Latula was casually rolling around the middle school parking lot on her skateboard when she heard a familiar tap-tap sound approaching. She smiled. School had finally let out, and Terezi was making her way out the back of the building at her usual pace, feeling her way towards the lot with her cane. Latula flipped up her board and grabbed it as she walked to meet up with her little sister. As she walked, she saw out of the corner of her eye one of the school boys leaning against the door to the school. He had preppy clothes with a scarf, a purple streak in his hair, and a pair of glasses. He seemed to be watching Terezi walk away with an insufferable smirk on his face. Latula already didn't like him.

As she walked up to Terezi, the littler Pyrope suddenly stopped, sniffed a bit, and smiled. "Latula? Is that you?"

Latula grinned. Couldn't sneak anything past Terezi, sight or not. "It's me, squirt. Miss your big sis?"

Terezi ran in for a hug, which Latula returned in kind. "What are you doing here? I thought you had college and stuff."

"Nah, I got a week off and decided to come home and visit my lil sis. Mom's got a trial today, so I figured I'd come pick you up. You have a radical time in class today?"

Terezi's smile suddenly faltered. "Oh. You know, nothing much. The same as usual, really."

Terezi started fiddling with her cane with both hands, which Latula knew she only did when something was really up. She lowered herself to Terezi's level and placed a hand on her sibling's shoulder, being almost twice her little sister's height wasn't going to help here.

"Hey, 'Rezi, what's wrong? C'mon. You know you can tell me, right?"

Terezi fidgeted with her cane some more, and turned her head away from Latula a bit. "It's nothing, I swear. Let's just go."

Latula held firm. "Terezi, please. You can trust me. I promise."

Terezi stood there for a while, until finally-

"There's this boy, Eridan. He said-"

Terezi paused. Latula was willing to wait as long as it took.

"He said that I was lucky I couldn't see, because it meant I'd never have to look at myself in the mirror."

Latula stayed there for a second, still kneeling by her sister, who was hanging her head in shame. She stole a look back at the school, where that same preppy boy was still leaning. His smirk had broken out into an ugly sneer. Latula's eyes narrowed under her sunglasses as she felt her blood boiling. She stood up, slowly. Terezi grabbed her leg and pleaded, "No, 'Tula, it's not a big deal, really." Latula gently pushed her away.

"Yeah, sis. It's a pretty damn big deal."

Latula started to march toward the school.

Eridan had thought he'd been clever, waiting until the teachers weren't around to try his insults on that weird blind kid. When he saw her big sister come stomping directly towards him, though, he started to have second thoughts. He was about to get back to the safety of the school when Latula grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against the door.

"Hey, w-what..?"

"Listen here, fishstick." Latula snarled. "I don't care how rich you are. You're not gonna pull this shit on my sister. You see her out there?"

Eridan could in fact see Terezi out near the parking lot.

"She's the coolest, smartest, prettiest girl in this whole damn school. Other kids that go here have the privilege to hang out with someone as cool as she is. And I am not about to sit here and watch while some slimeball like you puts her down. It stops and it stops now. Do you understand me?"

Eridan tried to stutter out a response, but he couldn't quite find the words. Latula pushed him up against the door even harder and glared at him over her sunglasses. Her eyes were furious.

"I said, do you understand me?"

"Yes! Yes! I understand, I understand!" Eridan squeaked the words in terror.

"Good."

She dropped him unceremoniously to the ground. Eridan looked up at her and trembled.

"Don't ever let me catch you hurting my sister again."

Terezi had pretty good hearing, so she heard most what her sister had growled to Eridan, and she especially heard Eridan's feet run as far away from Latula as he could. She also heard her sister make her way back to where she was standing, although Latula's distinctive smell also helped pinpoint her location.

When Latula got back, she tried to play it off. "Hey, sorry about that. How about we head back now, huh? Maybe we can get some cherry coke and listen to one of those ridiculous legal dramas Mom hates?"

Terezi didn't respond, but she did smile and reached for her sister's hand to be led to the car. As they started to walk, Terezi leaned her head against Latula and smiled even bigger.

"Thanks, 'Tula."

Latula smiled herself and gave Terezi's hand a squeeze.

"Anytime, lil sis."