The Ribbajack by Brian Jacques

“Look what’s coming this way, must be a new girl!”
    Running a comb through his hair, Jason rose casually. “Leave this to me, I like them new and dumb.”
    As she reached the bottom step, he stood blocking her way. Jason smiled lazily at the girl, who was standing on the step below him. He uttered a single greeting. “Morning.”
    Their eyes met. She replied dismissively, “So clever of you to have noticed.”
    She moved up to the next step, level with him. Jason had to raise his eyes—the girl stood a good three inches taller than him. Brushing carelessly past her would-be tormentor, the new girl went straight into school. Mal stood up, chuckling.
    “Pretty smart, eh, Jason?”
    Slipping a foot behind Mal, Jason gave him a shove, which sent him back down in a sitting position. The bully snarled at him, “Who asked you, big mouth?”
    Jason’s angry glance roved around the others, who averted their eyes. Nobody wanted to cross Jason Hunter; besides being scathing, he could be violent. He stepped over Mal as the buzzer sounded for everybody to go indoors.
    “She’s too smart for her own good. You just wait and see, I’ll soon cut her down to size!”
     
     
     
    From the rear of the assembly hall, Jason could see the tall girl standing out on the front row. Mrs. Dysart, the assistant principal, addressed the students. It was all the usual stuff about hard work, good manners, friendship and a sense of purpose. Following the initial pep talk, Mrs. Dysart singled out the new arrival.
    “We have with us this term a new student. I’m sure you will all try your utmost to make her feel welcome. Her name is Huma D’Este.”
    Jason ducked his head, gave out a loud snort of derision and shouted, “Human who?”
    In the hush which followed, Jason stared accusingly at a boy standing in front of him. It was Tommy, the one whose hairstyle he had mocked earlier on. Jason spoke out in a shocked tone.
    “That wasn’t a very nice thing to say, Tom!”
    Mrs. Dysart gave the unfortunate Tommy a piece of her mind in front of the whole assembly. However, the new girl was not looking at Tommy, she was staring directly at Jason. Something in the gaze of Huma D’Este’s strange grey eyes wilted the smug smile from Jason’s face. He looked down at the floor, dumbfounded and angry that he could not stare back at her. Who did she think she was, giving him that look? Still, he reckoned, it was early in the day yet. Plenty of time to reduce her to a figure of fun in front of his admirers. Everybody knew what was going on, they had all witnessed Jason destroying those he had taken a disliking to.
    Recess found Jason on the steps, surrounded by his retinue. An air of expectancy hung over them as they awaited their leader’s next move. One of his informants, Mal’s friend Carlene, came hurrying out of the school. “Jason, the Human’s coming!”
    They had taken to calling Huma “the Human” since Jason had invented the name at assembly. When she emerged, the new girl did not seem in the least put out at the thought of the bully awaiting her. Jason swaggered up to her, raising his eyes in mocking awe.
    “Hi, big girl, what’s the weather like up there?”
    Her reply hit him like a slap in the face. “Oh, it’s fine. Would you like me to lift you up so you can see, little man?”
    Turning on her heel, Huma wandered back into the school, stopping in the doorway and fixing him with a slow stare from her hypnotic grey eyes. Jason was tongue-tied. He stood there with the laughter of the others ringing in his ears. Why was it that he lost his famous wit whenever she spoke or turned her gaze on him with those eyes?
    One or two of the faithful deserted Jason, going inside before the break ended. He heard their smothered giggles. “ ‘Would you like me to lift you up so you can see, little man!’ Haha, she certainly shut him up with that one!”
    “Yeah, and Jason just stood there and took it!”
    “Huma’s well able for Jason,