Chapter 5: Truce

“We just thought we would give you an early birthday present..” the bigger looking boy said, Leila looked around the cafeteria, everyone was staring at what was happening to Thomas, as though it were entertainment for them. Pearl seemed to have a huge smirk on her face, with her hands folded across her shoulders, casually sitting back in her chair. Alicia too was staring as though in boredom, while Oliya was staring at Leila, who quickly moved her gaze. She saw that Zach had no interest was busy eating his lunch, while Xavier who sat just one table away from him, was staring intently at Leila. Blushing, she too bowed her head down.

“The question is Thamsie ..should we give you our presie here…or do you want to receive it outside?” the big one continued saying. Thomas again just stood still, saying nothing.

“well..I suppose he then wants an audience…what say you good people ?” the second guy cheered onto the crowd, with applause from the rest of the cafeteria. Again Zach didn’t bother to look up, he kept cutting his chunks of meat with his knife, and was talking animatedly with his friend next to him. Xavier too seemed to have lost interest, and was back to eating from his plate.

“Here is your birthday cake..if you will…have a bite” The big guy said, putting in front of them a plastic box filled with dead rats, blood was still oozing from them. Leila screamed, putting her hand to her mouth, and pushing her chair back. She had never seen anything so horrid in her life. Justin too was staring at the box as though he were about to get nauseas, every single person on the table seemed to either stare at the dead rats like they couldn’t look away from it, or they couldn’t get themselves to look at it. Thomas however, was the worst face of all the charity cases on the table, his skin had gone pale white, and sweat was starting to form on his forehead, his face looked like death itself.

“ I said eat it..” repeated the big guy, with malice in his voice. Leila got up, she couldn’t look at the box anymore, and much less at Thomas. Suddenly the whole cafeteria stared at her, as though her getting up was a sign of protest, suddenly all the cheering stopped. Eyes seemed to rotate between Xavier and Leila, now that she thought of it, she had never asked whose ‘beggar’ Thomas was, but seeing the stares directed at him, Leila was sure Thomas belonged to Xavier, and now her standing up was a sign of protest against his people…against him. Zach too looked up and saw Leila standing in the cafeteria table.

“Leila…sit back down” Justin whispered in a panic. “No one is allowed to get up from the table when they are initiating..” he said. Initiating? Is that what they called these acts of cruelty. She wasn’t going to stand here watching Thomas being force fed these barely dead rats, she was moving back, when suddenly she heard Xavier’s chair make a scraping noise, as he too got up. Zach stayed seated, watching intently as Xavier walked down to the beggars table. Nico and Taylor stayed seated but they too watched Xavier walking down to the table. Xavier finally arrived to the beggar’s table, his hands in his pocket, looking like he was taking a casual walk down the street. “Thomas, did you not hear Edward?..He said eat the dam rats..” Xavier said, and in an instant, Leila could see why the whole school was afraid of him, there was every bit authority as there was power in his words. He didn’t even have to raise his voice, the bare threats were marked in every syllable he spoke. Turning his attention to Justin, “ I see you haven’t informed your new friend about how things work around here…” he whispered.

“You don’t get to correct him on anything…as a matter of fact you shouldn’t even be talking to him..” zach said, as he too walked down to their table. There was pin drop silence in the cafeteria now.

“ I don’t remember asking you to interfere..” Xavier said

“And I don’t remember tattooing your name on his chest..”.zach said angrily. Leila was not going to watch anymore, she quickly turned around to walk out from the heated scene, just than she felt large hands grabbing her by the waist, lifting her off the floor, the large powerful hands turned her around so that she was bare inches away from Xavier’s handsome face, his cold eyes bore into hers, “You should finish you’re lunch..” he whispered, but yet this tone was so much more different than the one he had used on Justin just now. Even though he had whispered to both of them, his tone with her had a gentleness about it, completely lacking in threat. And it seemed that one small action was already out of character from him, Leila could hear the other charity cases gasping at Xavier. She tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp, but it was as though his hands were iron clads, she looked up at him, trying to fake bravado, she said “Let me go..” with her best intimidating face she could muster, but he just looked mildly amused at her response, though he continued holding her with one hand, while with the other he pulled aggressively the whole set of sellotaped seats back a little from the table, with that, he gently put her down onto the seat. Leila’s face was a scorching red, her eyes watering, she didn’t know if she would be able to control the tears from flowing. Xavier turned his attention to Thomas, bending his head down a little till it was in line with Thomas’s, and moving the box of rats up close to his face. He said maliciously “Now eat..”

