"Freak."

"Weirdo."

"Retard."

I walked down the halls of my high school with my head down, hugging my bag close to my body. I never dared look up, even when I heard them whispering rude things behind my back. I never said anything either. I just kept my head down, like always, and tried to ignore all the hurtful names that they'd come up with, just for me.

It's almost flattering, really. You know, knowing they spent minutes--or even hours--trying to come up with something less common. They've been doing this for years now, and it's become some sort of game that they can play anytime. I used to hope I would get the chance to be friends with the new students, too, but yeah... They went along with the name game. Very disappointing. Surprising? Not really.

The bell rang, and people started moving around, harshly may I add, much to my dismay.

People shouldered past me, mostly jocks, making me stagger backwards. Thankfully, all my things were in my bag so I didn't have to pick anything up. Cursing under my breath, I looked back at the rude people, glaring at their backs. They stopped walking, turned around and smirked at me. The blonde guy in the middle made a sad face and shrugged, as if saying 'too bad'. I looked back down and stayed there.

More people intentionally bumped shoulders with me but I paid them no mind. I looked at the shoelaces of my converse shoes and continued to stare at it despite hearing the harsh comments people threw at me.

It was something you eventually get used to, after going through it for most of your life.

"Oi, you dumb piece of shit, where's my homework?"

I jumped at the familiar deep, throaty growl that I had grown accustomed to these last two years. Biting my lip, I adjusted my glasses and pulled a folder out of my bag with shaky hands.

"Here." I was going to extend my arm to give it to him but he snatched it from me instead. Well... I guess that's one way to take it, too.

He scanned the pages before grinning and tossing me some dollar bills.

"Good job, retard. You know, you're really smart, but still unbelievably idiotic."

He laughed and the other kids laughed with him. I tilted my head. I wonder if they've realized that the bell already rang, and that the insult didn't even make any sense. As expected from a useless "bad boy" who does nothing but fuck every girl he sees and pay people to keep him in the pilot section. Oh, um... Well, there wasn't even much to expect. Really.

"Hey, you little fuckers!" A familiar woman screamed, greatly alarming the bullies. "What do you think you're doing here, you stupid sons of a bitch! You all are fucking late for class! Hurry up or I will shove this fucking stick up your conceited assholes!"

The boys gulped, before turning around and taking off to somewhere. Whether they were going to their classrooms or the building's emergency staircase to smoke weed, I didn't know, nor did I care.

"Oi, girlie, what the hell are you still doing here? The offer still stands, you know?" The lady scowled, waving her stick as if attempting to intimidate me.

I simply smiled, and bowed. "Thank you for saving me."

Her eyes widened in shock.

"B-But I wasn't--"

"I know." I grinned. "But you still saved me, be it intentionally or not."

"You..."

"Well, I'm already late for class. I better not be wasting any more time now," I said, glancing at my wristwatch. "See you around, Ms. Valor."

~*~

School was boring.

The things the professors were teaching us was easy as hell. Well, for me, at least. My other classmates were probably suffering internal brain damage from all the 'complicated' and 'unreasonable' shit they were talking about, except a certain nerdy classmate who always aces her exams. Me, though? I honestly didn't care.

You see, I was born with some mad-scientist-who-plans-world-domination-like intelligence. Except I wasn't really into the world domination part. Mad... hm... a little, maybe. It most likely has something to do with my mother actually being a genius. Other people call her the unparalleled genius of her generation, but I don't really care. She's still irritating.

So yeah, whenever I actually have free time, and I'm not being beaten or taken advantage of or anything, I read things. I also have photographic memory so...

Maybe my brain is a little bit over-the-top. But you know, my body is... for a lack of a better word, pathetic. I'm all bones and no muscle. I don't really care, either. Not like I'm gonna have any use for that.

Yes. I am physically and verbally abused by people. But muscles and self-defense didn't matter to me. After all, the damage has already been done. And no awesome karate move could bring me back to who I used to be.

~*~

I couldn't be happier when the bell--finally--rang.

Standing up quickly as if my chair was on fire, I gathered my possessions and ran out of the room.

