Bab 147: Tale of a parasite

The black-haired boy picked up the fruit knife from the table and pointed its polished blade at Xander.

"Don't come near me. I'm warning you, sir!" the boy threatened, raising the knife higher. 

Just by looking at the way the boy held the knife, Xander realized the boy wasn't actually prepared to attack him, despite his mean gesture. He was only trying to scare Xander away.

It was a delicate situation, one which called for a gentle approach. Threats of violence were only going to antagonize the boy even further, and that would defeat Xander's purpose of reaching out to him.

Instead of approaching the boy, Xander stopped where he stood and put his hands up. "Listen, kid, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm a friend. I just need you to trust me, okay?"

"I don't...have any friends. You're lying," the boy whimpered, his eyes never leaving Xander.