A/N: So...yeah, I've basically got nothing to say here. But I'm reposting this chapter just so I could tell you that. XD

Čħαρтёя Ŧẅθ

Generally speaking, it wasn’t a good idea to get into a fight on the first day of school, particularly not if it was with her.

She was possibly one of the most frightening students that attended Water’s Edge Academy, and one that was constantly picking fights with Micaiah. Always dressed in a black trench coat with a black shirt and pants, black hair that ran all the way down to her backside and was more often than not greasy and tangled. Black hiking boots—quite possibly also steel-toed. Painted-black nails that she had sharpened into points, and glasses that made her electric-blue eyes look far larger than they were.

Not that Siri, Jacob, or Finn would ever find out about the almost-daily rounds that took place in stairwells and empty hallways—fighting was something Micaiah didn’t really like to display to her family.

No, this was something that Micaiah had discovered on her own, planned to change on her own, and was willing to fight on her own.

Currently the latter of the three was occurring, and not exactly in Micaiah’s favour—having a hand around your throat was never particularly a good thing. For a moment she considered calling for help, then threw that idea out the window.

Instead she gripped the hand that was around her neck as tightly as she could and simultaneously kicked upwards, hitting her in the jaw and managing to worm out of the hand that had held her. Grinning, she spun around to land another blow to her head and almost laughed as she felt the satisfying jar of her foot against a skull.

She grunted in pain and Micaiah dodged another blow, ducking underneath her arm and punching out the other girl’s knees. A growl escaped her lips and she bared her teeth.

“You can’t leave,” she hissed. “You aren’t allowed!”

“And just why not?” Micaiah asked, breathless and keeping one hand against her back pocket, feeling the coolness of metal against her hand even through her uniform. Her lighter, which Siri had been kind enough to alter into something that was more like a tiny flamethrower. A safety measure.

“Because he told me…that you need to stay here until he comes.”

Violet eyes widened at this statement.

“What do you mean, Jessica?” she asked, using the other girl’s name for the first time in months.

Jessica’s eyes narrowed and she let the dark green markings on her cheeks show—they were the same as Siri’s, but at the same time, completely her own. Maybe it was just the fact that her markings were a darker green than Siri’s, or the fact that as the lines moved down her neck they became more and more distorted at times…but no matter what, they didn’t look the same as the markings of most Hunters.

“He’s coming and he has the Crown Prince with him—” at this, Micaiah let out a barely-audible gasp “—or didn’t you know? Could it be that you were, pray tell, lazy over the course of the summer? Surely you’re aware that we have him. And it’s not going to be long before we have you, too. Then your brothers, then your boyfriend.”

The blonde’s eyes narrowed.

“Siri. Is not. My boyfriend.”

These words were the last that she said before she rushed at Jessica again.

§ħīгт

“What did you do?!”

It was just after last period when they found her, and Micaiah twitched slightly and continued walking to her locker, completely ignoring both Jacob and Siri as the two appeared next to her. Siri grabbed her by the shoulders almost immediately when she didn’t answer and turned her around to look at her. Jacob gasped.

Her right cheek was scraped and her eye was already beginning to bruise. The fingers on her left hand were swelling from a point in their fight when Jessica had flung her against a wall and she had put her hands out to try and keep herself from getting too hurt. Her lower lip was split near the edge of her mouth and was still oozing blood now and then—mostly because she’d been chewing on it throughout the day—and almost without thinking Siri leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers, wrapping his arms tightly around her and letting go almost immediately the moment she let out a sharp gasp of pain.

“Good lord, Micaiah, what did you do?” he asked, placing a hand on the back of her neck and massaging gently. “Who did this to you?”

The blonde closed her eyes and sighed. “Nobody did this to me. I was running late last period, tripped over my own two feet, fell down the stairs, and upon attempting to catch myself at the bottom I slammed into the corner of the wall, so the wall got my face while the door just beside it got me in the ribs. The bricks here are sharp, as we all know. It’s really nothing.” She shrugged. “Can we go home? I’m all hurty.”

Jacob nodded and hugged her, but Siri shook his head.

“We’ll go to the Sports Med. room first,” he said sternly, “and we’ll get you patched up. You’re still bleeding and you’ve sprained three fingers, not to mention your ribs are probably bruised. C’mon. I’ll lock the door so nobody walks in on the two of us checking your ribs and assumes the worst.”

Micaiah smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around the two. “You guys are the best friends that a girl could ask for,” she sighed. “I love you both.”

