Wow, So I’m the Faerie Queen

As the paint grenade rolls into the boy’s locker room, I nonchalantly walk back to the girls’ just across the empty hall. I easily squeeze myself in a conversation with my classmates about Mr. Briggs’ science class when a loud noise erupts outside, followed by screaming and coughing. Most of us hurry out in the hall to see the boys splattered with yellow, orange, and silver paint, my signature colors. Pretty dumb, right? Why make it obvious it was me? But that’s the point, it makes it much easier to pin the blame on someone else who would pin it on me. This is payback for stuffing all of our shoes with mud on the day we had to do a dance lesson in P.E. They were worried we all were going to get better grades than them, of course we were, and that they were going to lose the bet. If the boys won, they could plan the class party, the sky’s the limit, same for us. They hid what they wanted to do, but it was clearly a teenage guy’s fantasy. Us, on the other hand, made it clear they were going to serve us food as our favorite princesses. Revenge for calling us children for still watching them. They would’ve gotten in trouble for it too if it wasn’t for stupid Coach Watson. He’s a major ass, saying he did say to do whatever you need to do to win. ‘That’s what a good warrior does in battle.’ What if we slipped and twisted an ankle or something? Then it would be his and all the guys’ ass. So that was the day when the 3a boys finally bested the girls in something other than football. And when the annual prank wars began. I looked at the cute lil sunshines glaring at us for laughing and taking pictures. Lionel, some dude who always love to mess with me for some reason, marched towards me with a scowl on his face. But before he could grab me, all the girls stood in front of me, glaring at him. Ah, the love is abundant here. We all have each other’s back here in 3rd period. We just grew a bond when competing with the boys. Everyone’s been together since freshman year. Somehow, we always get paired together again, facing the same guys. If we get someone new, they join in the war soon after. “Why you assume our queen here did it, huh? It could’ve been someone else. Our class aint the only one y’all been messing with apparently.” Diamond, a girl who had a crush on me and the leader of my apparent fan club, says. They also consider me their “Fairy Queen” because my name, Iridessa Dawn, is like the light fairy from Tinker Bell and I’m mischievous like a Fae. And when I was at a Halloween party in sophomore one time, I dressed up as Iridessa and got hardcore drunk. That was a mistake. I climbed on the roof of whoever’s party that was and screamed I can fly. Proceeded to jump off before anyone could catch me and landed in a pool. Funny enough, as soon as I jumped in, the pool lights turned on. The dude who owned it said he could never turn them on, never knowing how. Looks like the fates above wanted to put on a show. They started calling me “the Fairy” until someone pointed out how good I am with pranks and getting my way, like a Fae. I didn’t know what they were at first, just thought it was a female version of an elf. I was apparently wrong. It seemed to just be another word for fairy. I only searched it up like once, so I don’t really know. I like the Tinker Bell fairies, easier to understand. Anyway, after I won the Spring Dance Queen thing, they started to chant ‘Fairy Queen! Fairy Queen!’ So that’s been my nickname since then. I’m sorry, I’m all over the place. My thoughts are just a— I duck just in time to see a shoe sail above my head. What the hell?! I stood back up, a good 5’10, and saw the guys snickering, shrugging their big ol, ugly ahh shoulders. Lionel laughs and backs up with his hands up, looking down at Diamond. Him and most of the guys are 5’8 to 6’5. We don’t like it, especially me. I don’t like having to look up at these ugly ahh, cocky lil boys, even if I am the 10th oldest in the grade. Tilting his head, he smiles his crooked smile at her and say, “It’s obviously the Queen because these are her colors. She think she slick by trying to pin the blame on one of y’all, but none of y’all own any grenades with her initials on ‘em.” He waves the empty thing in the air, my initials carved at the bottom. Why did I make it easy for me to get found out like that again? “That is, unless one of yall stole it or she lent it to you. So who wanna come clean?” “I think you, my little sunflower,” I call out sweetly, pushing past the girls. “That paint looks like it’s itchy. Don’t get it off soon, you might develop a rash on that skin of yours. Then how you gonna play your best at tonight’s game?” The boys behind him all lose their smiles and hurry back in the locker room to shower. “And hey, Imma find out who threw they shoe at me you lil—!” I stopped myself short as Coach Watson walked towards us. I looked at Lionel, who looked smug at me, scratch his neck and chest as Coach came closer. It was my turn to look smug as I whispered, “You might be the bench boy, but who’s gonna wanna look at your