《All In》


 One

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± she scoffs, pushing her glasses up with a scowl etched into her face. ¡°I hate his fucking guts. For a good reason, too. He and I? We¡¯re never going to be friends!¡±


    ¡°He really isn¡¯t that bad a guy,¡± Darren says. The video displayed on my phone screen ends, and I chuckle.


    ¡°She really doesn¡¯t like ya¡¯, does she?¡± Brendon laughs. ¡°I think that¡¯s a first; a girl hating your guts without meeting you. No, it¡¯s a first for a girl not liking you, period!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ¡¯m not sure what her deal is,¡± I sigh, laying back and staring up at the ceiling. ¡°We¡¯ve never met. I only know her name because she¡¯s the smartest frickin¡¯ person in our grade.¡±


    ¡°Supposedly, it¡¯s because of the school system that she was in before,¡± Darren explains. ¡°Their advanced classes don¡¯t work like ours, I guess? I dunno, man. She¡¯s just wickedly smart.¡±


    ¡°Would she notice me if I was smart?¡± I mumble, not intending for anyone to hear me. Of course, because my life is a book, Jaxon hears me.


    ¡°You like her!¡± he exclaims. I shoot up into a sitting position and glare at him, forcing myself to laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡± I ask. ¡°She¡¯s unattractive. She¡¯s unathletic and probably crazy. I don¡¯t like her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he likes Delilah,¡± Darren teases, elbowing my side. I roll my eyes and shove him into a sprawling position, then turn and look at Hudson.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear that,¡± I growl. Hudson stares back at me and shrugs, a smirk resting on his face.


    ¡°Maybe I did, maybe I didn¡¯t. Who knows?¡±


    ¡°Hudson, if you tell your sister I¡¯m gonna kill you-¡±


    ¡°Are we sure that Elisica¡¯s the crazy one?¡± Jaxon jumps up and tackles me, pinning me to the ground. ¡°You just threatened to murder Hudson. Elisica¡¯s jus¡¯ quiet. It¡¯s cute, and it suits her.¡±


    ¡°You like Elisica!¡± I shout, pushing Jaxon away from me with my feet. ¡°Admit it! That¡¯s why you wanted to know if I liked her!¡±


    ¡°Think whatever you want, man, I don¡¯t like that chick,¡± Jaxon says, sitting back in his spot. ¡°Y¡¯all up for a game? Found it online, figured we could change up the rules a bit.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± the group agrees. Jaxon grins wickedly, and I find myself regretting the choice.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Paranoia,¡± he begins. ¡°One person will ask the person to their right a question, but no one else knows the question. The answer will be said aloud, so everyone can hear it. Then a coin¡¯s flipped. If it¡¯s heads, the question is said aloud. If it¡¯s tails, the question stays a secret.¡±


    ¡°I already hate this game,¡± Hudson announces. Jaxon, Darren, and Brendon all point towards me, and I groan, letting my head drop into my hands.


    ¡°I get to ask!¡± Brendon sings, pulling out his phone. Moments later, my phone buzzes and I open the Snapchat message from Brendon.


    ¡°This is easy,¡± I laugh. My phone buzzes with a follow-up message, and I snap my attention to Brendon, death nested inside of my eyes. ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to do, and it isn¡¯t going to work. Abby.¡±


    Jaxon pulls a coin out of his pocket and flips it. Everyone watches the coin, and even though it landed tails up I¡¯m pretty sure we all knew what the question was.


    ¡°Any question, right?¡± I ask, looking to Jaxon.


    ¡°Any question, but an honest answer,¡± he replies. I grin and open the chat between Hudson and I, sending a light-topic question.


    ¡°Uh, Ja- Jasmine,¡± Hudson responds. The coin spins in the air and lands on tails again. Once again, because we¡¯re basic bitches, everyone knows what the question was. The first round of Paranoia is just us asking who each other likes, or who we¡¯d date if we couldn¡¯t date our crush. Yes, we gossip. Have you met guys? We gossip more than girls are told they gossip.


    ¡°Okay, that was boring!¡± Darren shouts. Everyone nods in agreement, and Jaxon grins.


    ¡°So stop being boring bitches!¡± he exclaims. ¡°If you need to, look up some questions online! Good lord y¡¯all suck at this.¡±


    ¡°You literally asked the same question we all did!¡± Hudson chuckles, launching himself at Jaxon. Jaxon gets knocked flat on his back and the two boys wrestle for a few seconds before getting bored and going back to their spots.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Well, I have a fun question to ask Jack,¡± Brendon whispers, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Hudson attempts to peek at my phone screen, and I keep him at bay with a hand on his forehead.


    ¡°Shit, really dude? Ah, I gotta think for a moment.¡± I glance around the circle, trying to think over the personalities of each of my friends, then whip my head back towards Brendon. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to ask that it¡¯s probably you, ya¡¯ fuckin¡¯ assclown!¡±


    The other four burst into laughter as Jaxon flips the coin, muttering ¡®assclown¡¯ when they breathe.


    ¡°Heads, dickweeds!¡± Jaxon yells. ¡°What was it!¡±


    ¡°Who in the circle is most likely to be the biggest pervert?¡± I say, chuckling silently to myself when Brendon greets everyone¡¯s stares with a red-faced shrug.


