affluenza (1.) | ✔️

Dry-humping and Balconies

After I ruined his hat and we were suspended, he spilled an entire cup of lemonade on my white shorts "accidentally" on our field trip to the aquarium. Everyone thought I'd peed myself. In my past eight years of life, we've been at war with each other—whether it be stealing girls or getting each other in trouble with teachers, we never stopped fighting.

Sebastian—or Ash, as everyone else knew him—was everything I thought he'd become. Loud, obnoxious, abrasive. A complete douche. And everyone at school loved him. Most people took his side in the war. The sportspeople, cheerleaders—basically everyone with less than 13% of body fat.

Then there was my side. The smarties, band geeks, and in-between. Basically, everyone who had a higher IQ than a number two pencil.

I was what you'd consider an in-between. Robs and Ash made it so that I had a place with the populars. Most of the time I just hung with Robyn. She was the best company of all.

        Sebastian Grey and I had been at war for so long, it became harder for me to remember why I was supposed to hate him over the years. He wasn't all bad, I supposed. There was one time in eighth grade where Nolan Walker had sent around a rumor that I wasn't into girls and had several Sports Illustrated magazines in my bedroom, that he'd seen them once before. I arrived at school to find dozens of half-naked pictures of guys in my locker and spent the whole day in the bathroom. The next day, Nolan left me alone. I asked Robyn what made him back off and she told me that he and Sebastian had had a huge fight during lunch and that Sebastian had broken his nose. I felt something sort of shift between me and him, but the next week he was back to filling up my backpack with whipped cream and I assumed we'd returned to normal.

        I think what kept me and Sebastian from resolving everything was too many years of history. We were both around eighteen now and we've been fighting since we were nine. Our narrative had been laid out for us: Sebastian hates Braylen, Braylen hates Sebastian. There was little room for any change.

        Besides, it wasn't that hard to dislike Sebastian. He was cocky, arrogant, spoiled, and rude. My guess would be it's harder to find something to like about him.

Robyn hops down the stairs on at a time, her strawberry blonde hair that was due for another dye jumping with her. She reached the kitchen where my Aunt Amanda and cousins Bethany and Bridget were. They were twins and mostly a pain in my butt, but I adored them. Just like I adored my aunt. "The party is tonight?" Aunt Amanda asks, running a hand through her blonde hair. She grimaces like she always does when she's stressed. "Okay, um. Didn't expect to have this conversation with you until college."

"Oh my God," I murmur. Robyn giggles and grabs an apple, sliding into a seat next to the twins. They were laughing, too; the traitors. "Please, Auntie, no. I won't go. Just no lecture about—"

"Rule number one," she interjects, voice stern. "Don't leave your drink sitting anywhere. Someone might spike it."

I groan. "Pretty sure that mostly applies to girls, Oba."

"My nephew, you'd be surprised. Rule number two, if you decide to have sex with anyone, and I cannot stress this enough—"

"Use a condom and make sure they're clean, got it, can I go now?" I recite, blush appearing. "We're going to be late."

Oba makes a face. "Well, that's rule number three. If you're not late you're early. It's nearly nine. I'd say that's acceptable. Now go, go!"

I grab Robyn's hand and she smiles at everyone with a mouth full of apple chunks. "I'll take very good care of him, Ms. Adams!"

I shut the door behind her, rolling my eyes. "Don't do that. I like your aunt; she's cool people."