Tiny Tim

I couldn’t have given any less of a shit about his threat. I achieved what I wanted to and had the proof that I merely defended myself. That was a good day.

Chapter 2

I just walked out of the kitchen with my freshly microwaved burrito, when I heard the front door open. It had been three hours since I was suspended, and it was time for Logan and Ava to arrive home. The entire afternoon I was unable to take my mind off the fight, but especially the confrontation with the principal that followed. What I told him was absolutely true. I really did ask the school staff for help, especially when the thefts started, but they never even did so much as hang Anti-Bullying posters in the hallways. The fact I now even had to threaten them with a lawyer after I was forced to defend myself, had kept me angry the entire time. So, when Logan and Ava stepped out of the hallway and into the living room, my mood was already pretty dark, and Ava must have noticed. She stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing me. Logan, however, came right at me.

“Great work, asshole! You proud...”

That was as far as he came before I threw my plate against the wall ten feet next to him, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Ava let out a shrill shriek and made a quick beeline to the stairs. Logan looked surprised about my outburst. He didn’t seem to have expected me to do anything but cower before him. But then again, his buddies didn’t expect me to hit back either. He had four inches in height on me, but I still got right in his face, causing him to slowly walk backwards, as I launched my tirade at him.

“Shut the fuck up, Golden Boy. I’ve fucking had it. Your friends have been beating on me for MONTHS! And you stood right next to them and WATCHED with a SMILE! I’m fucking done taking your shit! You’ve seen it today. You know what I’m capable of now. So go ahead and piss me off, motherfucker!” That last word I basically spat at him with all the loathing I could express, hinting at what I knew. “See how it works out for you.”

He visibly paled and took a few quick steps back from me. This was obviously not what he thought was going to happen. I wasn’t just seething, I was actually hoping he would try something so I could rip him apart. My fists were balled, my nails digging painfully into my palms, and my body was literally shaking in anger. The amount of pure hate that suddenly exploded inside me scared even myself. But he was there in the school’s hallway. He saw the violence. He knew what could happen if he pushed me over the edge again.

To my great pleasure, he turned and walked away without saying another word. My eyes followed him until Ava entered my field of vision, who was still standing at the bottom of the stairs. I was equally pleased to see the fright on her face before Logan reached her, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her up the stairs. When they were out of sight, I went back to the kitchen to get something to clean up my mess, and moaned about the loss of my afternoon snack.

About two hours later, I heard a knock on my door. When I opened it, I found myself face to face with Ava. By now I had calmed down significantly and just stared at her with a bored expression. She looked at me, opened her mouth to say something, but then seemed like she was taken aback. Her mouth slowly closing again, her eyes started wandering around my room, and a look I couldn’t place crept onto her face. Like she was irritated. Or nervous. Or, maybe, almost like she was concerned. I looked around myself but couldn’t see anything unsettling. Wasn’t much left, to be honest. Over the past year, my room had lost most of its personal touch.

I had my wardrobe, desk with chair, and twin-sized bed. I guess, since they never planned on sharing my bed with me, there was no need to get me a bigger one, like they did for their other children. Other than that, there were only my fridge and two shelf boards with my fantasy novels left.

The pictures that previously stood in those shelves had moved into a drawer, when the friends they showed distanced themselves from me. The posters and small rubbish went to the trash, when I lost interest in most of my hobbies. Now, the most prominent item in the room was my desk, which held my computer and all of my paperwork, like the invoices I wrote and the tax-crap I couldn’t figure out. It looked more like an office that someone had put a guest bed in. So, not seeing what Ava’s problem could be, I looked back at her and waited for her to gather her thoughts.

“What?” I asked impatiently, when she still couldn’t get a hold of herself after a minute.

“I was just ... I’m...” she stuttered but stopped again.

“ ... a bitch. I know, Princess. But do me a favor and stop wasting my time. Some people have stuff to do that doesn’t involve you.”