    ¡°Jus¡¯ curious,¡± he mumbles. Darren¡¯s brother- I mean sister- no, brother- knocks on the door, his face covered in skillfully done makeup.


    ¡°Keep it down, please,¡± he says, leaning against the doorframe. ¡°Mom¡¯s got a headache. Y¡¯all want anything before I head out?¡±


    ¡°I want Darren to have a normal brother,¡± Jaxon grumbles. Darren immediately smacks Jaxon, and I notice Hudson wilt, his hands shaking as he attempts to smooth his hair.


    ¡°Hudson, you want to come with me to grab some snacks?¡± Alex asks, twirling keys around his finger. ¡°We¡¯ll just stop at Dollar General.¡±


    Hudson all but sprints out of the room, and Alex follows suit. Darren stands up, closes the door, and spins around on his heel before tackling Jaxon and pinning him to the ground.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Darren hisses. ¡°You seriously have to be that rude to my sister every time you see her? She¡¯s insecure enough as it is. I don¡¯t need you putting her back in the fucking hospital!¡±


    Jaxon clamps his mouth shut, biting his tongue in order to keep quiet. And, if you know anything about Jaxon, you¡¯ll know that¡¯s hard for him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t disrespect my sister anymore,¡± Darren orders, jabbing a finger in Jaxon¡¯s face as he slowly gets off of him. Jaxon sits up, dusts himself off and cracks a joke, causing nervous laughter.


    ¡°Hey, Darren, quick question?¡±


    Darren nods at me, giving me permission to go ahead.


    ¡°Not to be rude, and not to be disrespectful, but Alex is¡­ a girl?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Alecsa is a trans female,¡± Darren explains. ¡°She was born with a male body, but her brain is female. Her being born male gives her something called dysphoria- which is none of your fuckin¡¯ business to ask about, by the way- and that¡¯s why she¡¯s changed her appearance. To somewhat ease her dysphoria.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯ll get-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t finish that, Ruinez,¡± Darren warns, glaring at Jaxon. ¡°I think that we should go back to the game.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good idea,¡± Brendon grumbles, glaring at Jaxon. As Hudson left, I have to ask Jaxon a question.


    ¡°Y¡¯all thought you were gonna get me to answer to some shit like this, but it ain¡¯t happening,¡± I say, sending Jaxon my question and grinning when he glares at me.


    ¡°Yes, I would,¡± he sighs, letting his head drop into one hand and flipping the coin with the other.


    ¡°It¡¯s heads, motherfucker!¡± I announce. Jaxon groans and flops backwards before mumbling the question under his breath.


    ¡°Sorry, we didn¡¯t hear that.¡±


    ¡°Would you date Elisica?¡± Jaxon sighs. Darren and Brendon exchange a look before laughing.


    ¡°And you said you didn¡¯t like her!¡± Brendon shouts. Jaxon jerks upright and glares at Brendon.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like any of you would say no!¡± he whines.


    ¡°Alright then, boys, let¡¯s make a bet,¡± Darren laughs. ¡°Y¡¯all in?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear the stipulations first,¡± I say.


    ¡°Look at you with your big words. The first guy to date Elisica for at least two weeks, then break up with her, gets a hundred dollars from each of the other three.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan, Darren,¡± I agree. Jaxon and Brendon nod and everyone grins. ¡°Hey, what school did she go to before this?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Raven Middle, I think.¡± Brendon looks at me and shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m not absolutely sure, but I think that was it.¡±


    Oh, shit. She and I went to the same school¡­ were we ever in a class together?


    I attempt to recall what classes I had in sixth grade, never recalling a tall girl with glasses and short blonde hair.


    ¡°She got a haircut after she came here, didn¡¯t she?¡± Jaxon wonders. I nod and snap my fingers, Elisica¡¯s face appearing in my mind.


    ¡°Someone has an advantage,¡± I say, grinning ear to ear. ¡°Guess who went to Raven in sixth grade?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Jaxon sighs. ¡°Well that¡¯s hardly fair.¡±


    ¡°Only if he actually talked to her or remembers any of her friends,¡± Brendon points out. ¡°And if he didn¡¯t, then he better pray that Elisica hates him because of something that happened here and not at Raven.¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± I mumble, a terrified face flashing through my mind. That¡¯s why she hates me.


    ¡°What¡¯d you do?¡± Darren sighs.


    ¡°I may have bullied this kid,¡± I say. ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure I saw Elisica talking to him on multiple occasions.¡±


    ¡°Guess he¡¯s not winning the bet,¡± Brendon chuckles. ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t bullied anyone here, so maybe you¡¯ve still got a chance.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± I grumble, mentally giving up.


    ¡°That just means you owe one of us a hundred bucks.¡±


    I mentally un-give up.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m going to give any of you any money.¡±

 Two

    Darren, Brendon and I all howl with laughter as Elisica walks away from Jaxon, putting her earbuds in her ears.


    ¡°Oh my god, that was fucking beautiful!¡± Brendon exclaims, clapping a hand onto Jaxon¡¯s shoulder once he walks back to us.


