→ Jamie Lane ●
It had been one hell of an interesting day that had gone from function friends to sobbing in a closet due to massive embarrassment to a nice dinner with Angel. Unfortunately, now she had to go back to her room with her pain in the neck roommate. Her stomach was full once again and now she just wanted to relax, of Jamie would let her. The last time the two had crossed paths had not been pleasant and she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that the second time just might be worse.
The redhead stepped into the shared room and breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she noticed that he was not there. She was still rather emotionally exhausted and on edge from her earlier embarrassment so she knew that she wouldn't be able to put up with much tonight.
The tree added little comfort as the cold, nighttime breezes swept past, Jamie rose and headed back to Valient House. He entered the building, thinking back to his discovery with Matthias. His finger pulled back the collar of his top, he sighed. Today had been a rollercoaster, so many new things had been going on and so much had happened. He didn't once miss home though,
Mum is probably waiting by the phone.
He decided to call it a night, heading back to his dorm room on the first floor. The elevator pinged, the doors opening. He quickly wiped the cardkey across the sensor, opening the door.
The sound of the door caused Ginny to jump and she did her best to keep her features as straight as her back. She was obviously uncomfortable, but she'd do her best to ignore the little twerp. She opened a book and feigned reading, hoping he'd just leave her alone.
Ugh, Jamie briefly made eyecontact with his roommate, before she pulled out a book.
Whatever, he thought, turning off the room's main light and diving head first on to his bed, burying his head in the pillow. He sighed, happy for the embrace of the darkness and the relative solitary feeling it brought him.
Annoyed, Ginny sighed again and quickly stood and flipped on the light switch. "Some people are trying to read, you little jerk." She glared at his still form on his bed and the new sat back down to enjoy her book. Even if she hadn't been reading, it would have at least been nice for hin to ask if she minded the light being off.
"It's night. I'm sleeping, and I'm sleeping in the dark. Read your book outside, that's where the dogs sleep afterall," Jamie got back up, the build up of the days frustration clear in his face, he wasn't willing to let this slide.
Ginny's mouth opened wide in shock at what he had said and she immediately threw her book at him as hard as she could. "The best place for you is locked up like the delinquent you are!" Her accent was thick and heavy as her anger built, she stood up too. She was not going to put up with his attitude forever and she'd need to lay down the law sooner than later.
The book caught Jamie on the shoulder, he did not wince or moan. He was past that now, he wasn't going to back down to the mouthy, redhead girl. He picked the book up of the floor, flinging it upwards towards the light - the bulb smashed, the remaining filament sparking futiley. The room plunged back in to semi-darkness, the only light trickling in from the window.
"Ugh!" Ginny stormed over to him and glared, "Great! Now you broke our goddamned light you idiot!" She pushed against him, "How will you explain that? Oh, I'm sorry Headmaster, I got a little pissed off and broke the light? I hope they kick your sorry ass out! Then maybe I can find some peace in this room. Hell, we'll probably be better off without you at this school anyway!" At this point, she was fuming and just ready for this to be over with. He had pushed her too far already.
Standing his ground, Jamie pushed back, "I'm sorry headmaster, but my roommate's a *****." Jamie lashed out, her unwillingness to back down driving him, pushing her further to her limits.
His comment pushed her over the edge and she balled her right hand into a fist and swung out to connect with his jaw. "At least I'm not little boy sized!" Her retort accompanied her punch, which was quite strong for a girl due to her athletics. He was just lucky that she didn't kick him.
Jamie was expecting a punch, she certainly wasn't the slapping kind of girl, however the force behind it was surprising. Refraining from punching her back, he pushed the girl hard in the shoulders, forcing her backwards.
He was strong for a little thing and Ginny tripped and fell onto the floor. Her tailbone ached and she growled in anger as the adrenaline rushed through her and blood pounced in her ears. She hopped up, as quick as a cat and phased through him, only to quickly turn around and aim another solid jab directly at his right-side kidney.
The pain confused him, like a ghost Ginny had managed to drift through him. He pivoted quickly, turning around to face the girl.
