Page 4 of You Had Me At Thirteen

‘Out of all the videos available on YouTube, that’s the one you landed on?’ I raise an eyebrow while trying to suppress a laugh.

‘You have a fucking go, then.’ Emerson shoves the coin at me.

‘I’m good,’ I say, shoving his hand away. ‘Maybe later.’ Or never.

Emerson shrugs, then continues to throw the coin into the air. At one point, it smacks him straight in the eye.

It’s only when Em cries out in pain that Will looks up from his sketchbook with a shake of his head, before he lifts his chin towards me. ‘Wren. How’s things?’

‘Same shit, different day.’ I pull at the tie around my neck, loosening it further.

The warmer days usually have me itching for summer, swimming at the lake with these three, hanging in the air-con in Koby’s basement. But this year, everything’s different.

I adjust my angle on the seat to make sure Matilda is visible. I’m still packing half a hard-on, so I rearrange myself, trying to imagine anything other than her naked.

Will doesn’t ask any more questions – he’s more closed off than I am, which is saying something. And I’m thankful for the few seconds of quiet before the other two start at each other.

‘Am I invisible?’ Koby says as he shoves Emerson’s shoulder.

‘No, you’re annoying though,’ Emerson says before he snatches the packet of M&Ms from Koby’s hand.

Koby snatches the packet back, then gives Emerson the finger. I swear those two were separated at birth. They fight like siblings, which has me grateful I’m an only child. It’s hard to imagine how they became friends in the first place when all they do is argue. It’s like herding children, painful and frustrating.

‘You’re quiet,’ Koby says when he settles back into the seat. He hands me the packet.

I shrug before tipping some of the candy-shell-coated chocolates into my mouth. I’m not about to have tea time with my best friends, pouring my heart out about how much I’m affected by a certain brown-eyed blond beauty.

It’s Koby who catches my gaze, though. ‘What are you looking at?’ There’s a moment of silence before he snorts, erupting in fits of laughter. ‘Damn, dude. I know you’re a crazy bastard, but I didn’t realise you had a death wish.’

‘Whatever,’ I say before grabbing hold of Will’s pencil and pegging it at him.

Will scowls and snatches the pencil back. Koby rolls his eyes and slaps Will’s back, sending his hand scooting across the page. Will goes rigid, teeth clenching, as he moves his head in a steady motion towards Koby.

‘Fuck, sorry dude,’ Koby says with his hands up. A small look of horror crosses his face before relief settles into it when Will turns away from him.

I’ve seen Willis go to town on someone for much less than a ruined piece of artwork. Koby’s lucky he loves him like a brother. It’s always the quiet ones you have to look out for. I’ve often tried to coax him to come fight at the warehouse, but he refuses each time. His home life is shit, so he could use the fighting as an outlet, just like I do.

But maybe his art is his outlet, and beating the shit out of people isn’t his thing. For me, it’s a way to ease the relentless anger I feel more often these days. There’s nothing like beating some motherfucker you don’t know to a pulp. The release is addictive, and I crave my fists breaking bones. Plus, the money is a bonus.

Emerson glares at Koby. ‘You’re a dick.’

‘What?’ Koby says, shrugging. ‘I didn’t mean to ruin the masterpiece.’

‘Still a dick.’ Emerson rolls his eyes, then turns to me. ‘You in the cage this week?’

‘Like every other.’

‘Want us there for moral support?’ He plasters a shit-eating grin on his face as he stares at Koby, who’s too busy now looking at his phone.

‘I’m sure I’ll manage. You guys will just piss me off, anyway.’

Koby pins me with his baby blues. ‘Fair game, Stevenson. When have we ever…’ His mouth forms an O-shape before he clamps it shut and slumps forward. ‘Whatever. That wasn’t my fault.’

I raise an eyebrow. ‘Don’t care, you’re lucky Jordan is your brother.’

‘He’s a prick.’

Laughter fills the circle at the recollection from one of my first fights. I’d invited the boys along after teeing it up with Jordan – Koby’s older brother by two years – and the one I go to when I need a fight. So Koby already knew what went down in the warehouse, but he hadn’t been there before.

---