    ¡°Dude, we made that bet last night,¡± Darren laughs. ¡°You really tanked your chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°False,¡± Jaxon says, tossing the bouquet of flowers into a trashcan. ¡°I learned that she doesn¡¯t like flowers.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe she just doesn¡¯t like you,¡± I state. ¡°After all, she¡¯s a girl. What girl doesn¡¯t like getting flowers?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very true,¡± Darren agrees. Hudson walks up to us with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± he asks. ¡°Jaxon did you seriously think that was going to work?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay, maybe I did think it was gonna work.¡± Jaxon pouts, crossing his arms and kicking a pencil someone threw on the floor. ¡°Not like any of you have any plans to try and woo her.¡±


    ¡°Did you really just say woo?¡±


    ¡°Because you could do any better, Hudson!¡± Jaxon snaps. Hudson shrugs, then rolls his eyes.


    ¡°I could, actually.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he definitely could do better than that,¡± I point out. ¡°Hudson, you want in on the bet now?¡±


    ¡°My answer is still no.¡± Hudson pulls out his phone. I feel my own vibrate in my pocket moments later and choose not to look at it.


    Look. I might be an idiot, but I¡¯m not stupid.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, are you a stupid gay?¡± Jaxon teases. Hudson rolls his eyes and face-palms.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not gay,¡± Hudson replies. ¡°And the LGBT community isn¡¯t stupid. Fix yourself before I smack you.¡±


    ¡°Violent child,¡± Darren snorts. ¡°But yes, I agree. Jaxon, stop being a homophobic doucehbag.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°Yes you are,¡± the rest of us chorus. Jaxon sighs and shrugs.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if I am or not. What does matter is that-¡±


    ¡°You treat human beings like human beings.¡±


    Jaxon jumps a foot in the air at the sound of Elisica¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you come from!¡±


    Elisica rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m only back here because y¡¯all are acting suspicious,¡± she says. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your game is, but just know that I¡¯m going to figure it out.¡±


    Elisica whirls around and walks away, as graceful as ever.


    ¡°She won''t figure it out,¡± Darren assures the rest of us.


    ¡°She probably will,¡± I disagree. ¡°She¡¯s not fucking stupid.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fucking handsome, though- ow!¡±


    I shake my hand as Jaxon smacks his head against the ground.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± he whines. I shrug.


    ¡°Talk shit, get hit.¡± I crouch down, glaring into his eyes. ¡°Listen to me very closely: if I find out that you touched her in any way, I will end you. Understand?¡±


    Jaxon nods, rubbing the back of his head. I nod, satisfied, and stand up straight.


    ¡°So we know neither Jaxon or Jack is going to win, so it¡¯s down to me and Brendon,¡± Darren says.


    ¡°Unless I change her mind.¡±


    ¡°Jaxon you aren¡¯t going to win shit, accept it.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to win shit,¡± Jaxon mocks. Darren lightly smacks the back of his head, causing Jaxon to whimper.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I hate you guys,¡± he whines again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a homophobic, sex-obsessed douchebag,¡± I state. ¡°And you won¡¯t get hit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not any better!¡± Jaxon shouts, pointing at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sex-obsessed.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re hom-homo- bleh bleh!¡±


    ¡°The word you¡¯re looking for is homophobic, and no, Jack isn¡¯t really homophobic,¡± Brendon says. ¡°And if he is, he¡¯s very good at hiding it.¡±


    ¡°What other people do with their lives isn¡¯t any of my business.¡± I slide my hands into my pockets, tapping my phone a few times. ¡°Doesn¡¯t affect me, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Good philosophy,¡± Darren comments. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you noticed, but this school isn¡¯t exactly acceptance central. I mean for fucks sake, guys, people walk around rambling about how gay that last test was. The more accepting people there are, the better this place is.¡±


    ¡°So remind me again why we¡¯re still friends with this douchebag?¡± Hudson points at Jaxon, who is still on the floor.


    ¡°I dunno.¡± Darren shrugs in response. I walk away from Jaxon. Darren, Brendon and Hudson follow after quickly, and Jaxon catches up with us soon after that.


    ¡°So, where we goin¡¯?¡± Hudson asks.


    ¡°We could go get ice cream,¡± I suggest. ¡°Wait, no. We all drove here, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Jack, we all stayed at Darren¡¯s house.¡± Brendon lightly smacks my shoulder. ¡°Alecsa dropped us off.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡± Now I recall Darren¡¯s sister wishing us a good day before speeding off in her dark blue Camry. ¡°Guess we¡¯re walking.¡±


    Elisica zooms by us, either not noticing that we¡¯re there or not caring.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a pretty nice skateboard,¡± Brendon comments. Elisica ollies onto a sidewalk and all of our jaws drop.


    ¡°Did she just-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she did-¡±


    ¡°Dude, she¡¯s even more awesome than we thought!¡± I exclaim. We watch Elisica ride her board down the hill, scraping her foot against the ground a few times to slow down.


    ¡°Elisica can board,¡± Jaxon breathes. ¡°That¡¯s fucking hot.¡±


    I smack the back of Jaxon¡¯s head. ¡°Dude.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he whines, but doesn¡¯t say anything to defend himself.


    ¡°Dude, can you learn to not objectify?¡± Hudson snaps. ¡°Jesus fuck, dude. Girls aren¡¯t objects for you to fucking ogle. If you want to do that go to a goddamn museum and stare at a statue.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jaxon mumbles, throwing his hands up. ¡°Jeez.¡±


    Darren, Brendon and I all exchange a look. Hudson snapped for the first time.


