Choking on Diamonds

Six

Sydney and Addison juuled together right after school when they both needed their fix before lacrosse. I never thought that tidbit of information would come in handy for me, but today it would. Sydney absolutely despised Addison but Syd was the type to play nice. That's the difference between people like Adi and Mckenna versus Syd and I. They fucked over their friends while Syd and I talked shit to our friends about people we didn't like. We weren't friendly with them, we just weren't rude. But, anyone with half a brain cell could tell when Syd and I liked someone versus when we were indifferent.

And because my best friend would never let me down, she texted me exactly where I could find her and Addison in the woods after school that Friday. My feet pounded against the dirt trail with a ferocity yet to be matched, something I already knew was a bad sign. The somehow muggy January air coated my skin, the warmth from the sun and the moisture from the melted snow combining to make it a sticky mess outside. The trees were bare but there were enough trunks to provide concealment from coaching staff who would likely catch Syd and Addison. 

Through the quest woods I spotted the two figures, Syd's voice intentionally loud as she swore about how much she hated conditioning. As I approached on the winding dirt trail it quickly became apparent to me that Addison was standing closer to me, with her back to the direction of the school building. She was dressed in black leggings and sneakers, a blue Darien High shirt over it. I was dressed similarly for wrestling with the leggings swapped out for black shorts. I didn't mind: I liked the cold. What I never understood was the need for some girls to wear makeup to sports which was a very real thing that Addison also happened to do.

I watched the puff of smoke leave her lips before I stopped walking and called out her name. "Addison!" My cold voice was threatening but I wasn't planning on hurting her. I just wanted to have a nice little conversation without prying eyes and ears. The dark haired girl whipped around, looking over her shoulder when she saw me. I could have sworn I saw a look of disgust flash through her deep eyes but I simply ignored it. "You've been talking shit about my sister when you don't even know the whole story."

"I tell the truth, Kyra, and we both know it," she sneered in a pompous voice. "She's four months pregnant, Dumby. If it isn't David's that means she's a cheater. I thought you were one of the smart ones, Ki." Behind her, Sydney's deep eyes rolled back into her head in a show of annoyance to me. I would have laughed at her but I was too irritated to even smile.

"You don't know the reality of the situation, Adi."

"Neither do you so stop defending someone you don't even know the truth about."

"And you do?"

"No but I'm willing to bet you don't either. People will think what they want, Ki. You should just accept it," Addison shrugged at me, a taunting smirk on her face.

"I don't understand why the fuck you two have problems with each other!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in annoyance. "Can't you just leave each other the fuck alone? Is it that hard to stay away from people you don't like?" It was a relationship I would never understand. They could post Instagram pictures together because it was cute but they couldn't actually hold a conversation. What reality it this?

"You and Kenna aren't even friends! People actually fucking like her while everyone else just wants to fuck you. You have nothing in common with her. You and Syd act like you're better than everyone else because you understand some depressing ass truth while Kenna is just trying to make the most of her life."

"That's her fucking sister," Syd stepped in, unable to control herself. Unlike me, Syd was the definition of confrontational. "And just trying to live her life? Bitch, you're the one ruining it."

"Back off, Syd. This isn't your fight," Addi snapped back. Her body angled towards me, taking a step in my direction and getting in my face with her taller frame. "And this isn't your fight either. Kenna made her choice and she'll live with it. You're the one that need to get back in her lane."

"Don't tell me how to protect my sister. You think I'm just going to sit buy and let people shit talk her without defending her? Maybe you don't understand because all you have are fake friends. Go fuck yourself, Addison." That's when the midfielder put her hands on my upper chest and shoved me back.

I'm not one to start fights, despite what you've seen from me so far. But, if someone puts their hands on me or disrespects my twin? You fucking bet I will knock them out.

Just as I was bawling my first by my side, ready to sock her in the jaw, a warm hand grabbed my wrist and yanked me back by my right arm. Syd caught it out of the corner of her eyes and took that as her cue to start yelling, getting chest to chest with Addison like I once was. My body whipped around, trying to wretch my wrist free from the iron grip of the person behind me as they pulled me back. When my palms finally found the person's chest, I forcefully pushed them away from me with my eyes blazing. Staring back at me was the familiar dark eyes of none other than Hunter Khan.

"What the fuck?" I growled, shoving his bare chest with my strong arms. He barely moved, only taking an almost voluntary step back which only enraged me more. "Stop getting into my fucking business!"

"Get off of me, you narcissistic piece of shit!" Sydney's voice rang through the air as my head snapped around, watching as Jordan Smith tried to pull the lanky African American off of Addison. It seemed that Jordan had appeared out of no where with Hunter and Jason, all of them working to break of the fight I had started. Addison had a deep red scratch on her face, almost ready to start drilling blood where Sydney had snagged her. Syd wasn't one to fuck with. She was the more sporadic and adrenaline fueled one of us two, and if I got pulled out she wouldn't hesitate to jump in. She's half the reason I have tendencies to act out when I'm upset at what someone said to me. Then again, she was usually the one defending me while I just submissively sat there.

"You're fighting in the middle of our track practice, that's why I'm 'getting into your fucking business'," Hunter responded coolly from behind me, crossing his arms as the two other shirtless boys separated the lacrosse teammates.

I turned around and scowled at him, my blood still pumping in my ears. "Tell your girlfriends ring leader she's an overbearing bitch who can't help but ruin people's lives and make her believe it. Then I'll leave your fucking jog in the woods alone. But right now she's talking shit about my sister and so Syd and I have to do what Mckenna won't."

"Are you really trying to call someone else an overbearing bitch right now, Klein?" Jason hollered behind me as I looked at his pale arm in front of Addison over my shoulder. His action wasn't just to hide Adi's smug face from me, but to make sure we remained separated. Now that they guys had stepped in and gotten involved, if we got suspended they were going down with us.

"This doesn't involve you, Callahan!" I shouted back before turning back over my shoulder and glaring at Hunter. He stared down at me with an amused look on his face, clearly enjoying his position of power and my frustration.

"I don't control my girlfriend or her friends. Sorry about that, Klein," he shrugged his muscular shoulders innocently as a snarl tugged at my lips. "The rest of the track team will be running this way in a few minutes so I suggest you three break it up and get out of here."

Hunter's mocha eyes flickered up to Addison as a smirk pulled at the corner or his darker toned skin and his plump lips. "And Adi? Try not to start shit with people who could beat your ass without even lifting a finger."

Syd couldn't help but burst out laughing with Jason as Jordan snorted. Adi's face blossomed in a bright red blush and I had to admit even I found it slightly entertaining. Addison elbowed Jason but his dickish nature didn't stop him from continuing to laugh in spite of her.

"Next time I see you it better not be to drag you out of a fight, Klein." With that Hunter shouldered my body lightly before he and the guys mutually agreed to continue their jog. As I watched their bodies continue down the winter woods path, I knew I was already fucked. It was a cruel fucking world and this week was only a reminder. Every day would be worse and worse and every day Mckenna would be more and more pregnant. People fucking sucked and there was no way around it. Her life was about to become a living hell and no amount of black eyes could change that.

People truly are poison, including myself.