Peas in a Pod, Pt. 2

Xai knew the school would be small, but as she got off the bus it hit her just how small the school actually was. She understood now what her cousin had meant when he described the school as a close knit community he didn’t belong in. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that. If Xai was honest with herself, she was scared. She really missed her parents and she was still grieving their loss. “Maybe I should have taken the offer to be homeschooled,” she thought standing in front of the school entrance.

She felt someone’s hand slip into hers and give it a squeeze. Turning she saw Tahlmus. “Don’t worry I got your back,” he whispered giving Xai a confident smile.

The two walked into the school side by side, heading straight for their lockers. Tahlmus had hoped to get his backpack emptied and show Xai around before class since she had missed orientation. Unfortunately that wasn’t what happened.

“Well, who do we have here?” The high pitched nasal tone made Tahlmus cringe.

“Leave her alone Kristine,” Tahlmus stated closing his locker door. Xai was still unpacking her backpack and putting things into her locker. She didn’t bother to look up. She wasn’t ready for human interaction quite yet.

“Hey, I’m talking to you,” Kristine stated, pushing Xai’s locker shut with her hand and aggressively nudging Xai with her foot. Luckily Xai’s hand had not been in her locker when it was forced shut. The nudging had almost caused Xai to fall over, but Tahlmus had steadied her before moving to stand between her and the girl he had referred to as Kristine.

“I told you to leave her alone, Kristine,” Tahlmus spoke through gritted teeth.

“Or else what?” Kristine sneered.

“I won’t tutor you,” Tahlmus stated. The words no sooner left his mouth than Tahlmus found himself being held by his throat against the locker.

“Did you just threaten my girlfriend?”

Xai stood in shock as this blonde haired boy who was almost eight inches taller than Tahlmus, continued to hold her cousin against the lockers where his feet couldn’t touch the ground.

“Kristine wouldn’t leave my cousin alone,” Tahlmus squeaked out. “She’s been through enough. She doesn’t need to deal with you too.”

The boy just scowled as he let go of Tahlmus’s throat. Xai steadied Tahlmus when his feet hit the ground. The boy walked off with Kristine. Xai could hear Kristine saying that it wasn’t  her fault that she was related to that loser.

Xai felt bad for her cousin, but he just brushed it off. He took her around the school showing her where the classroom were, until the warning bell rang.

 Read on, Peas in a Pod, Pt. 3