or not, he so deserved that.
~Earlier today~
I was eating lunch, carefree and innocent with my best- albeit only- friend, Amber Baxter, when Daphne came hurtling towards me at top speed.
"Hello Sissy! Hello Amber!" she called as she plopped down next to me. I eyed her warily.
"Hey, Daph." Amber said, laughing.
"What are you doing here, Daphne?" I asked.
"Talking to you!" She chirped excitedly.
"I can see that. I wanted to know what you were doing in my school." I clarified.
"We're using your auditorium for the school play!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"Ouch Daphne, you're right next to me. There's honestly no need to yell." I said, wincing. Daphne was practically bouncing in her seat, her eyes were wide and she looked like she was going to burst from her excitement. I knew from the way she was gripping the table that it was taking her a lot of effort to keep from biting her hand. She was looking at me expectantly and I knew that she was waiting for me to ask her why she was there. I sighed.
"OK Daphne, what is…"
"IgotpickedasSnowWhiteintheschoolplay!" She burst out, unable to hold it on any longer. My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Amber just sat there, tilting her head, trying to decipher what Daphne just said.
"Sorry, wha-" I started, but got interrupted, yet again, by Daphne.
"I got picked as Snow White in the school play!" She screamed again, this time slower. I winced at her volume.
"Ow, Daph!" I complained just as her words registered. "Oh." I said stupidly. Her face fell at my lack of enthusiasm. "I mean, that's great Daphne!" I quickly amended, smiling widely at her. "I'm really happy for you," I told her, honestly. She beamed at me.
"Congratulations Daphy!" Amber said, grinning at Daphne.
"I'm gonna go now! I have to find Puck to tell him the good news!" She shrieked. I laugh at her excitement.
"Tell me what?" Puck asked, popping out of nowehere- and scaring the life out of me.
"Ah!" I yell as I started to fall out of my chair. A pair of strong arms wraped themselves around my waist to keep me from diving headfirst into the ground.
"Whoa, there Grimm!" Puck said, snickering as he steadied me. "I know I'm really sexy and all that, but you don't have to keep falling for me!" Then he burst into laughter. "Get it? Fall for me! Do you get it?" He asked in between bouts of laughter. I blushed.
"Shut up, Dogbreath!" I yelled, punching his abdomen, but that was a mistake because that's where his rock-hard abdominal muscles are. "Ouch!" I yelled, retracting my arm and cradling my injured hand as I glared at Puck. He wasn't fazed at all by my pathetic attempt to injure him. Instead, when he realized I'd hurt myself, he burst into laughter all over again.
"You… should… see…your…face!" He gasped, tears leaking out from his eyes as he continued to obnoxiously guffaw at my misfortune. I scowled, feeling my face heat up even more. I glared at Daphne and Amber who were- unsuccessfully- trying to hide their laughter.
After what seemed like eternity, Puck managed to pull himself together. He was still chuckling softly when Daphne decided to break the good news to him, hence saving me from my utter embarrassment. It's about time! I thought, sighing in relief. The problem was, Puck heard my sigh and smirked at me before Daphne started tugging on his shirt, demanding his full attention.
"That's wonderful, Marshmallow!" He said, grinning at her once she's blurted the news. Daphne smiled happily at us. "The only problem is," Puck continued, looking thoughtful. Daphne's eyes grew wide with anxiety at the mention of a problem. I glared at Puck, trying to get him to stop teasing her.
"Goodfellow…" Amber warned in a dangerously low voice. He blatantly ignored us.
"Mrs. Peterson is nine months pregnant." Puck said. Daphne looked confused.
"So?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
"So," Puck continued. "Her baby's ready to pop out any second now." Daphne scrunched up her nose as she tried to figure out the problem. Amber and I looked at each other warily. We hadn't thought of this.
"What's wrong with that? I love babies!" Daphne announced after thinking for a while. Puck sighed.
"Seriously, Marshmallow- you better start using your noodle," Puck said, rapping his knuckles lightly against her head. "or not, you'll end up like Stupid over there." He informed her in an earnest voice, jerking his thumb towards me.
"Hey!" I protested, but Puck cut me off. I scowled- some boyfriend he is.
"Think, M." He said slowly. "What happens when a woman gives birth?" Daphne tilted her head as she thought about his question.
"Stop it Puck- Daphne don't listen to him." I tried, but Daphne looked like she'd experienced a eureka moment.
"Well, first her water bag bursts then her cervix dilates then the baby's head starts coming out through her-" Daphne recounted. I blanched at my sister's description.
