It was at fourth period that the sun outside was blocked by grey, luscious clouds. The rain started to pour down and Cali Hall could hear it spattering on the window of their classroom. She stared outside. The storm made her calm. The sound of raindrops soothed her feelings. It made her feel… safe. Their Science teacher, Mr. Wilkinson, was babbling something about combustion. Great. Her least favorite word. Just lecture her about anything, just not stuff about fire, heat, or burning. It made her feel unsettling. She tried to listen. Instead, she looked out of the window and tried to think of something else. Her family. Her life. Her dreams. Her… classmates. Not friends. She was the outcast. Seems cliché, but she got used to being the outsider. She looked at the wall clock. Five minutes ‘til lunch.
Being the strange one never bothered her. She ignored the words they threw at her. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to defend herself. It was that she was afraid that something might trigger something inside of her. Something deadly.
The bell rang for lunch and the students squeezed out of the room to the cafeteria. Cali plugged in her earphones and blocked the outside world once again. She strode past the halls to the lunch hall, her lunch with her. She never usually bought anything from the cafeteria. They only ever offered the same lunch: sandwiches, fries, and chips. Nothing much. She sat in her usual place—at the farthest table from civilized geeks and jerks. She ate her way to peace and loneliness, her earphones still plugged to her ears.
They often left her alone. Ever since Cali had entered the premises of this school, no one seemed to be interested in being friends with her. She never cared. It was not friends that she has earned. It was enemies. She earned enemies, even though she did nothing to deserve such hateful persons. Sometimes, Heidi Kloss and her bunch would go to Cali’s table and annoy her. They would play with her hair, mess with her things, or say dirty stuff to or about her. Now, Heidi Kloss is walking straight to Cali’s table wearing a crown that didn’t suit her—alone. She sat across Cali and gave her a cold look. “What do you want?” Cali asked.
“You devil. What did you do to my friends? What did you do?” Heidi hissed. Her friends were reportedly unconscious for days now because of an unknown reason.
“What are you saying?”
“Did you poison them or what?”
“Listen, I didn’t do anything to anyone. If would ever want to do anything, I would have started with you,” Cali said with a vengeful look.
“No. You’re the reason why they’re all unconscious. I know you were hurt about what we did to you last week,” Heidi spat back. All memories from last week came back to Cali. She was walking home when Heidi’s bunch cornered her and took some of her stuff. She tried to fight, but she didn’t want to kill them off. She knew if she did something, she would be triggered.
Heidi stood up on the table and shouted, “Listen, everyone! I need your attention! This little witch right here, Cali Hall, is the reason why some of us are lying in a hospital bed right now. She poisoned them! She wanted to have her filthy revenge!”
People were shocked. All eyes were on Cali. She could hear their murmurs now. She could hear accusations and criticisms. Heidi went down from the table and wrapped her hands tightly around Cali’s neck. “You dirty scumbag. Where the hell did you come from? Ever since you came here, you’ve ruined my days.”
Cali stifled a laugh despite Heidi’s tightening hands around her neck. “If you could even comprehend where I’ve come from, you would be terrified of me.”
“Ooh, feisty little mouse. Try me.”
That’s it. Cali started to feel the heat coming from inside her. Her eyes seemed to glow. Heidi let her go, feeling the heat coming off from Cali’s skin. Fire danced on Cali’s fingers. She’s been triggered. She started to lose herself. Students backed off from her, some of them running towards the door. Some even got the courage to take footage of the girl on fire. Cali started to shoot off fire from her fingers. She’s never felt so… light. It was the first time she’s ever lost herself, and probably the last. She realized what she has done and ran away. She could hear sirens now, coming towards the school. She went home and hid herself. She faced herself at the mirror. She cried until there were no more tears. She hated herself for being the monster that she is.