scrawny ass with rashes all over you, scratching all the time? They gon think you got something ~” I sang that last part, covering my mouth and scrunching my nose. He frowned at me, looked down at himself, to coach, then ran to the locker room. I heard a click from the door and bit the inside of my cheek. He just locked the door. Hah, we won, b***h. Us girls went back in our locker room as Coach try to open the door and ask us what happened. I heard Krystal say they might’ve been playing a trick with each other and tried to blame me. God, it really is good to have such good friends. I oughta tell coach one of them threw a shoe at me, but then I can’t deal with it myself. Nah, I’ll do it myself. He won’t do anything anyway, with his turkey neck built ahh. As I grab my bag and tie my boots, I see Diamond talk to the members of my fan club, and I wonder why she really like me. She says cause I’m cool and pretty, but I need more than that. I’m actually amazing and gorgeous. Sounds more like an obsession to me, like when you have a crush on a celebrity. She told me how she felt before, but never asked me out. If she did, I would’ve too. I think she’s really pretty. She’s at least 5’6, light skin, nice badonk-a-donk, always rocking a blood red fro and her make up is always on point. When she isn’t wearing it, she looks delicate and beautiful. I like it more when she isn’t, to be honest, but I get why she and a lot of other girls do. So I just keep it to myself. I stand on the bench and say to everyone, “Whoever dropped that grenade in the boys’ locker room, good job girl! We got our revenge!” They all cheered and clapped, some laughing because they know I did it. “We won’t rat you out, whoever you are, so you can just tell me who went through my stuff and took it. Promise I won’t get mad.” I stepped down to some girls agreeing, looking around the room. I silently laughed at them when I walked out as soon as the bell rung. I wish someone would take my stuff, for any type of reason. The confrontation won’t be pretty. Just know y’all, don’t touch my stuff. 8th grade, some boy wanted to take my pack of marker from my backpack when I was in the bathroom and ended up sharpening my orange marker, my favorite damn marker. I beat the hell out of him, breaking one of his toes. No one messed with me since. Some stupid people during freshman and sophmore year, Lionel included. In fact, he never stops. I allow it though; every queen needs an enemy right? I jogged up to the third floor, some people greeting me with the Wakanda salute; I usually do it to them, so they thought to do it back. I find it kinda weird I can influence people like this, but it’s all in good fun, so I don’t think anyone really mind. Not even the teachers as some do it back. But everyone at Auburn High is pretty chill. Annoying, but chill. Fights rarely break out, and if they do, it’s something really serious. Well, as serious as you can get with teenagers round here. The teachers rarely have to stop it because I or the student council would break it up. I admit, sometimes I would cheer em on for a bit, but I still break it up before it gets outta hand. As I round the corner, something tells me to duck, and for the second time today, I see a shoe fly above me. Why everyone throwing shoes at me today?! I look ahead and see a handful of girls fighting each other, like real fighting with blood dripping and punches connecting, with some students trying to get to class or just looking on. I groan and out my bag down, walking towards them. “Y’all, stop fighting. People trying to get to class.” Two of them, Tara and Crysta, look at me and stop, but gets punched by the other girls. I click my tongue and grab their arms. “I know y’all angry and all, but you can’t just block—“ A fist comes out of nowhere and punches me square in my jaw. My head whips to the side, and for a second, I only see flames of rage. Everyone gasps and the one who punched me doesn’t seem to know who I am as she yells, “Stay the f**k outta our way then, it’s none of your business. You can go down and up the stairs to the other side if you really need to—“ Not another word left her mouth as my foot connected with her stomach. I let go of the girls’ arms and lean down to the crouching girl.I don’t recognize her, so she must be new. What’s a new girl doing picking fights with the nicest girls here for? She looks up at me with rage and attempts throw another that I grab quite easily. As I squeeze her fist, I say, “It’s not nice to hit someone who hasn’t done anything to you, y’know? What I did was self defence. Now, I expect an apology.” “You ain’t getting s**t, b***h!” She spat. Ugh, how disgusting. As I wipe her spit off my cheek, I squeeze her fist more, hearing a cracking sound. I smile as she screams, trying to pull away. “Let me go, you crazy b***h!” “Seems like the crazy one here is you. I know these girls,” I hike my thumb at Tara and Krysta who’s looking on with anger and fear next to the other girls who must also be new, “and I know they don’t instigate fights. They finish them. Most of the