Page 42 of Your Side of the Offense

"We need to watch him," Harvey says, coming back to stand beside Jaden.

I pull Archer's pants off and shirt before they help me roll him in.

"Yeah, we do," I agree.

"We can't afford for him to go manic," Jaden says and Harvey and I definitely agree with that.

Archer's mania episodes are very few and far between because he makes sure to take his medication and we all look after each other, but when they happen, none of us like seeing it.

The last one was five years ago. He burned his parent's beach house and went totally off the grid for five days. He never said where he went. It was sad, I loved that beach house.

"He’s not coping," Harvey says, weariness evident in his voice.

"Should we tell her?" I ask.

I know the relationship is over, but I know she still cares for him, and I don't know how much any of us here can really do to help him, but I think she can get to him.

"She made it clear she doesn't care." Jaden spits out with some venom.

"Look, I'm just saying that maybe sh—"

"No," Jaden interjects firmly, turning to me to glare.

"It was a suggestion, killer."

"She made it clear she's done. You want to show her and her boyfriend that we are still desperate little boys running after her at every turn?" Jaden lifts his eyebrows.

"Well, damn, I didn't think of that."

We’ve been the subject of a lot of talk around campus. Most of the news reporting that we are boys obsessed with her and can't let go. I mean, it's true, of course, but it wasn't easy to hear.

And it made us brush up on the plans of taking over this campus. The past few weeks we have been on our shit, trying to fight the social war. But it doesn't make it easier when we see her at parties or in class.

When our gaze always just naturally goes to her even in the sea of girls we deal with these days. But none of them make it any better.

"Yeah, well."

"We can handle our friend by ourselves. We don't need Summer and her…fuck." Harvey sounds pissed as he looks down at Archer and I sit down next to the snoring boy.

"How do you reckon we do that? Keep all the blunts and bottles away from him and supervise his medication intake?" I'm curious to see how they think we are going to do this.

We all know how sneaky Archer can be especially when he starts descending into depressive episodes, he can be great at fooling everyone he's in tip-top shape when he wants to.

"Yes," Jaden says.

"I will knock a few of his teeth in if it’s needed." Harvey smirks and I smile, though a bit sad.

Silence befalls the room for a few minutes.

"She made her choice," Jaden says.

Harvey walks to the window again.

This is all fucked up. But I guess this carousel will keep turning and only the universe knows when it ends, but we are riding it whether we like to or not until the wheels falter.

The door opens and one of the girls from downstairs peaks in.

"Oops, are you guys busy with something?"

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