Intrigued•Paul Lahote

nine

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ZURI WAS IN CLASS as she felt her brother stare at her from behind at a different table. Her brothers and her weren't talking since the other night. Her dad came back with puffy eyes and slurring. Xavier blamed Zuri for going off on him and calling her ungrateful. Zuri didn't care though. She knew she had to get what wanted to get off her chest. The bell rung bringing the Thompson girl out her thoughts. She packed up her notebook, textbook, and pens into her book bag and headed to her locker. Walking down the hallway she saw someone standing in front of her locker.

"Lahote." She sighed.

"Thompson." He flirted back.

"What's up? Aren't you supposed to be stuck to Xavier like glue?" She asked Paul.

"I wanted to check on you. Plus, he wasn't in the talking mood." Paul informed the girl.

"I bet." She replied switching her books.

"He told me what happened. We aren't monsters." Paul tried to reason.

Zuri slammed her locker and sighed. "Look. Can we not talk about this right now. Please?" Zuri begged Paul not ready to have this conversation.

"I'm sorry. It's just this secret is important. You can't tell the idiots you call friends about this. Please." Paul pleads.

Zuri scoffed. "You're not checking up on me. You're making sure I don't say anything. Look. Go back to following Sam and leave me the fuck alone. I won't say anything by about your stupid secret okay. But keep pissing me off and I'll tell every damn body." Zuri whisper yelled turning on her heels.

Paul walked back to the other side of the hall where Jared, Xavier, and Zac were listening.

"That went well." Xavier stated.

"I don't see you doing anything." Jared replied.

"I have nothing to say to her." Xavier scoffed.

Zac rolled his eyes at his brother. He believed no one should be blaming anyone. The whole family was in the wrong and it was just about finding the right time for everyone to get whatever they wanted to say off their chest. Zac still felt bad considering Zuri is his twin. He wanted to talk to her but didn't know how to begin. He wanted to say sorry, explain, hug her. But he knew she would deny him. "Only if the other boys knew. She would talk to them." Zac spoke aloud. Then he got an idea, "I'm going to try talking to her."

"What makes you think she's just not as mad at you?" Xavier asked his younger brother.

"Cause' I knew how to keep my mouth shut." Zac laughed walking towards his sister. "Zuri." He stated walking up behind her. She was finishing up a conversation with a friend she made.

"Zac?" She replied.

"Can we talk?" He asked.

"Why? Xavier said everything he wanted me to hear." Zuri stated. "Yea, but not what I had to say." Zac exclaimed.

"Zac. You do everything Xavier tells you to do. You aren't even your own person. If Xavier told you to stop talking to me you probably would." Zuri informed her brother.

"Look. I know you're hurt but you can't keep shutting dad out like this. He's hurting Zuri. He's blaming himself. The small things you do hurt. Not eating dinner with us, ignoring us when we're at home, even when you do reply you give one word answers." Zac reminds Zuri of her actions. "Zuri. Just let dad explain. Please?" Zac pleaded.

"No. Xavier told me how much he wants me to go home. Maybe I should just go back." Zuri informed her brother.

"What?" Zac asked shocked. "Big brother didn't tell you that he wants me to go home. Told me that I disrupted the peace that you guys had before I came." Zuri informed her brother before headed to her next class.