"Wolfwood!"
Nikki jumped into reality and snapped her attention back to the chalkboard. Her science teacher, Professor Caine, gave her and evil stare.
"Would you like to tell the class the equation for finding out a liquid's acidity?" Nikki felt her ears growing hot with ebarrassment.
"Not really, no."
"Then I suggest you wake up. Next time you won't have a choice." Professor Caine shook his head and went back to his lecture. Nikki's best friend, Rowan, elbowed her hard in the ribs. She clutched them and sent him an "I know" glare. The class droned on, but Nikki didn't hear a word Caine was saying. She stared at her desk top, deep in thought.
My father was a priest? Why didn't Mom tell me about him?
The bell rang out, awakening Nikki once more. She jammed her book into her already heavy book bag and slung the bag over one shoulder. She and Rowan left the classroom, Nikki dragging her feet.
"So what are you doing after school?" Rowan asked casually.
"Going home," Nikki responded with a sigh. "I am so tired." She managed to lift her chin and look at the student filled hallway with a certain apathy. "Oh no." Rowan looked up as well.
Walking down the hall towards the two of them was a boy only known to Nikki as Cameron. Nikki tried desperately to avoid him, but the hallway was packed and he had a habit of deliberately slamming into her shoulder. Which he did.
"Watch where you're going!" he snapped. Before Nikki could retaliate, he turned and ground his way through the crowd.
"Ignore him, Nikki," Rowan said comfortingly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, then quickly removed it when she practically fractured her neck in turning her head towards him. She rubbed the back of it slowly.
"Someday I am just gonna beat the crap out of that guy," she mumbled. "I'm going to crush his face into the dirt so he can eat it like the filthy scum that he is!" She went on with her antagonized rambling, but Rowan seemed to ignore it.
"Yeah, he probably deserves it," Rowan agreed.
"There is no 'probably'," Nikki fumed. "He does deserve it."
---
Nikki felt a sudden shove from behind. She stumbled forward and fell to her knees in the dirt, much to the delight of the other students. "I told you to watch where you're going!" Nikki stood and whirled around. If Rowan were there, he'd have told her to calm down, but Rowan was not there. Sometimes it was a shame Nikki had her father's temper.
"Quit pushing me and maybe I will someday! Until then, I'll just have to push you back won't I?"
"You shut up, you little orphan!"
"I am not an orphan!"
"You are too! I heard about your dad! He was shot dead, because he was too weak to take care of a friggin' kid!"
"Shut up!" Nikki clenched her fists until her knuckles were white and her fingernails began biting into her palms.
"If he had any sense at all, he wouldn't have been around fighting everyone!" This time, Nikki cracked her knuckles on his cheekbone.