Excalibur Rising

Black marks and Baby Bird

Chapter 4

The next morning the little green Volkswagen pulled up outside of the school gates, the only difference to the day before was that this time the car's arrival didn't go unnoticed. Standing there by the gates, there was a red headed boy waiting for the passenger to be released from the confinements of the car. Xandria pushed opened the door and swung her legs out so that they touched the pavement before leaning back slightly so that he mum could peck her on the cheek. Xandria's mum held her back though from getting out of the car when she spotted Colton. She felt bad because the boy seemed to want to genuinely be friends with Xandria, and that's all she had ever wanted for her daughter but, some things were more important than a person's wants.

"Your friend is waiting," she whispered in her daughter's ear and felt guilty when her young face lit up, she kissed her again on the side of the head before pushing her lightly towards the door. "Just be careful, you have a job to do and you don't want innocents to get hurt." Her heart broke just a little bit as her daughter froze, her back ramrod straight as she paused on the threshold of the car before her whole body sagged and she nodded just enough for her to notice before her little blonde head disappeared out of the car. She watched through the window as her daughter approached the boy, her whole face lighting up when he linked arms with her and started talking animatedly. Xandria had never had a friend, not a true one anyway and she couldn't help but feel that she was holding her back by reminding her of her destiny, but there was nothing that could be done. "I'm sorry my little girl but this is how it has to be." Her voice was soft but weighed with so much sadness that it brought a solitary tear to the woman's eye before she turned the key in the ignition and drove away.

Xandria listened to Colton's chatter with much amusement, he was recounting how he had helped his dad do some chores the previous day but they ended up having a Laurel and Hardy moment with the ladder. When his dad turned whilst holding a ladder Colton was knocked to the ground and now he had a rather large bump on his head. Xandria had no idea who Laurel and Hardy were but, wanting to seem normal and not like an idiot, she just nodded along in acceptance but the image his descriptions invoked made a smile appear across her face.

"It's not funny," Colton protested before grasping her hand and laying it on his forehead when there was a rather large reddish purple bruise. "See it's huge." He stared at her wide eyed waiting for her to say something but all she could do was press her lips together to keep the smile from returning to her face.

"Oh no, you poor baby," she crooned moving her hand up to pat his flaming red hair. Colton was appeased by this nodding at her fake sympathy and started towards his friends before he glanced over at her in mock hurt.

"Hey, say it like you mean it, don't make fun of me!" He pouted his lip out like a kid and refused to walk any further so that Xandria was forced to stop too because he was still holding onto her arm. She rolled her eyes behind her glasses.

"I'm sorry Colton," she replied, her face twitching as she tried to keep her face serious but her lips kept  quirking up at the corners.

He nodded his head in assent before continuing through the bustle of students until he reached his friends who were huddled around a bench on the far side of the playground. Several student shot envious glances towards them before they drew their attention back to their friends. Colton shook his head at this, he never quite understood with the other students felt so envious of them, it's not like there was anything special about their group, not that they could tell anyway. He led Xandria to the bench and helped her sit down next to one of the girls. She had at least spoken a few words to Xandria the day before but, because everyone else didn't want a newcomer, she did as she was told and turned her back on the new addition to the group.