6. Confrontation

6

Confrontation

Morgana

T he school day eventually ends, and I couldn't be more relieved to leave. Walking outside, I pick up the sounds of loud laughter and female voices mixing in with the rest of the school population. Once I reach the sidewalk, I can clearly hear the talking emanating from beside the school. I think nothing of it until we walk to that side of the building, as it's on our route home, and I see Annabelle cornering Sierra. Her little subordinates mindlessly laugh at her jokes made at Sierra's expense. I catch the end of one of her remarks, mocking her prey.

"And where did you get those ugly pants? The thrift shop?" she cackles in that nasally laugh that only irritates me more. Her friends are laughing while Sierra looks close to tears, melting against the sidewall of the school as if she wanted it to engulf her. I normally don't care about what mortals do to their own kind in these situations, but I feel anger bubbling up inside me now at the scene playing out in front of me. Maybe it has to do with the relentless flirting Annabelle tried to pull off with Alistair. Or perhaps it has to do with the fact that Sierra is the only mortal I have found to be remotely tolerable compared to the others who tried to engage us in conversation today, all of whom we ignored for the most part. All except Sierra, who complimented me endlessly and went along with all my preconceived ideas of her world.

While that was the more reasonable conclusion, I have no reasonable excuse for how my anger flares up when I see one of Annabelle's lackeys lunge forward and grasp Sierra's ponytail in her grasp before harshly pulling her down. I could intervene, but why should I? A mortal soul is a fragile thing, intervening could paint an unwanted target on my back by the cheer squad from hell. The idea alone of dying on Earth and my soul becoming one of the tormented is far from desirable.

My thoughts take the better of me and I don't notice my own feet move toward the situation. Whilst one of the girls still holds Sierra's ponytail, I stand behind Annabelle clearing my throat. She whips her blonde hair around to look at me.

"This doesn't concern you." She scoffs. "Unless you want to bow before us of your own free will." Bow? Bow ?

"Listen carefully, Malibu Barbie." I begin, taking a step closer toward the she-demon in half-inch heels. "Under no circumstance would you or any of your bleached bimbos ever make me bow to you. Your insignificance is beyond your comprehensible understanding and although you try your best to be the be-all and end-all of your little group, I pity you. Because at the end of the day you will go home and stare into the mirror wondering if you'll ever be good enough. But let me tell you what you should be thinking." I silently thank my father below for having the knowledge the Soul Crystals gave me about human society and the way they demean each other in the back of my mind, otherwise I would resort to insults from Hell that would not be as effective here. I smirk, taking another step closer to her. "You should be thinking, ‘what is Morgana doing standing behind me with a knife?'" The last part came out in a whisper and Annabelle's lips curl up - in disgust or fear I'm unsure. I don't flinch as I see her hand move upward. I want her to hit me, because then everything I do to her after that is self-defense, and no point in getting kicked from high school on the first day.

Anger insights me, as I didn't notice Alistair step forward towards the group. He clutches onto Annabelle's wrist, inches from my face.

"Alistair! She - it's just a bug, I swear." Lying filth. I might be the daughter of the Devil, but you'd never catch me lying without good reason. I see Alistair's eyes narrow at her from my peripheral vision.

"I'll take over from here then." His voice somewhat echoes his demonic one. Annabelle's back straightens as she turns away, avoiding further eye contact and gesturing for the group to follow her. Offering his hand to Sierra she willingly accepts it. I step back as she explodes in gratitude, hugging Alistair like he was a long-lost relative. He just stays frozen in her embrace, not really reciprocating the gesture.

"Thank you!" She says, "You have no idea, that would have gone really bad and I cannot go another grade wearing wig extensions and drawing on eyebrows." She snorts. Personally, I didn't find the comment even remotely funny.

"It's alright." Alistair responds. "Maybe you should stick with the crowd going home from now on."

"Good idea, and thank you for coming to help me too-" I hold up a hand to stop her, and her trap instantly shuts.

"I did not step forward to help you." I state. "I stepped forward because Alistair blatantly decided to intervene on something that had nothing to do with him. I've had the most disgusting day someone of my stature could have ever had. Under no circumstance should I even be here, now I have a mortal wanting to thank me for simply standing here? No. Do not thank me, especially when I would have done absolutely nothing to help you." Sierra doesn't appear phased by my words, instead she just smiles.

"Oh, I don't think that's true. You intervened because you knew it was the right thing to do, and you intervened first , and watching Annabelle cower like that was pretty funny." She attempts to step forward but I recoil backwards. The last thing I need is for her to touch me. I turn to walk away and Alistair begins to follow.

"You can go somewhere else for a while." I sneer. His face appears almost broken at my demand. "I had that situation handled. I wanted to break her nose but you had to intervene."

"I'm sorry, My Lady." He responds, bowing his head regardless of the fact that Sierra stood right behind him.

"I want to be on my own for a while. Don't follow me. I'll return later." By ‘return' he knows that I will find the portal back down on my own and be in my bedroom in an hour to two. Perhaps I'll wait a few more hours just to make him sweat.