Thalia poked her food warily with her fork, disgust washing over her sharp, pale features as the food shifted. Rayne had tossed her tray away, and was pretending to be looking for something urgently important in her messenger rolled her eyes in disgust as she noticed the appreciative looks her blond friend was getting from the boys. Rayne was of medium height with the perfect tan, perfectly straight, white teeth, green-blue eyes and blond hair that tumbled past her shoulders.
On a normal day, Rayne was pretty. On a great day, she was smoking'. Well, until people noticed the slender scar that began on the side of her right nostril and ended a few inches from her jugular.
It looked like a slash wound to Thalia.
This happened to be a great day for Rayne. Rayne was dressed in a tight green shirt with black skinny jeans and soft, calf high black boots. Her golden locks were pulled into a messy ponytail with strands caressing her bronzed cheekbones. The image of perfection was ruined when people noticed the silvery scar, standing at attention against her tanned skin.
Thalia stiffened in her seat as Arianna passed by their nearly empty table. She glanced at Thalia through the corner of her eye and headed straight for an empty table. She toyed with her food idly, looking bored. A group of lean girls passed by her and called out greetings which she answered, a polite smile stretched over her face that didn't exactly meet her eyes.
"Is that her?" murmured Rayne, having brought out her notebook and made it appear to be studying her notes. Thalia nodded her head slightly. "Yeah, it's her" she muttered, glancing around the crowed lunchroom casually.
"She's kinda cute " she said teasingly. The brunette shrugged, shifting in her seat uneasily.
Something didn't feel right. A painful tugging at Thalia's gut assured her something was off. But what?
They quietly waited for the period to pass, and Thalia could feel the tension in the air increase.
A few minutes later, the bell rang. Chairs were scraped back as students made their way into the hallway, chattering carelessly with their friends and threw away any leftover trash. Thalia slipped on a puddle of milk, momentary losing her balance. She quickly regained her balance, but not before she bumped into another girl, causing the girl to spill a carton of milk all over her shirt.
The girl whirled around, dark eyes narrowed into slits. Thalia was momentary reminded of Clarisse; a daughter of Ares and a major bully.
"Watch were you're going puta (1)" snarled the greasy haired girl. Thalia knew enough Spanish to know what that meant. She bristled angrily and took a step forward, a challenge in her electric blue eyes.
"What did you call me bitch?" she asked quietly, tensing slightly. The girl growled. "You heard me, are you deaf as well as stupid?" she challenged.
A hand grabbed Thalia by the shoulder, and she glanced up to see Rayne giving her a warning glance. Thalia grit her teeth and brushed herself off, though a part of her was screaming to beat the girl into a pulp. A heavy hand connected with the daughter of Zeus's back, sending her stumbling forward. "Did you hear me bitch?"snarled the Hispanic teen. Thalia stiffened, and curled her hands into fists before whirling around to glare at the other girl. "Oh, I heard you loud and clear bitch."
With a yell, the girl launched herself at the Hunter, connecting her fist with her jaw.
Thalia stumbled back, allowing her instincts to take over. She dodged a sharp uppercut that was aimed at her jaw and lashed out, hardly noticing her fist jab at the girl's face. She blocked a kick towards her thigh, taking a painful punch to her nose. Warm, wet blood began to trickle down Thalia's nose, but she ignored the disturbance, eyes watering.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Rayne fighting with a tall, redheaded girl.
Sharp pain raced through Thalia's cheek and she realized her attacker had sliced open her cheek with her claw like nails.
The girl knocked Thalia into a table, and smirked as Thalia's head smashed roughly into a chair. Thalia felt dizzy, she was seeing two girls instead of one. Her head hurt like hell and she could taste the metallic tang of her own blood on the tip of her tongue.
An angry roar echoed through her ears, and she closed her eyes, thinking the roar was caused by her injured head. When she opened them, she could see clearly. She could see the girl, Arianna tackling the other girl into a booth, her lean body quivering with energy. She kneed the other girl hard in the gut, backhanding her fiercely across the face.
Arianna's lips were pulled into a taunt snarl, and a glimmer of cruel joy gleamed in her eyes.
The tugging on Thalia's gut increased until it exploded. Chaos echoed across the room, students who had been casually watching fought amongst themselves, yelling, punching or kicking.
A loud, shrill whistle pierced through the chaotic noise, and the chaos died down. The principle stood at the entrance of the lunchroom, glaring at the students. The crowd parted for her, and Thalia struggled to her feet when the lady stopped in front of her.
She scanned the area coldly, pointing at Arianna, Rayne, the girl and her goon and finally at Thalia herself and said in a flat voice, "Detention after school, from three to four. Show up if you don't want to be expelled."
With that, Ms. Ortiz turned on her heel and marched out of the room. "Come here girl; let's get you to the Nurse. You might want to come with us as well" said Rayne, nodding at a bruise forming along Arianna's jaw line and a cut above her right brow.
The Hispanic girl shrugged and mumbled something under her breath, following them. The Nurse quickly treated Rayne's shallow scratch on her chin and handed Thalia two ice packs, one for her nose and one for her head.
Arianna merely got a Band- Aid for her cut and a small icepack for the bruising.
Rayne promptly disappeared off to Gym class, leaving the two brunettes alone.
"Why did you do that?" asked Thalia, indicating at the fight. Arianna shrugged, glancing at the toe of her scoffed Converse high- top. "Ashley thinks she can do whatever she wants just because she's popular. I hate her. Plus, I used to be the new kid last year so I know what it feels like to be picked on" muttered Arianna. Thalia nodded, biting her lip. "Thanks." She hesitated.
"Arianna, want to hang out later this week or something?" she asked quietly, eyeing the brunette before her warily.
Arianna's lips twitched up in a small smile and she took a scrap of paper from her jacket and a pen from her pocket. "This is my number, call me when you're free" she said, scribbling at the paper.
Nodding, Thalia tucked the sheet into her pocket carefully. "So, I'll see you around then?" she said, unsure of what to say.
Arianna flashed the daughter of Zeus a wicked smile and nodded. "I have a feeling we will" she said, walking away with a seductive swing to her hips.
A shiver ran up Thalia's spine, but she blamed it on the air conditioning.
She'd call Arianna tonight and try and explain to her what she was.
She'd tell her about her destiny and how important she could be.
Thalia just hoped she would believe her.
A/N: (1) Puta is Spanish for bitch