Chapter 2
School, for Jaina, was a series of events, most of them unfortunate ones. She could do advanced calculus in her head and remembered everything she read. (Which annoyed her since she couldn't remember her past.) The big problem was history, which she was constantly in danger of failing.
If she had her way, she would never ever go to school, but going to school was a rule of Raven House. So she went faithfully every day. She went and hated it with as much passion as she hated her lack of a past.
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Jaina shoved her math book in her locker and pulled out her sketchbook. Art was the best time of the day. She had just shut her locker when she heard a commotion. Frowning, she followed the sound down a hall and around a corner to one of the boys' bathrooms.
Outside the door, four jocks were pushing Clark back and forth while he begged them to stop and let him go. Jaina felt the fire rising in her, wanting to jump out and burn the ones hurting her friend. "Come on, little girl," one of the jocks growled. "Admit you were spying on us and we'll let you go."
"Excuse me?" All five boys turned, while Clark wide-eyed with blood dripping out of his nose. "Clark isn't a girl. If he was, I thought you guys were too macho to pick on a girl half your size, especially four on one. Of course, if you like beating up girls, why don't you try me on?"
"Mind your own business freak!" the leader snarled.
Jaina raised an eyebrow, "Wow, is THAT all you have? Okay. Well, at least my mom didn't have sex with a baboon! Oh, no, wait, a Baboon would be smarter than all four of you put together."
With a group cry of rage, Clark's attackers turned on Jaina. Later on, Clark would swear up and down she never moved. In less time than it took for him to process they were attacking Jaina, she had laid them all out flat.
"Where did you learn martial arts?" Clark couldn't keep the note of awe out of his voice. By his calculations, it had only been five minutes since she had interrupted the fight.
Jaina scowled down at the bullies, then turned and leveled a glare at Clark. For a moment, heat seemed to press him from all sides. It built up until he thought he was going to go up in a puff of smoke. Suddenly, the heat was gone, Jaina threw her hands up. "How the hell should I know?"
She was trying to sound angry, but instead it came out sounding sad. For a moment, she looked lost... more lost than Clark had ever seen her look. He wondered to himself if she had even known she knew martial arts five minutes ago. He watched her swipe angrily at her eyes and considered hugging her. She looked like she needed a hug.
The moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. They turned to see Doctor Tommy Oliver standing behind them. "That, Young Lady was an impressive display. Completely against the rules, but impressive nonetheless. Detention after school."
Jaina glared at the science teacher. "What about them beating up Clark? Or do they get off because they play football?"
"Well, no, but I'm going to leave their punishment up to him." Dr. O jerked his thumb at the man standing next to him. The football coach did not look happy as he stood glaring at his four players who were just getting to their feet.
"All of you, field after school! Since you all seem to have excess energy, you're going to run laps until you drop!"
"She nearly killed us!" one of the group protested.
"If I wanted to kill you, I'd have set you on fire," Jaina said sweetly. "Pyrokinesis, remember???"
Dr. Oliver looked pained, "Go to class."
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Jaina walked into detention to find that Dr. Oliver was in charge of it. She flung herself into a seat, pulled a sketch tablet out, and began to draw.
She heard the scraping of a chair as Dr. Oliver sat down next to her. "I wanted to ask if anything's bothering you."
"Bothering me?" She set her pencil down slowly, turned, and glared. "Whatever makes you think anything is bothering me?"
"Jaina look--"
"And even if there IS, you can't change it. You can't make me remember or find my home or family! So I would appreciate it if you and everyone else would just leave me the hell alone!"
Jaina turned back to the drawing of a girl reaching towards shadows of people walking away. She didn't notice Dr. Oliver watching her, and thinking hard.