Page 35 of Your Side of the Offense

I feel a little unsettled. I hope the guys didn’t come and I hope there won’t be any trouble.

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…

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