Disclaimer: Total Drama series doesn't belong to me but to Jennifer Perth and Tom McGill. I write for fun, not for money and blah, blah, blah ...

Summary: If you got here waiting for another supposedly romantic story with trashy humor and cheap sexually explicit scenes, please, don't even start reading. Thank you. Insert-sarcastic-remark-here, Noah. / Post-series.

Warning: English isn't my first language. It's Spanish. If you notice any grammatical error or something like that, please let me know. Thank you!

Short Fuse

Owen wasn't the only person I met (and remember) from my days in elementary school.

I can also remember a girl. I won't say "She was my first love," or "I had a crush on her" because that would be a vicious lie. But I can remember her, pretty much.

She had curly and bright red hair. She always wore it loose, with a purple ribbon as her unique accessory. Her eyes were blue, and almost always they fixed on the ground, as she didn't dare to look up.

She came to our school when I was on Grade 4.

After Owen left, I was completely alone. I tried not to socialize with my peers, and that caused the teacher to call my parents several times for my 'antisocial' behavior, besides trying to send me urgently to a psychologist.

The girl had a name, and also a surname. However, she soon became known with a nickname: 'Short Fuse'.

You may think 'Oh, that's a very cute and adorable nickname'. Well, think twice.

Short Fuse was known for her temper. She used to react violently to verbal attacks, causing instead of fear, laughter. She seemed to calm down afterwards, and realize the situation.

She used to apologize a lot whenever she had reacted that way, but that only made her earn more teasing.

I never understood that. I analyzed it from every possible angle. I put myself in the place of the victim, and in the place of the perpetrators. But I never understood.

Why was it funny for them that she got easily annoyed? Why did she allow that to happen, without complaining? Why?

I had no idea. Back then, I didn't realize I was also a part of the bullying she suffered. Preferring to remain silent and concentrate on my notes, rather than trying to defend her or seek an adult who could put an end to the situation.

Just trying to think of anything else, to stop listening to their laughter and her crying.

Everything changed one day.

I think it was Monday, maybe Tuesday. It seemed a normal day in which classes proved to be just as boring as the day before.

Among my classmates, there were a couple of kids who were known as the classroom bullies: Avery and Dylan. They always made fun of everyone and everything, and as they were intimidating and brutal, no one dared to say a word.

They used to have Short Fuse in sight. She was always the main object of all their abuse. And that was unfair. Two against one. Two morons of industrial size against a short, thin girl. Yep, very unfair.

Long story short, that day Dylan and Avery continued their routine of teasing Short Fuse to get some reaction, to laugh for a while.

And they got a reaction. But more than laughter, it gave them tears.

Everything happened very quickly. I was pretty much away from the action, focused on my notes. Heard as background music their mocking exclamations. Until a sharp yell cut the air.

I looked up and there it was. Dylan had a pencil stuck in the palm of his right hand, which inevitably began to bleed. The terrified screams of my peers filled the room, while the teacher left her coffee and magazine to meet her injured student.

Departing from all, terrified, was Short Fuse. I could see in her eyes repentance, shame and guilt.

Our teacher didn't waste time and took Dylan to the nursery. As she just left the room, eyes turned at once to the redhead girl trying to stick as closely as possible to a corner of the room.

"What did you do?!" exclaimed Avery angrily, rising from his seat and heading toward her. "You're a monster!"

The cries of support were immediate, and within seconds, almost all chanted "Short Fuse is a monster!" at the top of their lungs.

All of them, but Short Fuse and me.

I don't know how or why, I chose that occasion to get up from my desk and steadily approach the trembling girl. I mean, I ignored her suffering for a long time, and at that moment, I decided that was enough.

Maybe you're wondering if I faced them and gave a morally correct speech on how wrong bullying was, right? If so, obviously you don't know me.

I just pulled her hand tightly, took a deep breath... and ran away. I ran, fearing they would chase us and beat us down.

But apparently they had been too surprised by my actions, because no one followed us. I stopped a few minutes later, crossing a corridor and breathing heavily.

Hell yeah, I hate running.

Still trying to breathe normally, I looked at her. She had a terrified expression, her blue eyes releasing a flood of tears that streamed down her rosy cheeks. Her hand squeezed mine, trembling.

"Are you okay?" I mumbled, a bit uncomfortable by her silence

She just nodded, looking away. I felt like letting her hand go, but as if reading my mind, she tightened her grip. I sighed.

"Why did you do that?"

"I don't know..." she whispered almost inaudibly, wiping a small tear with her free hand. "Aren't you afraid?"

