10. SOCIAL WARFARE

10

SOCIAL WARFARE

Jaden

This is all unfolding to be a disaster I didn't anticipate.

We get to the party just after 10pm and walk to the pool table, joining the football team. They choosing to remain cool with all of us even with the little run in Harvey and Archer had.

Who Harvey's family is to the school has also gotten out, so people don't want to fuck with him. Though not my favorite way of garnering respect, I won't pretend I'm ashamed of being from wealth and influence. I work hard so I don't need it but I'm not one of those rich kids ashamed of it.

Besides, as a black guy, it really is something that I come from the kind of money I do. In a world full of families like the ones my friends hail from, black wealthy families like mine had to overcome more and it's something I don't take for granted.

It's almost like being a unicorn, being in my position, and my family made sure to remind me. I was taught a bit differently than my friends. Certain things were emphasized. Things like appearances. As a rich black kid, you are always under pressure to 'represent.' A burden none of my other friends have to carry, well, they do but not as much as me and Summer.

I know how important appearances are, and how important that warfare is. My friends think you can wear all your emotions on your sleeve and the world won't take advantage of you, but you need to be smart with what you do and how you act, always.

Play the long game. Stay cool. Shake hands. Bide your time.

She walks in and shuts us down. And it feels like a betrayal as she hangs on Logan's arm like she used to ours.

I wanted us to leave Summer for a few so she can see there isn't anything for her out there. That she is ours and here is where she belongs.

But my friends aren't keeping it as together as I would have liked.

Harvey clutches his stick harder, completely ignoring the brunette on his arm who has been talking his ear off and trying to gain his attention. There are girls everywhere. As it always is, we aren't short of them. But none of them matter. Not the one touching my arm talking to the one next to Archer.

"Damn! That's that chick…Something with an S. A few guys were talking about her Instagram, she's fucking hot," Martin says very loudly so the whole table hears.

Fucker.

"Oh yeah, Logan's new conquest ," another says with a smirk. One of Logan's buddies clearly trying to get a reaction from us.

I give Archer's arm a tug. He can't go over there. But I feel him vibrating.

"Just stay cool, man," I say to his ear, and he turns his ire to me.

I actually chuckle and shrug. He needs to chill. We can't let all these people know they get to us.

They are all fucking watching us, watching what we do. They know we have an interest in her but not many know everything, how deep we go with her. Most think one of us is her ex and we haven't corrected them. It's none of their business anyway.

Besides, this will be our new kingdom. My friends say they don't care about social status, but I believe in dominating and excelling at everything. It's not that deep. But being on top everywhere is just something we were born to claim. We've always claimed it, since kindergarten.

Nobody is higher than us and nothing will change here. Trevor and his posse are about to be dethroned, and there's not even anything to it. By next semester, we will be the kings here. It's our birthright and we simply must have it.

Summer's eyes scan the crowd, no doubt looking for us. But she doesn't look all the way comfortable. Maybe she doesn't want to see us here, well tough shit for her.

Her eyes land on us, looking at each one of us one by one. She finally lands on me, and I wink at her. She turns quickly, and I smirk to myself. That girl will always be ours. I don't care what she's telling herself or thinks she's doing. In the end, she knows where she belongs.

Trevor and Hazel come our way first, Logan still talking with one of the guys on the team and it makes me a little happy that she looks bored. They think she's enjoying herself. She's smiling politely and has a drink in her hand. But I bet she wants to be out of here.

My cock strains remembering what she likes, her drug of choice she would say. Summer would come with us to parties often, but she really isn't the socializing all party long type.

Fucking at parties is her preferred activity. Summer is a wild thing, a whole fucking buffet.

If she was with us, she would have dragged one or two or all of us to one of the bedrooms to get her fill. That's the only thing she liked at parties, just make her come over and over and…

Fuck.

…And hold her afterwards.

Damn you, Sunshine.

I wish she'd just hear us. Hear Harvey's side of the story. But that woman is stubborn, and she won't hear anything. I get it on her end, the person you are in love with cheats on you with the person who hates you the most.

Fuck, what I'd do for another chance. But no, we're stuck here watching her pretend to be a person she isn't. Wishing all this bullshit could be over with. Hoping things don't escalate further.