    ¡°Holy fuck,¡± I breath, turning away with a racing heart. ¡°Remind me to never make you angry.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to get ice cream or what?¡± Hudson walks away, slipping his hands into his pockets. We all shrug before following him.


    ¡°So, lads, what are you going to do to get Elisica?¡± Jaxon asks, nudging my shoulder with his own. ¡°What are your plans?¡±


    ¡°Buddy, we¡¯re not telling you,¡± I answer. ¡°You¡¯re just going to steal our ideas and make a bigger fool out of yourself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mean!¡±


    ¡°I try.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s an idea: quit being an idiot and you won¡¯t get made fun of!¡± Darren shouts. Jaxon shrugs.


    ¡°If I quit being an idiot I wouldn¡¯t have any personality left.¡± Jaxon sighs dramatically. ¡°You would all leave me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d leave you even if you had a personality,¡± I retort. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you don¡¯t, huh?¡±


    ¡°You are so rude.¡±


    ¡°I am well aware. It¡¯s one of my many traits.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any good traits, do you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m halfway smart. That absolutely counts for something.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far, buddy,¡± Brendon jumps in. ¡°You and smart don¡¯t belong in the same sentence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m smarter than everyone here except Hudson,¡± I declare.


    ¡°I will absolutely agree to that,¡± Hudson responds. Jaxon pouts and I glare at him.


    ¡°You just said that being an idiot was your entire personality. ¡®Smart idiot¡¯ isn¡¯t a thing, dumbass.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, you hate me!¡±


    I groan and face-palm as Jaxon flashes finger guns towards me.


    ¡°I¡¯m seriously considering it,¡± I grumble, narrowing my eyes at him. Jaxon shrugs and skips ahead of me, humming a song that is so far out of tune it isn¡¯t funny. ¡°Are you even capable of being quiet?¡±


    ¡°You know you love me- actually, please don¡¯t. That¡¯s super gay.¡±


    ¡°I love you, full homo,¡± Darren states, wrapping an arm around Jaxon¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you for a while now, actually.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, get off of me!¡± Jaxon shoves Darren away from him, laughing as he does. ¡°Ew, gross, Darren cooties. Blegh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by idiots,¡± Hudson mumbles, face-palming.


    ¡°I¡¯m hurt.¡± I hold a hand to my chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re included in that group.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that makes it so much better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome for the compliment.¡±


    ¡°Quit flirting!¡± Brendon exclaims, smacking the back of my head. We all laugh, except Jaxon, who mutters something I don¡¯t catch.


    ¡°Flirting shmirting,¡± I say, flapping a hand in Brendon¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous.¡±


    ¡°Whatever helps you sleep at night, man.¡±

 Three

    After grabbing ice cream, we go our separate ways. I head to work, then come home. It''s currently ten at night and Elisica is outside my house.


    ¡°What in the world?¡± I nearly drop my bottle of Gatorade when I see her. She rides a longboard slowly, taking her time to get wherever she¡¯s going.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Elisica stops and spins around, a smile on her face. She says something I don¡¯t catch, and the duo starts conversing. I don¡¯t hear anything.


    ¡°Go home.¡± They¡¯ve been talking for about twenty minutes. Elisica sat down on her board about five minutes ago, and Chase is still straddling his bike.


    Elisica starts looking around, and then she turns her head and we make eye contact before I can move away from the window.


    She says something to Chase without taking her eyes off of me, then proceeds to lift a hand and flip me off.


    I open the window as she turns away from me.


    ¡°Rude!¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Do you guys want to come inside?¡± The words leave my mouth before I can really think about them too much. Elisica looks at me and sneers before turning back to Chase. He, however, nods and flashes me a thumbs up.


    ¡°We¡¯d appreciate that.¡±


    Elisica stands up and picks up her board reluctantly. ¡°I still don¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°Eli.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll play nice.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I jog upstairs to the front door and open it right as they get to it.


    ¡°Head downstairs, I¡¯ll be there in a moment. You can set your board down wherever.¡±


    Elisica mumbles something to Chase as they walk down the stairs. I walk into the kitchen and grab a few snacks before heading downstairs. Elisica¡¯s board is propped up against the wall right by my door, and she¡¯s laying on the floor with Chase laying on top of her.


    ¡°You guys look comfortable.¡±


    ¡°I am very comfortable, thank you for noticing.¡± Chase smiles at me, ignoring all of Elisica¡¯s attempts to shove him off of her.


    ¡°Sorry for asking, but are you two, like, together?¡±


    Chase laughs before sitting up. ¡°If we were, I wouldn¡¯t be helping.¡±


    ¡°Help- I don¡¯t need help you jerk!¡±


    ¡°With how well you¡¯re doing, I think you do.¡±


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Elisica asks.


    ¡°I know for a fact you know exactly what we¡¯re talking about.¡± Chase taps Elisica¡¯s forehead, making her blink rapidly.


