The Pariah

Preview To Book 2!

Here is the preview to the second book. It is just part of the first chapter, I don't want to post the prologue because it gives too much away :) ---Lola

It had been two days since Nick had first arrived with Mia to the Alman and Kurt Academy. He had slept in a nice bed with nice sheets, and wore nice clothes and ate nice food, yet he still felt uneasy. He felt as if he was being constantly watched. He hadn't mentioned anything to Mia, because he knew it would freak her out, but he had been extra careful. He always checked the big window that sat between their beds to make sure it was locked, and he always checked the white door with the brown handle to make sure it was locked. He also checked the bathroom to make sure no one was hiding in their bath/shower. He did all of this twice a day. Was he paranoid? Probably, but was it justified? Yes.

    Mia hadn't been in the room much in the last two days they had been here. Nick wasn't exactly sure why, it wasn't as if she knew anyone here. Well, she knew Liam and Sam but they arrived with them. Sam was a lot like Nick with staying in his room, but classes were starting for them today, so he was sure for Sam that was going to change. But for Nick? He wasn't leaving this room unless someone forcibly removed him. Which knowing his sister, was probably already arranged and he was simply going to have to circle back.

    Nick had never been good at school, and he really did not enjoy it. He spent most of his time failing tests and trying to just skate by, and then he dropped out. He had to take care of his sister and work so they could have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, and in a way it was a blessing. He could see the direct result of the work he was doing and the benefits it was reaping. He didn't have much, but what he had was home, and this place was anything but.

    The room was spacious, it was about the size of their home back in Armonia. There were two twin beds in the room with uniform red sheets on them with pillows in red pillowcases. Nick's bed was unmade while Mia's bed was neatly put together, and the shoes that had been at the foot of her bed were no longer there. He assumed she went to the dining hall, he hadn't ventured there yet, mostly because he knew Mia would bring him food back and he wouldn't be totally out of his comfort zone.

    For someone so ready to go to war for those he loved, he sure was a coward. Nick smiled bitterly at that twisted thought as his bare feet moved across the wood floor. He went over to the desk that was in his room which was up against the wall next to the bathroom, Mia's was on the other side of the room. She was so excited when she saw the desk with the white paint and all of its supplies. It had all of their textbooks on it and the supplies they needed for each class. Nick hadn't even touched his five textbooks, but Mia poured over hers in excitement. She had read two of them in the span of twelve hours. He tried to get her to sleep, but he knew she was too geeked up.

    He glanced over at the bathroom where Mia had laid out his clothes for the day. Mia thought he couldn't dress himself with these new fancy clothes they were given from the school. Please. Nick had changed her diapers, if he could change a diaper he could certainly put on the stupid black slacks, white dress shirt, and red tie they wanted him to wear. Nick refused to wear the black jacket. He was going to a school not to a formal gala that the mayor was putting on. He thought the whole outfit was ridiculous, but Mia threatened to have Sam make him put it on, and Nick would rather put it on himself than have Sam do it. They had a history with bathrooms. A very complicated history.

    Nick stepped into the bathroom with a scowl, he glanced at himself in the mirror as he went to turn on the shower. His dark brown hair had gotten longer, it was sweeping into his face and going past his ears. He really needed to have Mia cut it, he had already made short work of his little bit of facial hair with the razor they provided him with. He didn't grow much of it in his time with the Barbatos family, but enough for it to be shaved off. His amber eyes looked as if they had fire in them because he was frustrated, he looked away from the mirror. When he had that look in his eyes, it reminded him too much of his father.