So far, she hasn't slept with this clown but what the fuck will we do if she does. Is that something any of us can recover from? We haven't let her go and in a way none of us have accepted or ever will that she isn't ours anymore.

We all feel a sick obsession with her, and I don't know if we have any hope of it changing. She occupies all our faculties, rules all our hearts. None of the others matter. We just see her.

"Sup," Trevor greets the table and we all nod.

It was foul what he and his friend did earlier this week, a bitch move but it's all a game.

Trevor sports a knowing grin. I guess coming to rub Summer in our faces is his and his friends way of sticking it to us.

Fucker.

The Hazel girl looks up to him like he's God as she interacts with the table. She is a very beautiful girl, it's no surprise Trevor's interest in her. But like Caleb said there's just something about her I don't like. Maybe it's that she exudes groupie energy, but I don't like our girl's association with her.

"What you say we switch this up and we beer pong?" Trevor suggests.

The table receives it and we nod.

Logan and Summer arrive at the table.

"Sup." Logan is grinning like an idiot, as he greets all the others with dabs and bumps. Summer stands there awkwardly as he does his thing.

"Hey, Peaches," Archer greets her next to me, causing Logan to turn.

"Hi, Archer," she says, looking bored. But she isn't fooling anyone.

Logan comes back and takes her hand again. And fuck if I don't want to saw his hand off her.

His chest puffs out and the air is thick around the table, everyone watching everyone.

"So, like you guys know Su form high school, right?" the blonde girl on Landon's arm says very loudly and the majority of the group turns to Summer, a few turning to us.

"Um, yeah," she says simply before taking a drink.

"I heard you are Harvey's ex," the brunette next to Caleb says.

Well, this is a shit show.

"She's actually all ours." Harvey drops the bomb that has the whole group going quiet for a few seconds looking between us which is annoying.

Summer looks bored as Logan searches her face. He whispers to her, and I want to throw this fucking stick in his eye. I see the apprehension of the others too. She nods to whatever he's asking. Probably getting confirmation. He tips his head, downing most of his beer.

Asshole.

Is he fucking judging her?

"Is that illegal in this country? You all look like you're holding your shit?" Harvey adds.

"No, like really all of you?" the brunette asks again loudly, the drinks are getting to her.

"Is it really that weird that a woman went for what she wanted, and she didn't listen to a society that told her she had to choose, or are you just a boring girl?" Harvey is really going in.

"But also, I mean, look at her," I add making sure everyone sees me check her out then winking boldly. She rolls her eyes and Logan's jaw ticks.

That's right, asshole.

"That's so badass though," the girl next to me adds.

"Friendly game of beer pong?" Trevor announces again.

The game starts and Trevor loses… a lot. He drinks a lot and is drunk more so than anyone else. I nurse my beer slowly because being around these fuckers makes alcohol go down sourly.

Trevor looks Archer's way; he finds Arch staring at Summer, and she is oblivious to it in conversation with her new friends, chuckling at something the blonde just said. I can tell things are about to go left when Trevor starts talking. "You lot should just step back and take your L."

"Trev," Logan's hard voice comes in.

"Is your boy intimidated by us? Are you scared, Logan?" Harvey asks with a twisted grin.

Okay, shit is definitely going to go left.

Logan doesn't answer immediately.

Then he looks at Summer and grins arrogantly. "Why would I be scared?"

"Stick to your lane, freshmen ," Landon says.

"You guys do know that I'm right fucking here, right?" Summer shoots out to everyone with a mountain of annoyance on her face.

Logan leans into her ear and she nods afterwards. He pulls her away.

Fuck, that should be us. I have never been jealous or envious of anyone before and fuck it feels horrible. This asshole won't give her any space to breathe. Fuck is wrong with him.

But what I hate most is I know he isn't in love with her. He doesn't even know her. He could never feel for her what we do. We are in love with her, not him and he could never give her what she needs. He can never be enough for her. Fucker.

"Like I said, take your Ls. The girl isn't yours." Trevor grins. "Maybe when my boy is done with her you can have her back."

I move, but Harvey gets to him before any of us can, and Trevor staggers back, crashing on other students. An all out brawl ensues and it's us and our guys versus them.

When we finally get out, I run to the next house looking for a med aid kit and stop in my tracks when I see Summer and Logan…kissing.