Jacob grinned and wrapped his arm around his sister’s waist, Siri did the same, and then both boys lightly kissed either side of Micaiah’s face.

“Honestly, though,” Siri began, “if someone has been hurting you, I’m going to kick their ass. Then possibly be sad because you haven’t told the truth.”

The blonde stiffened slightly at this comment and Siri gently kissed her cheek again. “Hey, hey,” he whispered, “you alright? I trust you not to lie to me, Micaiah, and if you ever do, then I know it would be for good reason. C’mon; you’re hurt.”

Micaiah nodded. “Thanks, guys. Let’s go get me patched up.”

Her brother grinned and nodded, turned to slam shut her locker for her, and jumped back almost immediately.

“Excuse me,” said a voice, “but…do you all need some help?”

The voice belonged to a girl who was about the same height as Siri. Her eyes were such a light brown they were nearly gold and her hair was, oddly enough, purple—most likely dyed, but still. Different. Her uniform was a little big on her, and oddly enough, just like Micaiah, she was wearing the boy’s uniform rather than the one girls were supposed to wear—sort of. The tie that all the boys were supposed to wear seemed to be missing from her uniform, and she’d added on a number of pins that were shaped like animals over the school emblem that sat on the front left side of the blazer.

Siri opened his mouth to answer, but before he could get a word out the purple-haired girl was talking again.

“Holy—what happened to you!? I’ve got a first aid kit…come on, let’s find an empty classroom.”

Jacob looked at his sister, who in turn shrugged. “Sure, why not? If she messes anything up, Siri can fix it.”

The purple-haired girl scowled. “Gee, thanks.”

Micaiah smiled. “We say it out of love…kinda. I think. Maybe.”

The girl laughed. “Fantastic, I think. Maybe.” Then she winced slightly. “Ew…”

“It’s not really that bad,” Jacob pointed out. “She’s just bruised and a little scraped. If you don’t want to patch her up that’s fine.”

“No, no, I insist.”

“So do I,” Siri muttered against Micaiah’s ear. “And yet I want to see how badly she messes you up so we have an excuse to never talk to her again.”

The blonde’s eyes narrowed and she pressed her cheek against his, letting her mind mingle with his for just a second.

Be nice.

Siri sighed. Fine.

“Um…hello?”

Micaiah blinked. “Mmyes?”

“I’m sorry for interrupting but…if you want to get patched up then we should probably find somewhere to do it.”

Micaiah grinned sheepishly. “I suppose. Where to, then?”

“Sports Med. room,” Siri, Jacob, and the new girl all said at once. The blonde laughed.

“Alright, alright. Onwards, then.”

§ħīгт

“Help yourselves to my backpack; there’s food in it if you’re interested.”

Both boys made a rush for the backpack, and Micaiah laughed as the purple-haired girl began cleaning the scrapes on her cheek. The other girl made a face as Micaiah winced, then leaned in.

“You’ve got a piece of brick in your face. I’ll need to get it out.”

Almost immediately Siri perked up. “She’s got what? Where?”

“There’s a piece of brick in her cheek. Probably from when she ran into it. It needs to be taken out or it might get infected,” the girl explained. “It’s…probably going to hurt, though.”

“Let me do it,” Siri said almost immediately, walking over to them and sitting next to Micaiah. “She’s…just please let me do it.”

“She can speak for herself, can’t—?”

“Please,” Micaiah whispered. “Let him do it.”

The other girl nodded and sat back, letting Siri pull the offending piece of rock out and then raising an eyebrow as he lightly pressed kisses along her unscraped cheek.

“Are you two…together?” she asked, blushing slightly.

Micaiah turned bright red.

“No, not at all! We’ve just…known each other forever,” she sighed happily. “And I love him like family. We just…tend to act like we’re going out.”

“I see,” the taller girl said. “Well…can I finish patching you up, then? Then we can all…do something.”

“Sounds like a plan to me!” Micaiah half-shouted, throwing her arms around the purple-haired girl and wincing almost immediately when her bruised ribs complained. “I like this person despite my pain! Who are you?”

The girl smiled and began cleaning the scrape. “My name is—”

“Tolea. She works at the Wolves’ Pack Café. It’s a couple streets away from here. We pass it on the way to school,” Jacob interrupted, blue eyes slightly brighter than usual. Micaiah glared at him.

Tolea blinked. “…yes, I do. How…did you know?”

