Fragments

Late

Prompt:
Write a piece about a late assignment.

Answer:
"Tony," the teacher said without turning around from the white board.

He froze mid step on his way to his desk. He was so close. The girl in the desk next to him giggled.

"Yes Mrs. Gardner?" He squeaked out as he pivoted to face the teacher.

Mrs. Gardner looked like she had just swallowed a mouth full of lemon juice. Her stick thin arms were crossed over her chest. And that ugly broach she always wore made the front of her sweater droop under its weight.

"You're late," her eyes narrowed.

Tony feigned shock, "W-what?" He glanced up at the clock, "I am so sorry, I must have lost track of time."

"Yea right," one of the kids in back muttered a little loudly. A few laughs joined in.

"I am sure," Mrs. Gardener said, "well I assume you have the homework I assigned last night.

Tony's eyes widened slightly.

Last night?

The images of the night Before stained his mind. The darkness of the forest around him. The howls of the wolves behind him as he ran. The dry leaves crunching under foot. His breathing loud in his ears. The cool night air stung the bleeding wounds on his chest.
He had spotted a cleft in some rocks and dove for it. Tony cried out as his hips snagged the edge of the cleft. Pain ran through him as he clawed at the ground to get inside the safety of it. The  storming footsteps of the wolves drew closer. His heart was pounding. He had to get in there.
Tony screamed as his sides scraped the rock so he could enter sideways.
he finally tumbled in, just before the wolves came into view.

Mrs. Gardener cleared her throat and brought him back out of the fog. He rubbed his eye with his empty hand.

"Homework...last night?" Tony wet his lips. The black and blue bruises on his hips burned from the memory.

The teacher looked less than pleased. She picked up the homework tray and offered it to him.

He laughed, "that's a nice sweater Mrs. Gardener, is it new?"

There were a few more laughs from the students behind him.

"Where is your homework, Tony?" She asked.

"I wasn't able to complete it,"

"You weren't able to?!" She almost yelled. Tony swallowed. Her hands were on her hips as she glowered at him. "Well then I have to hear this excuse."

Tony remembered the wolves gnashing their teeth, barking as they took turns sticking their heads through the cleft of the rock to get at him. His bare back was pressed against the other rocks as he got as far away from them as he could. His own hot blood rolling down the front of his chest.

"What if it told you I had been running for my life?" He said.

The teacher barked a laugh, "then I would give you a pass."

"Well I was," Tony said indignantly.

A few other students laughed. She only rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Get out of here, Tony," the Teacher said with a dismissive hand, "I believe you know the way to the principle's office?"

Tony clenched his teeth. Part of him wanted to lift his shirt and reveal the claw marks in his chest and the bruises all over him, but he knew better with mortals.

So instead he stomped out of the class room and into a different animal's den.