"Fire Wind (chapter Four) REMAKE.htm" by Natalie Beth Myers

Nick looked around. The hallway was rather empty except for a few girls at the end near the boys’ shower room. All of them were giggling uncontrollably. He sighed, opening his locker slowly. The strange presence hadn’t come back in two days, and Nick began to question whether it really was someone or just his imagination like Daisy had said. I have been known to imagine stuff like this… he thought, but never stuff of this magnitude. I couldn’t have made it up…

The locker beside his suddenly opened. Nick’s eyes drifted, and he bit his tongue. Brianna gave him a small friendly smile before returning to her schoolbooks. Nick tried to look like he was interested in his math book, but his eyes went back to her. Brianna, a senior, was one of the smartest people in the school. And the most beautiful. Golden hair, sparkling blue eyes, a perfect figure, and an intelligent mind to complete the set. But…being two grades behind her and the fact that she already had a boyfriend and the fact that he was a dork were his only problems.

Brianna closed her locker, locked it back up again, and then left. Nick watched her leave, disappointed. Someone suddenly grabbed him by the back of the shirt, lifted him off the ground by a foot, and felt a fist slam into his gut. There was same laughter, and Mark’s voice came into his head, “Hey, Mitchells. How’s life?”

Another fist got him in the stomach, and the air exploded violently out of him. More laughter. Nick was gasping for breath. This was definitely not his day. Mark put him back down on the ground before his fist slammed into his eye. His head shot back to hit the locker with a loud bang. The world flickered off and on really fast for Nick, his knees beginning to give way. Another boy opened Nick’s locker wider as Mark shoved him in violently, smirking. Nick smashed into the back of his locker and his knees finally decided they were done for. He collapsed inside and everything went dark as Mark closed the door.

Roars of laughter were heard outside, and then slowly died as they walked away, leaving him there. Nick rested his face on the cool metal, his head spinning. His eyes drooped closed as he tried to fight to stay awake, but he failed miserably. Darkness soon took him, and he fell into oblivion.

* * *

“The kid is pathetic.”

“Eyin…”

“You saw him, Rendin!” Eyin exclaimed, “That kid can’t fight for his life. He didn’t even try to stop ‘em.”

Rendin gave the smaller changeling a side glance, “There were seven other boys. What did you expect him to do?”

“Struggling could have been nice.”

“It might have gotten him a worse situation.”

Eyin shrugged, “Whatever.” He groaned, “Okay, Ren. Tell me again why we are using binoculars and not magic? Can ya tell me that?”

“I’ve told you three times! What, do you think the answer will change?”

“No, but I’m hoping for a better one.”

Rendin ran a hand through his red hair, “Okay, Eyin! It’s not going to change! Got it?” The other changeling nodded. “Good. Now, we aren’t using magic because it could attract too much attention.”

Eyin rolled his eyes, “Like the humans would notice. They don’t notice anything until it punches them square in the face with iron knuckles.”

Rendin went back to looking through the binoculars as he said, “Whatever. Just shut up and watch.”

He groaned, “I hate watchin’ this kid. He’s so stupid.”

“He’s actually one of the smartest kids in his class.”

“He has no common sense!”

The changeling sighed, “Eyin…”

“Shutting up.”

* * *

Nick awoke to someone knocking on his locker door, “Um…Nick? Are ya in there?”

“Day?” he asked groggily, “Is that you?”

“Of course it’s me. Why haven’t you gotten out yet?”

He paused, “Uh, I fell asleep.”

Daisy gave a loud gasp and she exclaimed, “You fell unconscious?! Oh, Nick.”

How does she know these things? he thought, smiling to himself, She can read me like a book without even lookin’ at me.

She asked absently, “Your combination is 10-24-4, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Ack!” she yelled.

“What? What is it?”

He heard her sigh sadly, “I broke a nail.”

A moment later, light was streaming in, blinding him. He felt Daisy’s hands pass along his hair, “You’re bleeding!”