I shook my head without thinking. Then, I thought. Was I afraid? The girl that squeezed my hand had hurt another child. She hadn't scratch him, nor had pushed him into the yard, nor had pulled his hair. She had hurt him.

And yet, I wasn't afraid.

Noting that my heart rate was going to its natural rhythm, I started walking, and by default, pulling her behind me. She remained silent, as if somehow she was afraid to say something.

After a few minutes, crossing another corridor, she finally found her voice.

"Where are we going?"

I suppressed a sigh and shrugged. I had no idea. I was just walking, perhaps looking for an adult to guide me, or some broom closet to leave her and return to class.

Then my analytical brain came to the logical conclusion.

"Principal's office" I said, without much interest. "He'll know what to do."

"He'll ground me."

'What did you expect?', I asked mentally, rolling my eyes. Receiving no response, Short Fuse was silent a little more, while squeezing my hand at all times.

I took a look at her, and empathy made its home on me. She was so short and thin, tiny would be the best word. How could anyone find empty fun by making her miserable?

Again, I didn't understand.

Finally we arrived at the office, the door bore a single word in superb calligraphy and in capital letters: 'PRINCIPAL'.

We stopped in front of the wooden door, and almost at the same time, we turned to each other. Again, her huge and watery eyes caused me some sadness.

"Um... you can stop crying now" I mumbled, just to say something. Really doubted my words. "You did nothing wrong."

"I hurt him..." she whispered, looking at me timidly

"He deserved it. He was being a... meanie."

I saved insults and my true thoughts to that imbecile with air instead of brain. For some reason, I thought I should not utter expletives in front of her.

Short Fuse sighed heavily and nodded, though obviously she was not at all convinced by my vague words of encouragement.

Her gaze fell, inevitably, to our joined hands. Slowly and carefully, as if she was deactivating a time bomb, she dropped my hand and hid hers and behind her back quickly.

I raised my hand to knock the door with my knuckles, but stopped halfway. I turned to look down at her, forming a tiny and almost imperceptible smile.

"Everything will be fine, Nirvana."

At the time, I could see her blue eyes lit up as she listened to me. That should be the first time anyone at school, in addition to the teacher, called her by her real name.

Short Fuse... Nirvana gave me a friendly smile, and a nod of recognition.

"Thank you, Noah."

I knocked on the door, and after a few seconds, it opened. The stocky, bald man who officiated as principal poked hie anatomy, and looked at us curiously.

"Kids?" he snapped, somewhat poorly-concealed sneer. "What are you doing here?"

"I did something wrong, sir" said the girl next to me just before I could speak. "Noah brought me here, nothing more."

Our principal looked at Nirvana first, eyebrows raised, and then he looked at me. He grimaced and shrugged.

"All right... you can go back to class, Byrnes."

"It's Blain."

"Yes, that's what I said."

I rolled my eyes at the painful demonstration of incompetence from the only adult present, turning around to retire as quickly as possible.

However, I couldn't help looking back once. Nirvana sweetly smiled at me, gratefully. I made an effort to return the gesture, but probably she didn't see me as the office door was closed the next second.

That was the last time I saw her in a long time. I spent several months questioning the situation. What had led her to such extreme reaction? Why did she disappear from my life so fast? What had happened to her?

I had to wait ten years to find out. I didn't expect to ever see her, but I am delighted that we have crossed our ways again after so long.

On the other hand, that's a story for another day. Right now I'm struggling to keep my eyes open and not yield to the temptation to sleep peacefully.

I think it's time to turn off my lamp. My roommate starts to get mad. Ha. He deserves it.

Hello, again.

Second chapter, although technically it's the third one.

In case you hadn't noticed: yes, Nirvana is an OC, she doesn't belong to canon. One question, did anyone caught the reference that was repeated throughout the chapter? If so... congratulations. You're awesome! (?)

Now, I'll answer your reviews.

Acosta Perez Jose Ramiro: Thank you. I know, right? Noah had a heart too! I hope you liked this chapter.

The Abysswalker: Hey. I'm glad you liked it. Well, he meant that there was no Facebook, neither Twitter when they were kids. Now he's 20 years old, and those things exist. I hope I made it clear, but if not, please tell me! Hope you liked this.

Melanie Clark: Yeah, my first language is Spanish. ¡Hola! Well, I hope you like them both... they're almost the same. Podría decir que este capítulo es una pista... ¡ahora lo sabes! I hope you liked this chapter. See you later!

I guess that's all. I'll try to continue soon.

Read you soon!

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