    ¡°Well maybe I wanted to hear it out of his mouth.¡± Elisica flicks Chase¡¯s forehead. ¡°Think about that?¡±


    ¡°I sure did, but I figured him hearing you say it makes the bet much more interesting.¡± Chase flashes a thumbs up at me. ¡°Right, buddy?¡±


    ¡°At the rate you¡¯re going, you¡¯re going to be demoted from friend to acquaintance,¡± I reply, falling onto my bed. ¡°Elisica, you know about the bet? How¡¯d you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid.¡± Elisica sits up. ¡°Jaxon is, though. Also you guys aren¡¯t the quietest people in the world.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but like- you always had earbuds in.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I had music on the entire time. And once again, Jaxon is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s the spatula that prevents the drawer from being opened.¡±


    Elisica and I start laughing at Chase¡¯s comment. Elisica quickly stops laughing and looks away from me.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Eli, you have to be nice. He was nice enough to invite you into his house even though he knows you hate him.¡±


    ¡°I only came in because you wanted to. You do understand that, right?¡±


    ¡°Okay, but he still knows you hate him. He could¡¯ve just let us suffer in the cold but he didn¡¯t. Maybe he wants to make amends.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know why I hate him in the first place!¡±


    ¡°I do, actually,¡± I interrupt. ¡°His name was Troy, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know his name?¡± Elisica¡¯s eyes narrow at me. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°Look-¡±


    ¡°No, you look.¡± Elisica stands and steps over to stand directly in front of me. ¡°You are a fucking prick and I don¡¯t want to make amends, no matter how nice you seem. You are still the same person you were back then, you just put a mask on and pretend that you¡¯re not ugly on the inside.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t as bad as he used to be,¡± Chase jumps in.


    ¡°You¡¯re biased.¡±


    ¡°I am trying to get you two to get along. Jack, I think you need to say something to Eli.¡±


    I nod, looking up into Elisica¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I am sorry for everything I did to Troy. I was in the wrong and I won¡¯t make an excuse to try and weasel out of this. I was young, yeah, but that doesn¡¯t make what I did okay. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the person you should be apologizing to.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a way to contact Troy, but if I did, I would. You have to believe me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Elisica takes a step back, still glaring at me. ¡°Would you like to know why? Because you keep company that behaves the same as you did. They call everything gay, they¡¯re homophobic, sexist- which you still are, by the way- xenophobic, transphobic.¡±


    ¡°When I moved here I became friends with Darren and Hudson first.¡± I stand up too, watching Chase step out of the room and close the door quietly. ¡°Jaxon is only a friend now because Darren and Hudson were friends with him. When I hung out with the two, Jaxon was there too. I met Brendon through him.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re still friends with him. You want me to believe your behavior has changed but you hang out with someone who is basically a carbon copy of how you were and you made a bet as though I am a prize to be won, a trophy to show off. The only difference between you now and you back then is how outspoken you are with your hatred.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you as a prize! Darren came up with the bet because- okay. We were playing Paranoia- no, I should start earlier than that. Brendon showed me a video where you told Darren you hate my guts. I muttered something and then we started playing a game called Paranoia. I asked Jaxon if he would date you, he said yes, and then Darren came up with the bet.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to paint you in a better light? Because it isn¡¯t doing that.¡±


    ¡°Look- god, how do I explain this better?¡±


    I glance around my room, trying to think, but don¡¯t come up with anything.


    ¡°Great. Are we done here?¡±


    ¡°No- no! I¡¯m going to figure out how to explain it better- urgh, how?¡±


    Elisica crosses her arms, still glaring at me.


    ¡°Look.¡± I sit back down on my bed, maintaining eye contact with Elisica. ¡°I don¡¯t see you as a prize to be done. If I did, I wouldn¡¯t be desperately trying to convince you that I¡¯ve changed.¡±


    ¡°Yes you would. You¡¯re doing that right now because you don¡¯t want to lose the bet, you don¡¯t want to lose any money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it because of the stupid bet! I¡¯m trying to tell you that I¡¯m different because maybe I like you somewhat!¡±


    I clamp my mouth shut. Elisica rolls her eyes and scoffs.


    ¡°Last resort, huh?¡± She shakes her head and turns to leave my room. ¡°You really haven¡¯t changed, have you?¡±


    Elisica grabs her longboard and leaves the room, closing the door gently behind her. I fall backwards, throwing my arms over my eyes.


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°You are ridiculous, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Chase.¡±


    I feel my bed dip and move my leg to kick him off, only to be disappointed by him catching it.


    ¡°Dude.¡± Chase pries my arms away from my eyes. ¡°Seriously. You should¡¯ve known that wasn¡¯t going to work on Eli.¡±


    ¡°I thought- well, I thought it might have changed her mind a little bit.¡±


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t hoping she was going to fall into your arms and kiss you dramatically?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± I sit up, glaring at Chase. ¡°This isn¡¯t some silly romance story you¡¯d find on Wattpad, where the nerd falls in love with the jock and gets upset that she was just a bet the whole time. I¡¯m not stupid, man.¡±


    ¡°That is highly debatable, but okay.¡±


    ¡°Look.¡± I glance away from Chase to my open bedroom door, wishing Elisica hadn¡¯t left. ¡°Can you tell her something for me?¡±


    ¡°Tell her yourself.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t believe it if it came out of my mouth.¡±


    Chase sighs and smacks the back of my head. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. I do like her, I just- it¡¯s not- I don¡¯t see her as a prize to be won. Maybe I am hoping that this¡¯ll turn out like one of those Wattpad novels because in the end, they¡¯re both happy with each other. I don¡¯t want to win her, I want to be with her.¡±


    Chase ruffles my hair before standing up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to pass the message along.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Chase.¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡±

 Four

    It¡¯s now Thursday and Elisica is still ignoring me. I talked to her on Monday night, and Chase told her what I said soon after that.