"Oh God! Stop!" Puck exclaimed, looking absolutely horrified. I would have laughed at his expression if I weren't feeling as shocked as he looked. Amber, Puck and I glanced at each other.
"Daphne, honey, how did you know all-" Amber started slowly before Puck interrupts her.
"How the hell did you know that?" He turned to me. "Grimm! How the hell does she know all that?" He demanded.
"Don't look at me!" I exclaimed. "I was thinking the exact same thing!"
"Margaret Watterson told us!" Daphne chirped happily, oblivious to our horror.
An awkward silence passed where we all kind of just stared at Daphne.
"What?" She asked innocently. We mumbled incoherently, looking away. "Puck! Tell me what the problem is!" Daphne cried. Puck eyed her warily.
"It's not that big a deal." He assured her. "I was just going to point out that she's gonna be on maternity leave so the school's probably going to pick a high school student to do the job." He said, very quickly while he grabbed his stuff. Then he grabbed by arm and pulled me to my feet. "Come on Grimm, let's get outta here." He muttered to me, suddenly not in the mood for joking.
"Wait! What's the problem, then?" Daphne called out.
"Everyone in the drama club's a freak!" Puck replied, earning some glares from nearby drama club members. Daphne just stared at his retreating back before slumping down into the chair next to mine again. I peered over my shoulder at her and my heart sank when I noticed her dejected expression. I planted my feet firmly in the ground and twisted Puck's ear before yanking him back to the table, by said ear.
"Ow!" Puck exclaims. "What the hell, Grimm? Get your hands off of me, peasant!" He shrieked. I released him only when we reached the table. Amber, who'd been busy trying to cheer Daphne up, looked up to glare at Puck.
"I don't know why you felt the need to dampen Daphne's mood, but you're going to fix this." She commanded. Puck scowled at her.
"I wasn't dampening her mood. I never dampen the mood!" He said huffily. "I was simply being realistic."
"It's OK, Puck." Daphne sniffled, looking crestfallen. Puck's expression softened and he sat down next to her.
"Hey, Marshmallow- don't look so sad. It makes you look all old and grumpy, like Amber!" He declared, earning a giggle from Daphne. I roll my eyes but smile while Amber glared daggers at him. "I was going to offer a solution to you, you know." He told her. She looked up at him hopefully.
"You were?" She asked.
"Yeah. Before you started being all creepy and descriptive." He said and he, Amber and I all cringed at the memory.
"What's the solution?" Daphne cried, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Well," Puck begins as he glanced at me. When I saw the mischievous glint in his eyes, I blanched. My mind immediately went on red alert and I desperately racked my brains to think of something that could help me stop his plan- whatever it was, but I was too late. "You can just ask Grimm to sign up to be director. That way you know for sure that you'll get someone you can trust- and not some crazy, drama geek. Mrs. Peterson loves Grimm! She'll be more than thrilled to give her the position of director!" Puck winked at me, smirking. I glared at him in return and opened my mouth to inform Daphne that what Puck was suggesting was never going to happen. I detested kids; I was awful at handling them. I've always hated plays and I have severe stage fright. I didn't do fragile props- they'd all shatter the minute I walked past them! I wasn't creative or spontaneous or even the least bit cut out for this kind of job. In fact, I was terrified of the sheer prospect of it!
When Daphne looked at me with wide hopeful eyes, however, I knew that there'd be no backing out of this one. I groaned in frustration.
"Will you do it?" Daphne asked me cheerfully. I gave her a pained expression before turning to Amber for help. She stared back at me, wide eyed, shrugging to indicate that she'd got nothing. I returned my gaze to Daphne and opened my mouth to gently let her down. But she was giving me her best puppy dog face and my mouth seemed to have acquired a mind of its own.
"S-sure." It said- that little traitor! Daphne squealed and hugged me before bounding out of the cafeteria, undoubtedly to tell Red the good news. I sat there, stunned. "What just happened?" I mumbled, more to myself than anything.
"You're going to be the director for the elementary school play!" Puck chirped happily. "No need to thank me! I did this out of the kindness of my- ow!" Puck groaned. He was sprawled out on the floor and was clutching his nose in pain. "What the hell, Grimm?" He demanded, groaning.
A hush fell over the cafeteria as everyone stared at the sight. There was blood on my knuckles and I faintly registered that it was Puck's. I glared at him, breathing heavily. I was so angry I barely realized that we were being dragged to the principal's office.
And that was the day I broke Puck's nose for the third time in my life.
Go figure.