By Order Of The Fucking Peaky Blinders

2 - Isaiah Jesus

"Hey, um, is this seat taken?" A mixed boy with soft brown eyes asked, coming to stand next to the desk she sat at. Normally no one approached her, no one other than Diego that is. But he wasn't in her English class.

"Huh?" Charlotte replied, did he know who she was? What her family did? What she did?

"Is this seat taken?" He repeats slower.

"No." Charlotte says, gesturing for him to take the chair away.

"Oh, alright. Cool" he says, perching on the chair beside her, looking to the front of the class - which hadn't yet started - with a bored look on his face.

"What are you doing?" Charlotte inquires, eyeing him up and down.

"Sitting down. You said it was free?" He shrugs, turning to face her.

"Didn't think you'd actually sit there." Charlotte replies.

"It's a chair... what else would I do with it?" He says confused.

"I don't know, take it over to your friends or something." Charlotte shrugs.

"It would make sense, however I have no friends." He tuts.

"Pathetic." Charlotte retorts.

"I've had friends. I'm new here, love. You don't look new, where are your friends?" He smirks, to which Charlotte just scoffs, turning away from him, resting against the wall she sat next to.

"Want some?" He offers, holding out a bag of sweets.

"Tryna poison me or something?" Charlotte responds sarcastically, glancing at his outstretched hand.

"Trust issues, eh?" The boy teases.

"Knock it off." Charlotte scoffs.

"Why so defensive?" He asks.

"Why so annoying?" Charlotte retorts.

"Why don't we ask your friends? Oh wait..." he says, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

"Do you ever shut up?" Charlotte groans, when he starts tapping his pencil against the desk.

"No. Not really." He shrugs.

"Well could you. Instead of being an irritating specimen." Charlotte says, snatching the pencil from his hand when he went to tap it again, snapping it between her fingers and launching them towards a boy that sat diagonal to her, who let out a cry as they made contact with his head. She'd heard him calling her a 'tinker' and 'pikey'' during the week, he deserved it.

"My, my. You're a lot to love aint ya?" The boy beside her chuckles.

"Could say the same about you, twerp." Charlotte replies.

"Twerp? I am not a twerp." He gasps pretending to be hurt.

"Mmhm. Sure thing knucklehead." Charlotte jibes.

"Don't call me that, you're a right bitch, you know that?" He says, and Charlotte cocks an eyebrow at him, not accustomed to being spoken to so casually or playfully.

"What'd you prefer me to call you?" Charlotte asks.

"Isaiah. Isaiah Jesus." He says.

"How.... religious. My aunt would love you." Charlotte replies.

"Now, do you want one or not?" Isaiah asks, holding his bag of sweets out to her once more.

"Go on then." Charlotte says, pulling out a lollipop, placing it between her lips, the taste of strawberries filling her mouth.