TENACIOUS

CHAPTER TWO

   A persistent tap on Eli's shoulder during assembly was beginning to agitate him. What's more, he knew who it was without having to turn around. He was now tensley perched on a red chair. The rows of them were lazily assembled, and because of this, all the students sat in diagonal lines. Behind him sat his brother, Cohen, along with Caspar. The Hall was fairly immense. In the centre was a glossy stage, that allowed spotlights to bounce off it, therefore ruin any atmosphere you could wish to make during a performance. Along each window was pieces of roughly cut black card to isolate the place from the outside distractions; it was poorly done so that cracks in the patchwork still allowed beady eyes of Year Sevens access.

   'Eli, please' Cohen's voice chimed through his restless mind.

   'I can't.'

   'You need to.'

   He gripped his nails firmly into his palm till it bled. Isadora swatted his hand and hushed him soothingly. "Hold on two more minutes. Just two; you're safe. It's safe."

   "Isa, I can't." Eli whined, his breathing beginning to pick up it's pace. Tears glazed over his exhausted eyes, and he caught his rugged lip between his teeth to muffle a minute cry. Stroking his hand tenderly, Isadora cooed him, shooting violent glares at a couple of spectators from the rows in front.

   After he realised how many people were in fact observing his jitters get the better of him, Elijah began to sob. It was only seconds later the bell sounded and implied for herds of people to leave the hall at once. They channelled their way out as though they were cattle, focusing on migrating to their classes rather than on the Blackthorn boy.

   "Go. I'll be five minutes." Cohen whispered to him as they wandered through the double doors.

"Liar." Caspar watched the other boy's lip twitch into a smile. "I'll see you at the flat."

"Mhm." Sighing wistfully, Cohen pecked his jovial Eolach's cheek, before he moved to stride out the Café Hall.

   His little brother's posture crumbled as soon as they'd left the room. His crying became ragged; "I'm - so sorry." Eli choked out. The boy slumped down onto the floor where his elder brother crouched to meet his eyes. With Cohen's left hand, blue sparks balzed, and the three of them became covered from the mundane world.

   "Just breathe." He instructed gently. "Breathe, Eli!" Cohen began to panic at his brother's lack of oxygen intake, regretting his exclamation as soon as it had passed his lips. "C'est en sécurité, mon petit frère. Do you want to go home?"

   Eli's eyes flickered from Isadora who loitered anxiously with her arms folded over her chest, and back to his brother whose eyes were deep with serenity. "Home." The boy breathed. "Home."

   The cautious twin's brother nodded, and lifted the limp frame of Eli. His brows threaded together. "When did you last eat something?" The taller twin sucked on his teeth and looked from the ground to his brother's eyes in two blinks. He began by admiring Eli's attire; the uniform hung off of his miniature body as if he were a child dressed in his parents wardrobe. The toes of his shoes were scuffed, and the laces loosely done up. After he'd had enough of that, his glance flickered back up to the twin's hollow eyes. In fact, his entire face was sunken.

   "Yesterday," He replied skittishly.

   "Issy?" Cohen pressed.

   She hesitated, causing the elder twin to grit his teeth. He knew the answer without it needing to be voiced. "Last Friday, half a piece of toast. Since then there's been picking at fruit pots instead. I've tried to help, I swear."