Beyond Bloodline - Unbreakable Bonds

four

Within minutes of stepping into his school grounds the following morning, Nigel found himself longing to be back under his covers. He'd barely gotten enough sleep as it stood. "Morning," he returned Aries' greeting with a weary smile. They went way back, like all the way back to kindergarten and on some personal levels, they'd grown to understand each other.

Aries slouched against his locker, arms crossed in front of him, so Nigel made to move him out of the way so he could access his books. His hand landed at his side but before he could even give the gentle push he'd planned, he saw the pained grimace that flashed across the other's face.

Nigel let go and watched him shuffle out of the way, dark gaze dropping to fix upon his waist where he was positive he was sporting yet another injury. Glancing back up, he pursed his lips at his tense expression but ultimately didn't say anything and just brought out the books he'd needed for the first half of his day. Upon shutting it, he glanced towards Aries whose attention had been drawn elsewhere.

Following his gaze to the opposite end of the hallway, Nigel was sure he didn't need a mirror to tell him how green his face had turned. Hayley stood at her own locker, looking pretty as ever in her form fitting uniform.

She was as delicate a picture as always, the top half of her hair tied in a double bun and the bottom half wavy against the nape of her neck, the only thing spoiling the ambience of such a scene the guy involved in conversation with her just adjacent. He didn't recognize him and that only seemed to compound his annoyance.

"Sure you still won't talk to her?" Aries piped up from where he stood, tone airy as always. "At this rate, she'll get taken and then you'll lose your chance—"

"We've talked," Nigel cut in abruptly before he could finish that train of thought. "Met yesterday at the supermarket."

"Took you long enough," he snickered. "Would you cut it out?" He couldn't help tsking at the sight of Nigel who was intent on boring holes through Hayley's companion by sheer will. Poor guy. He'd already looked about himself twice. "It's probably nothing. He's definitely new so perhaps he's just asking for directions?"

"With that wide smile and fat blush on his face?" Nigel snorted with piercing disdain. "As if."

Aries chuckled but didn't try to persuade him otherwise anymore.

Nigel toned down his glare but still watched the duo nevertheless. When Hayley's eyes suddenly caught his as she shut her locker and turned around. He felt the tip of his ears heating up as her smile widened and she gave an exuberant wave. He didn't mind the other guy's attention, returning a smile nearly as bright.

"You're hopeless," Aries scoffed.

"Proudly."

"Yo!" Nigel felt his lips twitching helplessly as that migraine inducing voice reverberated through the halls, diverting his attention from Hayley. Its owner soon strutted to a stop on front of them, giving a little twirl. "So, what do you guys think?"

Nigel exchanged a glance with Aries, honestly confused on what she wanted an opinion on. It wasn't until Aries gave him a slight, rather surreptitious nudge that he noticed she'd been stroking her lush, wavy hair over and over again with a proud smile. A real peacock this one was. "Well," he began, very much against his conscience. "Your hair's —"

"So much denser, isn't it?" she gushed.

Not really, it's not.

"So, I saw this wonderful hack on Insta and just had to try it for myself," she continued, not seeming to care whether she received a reply or not. The ability to carry a conversation all on her lonesome was this one's special talent. "Basically. . ."