"Hey, Scar Face!"

The obnoxious, barked out laugh that came next was enough to make me scowl as I turned towards the holographic, blue light of my locker door. Victor. Again. What did that make? The third time this week? I ducked my head down further, shoulders hunched and fingers digging faster for my student ID card. The sooner I got my tablet out and into my backpack, the better.

"What do you want?" I asked, none too nicely as the smooth metal hit my fingertips, and I pulled it out, staring intently into the blank screen. Anything was better than looking at the greasy teen behind me, all long black hair and acne-ridden face. Disgusting, inside and out.

"Oh, nothing much. You know me." He was way too close now. Could smell the flavor of today's vape on his breath as he reclined casually on the lockers next to me, muddy brown eyes finally meeting mine. "Just wondering what your plans for the Summer were."

Another tap of my card, and the blue light of my locker was back in place. Then, with nothing else to do, I stepped away from it, barely sparing him a glance before turning back towards a hallway that was quickly becoming more and more empty. I scoffed. What a bold lie. "Since when've you ever cared?"

"Well, I just heard that someone recently turned sixteen. Happy Birthday by the way." His pristine, designer sneakers squeaked along the tile floor. He was following me, and his voice went low. "So I'm guessing you found your magik now? What is it?" A head peaked over my shoulder, all smiles. "Let me guess. A healing specialty to heal that fucked up face of yours? Maybe a premonition one so you can learn the answers to those Finals I heard you failed?" His hands sunk into his pockets, Victor casually sauntering backwards, the yellowed grin never fading. "Or is someone finally going to have to register as an Ord?"

My grip around the tablet tightened to match with the pressure building in my jaw. It was nothing new. He'd done this same song and dance since the beginning of Freshman year, ever since he found out I was the only Witch in our class to not have their specialty yet. Why that made it his business, who knew? But five more days, and the school year'd be over. I just needed to get through five more days. I sped up my pace, pushing past him. The door to A212 could not come fast enough.

A sickeningly sweet, heavy flavor hit me, like brownies made far too rich, and drenched in grenadine. It was followed by the slowing of my legs, a tight, weighing grip forcing them into place. I whipped my heavy around to look at Victor, his eyes glinting a sharp red. Gravity magik. His specialty.

The tablet was rapidly growing heavier by the second, becoming harder to hold as the weight built up pound by pound until it tore from my hands, smashing to the floor with a loud crack.

"I was talking to you."

My eyes snapped to the shattered pieces on the floor, then to him. I couldn't move much else, unyielding pressure squeezing at every limb. There were people looking at us now, other students pulling out their phones. To film, not to help, and as for any teachers—

"Doesn't it suck?" he asked, head tilting. "Are you jealous that you can't do that? That you can't do anything? Taking the same classes over and over, failing every time just because you can't do magik?" Another step closer, and he was staring me down. And much like every other time, my heart was pounding, enough to echo in my ears. Except now my face was burning, my fingers fighting to curl into fists and my eyes shooting daggers at him. Because sure, he'd said stuff before, but breaking my stuff for school?

I licked my lips, my upper body shaking. "Not as much as it's gonna suck buying a whole new tablet for me, because my parents sure as hell aren't gonna pay for what you just did."

But he just laughed. "Why not? Isn't that what they're going to be doing for the rest of your life? Paying for your car? Your college? Your house for the rest of your life since you can't get a job like the rest of us?"

His magik was slowing now, let down as he continued to laugh. The heavy feeling dripped off of my arms, my legs, leaving me to stand there, watching. My face was so hot, and I needed him to shut up. There were people there, all waiting for me to react, every single one making my hands clench tighter, my throat get tighter as I took one step towards him, then another.

"Don't you get it by now? You're gonna be a fucking deadbeat, Crow."

"Might as well be retarded at the rate you're flunking."

"Dumbass."

Long hair is apparently a very easy thing to grab. It's thick, clumpy, and good for yanking someone down and smashing their face into the floor to match the broken tablet. Once, I threw his head down, slamming it into the white vinyl. It came with a satisfying, muffled crunch. "Apologize!"

He didn't, which turned the once into a twice. Then a thrice. Still no apology. My grip around his hair tightened, gel sticking to my fingers. "Apologize, goddammit!" I screamed, and it was then that I noticed the other sounds in the hallway, yells, calling for a teacher... I ignored them, lowering my mouth to his ear. "Is that so hard for you?" My breathing was heavy, making my next question come in little parts, although it couldn't take away the pride filling my lungs as I raised up a bloodied mug. "Or is the hard part admitting that you just lost to a Witch with no magik?"

"Oh my gods! Somebody help him!" I could hear a girl screaming, although she sounded far away.

Then hands were wrapping around my middle, yanking me back.

"Let go of me!" I growled, wrenching my body one way, then the other, throwing my elbow back to get whoever it was off of me. I couldn't tell. I couldn't see anything but the spreading red on the floor in front of me.

"Not until you get ahold of yourself!" The man– a teacher, I quickly realized as my head turned, my breath slowing– whispered fiercely. He quickly switched to a low, angry mutter. "Stupid teens, always getting into fights. Bet that's going to look great for colleges."

My entire body jerked, a cold chill breaking through the hot, sweaty mess my body had become. "I— What?" I asked, my voice broken. Quiet.

"What do you mean, 'what'?" A bushy eyebrow raised. "Did you think beating up classmates doesn't go on your permanent record?"

"What?" But that couldn't be right. I couldn't have a college reject me just because I—

My eyes spotted the blood on the floor again, and I flinched. "But- but I can't!" Again, I yanked myself forward, anything to get out of the man's hold, but I couldn't. I was trapped. Stuck. Stuck like a kid who never moved out of their parents' house. Never achieved anything. A deadbeat.

"Welp. Should've thought of that before you went ahead and broke some kid's nose. Come along." Another tug, and I was getting dragged towards the front of the school, back by the main lobby, all while I watched another teacher help Victor up, the Witch holding a hand to his face all while the damage slowly began to close up.

It wouldn't even leave a mark.

But that wasn't right. It wasn't fair. It was all his fault. I was just giving him what he deserved. So why was I the one being forced into a plush blue seat, being told to wait outside the office while my parents were called? Why was I the one watching the police arrive and adults argue back and forth all while I continued to stare into the floor? It's all I could do. I couldn't focus, could barely see, everything just a numb haze of embarrassment, guilt, and rage. So much rage.

But beyond all that, I was just tired. Tired from the altercation, and tired of being seen as magikless Witch, and now that the one time I fought back, I was stuck frozen as the word aggravated assault got passed back and forth by people far more powerful than me. Which was real funny to me right then, that the thing about to ruin my life the most wasn't some curse or spell, but two Human cops explaining the definition of aggravated assault. No magik required.

Same with bashing his face with my own bare hands, and that had felt pretty good. Justified even.

Maybe... maybe I don't need it, I thought as my focus ran to the ceiling, the harsh, rectangular lights flickering down at me. Screw what little magik I had. What good was it doing me anyway?

I looked down to find a small drop of blood still on my hands. I wiped it off. Maybe... I'll just stop. No more magik. No more trying to be something I'm not. I'm done.

I'm done.