Drop Dead.

Regan, the boy who I had fought, already left. He has been suspended for 3 days and now here I am, sitting before the principal with Mimi right beside me. Both are silent since they just had a screaming fest at each other. Mimi claimed that I had every right to kick his ass since he had hit me first but the principal seems to not enjoy the thought of violence very much.

Sighing, Mr. Papus, the principal, finally says, “Since this is your first day and I’m sure it’s hard being in a new place with new people I’ll let you off but just this once.”

“Oh, thank you so much Mr. Papus it won’t happen again,” Mimi sighs, looking at me with a stern expression. My stomach twists and I bite my tongue on accident from nerves. “Right, Jinx?”

I don’t reply, just nod.

Mimi and I exit the principal's office after he tells the secretary to call Laker down. Apparently he has to escort me to my classes for the rest of the day. I guess it makes sense. Obviously Mr. Papus doesn‘t want me to get into trouble so he makes me have a stalker.

Mimi smiles at the secretary before pulling me out into the empty hallway. My heart is pounding in my chest and I clench my eyes shut in fear for what’s about to come. I can already hear her screaming at me, telling me I’m worthless, useless, a waste of space and that she regrets taking in Gel and I. I wait patiently for her to tell me that we’re gone, we’re out of her home for good…

But it never comes.

“Jinx, are you ok?” Mimi asks, her small hands wrapping themselves around my own. The warmth radiating off her sends a shiver through my veins. I open my eyes and look at her curiously. She frowns. “Sweetie, did he hurt you?”

I shake my head.

“Thank goodness, I was so worried. Please don’t scare me like that! If you’re having trouble fitting in go to the guidance counselor or call me, ok?” I don’t think she realizes the blank expression on my face because she continues talking. “And fighting is no good, please don’t do it. I don’t want to ground you.”

“Ground…me?” That’s all she wants to do…ground me? Mimi stares at me oddly and finally realizes how stunned I seem to be. Before she can speak, I do. “You mean…you aren’t going to…get rid of us? You aren’t kicking me out?”

“What! No, why would you think that?” Mimi wraps her arms around me in a motherly hug. The way she cradles my head against her shoulder and kisses my temple makes my legs shake. My heart is hammering in my chest and I feel my cheeks darkening. There’s something tingling in my stomach. “Everyone has their days, Jinx. Just because you get into a fight doesn’t mean I’m going to get rid of you. You’re my son now. Don’t even think otherwise, ok?”

She pulls away and rests her hands on my cheeks so I’m forced to look her straight in the eye. Smiling, Mimi says, “You aren’t some type of object to us Jinx. We aren’t just going to throw you out. Understand?”

I nod because honestly, I don’t know what to say. Having a loving parent is foreign to me. My real parents didn’t even care about me or what I did or how I felt. All they cared about were themselves. I’ve been so use to that that now that I have parents like Mimi and Ken, it’s weird. It’s different. I like it.

“Good…now if you have any problems please just go find Laker and talk to him. I’m sure he’ll listen.” Mimi pecks my cheek. “See you after school.”

“Yeah,” I mumble, waving good-bye and watching her disappear down the hallway and out the front entrance.

It isn’t long afterwards that Laker appears at the office. I push myself away from the wall and groan at the smirk on his face.

“First day of school and you’re already a little misfit,” Laker teases, walking after me. “Didn’t see that coming.”

“Do you ever shut up?” I snap.

Laker jumps in front of me and I run into him. Growling, I go to pull away but he’s fast and manages to wrap an arm around my waist and one arm, pinning me against him. His other hand grabs my only free hand I went to hit him with.

I blame the shakiness in my legs and rapid beating of my heart on the fact that I hate physical contact. But as Laker leans in closer and my cheeks darken I know exactly why I’m shaking. I will never admit to it though. Never.

“I can make it happen, if you let me that is,” he says around a grin, continuing to lean in closer until his lips are just barely hovering over mine. Growling, I knee him where it counts and just like that he’s on the ground.

“Get that close to me again and next time I’ll rip it off!”

“Is that a promise baby?”

My lip twitches…I really do hate this kid.

~

“You dumb ass!” Gel kicks me in the shin and I shout. Hopping on one leg, I stare at the demon girl before me who I swear is surrounded by demonic aura. “The first day of school and you get into a fight! How could you?”

“You know…this is something I expected to hear from Mimi,” I mumble more to myself than Gel. She hits me over the head again anyways. Whining, I rub the area while she continues to yell at me from the back of Laker’s car.

Speaking of Laker, he’s laughing in the drivers seat, not caring that I’m about to be murdered.

“You have to make friends Jinx! It isn’t that hard!” Yes it is. “I made a bunch today. You can too. Promise me that tomorrow you won’t do anything stupid.”

I’m about to tell her that it’s impossible to promise that but as soon as I see her big watery eyes looking up at me…I cave. “Whatever…I promise.”

“Good!” She squeaks happily and goes about telling Laker and I about her day. As soon as she mentions a boy I snarl.

A boy? Oh hell no.