He's Insane (Dave Franco AU)

Palo Alto High School

this chapter has been revised

It was once in a blue moon that I'd make time to have friends over. Since it was only a two bedroom, one bathroom home, it was quite small too. Everyone would be touching knees and elbows if I tried to invite more than three people over, so I never really did.

But this time, it was just James and Crystal who were here. At first, it was just Crystal and I enjoying ourselves. We were having girl-talk, doing our hair and makeup, and watching cheesy, romantic comedies like we always did. But after Crystal had done herself up, she suggested I invite James over so she could get to know him better. It was obvious Crystal had a little crush.

I sat on my couch, sprawled out since I had it to myself, with a plate of pizza on my lap. James never came to my house empty handed, whether it was reefer, food, drinks, etc. This night, he brought two large, pepperoni pizzas and some cheap beer.

Oh, and his guitar.

James and Crystal sat on the loveseat together, and she listened to him with her hand under chin, with little hearts fluttering out of her eyeballs. He was showing off a couple of riffs he had learned throughout his years.

"Wow," Crystal whistles. "You're so talented."

"Thanks." He chuckled, as he tuned his guitar again.

"Do you know how to play any songs?" She asks, completely fascinated with him.

He thinks for a moment. "Uh, I can play Kryptonite." James says.

She gasps. "I love Three Doors Down!"

I laughed to myself, cracking open another beer, while I was being excluded from the conversation. I didn't mind though, I haven't seen Crystal this giddy and excited in a long time.

"So did you grow up around here?" Crystal positions herself, and sits criss-cross on the loveseat as she waits for James to tell her his whole life story.

"Yeah, I've been here my whole life." He responded. "I went to Palo Alto High School, just like you two."

"Oh? Really? Weird how we've never ran into each other."

James shrugs.

Crystal snaps her fingers. "Oh, wait! Do you have a brother named Dave?"

I glared at her, while chewing on a bite of pizza. "You know Dave?"

"Uh, yeah?" She inclines as if it were supposed to be obvious. "Everyone knew Dave, he was like- one of the hottest guys in school."

I knit my brows together. "I didn't know him."

Crystal looked at James. "That's because Brooke was too cool to know anyone."

I chuckle and shook my head. "Shut up." I set my plate of pizza down and was now intrigued in the conversation.

"Were you and my brother friends or anything?" James asked her. He set his guitar aside.

"No. Like Brooke here, Dave was too cool to know anyone either." She snorts. "Really though, he homecoming king and was voted best-looking in the year book. He was a quiet guy though. He always kept to himself."

"Oh, so the only reason he was well-known was because he was hot." I scoffed, shaking my head. No one probably knew what an asshole he really was.

"I mean, yeah. Look at these guys." Crystal said, pointing to James face.

James lets out a laugh and picks his guitar back up again.

"I don't care." I cross my arms. "Just because you were voted best-looking and homecoming king in high school, doesn't give you access to act like a total dick towards everyone else afterwards."

That was probably one of Dave's problem. He was still on his high horse from high school. There's no doubt that he really thought he was better than everyone else.

"A dick? Am I missing something here?" Crystal questions.

Messing with the strings on his guitar, James shakes his head dismissing the conversation. "No, you're not. Dave just isn't the easiest person to talk to."

Even though Dave was a total prick, and him having a big head could be why, it still didn't excuse him from having the outbursts he does. I finished my beer, and crushed the can with my hand and set it aside.

The only decency Dave has shown is offering me the rest of his joint from the other day, which was shocking, but that was still nothing. The way he treated others, even his own brother, was atrocious.

I just wanted to know for what reason? Why did Dave seem so miserable?

"Good-looking people really don't have to be nice to others. That's just an advantage of being hot." Crystal jokes.

James and I let out a snicker at the same time. If only she knew.