As Paul reached Linda and Todd, he asked her if she needed any help finding her way around school. But before she could answer, Todd told Psul that he was a little Beta boy who should disappear real quick. Paul looked at him coldly and replied that he wasn't going anywhere. Todd looked at Paul with a foul look on his face and stepped towards him saying that the little Beta boy should play with his little Beta friends. 

Linda was getting upset. Paul had been nice to her on her first day in a new school, and here he was about to be smashed by a boy two feet taller than him. 

But, before she could intervene, Paul put his books down, and stepped towards Todd. By now students who had heard about Alice and the tweener were sensing another confrontation. 

Paul told Todd he had enough of his bullshit, that if he wanted him to leave, it would be over his dead body. Todd had that “what have I gotten myself into” look in his eyes. He looked at Paul, then Linda, then the considerable crowd, then back at Paul. He thought for a few seconds, then “remembered” that he had to get to class. He turned and walked away.

Linda wasn't sure she saw what she did. She had started out fearing for Paul’s safety, only to be simultaneously shocked and impressed by what transpired. A Beta boy forcing a person much bigger to back down in a confrontation. And in front of people, no less. She was very impressed. Paul showed confidence, actual confidence, and not false bravado, in this situation. 

Linda looked at Paul and wondered who this boy was? He was nice, had confidence, but wasn't cocky, and showed no fear. She continued to look at him. Paul noticed her stare after he watched Todd walk away. He looked up at her and finally noticed her stunning green eyes, a great figure, and sandy brown hair. 

He apologized for the situation, and again asked her if she needed help getting around school. She smiled at him, and told him that yes, she wasn't sure where all the classrooms were.

Paul asked her if she had her schedule, which she did. Eying it, he noticed that they were in every class together. He told her about the same schedules, so that he would be able to walk with her to every class.

The incident wasn't mentioned again, but it definitely peaked her interest in him. She thought he was handsome, with blue eyes and brown hair. She thought he had a decent build. If she was his size, she would definitely feel safe around him. But she had no idea how he felt about girls taller than him. 

As they walked to first period history, they saw Alice walking with her friends. They also noticed that the tweener boy who felt her wrath on the bus had seen her coming, and quickly ducked into the men's room. Paul didn't know what she had whispered in his ear, but he knew it wasn't  “I Love You”. 

As the reached the door to the classroom, Paul wanted to know if he could ask her a personal question. Eight feet. She replied before he could start. He looked at her and laughed. She wanted to know what was funny, and he said that she either read his mind, or had been asked that question so often it was like an automatic response, without having to think.

She could see his point. She had been homeschooled, but almost every Beta she met had the same question, and it was the only one they ever asked. Paul was actually the first person to actually wait to ask her, which she did appreciate. To her, it meant that her size wasn't the foremost thing on his mind. 

As they settled into their respective desks, the teacher welcomed the students, and then delved into  middle-age history. Paul couldn't help but think about Linda and the scene with Todd. She probably sensed his confidence in the outcome of the situation, but if she knew the truth, she might feel differently.

Paul knew how the situation would end. Todd was 100% talk and 0% action. If it had been any other tweener, or an Alpha, he would have walked away, because he knew he could never beat them in a fight. He was taught to defend himself, but he also had common sense. He could picture the number of broken bones that would be suffered in any altercation. So he secretly thanked God it was Todd.

And he thought of the incident on the bus. Alice and her friends weren't outright aggressive. They preferred verbal humiliation instead of violence as the first course of action when dealing with a tweener or Beta that stepped out of line. But they weren't hesitant to use an occasional slap, arm squeeze, or if they really wanted to humiliate you, a public spanking with your clothes on. It didn't matter if one was clothed or bare bottom. It hurt enough to cause a stream of tears if you kept bothering them. That's what probably happened earlier. He hoped the poor tweener learned his lesson.