Whispering, pointing, stares, and sneers met Shaggy when he arrived for school the next day. Trying to ignore it, he looked for Christina. She wasn't there yet, never had Shaggy been so nervous. Walking to his locker he found the same group who had attacked Christina yesterday were waiting for him. They advanced, surrounding him while everyone else watched. The few teachers in the hall turned a blind eye. Before they could lay a hand on him, however, lightning and thunder tore threw the hall carried by a cold wind.
"Step away from him!"
Christina had arrived.
When his would-be attackers refused to budge she sent them flying out the door where they landed harshly on the front lawn. Slamming her staff to the ground caused the doors to shut, brambles stronger than steel locking them tight.
"Are you okay?" Christina asked, suddenly before him. Her face was calm but Shaggy saw the glimmer of concern in her eyes.
"I'm okay," Shaggy promised, "We should get to class,"
"Lead the way,"
The nasty looks followed them into the classroom. Shaggy's blood ran cold when he saw what had been scrawled on there desks.
Freak.
The word seemed to strike a nerve with Christina who set her desk ablaze without care for those around her or the warnings the teacher gave. She pinned the tiny woman with a glare that could have stopped the end of the world.
"Respect," she declared, "Is a two-way street, a bridge. Something that is earned and if this," she motioned to the word still on his desk, "Is how you treat those different from you then you don't deserve mine. Go ahead, call my Uncle I don't care. Besides, you're too scared to do it,"
The other students reacted as teenagers do, wanting to know what the teacher was going to do. The answer was wetting herself like a child. Shaggy had to stifle laughter while Christina did away with the name left on his desk before plopping into her own and propping her feet up, book in hand.
…...
The rest of the day followed much the same. Shaggy found himself glued to Christina's side in fear of his safety. Christina didn't snap at him the whole time which was very strange. Instead, she kept him company, engaging in conversation with him when Fred and the girls scurried away. He'd be lying if he said that didn't hurt him. He didn't have the same armor that Christina did.
"You want to sit outside?"
The gentle question brought Shaggy back to the present. Christina stood beside him, bag lunch in hand waiting for an answer.
"No,"
"Window?"
"Okay,"
The two sat down across from each other. Shaggy picked at his school provided lunch in disinterest while Christina munched on an apple.
"You normally inhale your food, what's the matter?"
That question threw him a little. Since when did Christina care how he was? He was the one who cared, Christina just tried to get rid of him. True, he considered himself her friend but he thought she was just tolerating him.
"Shaggy? I asked a question,"
Oh, right.
"My friends, the gang they like, they..."
"Bolted?"
"Yeah,"
"Want me to do something?"
"No, like, that's okay,"
Christina shrugged, "Maybe they'll come around,"
"I hope," Shaggy nodded, "How do you do this?"
"What?"
"Ignore them?"
"Practice,"
"The things they say..."
"Are misguided and cruel, I know,"
"Was it always like this for you?"
"No, not always,"
That was all that was said but it was enough. It seemed he was earning her trust and the last thing he wanted to do was break it. It was so new and fragile he had to be careful.
…...
Vincent was waiting for him when he got home.
"Explain this," he calmly ordered, directing Shaggy to the computer where a picture of Christina on the ground without her jacket was displayed, "It's gone..what's the word? Viral,"
"She was jumped and-"
"No, where are her wings? She has wings, Shaggy,"
"Had," he corrected, "I like, don't know all the details,"
"Dracula wants her brought home,"
"I can't do that,"
"Why not?"
"Like, you said she needs a friend and I'm like, just now earning her trust. I don't want to stomp on it,"
"Wise choice,"
Shaggy jumped, Christina now stood beside him, her face written with anger.
"Your uncle wants you to come home," Vincent informed her, "No more games,"
"But, I'm not playing a game and I'm not going back there, that ISN'T and never will be my home again," Christina responded, "Excuse us,"
she seized Shaggy by the arm and left.
…...
"How are you feeling?" Shaggy questioned, sitting across from Christina mere minutes later.
"Angry,"
"At me?" he gulped.
"No, Shaggy, not at you,"
"Wanna talk about it?"
"No,"
"Okay, like, what do you want to do?"
"Sleep,"
"You're tired?"
"Magic's draining sometimes,"
He looked around curiously, "You sleep in here?"
She laughed at that, "No, upstairs,"
"Just how big is this place?"
"Come on,"
enormous as it turned out. It wasn't just this size for the dragons. She led him up a wide staircase and down a long hallway lined with windows that were flooded with sunlight. She pulled open the lone set of doors to reveal her room. Which despite being big was arguably cozy, with warm inviting colors and a few windows.
"Do you not get lonely in here?"
As if to answer, the baby dragons popped up one by one from their hiding places. Prince, running to her side.
"Nope," she laughed, "I'm going to sleep a while, do you want me to take you home first?"
"No, no, I'm fine,"
"Okay then, you can explore if you want to, just don't get in anyone's way,"
"Thanks, Christina,"
"No, problem," she yawned falling back onto her bed.
…...
"But VHY vould she hide it?" Dracula demanded to know, "Is this vhy she's been acting out? Vhat happened to her that veek?"
"Sit down, Dracula," Vincent advised, "I don't know the answers and you need to calm down,"
"BUT VHY?"
"I don't know,"
"Does Shaggy?"
"No,"
"Vhere is she now?"
"Somewhere we can't reach her, she doesn't want to come back, Dracula,"
"But VHY?"
Vincent was growing tired of this question as Dracula was growing tired of the response to the question.
"It's time we talk to her grandmother,"
"NO"
"Do you see another option?"
Dracula faltered.
"That's what I thought,"
Dracula didn't like this idea but it was their only choice. Maybe, just maybe by allowing Christina to meet her they could finally get somewhere.
Maybe Christina could heal?
