Tari's music blasts out from her old and worn pick-up truck as she pulls into the Beacon Hills High School parking lot. Removing her keys from the ignition, Tari hooks the jangling contraption to her belt loop and sits on the hood of her car, cigarette in tow.

The doors to the school don't open for another fifteen minutes, but she likes to watch as her peers pull up to the school, their body language and vulnerabilities without their friends as buffers to the real world around them, and even if she didn't like being there, it's better than being at home.

Running a hand over her short hair, Tari inhales, holding the smoke in her body for as long as possible, before exhaling the poison in small rings. "Smoking is no good for you if you have no one to share with." Her full lips lifting into a smirk, Tari looks to her left at Emmet, her right hand man, "I wouldn't have to share if you'd buy your own pack."

The boy shrugs his shoulders before hopping on the hood with Tari, pulling the cigarette from between her fingers and trapping the object between his lips, inhaling with his eyes closed. "Kal and his band are playing at a little bar tonight if you wanna come. He said -"

The rest of Emmet's words fall on deaf ears. No, Tari has better things to focus on - like Isaac Lahey. The shy, sweet, and innocent boy has been the focus of Tari's constantly moving mind for almost a decade now, and she is determined to approach him.

Tari is stuck staring at the boy, with his head of cherub-like curls and strong, broad shoulders pulled towards his chest when she hears her right hand yelling to her, "Tari. Netari!" When Emmet sees her turn her attention back to him, he runs a hand through his medium brown mess of hair in exasperation, "Really Netari? Did you listen to anything I was saying? Anything at all?"

In answer, Tari takes her cigarette back and shakes her head shamelessly. She feels no shame in her emotions, so Tari nods in Isaac's direction, "Isaac just got here. I think I'm gonna say something today, and it looks like I'll need to. You see the bruise on his cheek?"

Emmet runs his hand through his hair again, the strands all pointing in different directions, "He plays lacrosse, Tari, you know those guys get -" The small girl doesn't let him finish though, "Oh please, Emmet. His dad did that to him and we both know it. The jerk needs someone to teach him a lesson if his son won't."

"And what? Are you gonna be that person? Netari James, knight in shining armor, right?" Her friend snickers sarcastically. Rolling her eyes at the title, Tari slips from the hood of her car, "Shut up and come on, the doors are open." She mutters, tossing the cigarette on the ground, Emmet stepping on it as he joins her.

Heads held high and arms side by side, the two stroll into the school like they own the place.

* * * * * *

"Hey Isaac." Tari says, leaning her back against the locker adjacent to his. Immediately, Isaac feels his heart start to quicken. Tari is speaking with a smile on her face, but Emmet standing right to his other side makes him feel attacked.

"Oh, uh hi Tari. Hi Emmet." He can't muster anything better than that. He's seen the duo deal with other students before, and it was a terrifying sight. The literal last thing he wants to do is get beat up before the fresh bruise on his face can start fading.

Isaac is so busy running through excuses for whatever this approach is for that he's caught off guard when Tari places her hand over his sweater-clad forearm gently, "You okay?" The genuine concern in her eyes makes Isaac want to shake his head. He's tempted to drop onto his knees and wrap his arms around her waist, begging for protection - something he's sure the girl can provide - but instead, Isaac furrows his brow, "Of course, why wouldn't I be okay?"

Once again, Isaac is struck by surprise when he sees Tari roll her doe brown eyes before she reaches up and gently caresses the outline of his bruised cheek with her fingertips, "This is why. And I don't care how many times you say lacrosse, I know that's not where you got it." She says before he can interrupt her with his usual excuse.

Isaac wills himself to do more than stare at the small brown girl in front of him - something more than search her features for malice - like talk to her, but she takes his silence as words. "Just, tell me if you ever need anything, Isaac." She says softly before walking off, Emmet clapping Isaac on the shoulder before following behind her.

All throughout the day, Isaac catches sight of Tari watching him intently, always with Emmet by her side. They are even at lacrosse practice where Tari coincidentally ends up punching the nose of the guy that slammed him despite them being on the same side.

He thought he would be creeped out at her constant appearances, but it actually makes him feel safe, if not a little wary of her - their - intentions.

As Isaac is walking out of the school, he spots Tari and Emmet at her old white truck. Emmet places a chaste kiss to Tari's forehead before turning to look directly at Isaac, making the latter shiver.

No one ever questions the relationship Tari and Emmet have. Whether it's romantic, platonic, or if they're actually related somehow, no one has ever asked, but Issac feels now, - with Emmet getting into his royal blue Buick and watching him most of the time - that their relationship is definitely a romantic one and that Isaac getting in the picture is making him mad.

Doing what he thinks is safest for himself, Isaac decides that being friends with Tari is not worth more bruises.