    ¡°Jack, you¡¯re staring.¡±


    ¡°I am not!¡±


    ¡°Trying to come up with a strategy to win the bet, eh?¡± Darren nudges my ribs with his elbow. I smack his arm away and move my attention from Elisica to Hudson, who has taken to zoning out.


    ¡°Hey.¡± I wave a hand in front of his face. ¡°Bro. Hud. Buddy. Dude. Dudebro. Hudson. Hudson!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Hudson throws his arms up, protecting his face.


    ¡°Hudson?¡± I gently reach over and pull his arms down. ¡°It¡¯s just me. I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t- I don¡¯t think you¡¯re gonna hurt me, I just- it¡¯s habit. From when I was younger.¡±


    ¡°What happ-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Jaxon smacks my back, exchanging a nod with Hudson. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Do you all know what happened?¡± I look around the table. Everyone nods, exchanging a look with one another. ¡°Can someone tell me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, okay?¡± Hudson says quietly.


    ¡°Yeah. Sure. I¡¯m going to hold you to that, I hope you know.¡±


    ¡°I know. What did you need me for?¡±


    ¡°I need help.¡±


    Hudson smirks. ¡°Finally admitting it, eh?¡±


    I sigh in response, shooting him a glare. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°If I shut up, then you won¡¯t get any help. Are you sure you want me to be quiet?¡±


    ¡°Look, man, are you going to help me or not?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Hudson glances at the rest of our little friend group. ¡°Not like any of these guys have a better chance than you do.¡±


    ¡°Everyone except Jaxon has a better chance than Jack,¡± Chase jumps in, nudging Hudson¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You know that.¡±


    ¡°But I thought- you said- Chase, I thought you said his chances increased!¡±


    ¡°I said that on Tuesday. Clearly I was very wrong.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell Hudson about what happened?¡± I jab a finger in Chase¡¯s direction. ¡°You bitch.¡±


    ¡°I told him you groveled to Eli and you got shut down.¡±


    ¡°Why do you call Elisica Eli, not her name? Or Ellie?¡± Darren asks.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s the beginning of her name, and Ellie doesn¡¯t fit?¡± Chase shrugs. ¡°Duh.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s a girl!¡±


    ¡°Are you Eli¡¯s friend?¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Are. You. Eli¡¯s. Friend?¡±


    ¡°No, but-¡±


    ¡°Then I know her better than you and I know she¡¯s uncomfortable being called Ellie. Now shut up, we¡¯re talking.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Darren rolls his eyes but closes his mouth anyways. Chase nods in approval before turning back to me.


    ¡°Eli and I are going to fuck around after school tomorrow, would you like to join us?¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t. She¡¯ll just go home, and-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come too,¡± Hudson interrupts. ¡°She can actually stand me, and if I say that you and I were going to hang out then Chase invited us, she can¡¯t complain as much.¡±


    I consider the options in front of me. I either go home tomorrow and miss an opportunity to get closer to Elisica, I go and hang out with Chase and Elisica, or Hudson and I hang out with Chase and Elisica.


    ¡°Are you sure you can hang out with them tomorrow?¡± Jaxon looks at Hudson, who shrugs.


    ¡°Maybe. We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather we didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can go. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I''m going to worry about you whether you like it or not.¡±


    ¡°I never said I didn''t like it, I said there''s no reason for you to be worried. It''ll all work out. I promise.¡±


    Jaxon sticks his tongue out at Hudson, who responds the exact same way.


    ¡°Are you free tomorrow?¡± I draw Hudson''s attention to me. Hudson nods, holding a hand towards Jaxon the second he opens his mouth.


    ¡°We''ll talk later.¡±


    ¡°Like hell we will!¡± Jaxon exclaims. Hudson rolls his head, looking at Jaxon with a deadpan expression.


    ¡°I said we''ll talk about it later.¡±


    ¡°We need to talk about it now, Hudson.¡±


    ¡°I said later.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Jaxon snaps, crossing his arms and looking away. ¡°Later.¡±


    ¡°You know I''m not trying to be mean, I''m just-¡±


    ¡°Whatever, Hudson.¡±


    ¡°C''mon, Jaxon. I said we''ll talk about it, just not right now.¡±


    Jaxon exhales roughly before nodding and uncrossing his arms.


    ¡°You''re damn right we''re going to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Please don''t get mad at me.¡±


    ¡°I''m not mad at you.¡±


    ¡°But you''re mad.¡±


    ¡°Not at you! Hudson, we''ve needed to talk about this for a while now but you keep putting it off. We''re talking about it today.¡±


    ¡°I promise we''ll talk about it today.¡±


    ¡°I''m holding you to that promise.¡±


    At this point I have no earthly idea what''s happening. Jaxon is worried about Hudson? For some reason? And Hudson is shrugging whatever''s happening off?