Jacob shrugged. “I’ve seen you on the way home. You usually drive past us while we’re walking home. We’re the really loud, really annoying, usually blonde twins. You nearly hit Micaiah last year.”

The girl suddenly started laughing. “I remember you! I swear, you looked like you were ready to kill me!”

“We probably were,” Micaiah laughed. “It’s fine, though, really. Forgive and forget, and all that.”

“Thanks,” Tolea replied. “So you’re Micaiah, then…who are these guys, then?

“That thing that looks like me is Jacob, and the kid who pulled out the brick is Siri.”

Both boys looked at Tolea and nodded as their names were mentioned, then Jacob threw a grape at Siri, who caught it in his mouth. Tolea laughed.

“Listen…do you guys want to come hang out later? I work from four until seven, and in the morning from seven until eight thirty. I’ll get you guys a discount if you’re interested.”

“Seriously!?” Jacob jumped up and tackled Tolea. “I think I’m in love!”

Siri laughed and pulled out a roll of sports tape, gently taking Micaiah’s hand and beginning to wrap her injured fingers. “I’ll be sure to plan your guys’ wedding, seeing as how you and your big brother were kind enough to plan mine with your sister.”

He was cut off by Micaiah leaning in and pressing her forehead to his. “And you know you loved the fact that my family is so kind and caring.”

Tolea laughed softly. “Listen, I’ve gotta go pick up my little brothers from school before I start work. Take a look at Micaiah’s ribs, please. Make sure she’s not too hurt. Will I see you guys later?”

“Most likely,” Jacob and Micaiah said at the same time. Tolea raised an eyebrow.

“Do you guys have some freaky psychic twin connection or something? You’re scary…” she grinned.

“No, they’re just…special,” Siri replied, grinning and rumpling Micaiah’s hair, then frowning. “Good lord, you’ve got a bump too! Micky…”

“I’m fine, Siri. You know how clumsy I am. Don’t worry about me, okay? I don’t fall down stairs often. It just happened because I was in a rush today. It’s fine.”

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her, wary of her injured ribs. Tolea smiled.

“I’ll see you guys later, then,” she said, waving. Jacob grinned.

“Bye!”

Siri sighed. “Now, as for those ribs of yours…”

§ħīгт

“Finn, can we go out for dinner tonight, please?”

The request came from both Jacob and Siri at the same time while Finn was examining Micaiah’s injuries. The blue-haired man glanced up quickly before continuing to examine his sister’s split lip.

“Go out where? I don’t get paid until I land another gig and we’re not supposed to use the emergency money jar unless it’s, oh, I don’t know…an emergency.” He sighed heavily. “I’d like to take you guys out, I really would, but I’ve got no money. Everything goes towards keeping the house because mum doesn’t bother with helping us pay the bills.”

“Then I’ll pay,” Siri began. Finn cut him off.

“I’m not letting you take us out again,” he insisted. “That’ll be the third time in two weeks.”

Siri sighed and smiled. “Finn, I don’t mind. I’ve got money. You guys…you do, just not for spending on stuff like going out. And I like taking you all out. You’re my family. Kind of.”

Finn laughed and stood.

“Siri, you practically live here,” he said, smiling. “Except for the days when Micaiah and Jacob and I have had to bunk at your place.”

“It still makes you family,” Jacob pointed out, poking Siri in the ribs. “We’ve known you since seventh grade—”

“—which is practically forever,” Micaiah pointed out.

“And we’re not going to make the second-oldest child pay for everything that goes on. We already live at your house whenever electricity or heating gets cut off because I haven’t been paid—”

“—even though Micky and I have jobs and would be more than glad to help—”

“—except for the fact that you two are not to spend anything because you’re saving for university,” Finn finished.

“So if they can’t spend anything and you’re saving your money to pay bills then isn’t it logical that the sibling with both a job and relatively well-off parents pays for every time we decide to go out?” Siri ended, grinning broadly. “C’mon, it’s not far from here.”

Finn sighed, defeated. “Where are we going?”

“The Wolves’ Pack Café. It’s this little place about halfway between here and school. A girl we know works there and said she’d give us a discount,” Jacob said, latching onto Finn’s arm. “Please let us go!”

“The Wolves’ Pack? I’ve been there. I’m friends with the head chef. The food is amazing there…and I suppose if you’re friends with someone they’ve hired then your claim of relatively free food is right. Let’s go…but Siri isn’t to spend more than forty dollars on all of us combined, and that includes dessert. Deal?”

Siri grinned and held up a fist, which Finn pounded. “Deal.”