I wasn't even ten steps away from the door when someone in the halls decided to trip me. Instead of jumping over it like most people would, I slowed myself down and let the other person indulge in his or her own satisfaction and delight. I crashed to the ground, using both of my hands to cushion my fall. Laughter echoed in the halls but I paid them no mind, standing up and patting my jeans wordlessly.

"Watch where you're going, freak."

I turned around and saw Hailey, one of my bullies. She had wavy brown hair, the tips reaching her waist, and bright blue eyes that glimmered in amusement. She wore the school's baseball team's uniform, and I had to say that it did fit her perfectly. The girl was good-looking, yeah, too bad she wasn't as pleasant on the inside as she was on the outside. I wouldn't go as far as saying she was the devil incarnate, but she was a bitch.

Well, everyone is mean to me, so I guess it's nothing to be surprised about.

I simply nodded at her clichè statement and turned back around, continuing my 'journey' towards the gate of the school.

It was a miracle no one followed me outside. They usually stalk me and drag me inside some dark alley before beating me up. I didn't really care much. It still hurts, and there's the constant bitterness and resentment, but I was used to it.

I was relieved.

For a few minutes, at least.

"Hey, girl."

I didn't reply.

"Bitch! I'm talking to you!" The guy grabbed my arm, and I almost punched him right there and then.

I stopped walking. I tried to calm myself down by taking in a deep breath. Once I was confident that I wasn't going to do or say something stupid, I turned around.

"U-Um... sir? What do you need?"

Time to put my acting skills to use.

The guy looked me up and down, before licking his lips. Uh-huh. I know that look. This isn't good. "Mind spending the night at my house?"

I decided to play the fool as I stalled, my eyes darting everywhere but his face, trying to find a way out of this unfortunate predicament. "W-What do you mean, sir?"

"I thought Asian people were supposed to be smart," he grunted. I'm not Asian, though? I just happen to have chinky eyes and I'm wearing black contact lenses to cover up my heterochromatic eyes. My left eye was a darker shade of blue, and my right eye was red, kind of like blood. Freaky, I know.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"..."

"Well," he clicked his tongue. "I'm gonna get straight to the point and ask you: want to... to hook up tonight? It'll be fun."

I had the urge to facepalm. I was pretty sure my face was screaming 'no'. I could smell the stench of alcohol in his breath, too, so I guess the stupidity is because of him being drunk.

"No..." I pulled my arm. "Now, sir, will you please let go of me? I have to get home early." Well, shit. Daddy dearest might kill me this time.

His grin turned into a frown. Ooh. I think he got offended. Fuck.

I felt his grip tighten, and I flinched at the pain. Whoa, someone has anger issues.

"What did you say?"

...This is so stupid it's actually starting to piss me off.

"I said no. No. Is that too hard for you to understand?"

His face contorted into a frown, making him look even more hideous than he already was.

"You little bitch," he hissed. "You're coming with me whether you like it or not!"

Heating this, I started struggling. I pulled my arm back with every (useless) bit of my strength, to no avail. The guy was too strong.

He chuckled, and I started to panic. Shit, I had to get away from him. I just know, I know he's either going to rape me, kill me, or both.

"You're not getting away from me, sweetheart," he grinned victoriously.

I stepped back, forcefully pulling my arm, and he pushed his left foot forwards to balance his weight, leaving the the spot between his legs wide open. Seeing an opportunity, I kicked his--you know--as hard as I could. He immediately let go of my arm, doubled over and yelled curses.

I took advantage of the moment and sprinted away from him. I ran as fast as I could. I didn't stop even when I was already having a hard time breathing, and only skidded to a stop when I thought I was already safe.

I rested my hands on my knees, heaving and wheezing. I put my hand on my chest, clutching my shirt. Ugh. My heart and lungs hurt. I never want to do this again.

Once I was able to breathe properly, I stood up, and sighed.

"Not so fast, girlie."

...Fuck.

The soft feeling of cloth over my nose and mouth was the last thing I felt before everything went black.