“I am?” he asked, his head beginning to spin again.

“Actually, no. It’s dried now.”

Nick gave a sigh of relief, “Good.”

Daisy grabbed his arm saying, “Okay, come on,” and helped him to his feet. He mainly collapsed. Daisy caught him with a laugh, “Did you drink too much booze or somethin’?”

He gave a dry laugh, “Ha ha, very funny.”

Daisy looked at the back of his head again, “Come on. We should get this cleaned up.”

She led him down an empty hallway towards the bathrooms. “W-Where is everyone, Day?” he asked, still dizzy.

“It’s past five,” she replied, “No one else is here but us. And Principal Chales, of course. Since I couldn’t find you, he let me stay around to look for you. He didn’t send for help because he thought you had already gone home.”

Mom must be worried…

“Your mom was really worried,” Daisy said as if reading his mind, “I told her you’d be all right, but she didn’t believe me.”

“Where are we going?”

“The girls bathroom.”

“What?!”
“Hey,” she said, a little defensively, “I have to clean your head off, remember? And I don’t wanna do it in the boys bathroom. Besides, no one is here but us.”

Nick wasn’t in the mood for struggling, so he didn’t. Daisy led him into the girls bathroom hesitantly, and then sat him on the counter. “Okay,” she said, “Put your head in between your legs to get some more blood in that thick head.”

He did as she ordered, bending over until his head was in between his legs. It was an uncomfortable position. A wet rag touched the back of his neck suddenly, and Nick jumped a little. “Ugh, that stupid Mark!” Daisy growled, “What a jerk! You should totally get him back.”

“How?” Nick asked, “I don’t think I’ll even come to the kid’s elbow, and your tellin’ me to get him back?!”

There was a pause, “Ya never know…”

“Day!”

“What? I’m trying to make ya into a guy, and fighting is what guys do. So…”

He rolled his eyes, “Fine. Do what you want to me.”

The bathroom door burst open, and Mrs. Williams walked in. Nick felt like his cheeks had lit on fire as he blushed. Daisy licked her lips as she said, “H-Hello, M-Mrs. Williams. Is something wrong?”

“Are you all right, Nick?” the teacher asked, walking quickly over to him.

“Y-Yeah,” he mumbled, “I’m fine. Just some slight bruising.”

“Slight bruising,” Daisy snorted, “Yeah, my foot, slight bruising.”

Nick glared up at her from his position in between his legs. She shrugged her shoulders playfully and continued to press rags onto his head. “Has your mother been notified?” Mrs. Williams asked.

He shook his head, “I don’t know. Ask her.”

Daisy nodded, “Yeah, I called her.” She looked back down at her friend. “Okay, Nick. Your head is clean. We should get ya back home.”

He got down from the counter slowly, not wanting to get a head rush. The two left the girls bathroom with Nick saying, “I’ll see ya tomorrow, Mrs. Williams.”

“Be careful, you two,” she said, watching them leave.

As soon as she made sure no one was around, she growled angrily, “You two did a bang up job!”

“Hey!” Eyin walked out of the shadows, pointing a finger at her, “You told us to watch him.”

“And keep him safe.”

“By demons, not humans.”

“Eyin! Shut up!”

“Shutting up.”

Mrs. Williams looked at Rendin, “I would have thought that you, of all people, would come to help him. Why didn’t you?”

Rendin held up his hands, “What were we supposed to do? Barge in here and take the kids out? That would’ve gone over well.”

“Rendin!”

“Shutting up.”

Eyin glared at him, and he returned it with a grin. Mrs. Williams groaned, “I’m surrounded by idiots.”

“Good for you,” Eyin cocked an eyebrow, “I wonder who they are, Rendin.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Have we met them?” the smaller changeling continued, “Is he taller than me?”

“Out! Go back to watching him!” she growled, and then changelings left immediately. She groaned, and then vanished as well.