There wasn't a person in the world who could convince me that public education was a sound system of equal opportunities and social growth. I toughed it out, though, and after a month of uninteresting events, I deemed myself safe from public persecution. No one has seen my new "accessories," and Elicia hasn't made due on her promise, yet. It would have been easy for her, given that she was "different" too. Lucky her, it was all in the inside.

Despite my relative security, I didn't feel safe. Not a day went by when I wasn't checking over my shoulder, waiting for something bad to happen. Life was quiet, too quiet. She watched me, I could tell, but she wasn't making any moves. Her goonies giggled behind their perfectly manicured hands, they pointed and stared, but they never even spoke to me. I was beginning to think she just wanted to slowly drive me crazy with paranoia.

Not that I minded, I would prefer a little batty mentality, rather than face an angry mob. There was nothing scarier than the mob mentality, not even mutant flying spiders. If I was the monster, they were the scared villagers with the torches and pitchforks. I was scary, new, innovative, I could be the future, but I would always live in the darkness. I would always be shunned by those inferior minds that shy from change in any form. I guess history does repeat itself. Or folktales, in my case.

Of course the silence couldn't last long. Not when the sad excuse for a public school's elite were on your tail, literally.

The day was normal, boring and mundane. I was walking with Brianna towards the science level for our chemistry class. We were giggling as she told me about Eric's latest prank.

"And then- And then he jumped from around the corner in a full gorilla costume," she paused and tried to speak through her laughs. "I swear she screamed louder than a banshee and threw her phone at him!" We broke into another fit of laughter, despite the slight meanness of the act. They were always doing that sort of thing though, scaring the wits from their poor mother. She was such a nice lady, and I always felt a little bad at the stories they would tell me.

We had reached the top of the stairwell, heading down. I turned to Brianna and was about to ask her a question, when a pair of hands touched my back. Time seemed to slow as they pushed, the smile quickly replaced with a look of horror.

It all happened in a few short seconds.

I twisted and contorted my body, turning to see Elicia's lacky, Jamie. Her lips were twisted in a sick and sadistic smile, eyes glinting with malice. I turned my attention to the hard flooring that was quickly coming closer and it took all my self restraint to fight my urge to let my tail out and let it balance me out. I contorted my body and threw my arms out to catch myself. They hit the cold tile and crumbled under me, my body rolling unceremoniously down the small flight of steps.

I heard Brianna call my name, her footsteps thundering as she ran over to me. I groaned in pain as I dragged my arms from under me and pushed myself into a sitting position. Brianna was by my side now, fretting about and flinging questions at me faster than I could comprehend them.

"Woah there, I'm good," I said, stilling Brianna's hands before she started poking me to see if I hurt anywhere. Which I did. Everywhere. I looked around and for the first time noticed the severe lack of fellow students. It was like they all knew something was going to go down and made themselves scarce. For all I knew they did know, but there was one person still lingering. "Jamie, you think you could give me a hand here?"

She looked unsure for a second and then carefully approached. I asked Brianna to get a book of mine that had disappeared down the hallway and I waited for Jamie to get close. He heels clicked in an annoying fashion, and she took her time. I waited patiently, holding a mental debate whether or not to ignore what just happened or retaliate. It wasn't in my nature to lie on my back and submit, but they just shoved me down a freakin' flight of stairs. My anger was boiling just below the surface, and if I had my way I would be tearing into her throat with my retractable claws. Pain rolled through my in waves, fueling my fury, but at least my mutantness came with a built in healing potion. The doctors called it super regeneration, and it was one of the few things I liked about the "changes."

I lifted my hand up for Jamie to take, and she carefully considered it before 'trying' to help me to my feet. I got up, and it took all my willpower to stay on my feet and not crumple in pain. We would up face to face, her looking uncomfortable with my slightly superior height. Well, her hair more than made up for the difference, but I don't think she counted it.

"Thanks Jamie," I smiled, still deciding how to deal with this. I quickly decided I would be threatening, yeah, that sounded good. "I'm glad you were there to help me up, especially after you were the one to push me down."

Her face betrayed her for a moment, a brief look of horror crossing over her features before she schooled them into a smug look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't, you aren't intelligent enough to understand the words coming out of my mouth."

She looked offended, almost like I had just called her mother a fat hoe, even though I just pointed out that her mind functioned at a lower level. "I'll have you know I do know what your words mean, I just don't know what you are suggestion."

"I am insinuating that you shoved me down a flight of stairs by orders of your prissy little pack leader." I leaned in, grabbing her arm in a bruising grip and extending my little claws into the flesh of her arm. She squealed in pain and tried to struggle free, but I held strong. I laughed a little as I whispered in her ear, "Just let her know that this means war, and I am a killing machine."