~*~

My eyes are burning.

My body feels heavy... I can't move at all.

My brain was hazy... and I can't remember what happened. Everything was jumbled. I felt so helpless, and I wanted to bash my skull against the wall.

I opened my eyes.

It was... dark. From the silence in the room I'm guessing no one's here with me. I was somewhat comforted by that fact.

I tried to move my limbs that were only starting to recover from... I don't know, numbness?

...He drugged me.

The spot between my legs felt weird. It... It hurts.

...Guess he took his revenge.

I sat up slowly, wincing at the pain. For some reason my body felt like it was on fire, too. I stood up, wrapping the blanket around my naked self, touching the wall and flipping the switch on once I found it.

I squinted at the sudden brightness, cursing. Oh yeah. I still haven't removed my contacts. That was probably why my eyes hurt. I looked down, and that was when I saw it.

There were multiple lacerations on my body.

...I guess he was that angry.

I didn't know why I didn't feel anything. I know I should feel violated, angry, sad, regretful or something... but I wasn't. I wasn't any of that at all. It's like... I don't know. Maybe I'm in shock?

I stared at the wounds for a few seconds before looking around.

The room was... dirty. There were posters of naked girls on the walls, empty bottles of beer scattered around, there was garbage everywhere. It looked like an abandoned place to be honest. The light was kind of dim, and the light switch had black smudges instead of the usual clean white ones. There were also scratches everywhere. The walls, the ground, the furniture... Damn, he probably had a loose screw in his brain. Not that I had the right to say anything...

I saw a wardrobe, and sighed in relief. I walked over to it, careful not to step on the shards of glass on the floor.

I opened the wardrobe. There were a few shirts, and three pairs of jeans. They smelled... gross. Well, at least I wouldn't have to walk home naked.

I put on some clothes, before getting out of the room. Oh. So this was an apartment. Should've known he didn't have much.

The air outside was cold. I clutched the fabric of the smelly hoodie and started walking. I got a few weird stares here and there as I walked the streets. I guess I should be thankful that I knew where I was going. This place was near my house. What can I say, we lived in the bad part of the city.

As I walked, the drug-induced haze I was in started disappearing, and I started remembering things. I... I think I would have preferred it if I hadn't remembered anything at all.

I don't know what drug he made me take, but after I fainted, he forced me to drink water once I woke up. Then everything started to get blurry. I saw him doing things, but I couldn't feel it. It was like I was just watching from somewhere inside my head. I heard him say things, too. I tried not to think much about the things coming out of his mouth. They made me feel even more... tainted.

I felt something warm dripping on my hand.

I reached towards my eyes.

I was crying.

Oh... Well, this is new.

I sniffled, rubbing my eyes. I didn't care if the contacts scratched them. I didn't care if it burned. I didn't care if it hurt.

In fact, I didn't give a fuck anymore.

I guess I reached my limit.

~*~

Linda was on her way home.

It was dark, but the streetlights made everything bright. It was still scary, though. The fact that there were a lot of people walking around comforted her a little, but she still felt a bit anxious. She wasn't good with darkness.

She ran a hand through her blonde hair as she waited for the green light, sighing.

School had been a pain in the ass today again. Her students were wild and cruel. Even though she's supposed to be on her school's side, she couldn't help but think that the students of their rival school was better than the narrow-minded kids in theirs.

She briefly remembered the face of one of the few students that had interested her.

Her name was Yuri. Everyone knew her as Yuri. She didn't think it was her full name, but that was what everyone called her, along with 'weirdo', 'freak', 'loser', 'retard', and 'nerd'.

Yuri had strange, dark blue hair that reached her elbows. It looked completely natural. She always wore thick glasses that she had a habit of adjusting every now and then. She had always worn oversized hoodies, long-sleeves, sweatshirts, along with jeans and sweatpants. Linda had found it odd how the girl had stuck with her style even during the summer. Then again, maybe there was a reason.

