The Next Generation: Chapter fifteen: "I hope and dare"

I stand up tall, I will not face defeat. He stares me in the eyes, and I stare right back. I have fought many battles in my life, and nothing will make me lose another one.

“You leave him alone!”

“Oh? And why shouldn’t I?” He sneers, leaning inward, his ugly rat nose inches from mine.

“Because,” I explain, shoving him backward into the locker, “You don’t want to deal with me.”

He laughs, brushing off his shoulders, and says, “ooh, fighting words. What are you gonna do about it, huh? Go and cry to your mum? Eat all the Ice cream you can find? You know, a man would be slapping me silly now. But you're a woman-you can’t fight, and you can’t do crap.Your weak.”

My vision blurs with anger, and before I know what the hell i’m doing, He is 20 feet across the hallway and my fists are clenched. “Don’t *ever* call me weak.”

He just stares at me in fear.

I reach down for him, the small boy with honey hair and green eyes. He gulps and whispers, “Thank you” before running off.

Whatever.

I sit down in art class with a slight “humph”. My first day here, this time, I was Math. Now I’m in art, with no people that I know. I groan.

sit at a small table, alone. It’s the only empty one, the others are full, with only a few empty seats here and there. The teacher hasn’t arrived yet, and I don’t feel like starting a war with him because I sat in the wrong seat. This one’s better than nothing.

I pull out my phone and send a quick message to Willow:

**Me: Is the art teacher cool?**

A few seconds later she responds. “**He’s alright. Known for being late lol”**

**Me: lol**

**Me: Im sitting alone**

**Me: I don’t recognize anyone**

**Me: :(**

My phone chimes just as the teacher walks in, and I quickly slip into “vibrate” and then my denim pocket. He’s tall, with dirty blonde hair and gray eyes. Scruffy.

He sees me as he sits down. He flops his cherry-brown case on his desk (the only elegant and disguintised thing about him) and grins. “Heya new kid.”

Like magic, all the other kids turn to look at me. I force myself not to roll my eyes, and instead give a slight wave. “Well, what’s your name, eh?”

I make my voice strong and powerful. “Lynna, Sir. Lynna Marie Hawthorne.”

A few gasps echo as they recognize my surname. I ignore it, I’ve long since gotten used to it. “Well, Lady Lynna Marie Hawthorne, you're sitting over at that tabe,” he says, and points to a table in the middle of the classroom. 4 people sit there. As I study them, I realize something. 3 of them are the kids from this morning. The Redhead, the blond, and the brown haired. The third one is a boy, with skin the color of tea, yet light as well. Short cropped dark brown hair and eyes the same color. The redhead waves at me, her blue eyes lit up with the same laughter from this morning, but more calmer. Does she always laugh? She must. Everyone must love her.

I get up, with the backpack my mother sent me over the duration of the weekend. It’s gray, with small pea-colored roses over it. She also sent some books, notebooks, and pencils. It doesn’t matter, I'll only be at school for two weeks. Mother….

*Please be alright*. I send a quick prayer for her before sitting down beside the redhead, with the blond on my right.

**“**Hello! It’s nice to meet you! Are you new? I’ve never seen you before!” The redhead bubbles.

I can’t help feeling special. “Yeah, I came to visit-Willow.” I almost said cousin, then remembered how that would be illegal.

“Cool! I’m Lillyonna, that’s Jay-'' she points to the blond, and he gives me a small smile, but his eyes stay on Lillyonna’s. Aw. “Yep, Hi Jay, alright her,” (the brown head) “is Anabeth,” this Anabeth looks a little uncomfortable, but grins. Ah, an introvert. “Lastly, we’ve got Harlow. Well, that’s his middle name. His real name is Max, but since he hates ‘harlow’...” She laughs, and Max rolls his eyes. You can’t miss the grin in his eyes, though.

“Right, Lillyonna, you done?” The teacher, (Mr. Jacob) says.

She blushes. “Yep, I'm done!”

“Right, good, good, Ok. Today we’re starting on our oil pastel unit, as you can see everyone has them out on their desk along with some paper. I want you all to draw someone or something you love. May it be a place or person or animal, whatever. This is just a test-we’ll do actual crap tomorrow. Right, you know the drill.” He points to a table toward the door, and a tall boy with oak colored hair and dark skin gets up. He walks to the stereo I didn’t notice by a large cabinet, and opens a computer sitting by it. It lights up, and clicks a few buttons. Suddenly, Bruno Mars’s *Count on me* fills the room.

The class bursts into chatter and boxes squeaking as they are opened. Anabeth opens the box and passes out the paper. I pick up my pencil and stare at it for a while. My tablemates are talking about something that happened yesterday and I can’t help remembering the drama with James and Willow. I don’t know what to draw. I feel my arm nudged and look up. Jay is grinning at me. “Yeah?” I say

“What ya gonna draw?”

I shrug. “I don’t really know, I'm not really an artist.”

He smiles. “Yeah, same. Who’s Willow?”

“Oh-Willow Everdeen-Mellark? Katniss’s daughter?”

His eyes light up with recognition. “Oh! Yeah I know her! She’s super popular. She doesn’t know I exist, though, “ He laughs, “or any of my friends.” He gestures to lillyonna. “She loves people and making friends, and trust me she’s got millions, but for some reason, people don’t like her because of how protective she is of us, like-she’s ready to murder the whole dang world, i’m not kidding! “

I can’t help it, I laugh, and He looks pleased.

Suddenly , I know what to draw. I begin to draw while Max’s voice drifts into my ear. “Yeah, it was insane. You're ok?”

“Yes, Harlow, I’m fine,” Anabeth answers. She sounds exasperated.

“Ooooh, that looks good!” Lillyonna is leaning over my paper, delight filling up her face. Jeez, she’s very emotional, ain’t she? I feel nice at the moment, and she seems like she actually means it, so I say, “Thanks. What are you drawing?”

She straightens. “The meadow outside my house at sunset! It’s so pretty!” She moves her arm so I can see. and I can’t help gasping. The colors melt together perfectly. Some lines are crooked, and smudges are here and there, but that somehow makes it even better. “Wow-your good!”

“O-oh. Thanks!” She answers, sounding surprised. Odd, you would think she’d get compliments on her artwork all the time, she’s so good.

“Hey, you want to eat lunch with us?” Lillyonna asks me as we are packing up.

I stutter-will Willow Care? Or do we even have the same lunch? I picture my schedule in my head. 4th hour lunch. Willow and her friends have 5th hour. “Sure, you guys seem cool,” I say

“Awesome Sauce!” She exclaims, grabbing my hand and rushing me to the door. I glance back at the others. They are laughing, Jay mouths “*Good Luck She’s Never Letting You Go Now”* and Max and Anabeth just roll their eyes and look amused.

These people seem so kind, innocent, and just-wonderful. I hope Willow isn’t mad that I’ve made more friends. ***Celestia Snow***

I glare at him, ignoring the undeniably fact that he is handsome. “How dare you! You can’t just take over My ship!”

“*Your* ship?” He laughs

I ignore that too. “Yes! Me and my father, Jason own this! You have no right too, no law, nor permission! I see no Lawyer or Justice!”

The man beside him rolls his eyes and nudges him. “Hey compass, I think she actually thinks we *care*!” The both laugh

Then “compass” (what kind of name is that?!) grabs Jason more forcefully, and he moans, the bruise on his face beginning to swell. “This ‘father’ of yours, my dear, is a cold hard murderer. He’s going, I’m staying.”

I swing my hands on my hips, my violet hair flaying in the wind. “I dare you.”