*
Tai spat toothpaste into the sink and looked up at her reflection. She splashed water onto her face and tied her long hair up into a ponytail. Her eyes went to the locket around her neck and she sighed. "Morning, ma. Morning, papa," she whispered, taking her mother's locket into her hand.
Tai and Raiden had been brought up in the foster system most of their lives. Up until they were six they lived in Japan with their parents, until their mother died and their father dragged them to America to start a new life, which resulted in a bad car crash that killed him and resulted in Tai and Raiden being shoved into foster care.
The locket was the only thing she had of her parents, inside was the only picture of them.
"Tai, are you ready?"
Raiden's yell made Tai jump and she sighed, dropping the locket and walking out of the bathroom and into the hallway where she met Raiden. "Ready," she said and grabbed her purse and phone from the side.
"I'll drop you off at the supermarket and then pick you up once I'm done at the school," Raiden said and Tai nodded, eager to get out of their new house.
Tai climbed into the passenger seat of their truck and waited for Raiden to start the engine and drive off into their new town. Tai stared out of the window, observing the new place that they were now living. For a small town the streets were busy and she noticed a diner packed full of teenagers.
"What do you think?"
"I guess it's not too bad."
Raiden smiled. "It's a nice town, a safe town. It's good for us."
Tai sighed and nodded. "I trust you, Rai. I know you wouldn't have moved us somewhere dangerous."
"It might be dangerous now that you're here with your winning personality" Raiden teased and Tai rolled her eyes and shoved her brother. "Watch it, I don't want to drive into a tree!"
"Then learn to be more polite," she said and smiled sweetly at Raiden just as he stopped the truck outside of a large supermarket.
"Go and buy the correct cheese," he said with a laugh and Tai rolled her eyes, climbing out of the car. She waved to Raiden over her shoulder and made her way into the supermarket, collecting a trolley and starting down the aisle.
She filled the shopping trolley to the brim with Raiden's and hers favourite food, and she struggled to push it to the till, where a ginger-haired staff member was scowling at the item of food in her hand and waving it manically in front of the scanner. "Blasted till," the girl scolded. "Get a job at the supermarket they said. You'll enjoy it, they said!" The girl narrowed her eyes and snatched the money from the customer in front of Tai and gave them the receipt. The customer gave the girl a strange look and hurried away, but Alice just rolled her eyes.
Tai raised her eyebrows and walked up to the girl, reading her name tag, Alice.
"You're new," Alice said and Tai looked up at Alice as she started to put her shopping onto the conveyer belt.
"Excuse me?"
"Your new to this town," Alice said. "Sorry, I'm not creepy, it's just that this town is quite small so a new face is recognised from a mile away."
Tai nodded. "Right."
"When did you get here?" Alice wondered as she started to scan Tai's food.
"That's a bit of a personal question, don't you think?" Tai asked, an edge to her voice. Tai didn't exactly come off as friendly when she first met people. She wasn't a mean person, she just didn't trust easily and was quite cold at first. She didn't like people knowing much about her, she was very much a closed book.
"Chill, I'm just curious," Alice shrugged.
"Learn to be a little less," Tai muttered and was grateful when her phone rang. She reached into her pocket and answered her phone, knowing that it would only be Raiden.
"Good news!" He called and Tai rolled her eyes at his chipper tone. He was always happy.
"I doubt it."
"School starts on Monday!" He said enthusiastically.
"Do we really have to go to school?" Tai groaned. "I'm fine with not graduating, I'm more than fine with it. How about you go and I don't?"
"We start Monday," Raiden repeated, "no excuses, Tai. I'm on my way back to the supermarket now. I won't be long.
"I really don't like you," Tai grumbled and hung up on Raiden, shoving her phone back into her pocket.
"You're going to the local high school?" Alice wondered and Tai raised an eyebrow at Alice.
"You're curious and an eavesdropper," Tai noted and Alice frowned, looking slightly hurt.
"Sorry, I just overheard-"
"No," Tai shook her head. "I'm being a bitch. Sorry, I'm just not in the happiest of moods."
"It's fine," Alice shrugged and suddenly glared at the packet of cheese in her hand. "Why won't you scan, you annoying lump of dairy!"
Tai raised her eyebrows. "You're scanning the wrong side."
"Oh... Right," Alice coughed and threw the cheese aside. "Well, I'm sure I'll see you around on Monday. I'm Alice."
"I can't wait," Tai said sarcastically.
"This town has a lot of drama," Alice said. "It may be small, but that doesn't mean it won't feel like you've just walked into a young adult fiction book.
Tai chuckled slightly. "I'll considered myself warned."
*
Tai woke up in a grouchy mood on Monday morning. She forced herself out of her uncomfortable bed and rushed into the bathroom before Raiden and showered. She walked out in her towel and smiled at Raiden who was waiting outside, towel in hand. "You better be quick, there's not much hot water left," she said and Raiden narrowed his eyes at her.
"You're mean," he said.
"So are you for making me go to school!" Tai called and walked back into her room. She dressed in a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved navy top. She pulled on a pair of combat boots and ran a brush through her hair before plaiting it down her back. Once she was dressed she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed an apple from the side and stuffed it into her bag.
"Morning," Raiden greeted as he stumbled into the kitchen. His hair was damp and he rubbed his tired eyes as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Morning," Tai nodded. "I'm going to take the bike today."
"Be my guest, I don't want to be anywhere near that death trap," Raiden shivered. "Do you know how to get to the school?"
"I'm sure I can figure it out," Tai nodded.
"When you get to the school go to the reception."
"Will do," Tai said. "We better get going then if we don't want to be late, not that I care but I know what you're like with being punctual."
Raiden chuckled. "Drive safe, Tai."
"I always do."
"And please try to have a good day," Raiden said, his tone pleading as Tai walked towards the door.
"Impossible!"
"Be nice to people!"
"Even more impossible! Bye Raiden!"
Tai made her way out of the house and climbed onto her motorbike, slipping her helmet on, revving the engine and then speeding off down the road. Tai felt free when she rode her bike, it was exhilarating, there was a wildness to it that she loved. She didn't care that if she fell off she could be hurt, she could potentially seriously harm herself but that didn't put her off. She viewed herself very lowly. After her past, she didn't care if she was hurt. She thought that if she ever injured herself then she would view it as her penance, it would make up for the horrors she had inflicted on people.
*