“Yes, madam.”

Three weeks of suspension had put Sonja far behind the others, more than she would ever want to be. The instructor pushed her harder than the others.

Sonja only got a few chances to ask the questions Meris that burned inside her. “Did Betty write those letters?”

Meris only nodded as she cut up the vegetables for a soup base.

Sonja's hands worked at the meat, cutting it up quickly and efficiently, much like her butchering work for Meris' father. Twenty minutes later, she asked a few more questions, but Meris just worked in silence. Sonja was left to fume in her anger, cutting and preparing food as she simmered.

After class, Ms. Dawson called her to the front counter and gave her a long list of assignments to catch up with the missed class. Sonja just nodded and wrote down everything. When it became obvious that Ms. Dawson was keeping her as late as possible, Sonja lied about needing to catch the bus. The cooking teacher finally released her and Sonja walked quickly back to her locker.

Meris had already finished and left. Sonja spied another letter in the locker and yanked it out, looking at the red letters for only a moment before jamming it into the bottom of her pack.

Leaving everything in her locker, Sonja raced after her missing lover. She caught up with Meris walking home about a block away. “Meris! Meris, please wait up!”

Meris kept walking for a few more feet, then stopped. When she turned around, the tears dripped off her face and the sadness that reflected in those clear blue eyes tore at Sonja's heart.

“Oh... Meris...”

"I-I'm sorry, Sonja. I-I couldn't... I just can't."

Sonja stopped a few feet in front of her, unsure if she could hug her lover. “Meris, don't be sorry. I know what I was doing and I... I would do it again, if I had to.”

“Why?”

It hurt to hear the pain-filled question, but Sonja answered softly. “Because I love you.”

Meris bit her bottom lip for a moment before answering. “You'll get suspended because Betty will do something to upset you and you'll try to protect me. I-I don't-”

Sonja interrupted, “Like the letters?”

Meris froze for a moment, eyes searching into Sonja's, then slowly nodded. “How did you know?”

She lied, “I found one on the ground. You... you know I would never write that.”

Meris nodded curtly. “I know, but it hurts just as much.”

Tears dripped down Sonja's face. “I won't let them.”

“No!” Sonja jumped as Meris screamed at her, “I do not want you to get hurt. You want to jump and protect me, but if you do that, you'll play into her hands, just like you told me she would!”

“Meris...”

“No! I will not let you!” Her final word echoed shrilly against the houses along the street. The echoes barely faded before Meris spun around and sprinted away.

Sonja stepped forward to chase after her but stopped, tears dripping down her cheeks. Watching Meris disappear around the corner, she took a deep shuddering breath and closed her eyes tightly. She wanted to chase after her but realized it would be the wrong thing. Instead, she toed the edge of the sidewalk until her tears dried and a hardness wrapped itself around her heart.

Returning back to the school, she listened to her shoes against the concrete sidewalk. Ahead of her, she watched as the streamer of cars slipped out of the parking lot. By the time she reached the school again, the parking lot was almost completely empty, except for a few teacher's vehicles. In the middle, she spied Betty's car next to Marisha's and Theodora's. Her eyes trailed ahead of her and saw the center of her frustration and anger stepping out of the school. Betty and her friends giggled as they strolled out, then Marisha spotted Sonja. A wry smile crossed the lesbian's lips which remained as Betty and the other's caught sight of her.

Sonja felt a sinking sensation in her stomach as the blonde's clear, sardonic voice covered the distance between them. “Aw... did the lover's have a little fight? Were you crying?”

For a moment, Sonja considered turning away, leaving the fight, but Meris' words echoed in her head. She was right, if she left this fight, Betty would have win and they would both suffer for the rest of the year. Taking a deep breath, she continued forward. Betty and her pack stopped, spreading out as they watched Sonja join them.

“Betty.”

“Slut.”

Sonja snapped back, “Talking about yourself again?”

Theodora purred as she spoke, “You wish.”

As the girls spread around Sonja, she turned around slowly then stopped to face Betty. The blonde blinked stepped forward, almost pressing her body against Sonja's.

“Go back to Illinois,” she carefully pronounced the “s” in the state, “bitch, go back and just fucking give up.”

Sonja stood up straight, arching her back slightly, “I'm not going anywhere.”

“Then I'm going to destroy you and that little cunt-licker.”

Anger rose up and Sonja forced herself forward, “You leave her alone, bitch.”

Betty smiled at her cheerfully, “Go for it and you'll get so suspended and I won't have to do anything.”

The blonde's words held back Sonja, but she still felt the urge to lash out at her. Betty just continued to smile, her bright red lips curled up in mocking amusement. Sonja felt her hands balling into fists the rage washing over her vision.

Betty taunted her, “Go for it, cunt. Make my day....”

Common sense shattered and Sonja lunged for Betty, reaching out with her hands.

An icy-cold wind slammed into her and threw her back, ripping her clothes and dragging her a few feet away from the pack.

Betty and her friends stepped back from the wind that also buffeted them. All five them had naked expressions of surprise and sudden fear as they stared at Sonja.

Sonja took another deep breath and prepared to lunge again.

A second blast of wind slammed into her and the others, scattering them further apart with its fury. There was an intelligence behind the wind, the way it only affected the teenage girl. If the woman in her dreams was telling the truth, it was a male, a dominate male, a master. Somehow, the name Master Cold felt right in Sonja's mind was she was pummeled by winds.

As if he could read her mind, the wind died when she named him.

From a distance, she could hear another blast of wind building up.

Sonja stood up straighter and looked right at Betty. A third blast of wind rammed hard against the others, throwing Betty back until she fell on her perfect, tiny ass.

Marisha screamed as she was thrown back against the tree.

Ming and Theodora stumbled backwards but managed to stay on their feet.

Sonja scoffed and walked over to Betty. She planted her hands on her hips and looked down at Betty who looked up with a mixture of fear.

Sonja cleared her throat. “There is no way you could say I just touched you, bitch, and I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to walk away and you and your little bitches are going to leave me and my love along for the rest of your natural lives.”