Anadil had been tutoring Hester for three weeks, and she had to admit, she was more than she let on. She never could have expected that someone who looked so scary could be so...fun. When she loosened up, Hester could crack jokes that could send them both spiraling into fits of laughter, and she had so many stories to tell that Anadil could sit and listen to for hours. She'd even promised to raise her grades a bit so they wouldn't have to end their sessions. To be honest, this was the happiest Anadil had felt since her best friend's departure a year before. Talking to Hester made her forget about her mom's broken promise to return home soon after her recent show, and made the uneasy looks and snide comments mean so much less. Of course, until the bullies cornered her.
"So what's with you and the new girl?" somebody asked as Anadil stood at her locker. She turned around, ignoring them, but found them blocking the hallway. It was the end of the day, so there was no one else in sight.
"You're going to miss the bus," she told them, trying to shove past them without inciting a conflict.
"You know, we definitely knew you two would buddy up," said one of the bullies, shoving her back toward the locker. Taken by surprise, her back slammed into it, the clang echoing down the halfway. Damn, she should have been expecting that.
"Yeah, said the other bully. "You're both weirdos, of course. You both look like you're going to curse us while we sleep. So tell us, do you know where she lives?"
"No," Anadil said stiffly. "And what do you care, anyways? Are you going to stalk her? Because you know I can report that to—"
"Aw, baby's going to tattle on us," said one of the bullies, sticking out her bottom lip mockingly and looking toward her companion.
"I'm so scared," said the other in an equally mocking voice. "Or maybe she's going to call her rich mommy and have her come down to the school."
"Hey, assholes, over here!" The two of them turned around to see Hester striding down the hall. She loomed over them threateningly. "Hey there, Anadil," she said, a clear edge to her voice as she shot glares at the bullies. "You're late to our session. Our tutoring session." Anadil was not sure why she felt the need to add the last part, but on the bright side, the bullies were looking quite a bit less confident. She took Anadil's arm and led her away down the hall, kicking the door to the locker shut as hard as possible.
"I don't need you to stand up for me," Anadil hissed once they were out of earshot. "I can take care of myself."
"I know you can," Hester replied. "Which is why I stepped in. Don't want you to get suspended for bashing someone's brains in."