The Tale of The Dragon and The Tiger

Chapter Seventeen: Tommy

Sparring with Rita was more difficult than grabbing water. She was fluid in her motions and beat the shit out of you when she got the chance. So I couldn't give her one. I had to learn how to keep all of my sides blocked at once, one of the difficulties of fighting a space witch. When she was done beating me with her staff, I would go into the woods, pick up trees and rocks and just throw them to get my anger out. Soon enough, her unpredictable nature became predictable. I was able to go a few minutes blocking her strikes and actually got one of mine to make a mark. Let's just say, she wasn't to happy with that. When we were finally done with these duels, it then came down to the most important part of the little quest she had assigned me. I was to return to school. I wasn't to excited, that was the one place my brother, the one who abandoned me would be. The rangers would also be in detention, which wasn't an improvement. But Rita said I could make things right, and that's what I planned in doing.
Grabbing my bag, I headed down the mountain I had called home for the past week and trudged to school. The morning light drenched the trees in orange light. It would have been beautiful if I wasn't stomping to my inevitable barrage of questions that could get me caught. I just needed to focus and get through the day.
When I got to school, I was an hour late and they were already in second period. Instead of signing into the main office, I just walked to class. I quietly walked into Spanish class and sat at my desk, flipped my hood up and laid my head down. I could tell Quinn was surprised to see me, since when I walked in his mouth fell open. We sat across from each other, so while I laid there, not wanting to do anything, he tried to get my attentions and learn Spanish at the same time. I looked at him from under the crook of my arm. His hand was raised to ask a question. Some how I knew it involved me.
Our Spanish teacher cleared her throat.
"Tommy?" She cooed, for the life of me I couldn't remember her name. "¿qué está mal?"
"No quiero hablar de ello." I replied, my Spanish a little off but it sent the message it was supposed to.
"Well at least it was in Spanish," she laughed. The class joined in filling the room with nervous laughter.
The bell rung and I headed out to my next period. This was English, the only one that Quinn could get away with talking to me in. I knew this period was going to be a long one.
"Where have you been?!" He punched my shoulder as I sat down.
"Out," I replied simply.
"Out doing what?!" He demanded as he sat beside me. I looked up to see Jason stopped dead in his tracks in the doorway. I smirked and waved at him, which seemed to make him even more mad.
"Why don't you let me sleep, that's one of the things I haven't gotten much of the passed couple days." I laid my head on my desk again. Like I said, long period.
"You didn't answer my question." He said, writing notes down.
"I know," I retorted.
"What's wrong Tommy?" He asked, concerned touching his voice.
"I'm tired, that's what's wrong." I almost laughed. "Why? What did you want to hear? That I'm working with that witch that almost destroyed the world? That I need you help to feel better? Well your mistaken."
"So, you're not with Rita?" He asked to emphasize a point.
"She was bitch slapped into orbit, of course I'm not. But you don't want to hear that, no you want to hear that I am, that just gives you more incentive to take me to your little group of misfits and 'help' me. I guess you'll just have to find someone else to help out." As the words came out of my mouth, I could feel Quinn slump back in his seat. "Now, I'm going to sleep, maybe for the rest of the day, so please don't bother again."