Vermin

Thankfully, Mrs. Kyer returned and the Hoity Hags plastered on their fake smiles and pretended to offer me assistance. Not having the energy or desire to cause a scene, I accepted their outstretched hands. One day, one day…none of this will matter, and I will be far away from here. Far away from the dragons I fear and the abuse I am forced to endure. Humans can't treat other humans as badly as I am treated here, can they? Surely, there is safety and a place for me to belong out there because I certainly don't belong here. I am no dragon.

Waiting for the other girls to shower and dress, I stayed outside the locker room talking to Mrs. Kyer, since I knew that I was going to have to find a way to earn enough credits to pass this course. She knows my physical limitations and has agreed to allow me to write papers about each test that I fail. I am grateful that the teachers respect me enough to allow me to make an extra effort to graduate. I need to be done with classes and the Naga Tribe. I quickly excused myself to go shower. 

As I was showering, I felt a bit dizzy, so I rested my forehead on the cool tiles and let the water wash over me. Thoughts flooded my mind: How am I still alive after all that has happened to me? Should I have died when my parents did? Did I die, but somehow was reborn? Why would fate grant me a second life if it is as horrible as this one? Why, why, am I still here?

I sighed, as I finished my shower. I will likely never know the answers unless fate wills it.

"At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation. You can control your destiny, but not your fate. Destiny allows you to turn left or right, but fate is a one-way street. We all have a choice as to whether or not we fulfill our destiny, but our fates are sealed."

—Paulo Coelho

Maybe I can alter my destiny, and this final year of high school won't be as bad as it started out. But, am I fated to always suffer and never be enough?

I had two classes before lunch and they went by quickly. So far, I am not in any classes with The Trio and I am immensely thankful for that. I get in line and load my food onto my tray. As I was exiting the line, Jessica flipped my tray, spilling its contents all over my dress, she said, “Could you be any more of a klutz.” I sigh, as I turn to leave. “That's right, little mouse. Scurry off like the vermin that you are!” she taunts.

She's right. I am nothing more than a filthy useless rat. I rushed to the restroom in an effort to try and remove the spaghetti sauce from my dress. I stripped it off and began scrubbing it. “Avery, I am sorry,” Trisha said, as she entered the restroom. Trisha is a sophomore that I tutored when she was a freshman. She is from a middle-class family in the tribe. 

“I wish that this year was over already so I could leave.”

Her big brown eyes met mine in the mirror. “You will still keep in touch with me, right?” she asked.

“Of course, I will,” I lied, not knowing if I would be able to or not. All I know is that I want to, as she is the closest thing I have to a friend.

“I have some spare clothes in my locker. I will be right back,” she says as she hurries off while I use the hand dryer to dry my still-stained dress. I don't want to use my pay for clothes but if this is any indication of how this year will go, I will need to go shopping. 

As I was examining my busted lip in the mirror, the Hags walked in. I quickly rushed inside a stall and locked myself in. I curled up on the toilet seat, hoping beyond hope, to remain hidden. I could hear them at the sinks chatting, as I heard plastic containers hitting the counters. I could tell that they must be plastering on more makeup to hide their ugly hearts. I had grown up around these vile and disgusting girls. No amount of makeup or gallons of perfume could mask their stench. I had to stuff my dress into my mouth to prevent me from gagging at the putrid combinations of their perfumes. If any of them become queen, they will kill off the species with their fragrances alone. Serves them right if any of the Trio are dumb enough to mark them as a mate.

While I am hiding, I overhear them talking about the Trio’s Grand Ceremony, which is quickly approaching. The Hags plan to seduce the Trio into picking them as Chosen mates if they aren't their Fated ones. They go on and on about what they plan to wear, and go into detail about what they plan to do for the guys. I feel my cheeks heat up at the mere mention of a blow job. I would never do that to any of the Trio, not that they would want me to either, but the thought of having a guy be at my mercy like that is very appealing. Maybe, when I can finally escape the land of dragons, I will find a nice human boy who will let me.

Thankfully, the Hags leave before I hear Trisha come in and whisper for me. I come out of my hiding place and she gives me a T-shirt and a jean skirt to wear. They are a little big because she has boobs and is fairly curvy. I wish that I had a body like hers. Hell, I wish that I looked like any of the girls here. If I could have average beauty, I would sell my soul to the devil himself, but knowing my luck, the devil would be a dragon. I laugh at myself. That is about as likely as me being the princess that my mother used to sing about. 

After I braided my hair and thanked Trisha, we went our separate ways. We can't be seen together or else she will become a target too. I remember last year when Heidi saw me tutoring Trisha. A few days afterward, Heidi and the Hags took Trisha to the mall to shop. They told Trisha that they knew a boy who liked her and he was going to meet her later at a dance club nearby. The Hags said how they would help Trisha pick out the perfect outfit, too. Later that night, the Hags dropped Trisha off at the club. She waited for an hour before she went inside. They had dropped her off at this seedy BDSM club. I only know what BDSM is because Trisha explained it to me as we researched it. Trisha was lucky that no man assaulted her that night and that's why I made sure to keep our friendship hidden. 

I walk into my next class, which is honors chemistry, and quickly take my seat. The Trio are in this class, so I keep my head down, until Mr. Chen says, “Cassius, Avery is your new lab partner, and I expect great things from you both this year.” Fuck, could this year get any worse?

Cassius takes a seat beside me. He leans in close to whisper, “You had better get me straight A’s when you do my homework. Also, you will let me copy off you. If you don't, I will do more than give you a fat lip.” I nod, as I hear the other girls whine about not being paired with any of the Trio, especially Cassius. I would gladly trade with any of them, if that were an option. Graduation Day can't come soon enough!