    Please send help, Jack is very confused.


    ¡°Later, Jack,¡± Hudson and Jaxon chorus upon seeing my face.


    ¡°Someone needs to explain to me exactly what¡¯s going on!¡± I exclaim.


    ¡°We¡¯ll tell you later, Jack.¡± Hudson snaps his fingers and points at Elisica. ¡°Right now, we¡¯re focusing on her.¡±


    ¡°I- yeah. Okay.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any plans to win the bet?¡± Jaxon jumps in. ¡°I mean, besides asking Hudson for help.¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯d tell you.¡±


    ¡°You know what? That¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware. Hudson, please? Any ideas?¡±


    Hudson nods, his eyes flitting from Elisica back to me. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few, but I won¡¯t share them now because number one, you can¡¯t put them in motion right now and number two, someone would just steal the ideas.¡±


    Jaxon gasps and holds a hand to his chest. ¡°I would never! How dare you accuse me of such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I never said your name, nor looked at you, nor did anything that indicated I was talking about you.¡±


    Jaxon lowers his hand, sighing. ¡°I just walked right into that one, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah you did.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re able to manipulate me way too easily.¡±


    ¡°The perks of being your best friend.¡±


    ¡°Great. Mind telling me how you trap me so I can stop falling for them?¡±


    Hudson taps his chin then smirks at Jaxon. ¡°No. It¡¯s too entertaining to point out the fact that you¡¯ve lost your leg after walking into a bear trap.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad my suffering is funny to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re glad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re glad I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough!¡± Darren smacks the back of Jaxon¡¯s head, while Chase smacks the back of Hudson¡¯s. The duo laughs, smacking the people next to them back.


    ¡°Look, you can come over later tonight and we¡¯ll talk about it, okay?¡± Hudson points his phone at me and I nod.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming over too.¡± Jaxon clamps a hand on my shoulder and stares at Hudson, who just exhales and nods.


    ¡°Fine-¡±


    ¡°Right after school.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Jesus, Jaxon-¡±


    ¡°I know I have devilishly good looks but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m Jesus.¡±


    Hudson sputters something out before burying his face in his hands with a very long groan.


    ¡°Hey. Hudson. Hudson. Hudson. Hudson.¡± With each name call Jaxon¡¯s poking Hudson. Hudson manages to endure the torture for five minutes before taking his hands away and eating Jaxon¡¯s finger.


    ¡°Ew! Dude, what the fuck!¡± Jaxon yanks his hand back and wipes it off on Darren¡¯s shirt, who smacks the top of his head.


    ¡°You poke a bear with a stick, expect to get bit.¡±


    ¡°All you did was shove your mouth around my finger!¡±


    ¡°Kinky.¡±


    Jaxon lets his head drop to the table with a loud thunk as Hudson bursts out laughing.


    ¡°Hudson, I hate you.¡±


    ¡°Love you too, boo.¡±

 Five

    I knock on the door, expecting Hudson to answer. Instead, an older Hudson answers, a bit out of breath and a pack of cigarettes clenched tightly in his hand.


    ¡°Are you here to hang out with Hudson?¡± he asks, leaning against the doorframe and smiling at me. I nod and move my phone from my back pocket to my front.


    ¡°I am. Can I come in?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Older Hudson moves aside, gesturing towards a staircase. ¡°His room¡¯s upstairs, all the way at the end of the hall to the left.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I wave at Older Hudson and jog up the stairs. Hey, I¡¯ve never been in Hudson¡¯s house before. It¡¯s pretty nice.


    ¡°Jack¡¯s here!¡± Jaxon pokes his head out of a room and sticks his tongue out at me before getting yanked back.


    ¡°Play nice.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°I will throw you out this window.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    I walk into a very clean room. It¡¯s very Hudson.


    ¡°Even if your dad hadn¡¯t told me where your room was I still would¡¯ve thought this one,¡± I comment. Hudson pauses the noogie he¡¯s giving Jaxon to correct me.


    ¡°Older brother, not dad.¡± He resumes the noogie as Jaxon continues to struggle to escape the loose chokehold Hudson¡¯s trapped him in.


    ¡°Get off of me!¡± Jaxon grabs wildly at Hudson¡¯s arms. I take a seat right inside the door and watch silently as they wrestle for a few moments.


    Hudson ends up pinning Jaxon to the ground, sitting on his back and holding Jaxon¡¯s hands above his head.


    ¡°You do realize that I have more experience fighting than you do, right?¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Poking a bear.¡± Hudson releases Jaxon¡¯s hands and moves to get off of the boy. Jaxon reaches back and grabs Hudson, rolling them over so Jaxon is straddling Hudson¡¯s hips and Hudson is laying on his back.


    ¡°Ha.¡± Jaxon sticks his tongue at Hudson. Hudson reaches up for Jaxon but Jaxon grabs his hands and pins them above his head. ¡°Whatcha tryin¡¯ to do there, buddy boy?¡±


    ¡°You really want to be in this position right now?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Hudson gestures towards where Jaxon is sitting.