Another power? He considered, remembering his conversation with Kevin and witnessing the vine-girl, back in the baseball cage. He realised that holding back was pointless, Ginny was hardly a girl, he swung forward with his left hand balled up tightly.
The punch caught her in the eye and she cried out in pain, her hand going to it. She knew that it was going to swell as soon as it impacted. Ignoring the pain was become more difficult and she could hardly see out of her right eye, but regardless she swung back with a right hook aimed at his face. There was no telling if she could win this fight or not, since it was dark and he seemed to be doing just fine with it.
The punch connected, Ginny's fist thumping in to his cheek bone. Jamie staggered back, his vision slightly blurred. His fist tensed, his anger uncontrollable, until he noticed it.
The floor trembled. The walls shook. The sound of migrating cracks in the window screetched through the otherwise silent room. Jamie paused.
Is this... me? He considered, despite only managing vibrations on a smaller scale - he concluded this was something much worse.
A crash of light, the pair were blinded. Their messy, trashed room was left behind - instead they stood in a huge office, the walls lined with books and a heavy desk waiting on the far side.
The world had changed before she had even realized what was going on and soon, the light was a bit blinding and she held her hand over her eyes as she squinted. "The hell?!" She wondered for a moment if this was the little twerp's power, but it seemed a bit much for him.
An older man was waiting for them. Sat in a black, leather, padded chair behind the desk. He was small and there wasn't much muscle to him, but his presense alone seemed threatening. Jamie stood, stunned - it was clear, by the grandure of the office, that this was the school's headmaster.
"What do you think you are doing in my school?" Despite the distance between them, the man's voice boomed, as if increasing the pressure of the air above the shamed pair, "I have every mind to exclude you at this very second. It wouldn't take long for
me to send you back home."
The man's tone was furious, however his face was blank, emotionless. He was incredibly composed.
"Around here there is only one solution..."
Jamie was unfamiliar with the rules and punishments of the school, the leaflet hadn't mentioned them at all. The headmaster's words came too quickly to process.
"...a fight to the death."
Not knowing what to do or what to say, Ginny's mouth gaped and she stood there in shocked silence. Yeah, she didn't like Jamie but she didn't want to kill him." I... I..." She was at a complete loss for words so she resorted to looking down at the floor in shame.
Barely managing to stop his leg shaking, Jamie also hung his head in shame. Fear swept over him, sure he had been in many fights - but killing someone? This was extreme, surely, even for a special school.
A soft chuckle came from the desk. The headmaster had finally cracked, his stern, still face erupting into laughter at the gullible teenagers' reactions.
"Boy, kids these days," he remarked, to himself. He noticed the genuine fear in the two students' eyes, "Oh come on, it was a joke! I can't have students dying on their first night here, imagine the press..."
He hopped off his chair, trundling over to Ginny. His age had taken its toll, in his youth he may well have matched Ginny in height, but now he had to look up slightly to meet her gaze.
"Ginerva Morrigan, one of our American students I believe," he looked her up and down, "prowess in phasing, a very useful talent." He grinned at the girl, moving over to the younger boy beside her.
Still in shock, Ginny's mouth was still hanging open and she couldn't bring herself to speak. This was all a lot to process and her body was slowly coming off of her adrenaline. Her aches and pains were building and she knew that she'd be regretting this fight for a while to come.
"And Mr. Jamie Lane... I know much about you, lad." Jamie didn't know if that was good or bad, he clearly knew a lot about his students - but which bit of Jamie's life he was focusing on was key.
"Miss Morrigan, tonight I would like you to return to your room, we'll adjust your living arrangements in the morning. Mr Lane, there is a spare bed in the nursing office - you'll be staying put there for the night."
Wow, this is surprising. Ginny was surprised that something permanent would be done already, but she was not going to complain. She mustered up all of her courage and looked the headmaster in the eye, "Thank you, sir."
"Goodnight, students," the headmaster said, walking back to his chair, his fingers snapping in the air. The bright light returned, sending the teenagers to their designated quarters for the night.
Joint post with Mac