Decided to redo this chapter. Much thanks to Zabbie Q for the advice. This is much better.
Gwen looked down at the paper in front of her in a daze. She had long wavy blonde hair that she always kept up in a ponytail and stunning green eyes. Today she wore an ivory long sleeved button up shirt with a white collar and cuffs. Mr. Brewer was giving a lecture about the Civil War but she wasn't paying attention. She absent mindedly pulled the pencil across the page. This was her second year attending public school. Before she had been homeschooled by her mom but after the car accident had killed both her parents she had gone to live with her aunt Lucinda (Cindy to her). Aunt Cindy had insisted that she go to public school in order to socialize even though she had completed the curriculum in home school. She bit her lip to keep from crying. Her aunt had been killed in a house fire. Gwen knew it was all her fault and she could never escape that fact.
The bell rang snapping her out of her daze. She looked down at her doodle and gasped. Gwen had drawn what appeared to be fire. She sighed picking up her history book and the drawing. She still hadn't gotten over what had happened. She wasn't sure she ever would.
"And don't forget about the performing arts show if you're in Ms. North's class" Mr. Brewer called to the class.
"Great!" Gwen sighed. She had forgotten.
Every year the school puts on a talent show and everyone in the performing arts class has to participate in some way. Like last year all the spots for stage crew were taken and she had to perform. Last year she was very willing to get up and sing in front of everyone but then she found out she had terrible stage fright. Even so her aunt had enrolled her in the performing arts class for a second year confident that her niece could overcome this fear. Aunt Cindy may not be like Gwen or her sister but she meant well. She even tried to help in her special lessons.
Gwen walked to her locker to get her things as it was the end of the school day. Her bag was full of homework from the advanced classes she was taking. Gwen's thoughts were interrupted when Troy slammed against the lockers next to her. He had light brown hair and eyes and wore a red t-shirt and jeans. He towered over her.
"Gwen! Just the nerd I was looking for." He grinned at her swiping her doodle. "Wait… What the heck is this? Gwen slung her bag over one shoulder. She was a straight A student and Troy tried to take advantage of that and she was getting really tired of him stealing her notes.
"It's a drawing. I didn't take notes today. You should really start taking your own notes Troy." Gwen said glaring at him.
Troy narrowed his eyes as he crumpled up the paper. An ugly hateful look crossed his face as his fist collided with her face knocking her to the ground and bloodying her nose. Many of the other students gasped but did not approach out of fear of what would happen to them.
"If you ever say something like that to me again you will regret it!" he growled.
Gwen wiped away the blood. No one could see her face as her eyes began to glow a dangerous purple. She wanted nothing more at this moment than to grow her claws and tear his throat out but she knew she could. Gwen fought hard against the raging beast that was a part of her stifling her own growl in her throat.
"Calm down! He's not worth it! Just breath." She told herself trying to bring her powers under control.
Gwen felt the beast calm and her eyes turned back to normal. She got up and brushed off her black pants. She picked up her bag and walked away not bothering to pick up the crumped up drawing.
"That's what I thought freak!" Troy yelled as she walked down the halls.
Gwen heard various whispers as she walked out of the school. "That was uncalled for. What a jerk! Deserved it!" She wanted nothing more than to cry at that last comment but she knew better. Her dad was a Marine and had taught her not to show weakness in that way around others. He had also taught her hand to hand combat for if boys got handsy with her. Lucky for Troy and the other bullies she had never used it on them.
Gwen pulled in a sharp breath composing herself She didn't really care what the other students thought of her. She had connected with a few of them before the fire but now they all kept their distance. While the actual cause of the fire had never been found but everyone in the school suspected that she had started it. She didn't deny it and for that reason she could never turn into her dragon form again.
Every day she walked to her great aunt Jane, great uncle Merrill and their daughter Savanna. They were her only blood relatives left but she hardly considered them family. They hated her. Gwen was certain the only reason they allowed her to live with them is that the state sent a check each month. Everyone at school hated her too. It wasn't an exaggeration. Troy was a class A jerk but everyone treated her like that. Not all of them physically harmed her but they were all so cold towards her. What she wouldn't give for a friend. That's when she saw him through the window of a pawn shop she had been walking past.