Another Dreary Day

I jumped as I saw a pair of feet appear on the ground beside me, where I was kneeling, gathering books. I handed the pile to the girl and looked up. "Hey Lan." I smiled.

"Hey Becca" he said, his deep voice rumbling from his chest, his hand inside his coat as his eyes scanned the are around him and Becca for threats, his fingers against the dagger hilt "Are you well?"

"I am," I smiled and stood up, I noticed his hand inside his coat and assumed that he had some kind of defensive weapon in there. "You?"

He nodded curtly "Only a little concerned for the ... jocks I believe they are called? they have already tried to start a fight with me. I do not fight to the yield, ever."

I sighed and wandered off towards a group of jocks, the 'leader' Matt Morgan was there too. "Matt?" I almost sang, batting my eyelashes at him. He wandered over to where I was standing, safely out of hearing distance of the others.

Lan stood near enough to hear what Becca was saying and glare at this Matt boy, flashing him a sadistic grin and letting him see the glint of steel in his left boot before moving the trouser leg back over to hid it.

I noticed Matt's attention drift away and I cleared my throat. His eyes snapped back to me. "Hi, listen, could you do me a favor?" "Ehrm, sure." Matt agreed quickly. I giggled quietly, flirting madly with him. "My cousin is new here and he doesn't get it. Could you and your guys lay off him? I'll make it worth yuor while." I winked. "Please?"

He frowned when he heard what Becca said edging a little closer, his hand inside his coat pocket where the foot long dagger waited and his eyes locked onto Matt as if to say 'touch her and die'.

I knew Lan was getting closer, and I waved him off inconspicuously. I looked up at Matt, who was, like, 6ft. He grinned. "Sure," I smiled at him and began to walk away. "Wait," he called, grabbing my arm, it didn't hurt. I turned to look at him. "How are you going to make this worth my while?"

Lan growled when he grabbed her and was at her side in an instant, grabbing Matt's wrist and applying a lot of pressure "I'll make it worth your while not to touch her by not making you scream like a girl. I do not recall hearing her say you could man handle her."

"Lan, chill." I assured, releasing his grip on Matt. "Sorry, a little overprotective," I covered for Lan's actions. Matt smiled nervously and took a step back.

Lan growled clenching his fist "Let me put a different proposition to you. If you and your friends want to start something do it right now so I can make you all sing for forgiveness and mourn that you would be no longer men. Do not doubt me.I do not usually fight till someone yields, it's either death for him or me, understand?"

I threw an apologetic look at Matt and put my hands on Lan's back, pushing him away from Matt

He frowned but let himself be pushed away, when he was out of hearing distance of Matt he snarled "Insolent brat. I will teach him steel bites hard, and it bites harder when he man handles you."

I shook my head at him behind his back and rolled my eyes too.

He frowned then sighed "What now, you have me in this .. place... what now?"

"You don't have to come to school, if you don't want to." I explained, "You look old enough not to. It's completley up to you."

"I go where you go." he said simply "If harm comes to you I will feel it ten fold, such is the nature of the bond, if harm comes to me it will be a dull blunt pain to you."

I frowned. "Right," and stopped pushing him. I let him turn around and I leant over my car door and picked up a pile of books from the backseat. "your schoolbooks."

He took the books with only a small frown "Such a waste ... paper is a precious commodity where I come from, only the rich have more than one or two tomes yet I hold as many as a Brown Ajah Aes Sedai would ever get her hands on from the white tower to take to her rooms for a year!"

I shrugged, "It's normal here, You could use a computer if you wanted to, but I guessed that you wouldn't be able to figure it out for a while."

He looked confused "A computer? what is .. a computer? ... and why are you claiming I am your cousin? cousins would not be so closely linked and bound as we...."

"Look, to explain the second part easily, we need to stsy inconspicuous. We can't draw attention about what we are. The Volturi" I said the words with bitter hate. "would kill me for that. Literally."

"But why .. cousins?" he asked "Why choose such a distant relationship form?" he tilted his head trying to work out how she had come to the decision.

"Because, one, we -me and Hayley- have lived here for a while now, people know that we have no other close family. and two, you look nothing like me."