people in this school know how to control their temper. So mind telling me what the hell you did that made them have to beat the s**t outta y’all? Cause something tells me it was all on you.” I glare at her and stand up, yanking her up with me. She’s at least 5’3, a runt compared to me. Damn, the stereotype that small people have a temper might be true. “And hurry up, bell’s bout to ring.” As she made no move to talk, I turned towards the four. Krysta spoke up. “Tara and I was joking with them, saying how sucky it’s gotta be to be fresh meat round here and Tiny over there blew up, punching me in my nose. Other two followed her,” she said, the annoyance clear in her tone. I see her nose is crooked and half of her brown bun fell around her shoulders. She looks better without it, I keep telling her to leave it down once in a while. She claims it adds to her charm, but we all just think it's a waste to always leave it up. I look at the other two girls, and raise my eyebrows. Twins. My first time seeing them in person. They’re both looking down, guilty and embarrassed. I look down at Tiny and see that she sort of look like them; same light brown skin, same sharp silver eyes. Her lips are thinner though while theirs are fuller. They’re taller too, looking about 5’6. She must be the youngest and their ashamed to have to back up their sibling. But as the oldest, shouldn’t they have gotten her in check? Whatever, I don’t get sibling dynamics. I sigh and drag ‘Tiny’ with me to my bag, picking it up, and making my way back to the staircase. “The four of y’all can follow me. Rest of y’all might wanna get to class.” Everyone obeyed, as usual, and the halls were quickly emptied. We all went down the grand staircase towards the first floor as the bell rung. Tiny never gave up, steadily trying to escape and provoke me. When she stomped on my foot and howled in pain as she hot the metal cover, I had enough. “If you don’t shut the f**k up, I will make you. You want to continue to walk, right? We still have a long way to go, but I’ll be happy to send you down first,” I said with a bored tone. When I threaten people like this, it apparently makes them scared. I don’t know how, probably me acting as if I have nothing to lose. She quiets down real fast and occasionally sniffs. I’m sure she’s in pain, but not as much as I’m in. For a short little thing, she can punch. Like damn. What is she, a boxer? Her arms are well defined, like she’s been in many fights. At least she isn’t all bark. Tiny sure got bite on her. As we finally reached the bottom of the stairs,and turned towards the Detention Office, the Student President, Lorie, jumped back. The surprise on her face quickly turn into annoyance as she assesses the situation then turns back to surprise as she looks at Tara and Krysta covered in bruises. “What happened?” she asks them, then looked down at Tiny in my arms. She then looked angry. “I’ll just follow y’all to Ms. B’s and hear it there,” she said, never taking her eyes off a now squirming Tiny. I smirked and nodded, walking towards Ms. B’s door. As we walked in, two students from the desks looked up and paled as they saw me. I wondered why until I recognized them as Tate and Tory, freshmen I look after on the weekends sometimes. I’ve been babysitting them since I was twelve and they were nine. They’re like little brothers to me. Little brothers who were told not to get detention again this semester or they were going to get an ass whooping and their playstations taken away. I’m not no snitch, but when you promise me something and break it, prepare for the consequences. I glare at them as I push Tiny toward Ms. B’s desk. She groans and plops her head in her arms. “Why y’all getting in trouble in the last semester, huh? Shouldn’t this be where y’all best behaved?” she complains. Since the student council and I are the main enforcer around here and students rarely fight, the staff got used to not really doing their jobs as adults. Most come here to hang out or serve a detention for cutting class or sleeping too much in class. Or, if you’re me, get caught in doing a prank. Which only happened once, so I’m rarely here for that. If you’re in here for a fight though , she has to do her job as a mediator and do paperwork about the whole thing, making separate reports for each student involved. And there’s 6 of us, so I can already feel her distress about all the work rolling out in waves. “Sorry Ms. B,” I said, patting her shoulder, “but some newcomers didn’t get the memo.” Her head sprung up and as she saw Krysta and Tara with bruises on their face, her face darkened and she turned straight towards Tiny who’s avoiding everyone’s gaze. Looks like I was wrong about her bite. When backed in a corner, she’s just a cowering b***h. “Cassandra Williams. As the oldest, you would think you would set a good example for your sisters.” All of us look surprised, staring down at her. She’s the oldest?! No wonder they look the way they look. They were following their big sister. I look at her with disgust now. As the oldest, aren’t you supposed to