It wasn't every day that you would be approached by the very people who had ruined your day, and asked to sit with them. It didn't seem I had much choice in the matter, as I was already being steered to the very table I had intended to avoid.
The forsaken 'popular' table, it was trivial to assign worth based on how much fear you could insight in people, or how much sway you had in the school system. And by the looks I was getting, it was far from a good thing for me to be carted off to this very visible very central table.
All my plans of laying low, and not drawing attention to myself were in the trash with my broken plate, and sense of self-worth.
I had become all too accustomed to the notion that I was asking for all this trouble. I had lost count of the number of times, some seemingly well-meaning person had told me to just 'take it off' , how it would make my life so much easier.
"Sit," it was a command and I scowled at it.
"I'm not a dog," I bit out, taking my time to sit down in my assigned seat, making a whole show of pulling my chair back, that scraping sound ringing throughout the room as I was stared at by the majority of the student body. With bated breath, they waited for all hell to break loose.
"You sure do act like a bi-" I didn't catch who said it, I was far too focused on the command that Zac seemed to have over the whole table.
"Don't." another command, listless in its power, a boy, that was all he was and he had this whole school in a vice grip.
Throughout the day I had witnessed just how much of a 'Golden Boy' he was to the teachers, this quiet sort of power, this charisma that drew you in, just to ensnare you, wrap you in its poison ivy, those eyes, that would stare straight into your soul as the vines tore at you feeding your poison you could only seek more of because despite it's painful taste, it was addictive.
"So to what do I owe the pleasure of sitting with you fine people," I pressed my hands onto the table leaning forward, and grinning wildly.
"You're a total nutcase you know that right?" the boy who I now knew to be Felix spoke, he was leaning on his chair so the front two legs were hovering above the floor, teetering on metal spokes, one push and he was done for.
The intrusive thoughts were having a field day with that one.
"Haven't you heard the stories of the kid that had their head cracked open because they did that?" I chastised him as though I was a mother.
It was his turn to scowl, "Don't see what Dwarf sees in you," it was an offhanded statement but I didn't miss the snap in his eyes, how they quickly shifted to look around, to seek her out.
Very interesting, another tidbit of information I would lock away and use later when I needed to.
"Do you know why you're here?" Marcus, the one I had noticed was the slightly more level-headed of the three, spoke. It was a cool deep tone, a curious look on his face, as his dark eyes searched mine, looking for something, what? I wasn't sure.
"Same as everyone, to learn and then get the hell out of here," I decided the best course of action was to not look into those soul-devouring eyes, but rather stab my fork into the pasta that would soon become cold. I shoved the food in my mouth just so I had an excuse not to answer the question the way he intended me to.
"I don't think that's true, people like you crave attention," he analysed and I very nearly choked on my food. Sputtering a little, before composing myself, I gave another uninterested look, my brow raised.
"You sure your not talking about yourselves, you seem to love," I emphasised the world letting it drawl out, "the attention."
"I don't understand why you've brought her here, Ruby won't be happy," Felix was still teetering on his chair and I was willing it, to fall over. I shouldn't be, it wasn't a nice thing to do, wish pain on others, totally not Islamic to be doing so, so I did feel a pang of guilt when I let that thought barge through, lucky for me you don't get punished for thoughts.
I would be in a hell of a lot of trouble if you did.
"What Ruby thinks, isn't important," Zac ground out, there was something about his tone that piqued my interest. Trouble in paradise perhaps.
"Why don't you say that to my face babe?" Ruby's voice floated through though it wasn't an elegant float more of a nose dive that would break the tension of the most intense waves.
He turned to his girlfriend and for a single moment I could have sworn I saw a shadow of mirth in his eyes, his lips curled into a grin, "What you think about the new girl, doesn't matter," and then in the smoothest tone imaginable without a hint of remorse he added, "Babe,"
She scowled at him but it quickly devolved into a grin, it seemed that Zac was the only person that was able to keep Ruby in check, she threw her arms around him, so her head was resting on his shoulder, and he seemed to relax a little, "You're lucky I like you Valentine or those could have been your last ever words,"
"Your threats never cease to amaze me," and he smiled, it was a curious thing, to see someone so withdrawn smile. For there to be a hint, of human emotion behind all that stone, those walls that were high, I could spot them from a mile away, from my own fortified castle that protected me. A coping mechanism was what it was, and it seemed to dissolve around Ruby.
There was love there, even someone as clueless as me about romance could see it.
I was staring, and I only realised when Ruby's voice invaded my ears once more, she had a sharp tongue more than anything, "What are you staring at Midget?"
So the name would stick, at least it was better than her former one of terrorist.
"The person who smashed my plate and refused to help," and just to punctuate my point more I stabbed my fork into another piece of pasta, my eyes never leaving hers.
There was a low whistle but my eye contact with Ruby never relented, "Looks like Midget's got some fight in her," It was Felix that spoke, I could recognise the languid voice now, even from the small number of interactions we have had thus far.
"I have far more than a little fight in me," I corrected my eyes drilling into Ruby's my eyebrow quirked in a challenge.
"Which is exactly why I have a proposition for you," and then for the first time he said, "Amina."