That was the thing. Yuri was... well, a complete mystery. She had black eyes that rarely ever made contact with anyone, and Linda could remember only three or four times she heard her speak. Even during recitation. You could call her name a hundred times, threaten her to speak, but she'd still stay quiet. The girl completely aced every quiz and test, though, so the teachers let it go.

Linda's mind went back to the scene earlier. Yuri had grinned, and thanked her for something she didn't even intend to do. She had mentioned something about being 'saved', and Linda assumed it was because she was being bullied. Again.

The thought made her angry.

"Those little pieces of shit deserve a hundred beatdowns," she mumbled under her breath.

Her train of thoughts stopped when she heard a rather loud voice yelling, "Oi! Someone stop that girl!"

There was a loud screech, a bang, then people started screaming.

"Call 911!"

"Oh my God."

"Mommy, mommy, what happened?"

"Drake, oh my God, don't look!"

Curious, Linda pushed her way through the noisy crowd.

The first thing she saw was a bus. It had a slight dent, and the driver was stunned into silence. He looked horrified.

Then she saw the body.

There was a girl laying in the middle of the road, her head bleeding profusely. She wasn't moving, and Linda assumed the worst.

For some unknown reason, she started walking towards the girl, ignoring the screams and protests of the crowd behind her.

She turned her over, and this time Linda was the one that couldn't speak.

It was her.

That weird student who had thanked her earlier.

~*~

In a temple several planes above Earth, twelve figures were having a meeting. The vermilion tiles shone under the glares of the sunlight peeking through the open windows, not a speck of dust could be seen. The marble walls and mirrors glinting beautifully, reflecting the scene in the middle of the temple. Fifteen thrones stood between the distances, and there formed a circular shape if viewed from above. Three seats were empty, the others, beautiful and handsome beings sat, their features very pleasing to the eyes, but seemed so otherworldly. In the middle of it all was a huge magic circle lined with red intricate patterns that glowed beautifully, and on the center lay an almost naked body of a girl with midnight blue hair. Her features were as beautiful and otherworldly as the being seated on the thrones, if not more.

"Do you think we should put her in there? Evreile is a harsh place, won't she just get worse?" A man wearing a shiny red armor spoke out, looking very worried as she looked at the girl laying on the magic circle.

"Yes, Royce is right. Ava, Evreile would be too much for her, I mean look at her, she's on the verge of self-destructing!" A woman spoke next, her eyes wide in disbelief at the thought.

"Don't worry. She will be fine. Evreile will be nothing to her once she remembers everything." A woman with golden hair said, her glowing blue eyes calm as she stroked the fur of the sleeping tiger curled around her body.

"I do not agree. She will destroy that world, Ava, you know that!"

"Do you remember the last time we set her free?!"

"This will be trouble."

The other beings started shouting, some standing and looking at the girl in tattered clothing as if disgusted. Only two remained silent. Ava, the woman with the tiger, and Kaile, a man wearing a dark blue tuxedo, looking at the almost naked body of the girl as if he didn't know what to feel. His eyes a mixture of blue and silver, he stared at her with pity and regret, his fists clenching in fury.

Ava heaved a sigh, and roared, "Silence!"

All at once, the arguing gods and goddesses became quiet.

"All right. How many of you don't want to give her a chance?" Five people raised their hands. Then another, although hesitant. Six in total. "And the rest? I'm assuming you want to try letting her live?" They all nodded, some even smiling gently at the girl on the magic circle.

Ava grinned. "Majority wins." The gods and goddesses who raised their hands slumped in their seats, glaring at the others who didn't.

"Yuriel Alexis Dominique will be living in Evreile. It's official." The other gods sighed.

At the same time that they said this, the magic circle glowed brighter, and the body of the girl gradually faded, turning into a blue-violet orb, which then disappeared as well.

Ava smiled and leaned back in her seat, ignoring the curious looks the other gods were giving her.

"…Ava?"

"Yes, Althor?"

"What if she… loses control, like what happened years ago?"

"Let her. She will find her way back to us. I trust her, Althor. I know her, and it's not like her to run away. She will emerge the victor, you'll see."

Ava looked outside, rubbing the head of the tiger, who purred in response.