He lifted his head, barely catching the last of the principal's words as they echoed in the quiet chill of the morning; blaring and vapid. Hazard Star was nowhere to be seen, at least not from his vantage; far in the back of the crowd, another late, forgotten arrival. Tim would have spit, if his cowl did not prevent him from doing so. Instead, he merely shifted on the balls of his feet and strained his weak eyes to observe the blurry, shifting silhouettes of his peers. 

[i]If I can even call any of them 'peers'.[/i]

Bitter mental spittle broke through the shifting darkness of his mind. A resounding, silent defiance against the world that exploded into gradient misanthropic hues. This thought rolled through the spectrum of abandonment and woe, touching the singular chroma of malice; dull and gray. Timothy Granwall had never been more offended in his life. Today had begun without a single word spoken to him, not from his family nor his only friend. The lonely walk to school is what had made the thought palpable; placing the taste of blood on his lips.

[i]Tim, my dear, foolish boy...you do not need them. You only need me and I only need you. We only need each other.[/i]

It was a voice akin to his own, reverberating through the shell of his skull, tracing wicked fingers along his spine. He had come to fear this voice, in a distant way and the dark tidings it often brought. It had been with him for some time, though he was unsure if it was a product of his own splintering sanity or a creature sent to him as an unending torment. Either way, it was a part of him; he could not ignore it. 

[i]Shut up,[/i] Tim commanded, shaking his head, [i]If you keep talking, I swear to God I'll drive a pencil into my heart.[/i]

[i]God,[/i] it responded with faux concern, [i]since when do you believe in God?[/i]

[i]I...I don't know if I do, but that's not my point![/i]

[i]Then what is your point? I merely wish for you to rise above your glaring inadequacies and...well, you know...[/i]

[i]Burn everything in sight?[/i]

[i]Yes, but that will take time. For now, dear boy, I wish for you to prove yourself.[/i]

"Fine, fuck it," Tim whispered in his small, boyish voice. The boiling apathy of his cauldron-heart seeping through the tenebrous reaches of his mind, painting the darkness red as his inner voice broke into a screeching crescendo of countless abrasive, vile thoughts. Behind his mask, Tim bit down on his lips to keep himself from screaming aloud. The taste of blood was real, now and sweeter than he remembered; perhaps it had been too long since it had touched his lips. Something in him quivered with excitement when he thought of new blood touching his tongue.

 With his hidden eyes, he watched the students break away and fall into their groups. Envy smoldered in his chest and tickled the base of his throat, setting his breathing on edge. His eyes widened, though it was lost on those around him, and his fingers closed into a fist. Before him, the gathered students engaged in combat; some serious while others merely wished to go beyond this foolish formality. A few, however, remained stationary; their eyes wide and uncertain.

[i]Nobodies,[/i] his inner voice cooed, [i]fearful and weak. Worthless, I would say. Are you a Nobody, Timothy?[/i]

"No," he said simply, his fists uncurling and his arms hanging limply at his sides. Tim lifted his right hand and held it aloft, scanning the crowd as he prepared to launch his first attack on an unsuspecting victim. 

[b]COMBAT INITIATED![/b]

From his palm came a quiet flame, thin as a whip and quick as a serpent, that darted in strange undulations toward the back of his chosen foe. When it struck, the fire spread into dancing, licking tongues of ire; setting his opponent alight. The Nobody danced in his mounting pain, forfeiting his turn in a futile attempt to swat away the embers that gnawed on his flesh. Tim patiently awaited for his next turn and shot forth a bolt of ethereal pressure to strike the Nobody's shoulder. 

He briefly considered biting the Nobody on the cheek, tearing away partially seared flesh with his bare teeth. However, it was his first day at Bridge City High and showing yourself to be a budding cannibal was not a good way to earn the notice of your classmates; this much he knew. Instead, he watched as the Nobody twisted; clutching their shoulder. The battle was over.

[i]If I could even call that a battle.[/i]

His veiled eyes turned again to the stage, where the principal stood; towering over the procession of violence with an oafish grin on his face. Tim shrugged. It was good enough, he supposed. Without further thought, he adjusted the straps of his backpack and began making his way through the crowd.