protect your siblings? And they look like they didn’t want to do it. Must be one of those ‘I’m the oldest and my word is law’ type things. I pity her sisters. Cassandra, though I liked Tiny better, clenches her teeth and shrug. “They insulted me. I know I’m short, but that don’t mean I’m a freshman, aight? I’m sick of always being called a kid and the youngest when I’m 19! I’m older than most of y’all and I’m always made fun of!” “Well, how you expect to be taken seriously when you respond like a kid?” I said. I let her go and sigh, looking sympathetic. I turn around and lower my voice. “I know how you feel. People always think I’m scary looking because of my rbf syndrome. But I prove them wrong. Once you get to know me, you’ll never forget me because I’m one of the funniest, fun, and most lively people you will ever meet. I’m sorry for kicking you.” I grab her hand and bring it up to my lips. As I brush her pinky, she winces. I lightly kiss it, staring in her eyes. “And I’m sorry for your hand. I should’ve responded differently, but I was angry, you know?” Her mouth opens and close like a fish, not knowing what words to say. I pat myself on the back in my head. My Fae charms are effective; I’ve got her hook, line and sinker. She manages a strangled “I understand. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have hit you like that when you were trying to break it up.” She looks at the girls behind me whose skin are lighter. Pfft, a real show is always too much to handle. “And I’m sorry to y’all. She’s right, I should’ve handled it better. I shouldn’t have dragged y’all in my fight, and I shouldn’t have started a fight with y’all in the first place.” I look back to see Tara and Krysta tear up, accepting her apology. They’re so soft and forgiving. A good trait of theirs, but might be their downfall. The twins, who seem younger than before, nod and come closer to hug her. I let her go and step back, grinning at the interaction. Not a coward, just misunderstood. Gotcha. I look towards Ms. B who’s wiping her eyes with a tissue. She’s so loved because she acts like a teenager herself, making it so much easier to talk to her. My jewd swivel to the the other students who are also teary eyed and sniffing. I love Auburn High, and I respect them, but damn. Why am I surrounded by so many softies? I look towards Lorie who’s still glaring at Tiny, but softer than before. Wonder what’s her beef with her. Least she’s not crying though. As everyone calms down, Ms. B gets to work and asks us about the whole thing. I chip in when I need to, leaning on the wall all edge like. I catch Tiny, forever calling her that, sneak glances at me every time. After the first few times, she just stares back at me until she can’t take it anymore. I find it amusing. Hope she doesn’t get in any more trouble. Their punishment is to stay behind school for the rest of the week, including the weekend, and help with whatever the student council need help with. Which is a lot, considering they have to help with clubs getting ready for all the senior and school events. Wonder why these three had to transfer towards the end of the year. I wouldn’t doubt if it was because they were expelled or something, but I should’ve notified about problem students so I could be prepared. If they wanted me to enforce school laws, I needed to be in the know. As Ms. B wrote our passes, I walked over to Tate and Tory, watching as they pretend not to see me and talk to each other. I slam my hands on both of their desks, their eyes switching to me. They could almost be claimed as twins, if not for their different faces. Tory has more of a pie face and a mole under his left eye while Tate has a more defined face and lighter brown eyes. “Why y’all got detention now?” They looked at each other, but before Tory, the oldest of the two by a year, could speak out, Ms. B did. “These two deliberately snuck out of their history class and when they were caught, disrespected Mr. McNough.” I glared even harsher at them and they wilted in their seats. “What the hell you doing disrespecting a sweet old man like him for, huh? Yo momma and I told y’all to at leas not get detention anymore and have decent grades, but you wanna act up? And get and get caught doing it?” When they didn’t say anything, I clicked my tongue and rubbed my temples. This is too much for the last period on a Tuesday afternoon. And I love Tuesdays. “I’m so disappointed in y’all. And it’s the fact y’all promised me you would be good. Just don’t get detention, that’s all. High school ain’t no joke, y’all need to grow up,” I said, getting heated. “Don’t wait for me after school, just go head and take the bus straight home. If I find out y’all didn’t take the bus or go straight home, I’m beating both yall asses. Aight?” They nodded, trying to hide their tears. I muttered under my breath as I took my pass and headed out the room. “Un-f*****g-belivable. To think you know a person.” I shut the door behind me with a little more force than necessary and stomped towards the staircase. I really hope there’s no more mess today.