    ¡°He means the fact that if you two didn¡¯t have clothes on you¡¯d be-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t finish that sentence,¡± Jaxon warns. He falls off of Hudson, letting their legs tangle together. ¡°I have socks on, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°But you both-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡±


    ¡°Jesus, alright.¡± I slam my mouth shut and watch Jaxon and Hudson bat at each other, quiet ows sounding every few slaps.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re here for help.¡± Hudson grabs Jaxon¡¯s wrists and looks over at me. ¡°Sorry about this dick.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Oi, dumbass!¡± Hudson moves so he¡¯s laying across Jaxon¡¯s chest. ¡°Knock it off so I can help Jack.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Jaxon moves his hands to rest behind his head. ¡°We still haven¡¯t talked about you-know-what yet though.¡±


    ¡°Well, now that I¡¯m here you can kill two birds with one stone,¡± I suggest. ¡°Explain what everyone else knows about you and talk about the thing you need to talk about.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d rather not talk about that right now.¡± Hudson pulls his phone out and checks it quickly before sliding it across the room. ¡°Jaxon, by later I meant later later.¡±


    ¡°You meant never. I¡¯m aware of what you meant. We¡¯re talking about it today anyways.¡±


    ¡°You need to be home by ten, so no. We won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Well it sucks to be you then because I got permission to sleep over.¡± Jaxon lifts his head and smiles wickedly at Hudson. ¡°We¡¯re having the conversation.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Hudson spits.


    ¡°Do you want me to step outside so you guys can talk, or?¡± I point over my shoulder at the doorway.


    ¡°No, you can stay,¡± Jaxon answers. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with Hudson later.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Jack, just drop it.¡± Hudson lifts his head and glares at me. ¡°Seriously.¡±


    ¡°Hudson.¡± Jaxon rests a hand over Hudson¡¯s mouth and smiles at me. ¡°So, you wanted help with Elisica?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna help me?¡± I eye Jaxon, suspicious. He shrugs in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m throwing in the towel. I won¡¯t win so I might as well help you win.¡±


    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a different reason behind you giving up.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t. Why would there be?¡±


    ¡°Did you get a girlfriend?¡±


    Jaxon chokes with laughter. Hudson joins in half a second later.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This man is going to be single for life.¡± Hudson pokes Jaxon¡¯s cheek, still laughing. ¡°Life I tell you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find someone to make me happy someday,¡± Jaxon replies, grabbing Hudson¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ll see!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.¡± Hudson pats Jaxon¡¯s head, grinning at him. ¡°How about we help Jack now and not get distracted again?¡±


    ¡°You and I enter the same room and there¡¯s suddenly a total of one-fourth a brain cell.¡± Jaxon rests a hand over Hudson¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much help we¡¯ll be.¡±


    ¡°Well with Jack here I think the brain cell total goes up to like three-fourths.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether I should consider that a compliment or an insult,¡± I remark. Jaxon shrugs, patting Hudson¡¯s face.


    ¡°Either one works for me. What¡¯s your plan with Elisica?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have one.¡± I shrug. Hudson reaches a hand up and rubs his palm against random parts of Jaxon¡¯s face.


    ¡°Knock it off.¡±


    ¡°Get your hand off of my face.¡±


    ¡°Get your hand off of my face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it when you do.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll be here for a while, won¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, do you want me to leave?¡± I move to stand up when Jaxon and Hudson hold a hand out, assuring me it¡¯s fine.


    ¡°You can stay. I¡¯ll kick this douchebag out.¡± Jaxon stands and pulls Hudson off of his feet, tossing him over his shoulder with surprising ease.


    ¡°This is my house!¡± Hudson hits Jaxon¡¯s back, kicking his stomach at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to help Jack. You¡¯re not helping me do that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a dick.¡±


    ¡°I do have one, yes. Thank you for noticing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kick it if you don¡¯t set me down.¡±


    Jaxon¡¯s hands fly off of Hudson, who rolls off of Jaxon¡¯s shoulder laughing his ass off.


    ¡°Jack, I swear we can help you,¡± Hudson wheezes. ¡°Just give me- give me a moment to catch my breath.¡±


    ¡°He threatened me!¡±


    ¡°You deserved it,¡± I respond, sitting back down.


    Jaxon gasps and presses a hand to his chest. ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°This is like the third chapter someone¡¯s done that. Stop it.¡± Hudson throws a stray pencil at Jaxon, who frowns and moves his hand off his chest.


    ¡°But it¡¯s fun!¡± Jaxon whines. Hudson rolls his eyes as Jaxon walks over to Hudson¡¯s bed and collapses onto it. ¡°Your bed is comfortable.¡±


    Hudson stands up and sprints over to the bed, falling on top of Jaxon who grunts in response.


    ¡°Get off of me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Hudson, do your- what are you doing?¡±


    I turn my head and see Hudson¡¯s older brother leaning against the doorframe.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t want any snacks. Thanks though.¡± Hudson¡¯s feet hit the floor and he walks over to rest an arm on top of my head.


    ¡°Yeah. Sure.¡± Hudson¡¯s older brother walks away.


    ¡°Hudson.¡±


    I turn and watch Jaxon walk over to us, wrapping an arm around Hudson¡¯s trembling shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± he murmurs. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Hudson gasps. He grabs at Jaxon¡¯s shirt, his entire body beginning to shake.


    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m here. You¡¯re with me.¡±


    ¡°I- I can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re safe.¡±