The Elementals; Fire

Chapter 19

Even before my powers came into play, I always had a bit of an attitude and anger problem, one that the teachers at my school were fully aware of, meaning this didn't make it easier for me when I was pulled into the main office. Today was no exception.

"It's like i've told the last two teachers, she swung for Tamara first." I couldn't help the frustration that was in my voice, because it was the truth, like it was the many other times.

"You hit Miss Sinclair, not one, not even twice, but three times Layla! How can that be justified if you were protecting Tamara?" I sagged in defeat, she had me there.

"Look, I shouldn't have hit her once, let alone three times, but she was bullying one of my friends, assaulted them, and then was about to assault another! Are you saying I shouldn't have done anything?" My headteacher sighed, and uncrossed her arms.

"Layla, i'm not saying you shouldn't have done anything, what I'm saying is that you shouldn't have hit her, as hard as you did, as many times as you did."  She looked down at my file on her desk, and after about a minute, met my eyes.

"I'm not going to suspend you, on the account of what the circumstances were, and the things Miss Sinclair did as well. However, I will have to call your parents, and alert them if this happens again, you could face suspension, or even expulsion. Do you understand?" I sat up straight, a smile coming onto my face.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" I started to get up out my chair, when she stopped me.

"There's one more condition Layla" I froze, and started to sit back down, the smile no longer on my face.

"What is it?" I couldn't help but sound weary, I thought I'd got off, and now there's a new condition, just my luck. My head teacher just smiled though, and it wasn't a horrible smile, so I tried to ease up a little bit.

"The Anti Bullying season is coming up, and you have to be involved in it." I blinked at her, me? On Anti- bullying? Seriously?

"Miss, how does this even relate to what i've done? Won't it look contradictory as I've punched the bully in the face? Why would you want me on the team, when mostly everyone knows the way I deal with stopping bullying?"

She smiled wider, but this time a little more knowingly, and before she replied I was groaning, as i knew the answer.

"You want me to express to everyone how you shouldn't be hitting the bullies, don't you?" She nodded her head and let out the biggest wail of the year, so big it would put whales to shame.

"I know you'll do it excellently, Layla, I put all my trust in you." and without letting me argue why I didn't want to do this, she shooed me out the door and on to my next class.

So I guess when it was the end of the next school day, and I was forced to stay behind to attend my first session, you could say I still wasn't very happy. I had managed to drag Talia, Tamara and Sally into coming with me, so they could suffer with me. Except Sally was really interested, but I couldn't blame her, on the account that she was genuinely a victim. We had three school days together to get everything sorted, which I personally didn't think was enough time at all, and I made sure to let everyone know that by sitting in the corner by myself and doing the bare minimum. I wasn't being selfish, I just didn't agree with the way the school was forcing onto us how we shouldn't get physical, and how we should always tell an appropriate adult, but what they didn't understand is that teenagers are vicious, and if the victims did tell the teachers, the abuse would get worse, unless you know, you had someone to hit the bully.