The Inceptive Flame⎪✓

❨20❩

♀︎

"Ms. Moore! Are you even listening?" Mr. Tristy screeches unnecessarily through the quiet class, you would think a grown man wouldn't be able to screech like that, but once again my teacher proves that theory wrong. It's Wednesday and the entire week has been a complete blur, I've been here physically, but my mind is constantly with my dad. I can't focus on school or friends right now. 

"No," I say in a monotone voice. His reddened face makes his grey hair even more prominent, the anger so visible on his wrinkly features. It doesn't make any sense why he despises me so much, I never retaliated and he kept up the hateful charade anyway. Now, I simply don't care. 

Elijah's green eyes catch mine, his confused glance annoys me for some reason and I don't take the bait. My focus isn't on anything romantic. Dani is sitting two rows away from me, she glares at me in a clear warning. I haven't even talked to her all week, she tried communicating Monday but quickly realized my jumbled mind is elsewhere. Relly yelled at me for skipping cheer practice, but I don't think to cheer happily when my dad is dying is quite appropriate. 

"I won't tolerate this disruptive behavior, Dakota," He spits, "You need some respect for your authorities."

Meeting his angry eyes, "Listen, I don't have a problem with anyone, except for you. I respect my authorities when they show respect to me, you can't just act like a fucking jerk and require me to nod and obey at every damn order. Respecting your authorities is a shitty excuse for teachers to act like douchebags and I'm not condoning that."

If I thought his head was red before, he just upped the game. Honestly, he could disguise a tomato and no one would even know. "What is that foul language? I don't know what has gotten into you, but I don't want that ratty attitude in my class. Now, will you leave?"

Roughly throwing my bag across my shoulder, I place a hand on the table and lean in with a sinister smirk on my face, "Thought you'd never ask."

Barging out of the room, the burn of fresh tears behind my eyes warns me of the upcoming storm. I hate being angry like this, it's not me but for some reason, there is hatred in the depths of my mind. It emerges when people piss me off and I don't catch my own words before they leave my mouth. It occurs with my friends, my family, my teachers, simply everyone. 

"Freckles, fancy seeing you out here, too," A slimy voice beckons from next to me, I don't take the bribe and leave Caspar standing alone by my locker. His face is probably satisfied with seeing me out here and it's difficult to control myself as it is. 

His heavy footsteps follow me down the hall and he tuts in dismay, "You don't have to run away from me, sugar. We can figure out an agreement that will satisfy both of us, I'm sure of it."

1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 6..-

He abruptly appears in front of me, making me slam into his body and blocks me from escaping. His face is sporting a disturbing grin and I somehow know what's coming, "You aren't very talkative today, did you finally realize how you can't possibly stay away from me?"

My fingers twitch by the tone of his voice, everything comes crashing down. His face is the last fucking thing I want right now, I'm on the verge of an outrage breakdown as it is, "Caspar, leave me alone."

His grin is still as apparent and taunting as ever and I loathe how he never takes me seriously, "Finally, got some words out of you. Are you free Friday by any chance? I know how badly you want to be with me, I'm giving you an easy shot. After all, we all know how easy you are."

Closing my eyes for a second I try to reason with myself, but it does absolutely nothing to calm me and my rage down. My fingers twitch with the fury blasting through my entire body at the moment, my cheeks burn up under the pressure of calming myself down. He's being the biggest dick and calling me easy is never a good idea. Opening my eyes I meet his straight on, "I can't believe how humiliatingly pathetic you are, Caspar. Begging me for sexual advances and calling me easy? It's hilarious how people who know me the least, have the fucking most to say."

"I know you, baby," He tries to sound suggestive and I have to keep myself from gagging, "You have had a crush on me all through high school, don't even try to deny it."

"I can't argue with this level of stupidity, it's literally unmanageable."

"I'm not the stupid one here, who got their pretty little boyfriend to beat me up at the party, huh? He's not who you think he is," Caspar splutters and treads dangerously close to me. 

"I don't have boyfriend," I simply declare and harshly shove at his chest, the blow from my actions making him stumble a bit. "Now leave me the fuck alone."

Marching away from him I try to brush off his comments, the pure anger is boiling under my skin, and rationalizing with myself is damn near useless. He's not worth m-

"So Daddy being sick clearly has your panties in a twist then?"

I halt in my step instantly, turning around slowly I glower at him with all the venom swarming my body, "What the fuck did you just say to me?"

He raises his eyebrow in a provocation, "You heard me, you're butthurt because of Daddy's little condition."

My mind shuts off completely as I take swift steps towards him. By the last two steps I raise my fist in the air and punch him right in the face, he drops into the lockers by my force and the crack I hear is definitely not from my fingers. His hand is clutching his nose as his eyes water, glancing at his hand I see blood traveling down his fingers. 

"You fucking punched me," He states in absolute shock and terror. 

"A broken nose should fucking teach you to keep it out of businesses where it's not welcome, now go whine to the principal about a girl punching you! I don't care anymore! You've been a dick for a little too long now, and I'm not sitting around allowing how you treat me!" I roar at his pathetic form on the ground, snooping students are packing up the hallway now, looking at me in confusion. 

I locate Relly and Dani in the crowd, their wide eyes offend me and it makes me rethink my actions. I don't want to question it. He's not authorized to comment on my dad, never will I accept anyone speaking poorly about the man that I love. 

Barging away from them in wrath Elijah is standing by the door, but I don't bother enough to look at his expression. He's presumably as disappointed in me as my friends are, and the last thing I need is to see how I have displeased him as well.