“Get up!” zach shouted at Justin, who was sitting directly opposite Leila, Justin quickly got up from his seat, and zach came to sit down in his place. Staring at Leila, he came closer to Leila’s face “I think our Royal heir ordered you to finish your plate …” he smiled viciously. It seemed as though Thomas and Leila were both caught in the middle, with Thomas next to her, and Xavier between them, and Zach directly in front of her, Leila closed her eyes, and picked up her last piece of toast, her hands still shaking she took a large bite. She wouldn’t watch Thomas enduring abuse, …more like she couldn’t watch it. She heard his fingers making a move into the box of dead fury rats, and the whole cafeteria made a ‘urghhhh’ noise, which only meant for Leila that he had taken the rat. All of a sudden she heard big shrieks, and clapping as Thomas started eating them. And just as quickly she heard noises from her side, as though Thomas was about to vomit, and was trying to control himself. Suddenly the whole cafeteria broke into a song “SWALLOW IT, SWALLOW IT ! SWALLOW IT!” And she felt her overwhelming tears flowing down her face as Thomas managed to take it in, which was met with overwhelming claps. Suddenly the crowd started cheering “FINSH THEM! FINISH THEM!” Leila turned to look at the box beside her, and there were still two more rats to go, one of which was still twitching, Zach was looking around at the crowd and making fake conductor motions in the air, as though conducting the crowds chorus, when he caught sight of Leila’s tear streaked face, all mockery left his face. Xavier too seemed to see Leila’s face and suddenly put his hands up to the crowd, which suddenly went quiet. “That will be all for today..” he said. Zach made a mocking apologetic face “ Oww..i was actually starting to like the entertainment buddy..” he said maliciously, Xavier smirked at him, “Oh yeah? Why don’t you ask you’re little puppy there to eat them than? “ he said shoving the box across the table to Justin’s direction. Leila stared at Justin scared for him. Zach still staring at Leila, “You know…I think today was already a bit much for someone…maybe we should set another date..for tomorrow?” Zach responded to Xavier. Xavier looked at Leila briefly, and sighed, though it was an exasperated sigh…as though he were lost in confusion. The bell rang again, and everyone seemed to get up instantly forgetting the drama they were just watching. The whole beggar table though stood seated, Xavier looked to his side of the table and said “You may go..” , Zach too looked to his side of the table and gave a small nod. However Leila was stuck on the last seat of the bench, and both Xavier and Zach seemed to be staring at her, she looked at both of them, and got up slowly..cautiously…awkwardly..not sure if she too needed permission from both of them about being ‘allowed’ to go. Suddenly she felt Xavier’s large hands on her, pushing her down back to her seat. She looked down at her table, feeling trapped, like a piece of meat stuck in between two Lions. Zach made an exaggerated yawn “Ah always so theatrical buddy…can’t you see you’re scaring her?” he said. Leila refused to look up to them, both staring at each other like they were about to pounce on the other.

“So what are we going to discuss today?” Zach said

“What we always discuss when a new beg-…when a new student comes by..” Xavier finished. Leila caught that, he almost called her a beggar but than stopped. Why?

“What is there to discuss, I’ve already staked my claim..this one is mine..” zach said. Xavier smiled at him “And…how did you decide on that?”

“ why …are you getting jealous? Do you want to share?” zach said with deliberate emphasis on the word share. Xavier snorted “ You know I can’t share…”

“neither can I..” zach retorted. “ Ah …what shall we do than buddy?” shuddering , she needed to get out, out of this situation, getting up slowly once again, she could see the surprise on the face of Xavier and zach..like she was ‘disobeying’ them somehow.

“I’m leaving now..” she said to Xavier, her body shaking, and she didn’t look at him, scared that he would see the fear in her eyes, that she was faking her apparent courage.

“I don’t remember us saying that you could go …preety flower..” zach said dangerously, Leila took a huge sigh, “okay..than are you going to stop me?” she said, backing away from her chair, as zach started edging on closer to her, giving a loud chuckle. “Ow, come on ! That’s too tempting..don’t seduce me, I don’t think ill be able to control myself....” zach said dangerously, while Xavier too edged closer to her. With her last chance, Leila decided to make a run for it, and this time she felt a new set of hands grabbing her, though not violently, and seating her back down on the chair with deliberate gentleness.

“she does have spunk ! I’ll give her that !” zach said, “is there no way to settle this… bestie? Should we call it a truce?”

Xavier raised his beautifully arched eyebrows “ A truce? It’s never worked in the past, I doubt it will work with us now..”

“We’ve never had a reason before now to call in a truce…buddy..” zach said staring at Leila. Xavier too stared at Leila, and finally nodding his head, he said “Ok..truce it is..for now..”

“for now..” zach responded.

Looking from one to the other and not understanding, what type of deal, which clearly involved her actually meant. “What does that mean..?” Leila asked Xavier, his handsome face stared at her intently, and then bending down, similar to the fashion he did with Thomas, he whispered “that means for now, you belong to the both of us..” he said, turning towards zach, she could see him beaming at her.