Cruel Me

Chapter 2: Teenage Dirtbag (sophomore year)

(sophomore year)

I'm hungry as fucking hell.

I hurried to the cafeteria, not caring if I looked food deprived. I skipped breakfast this morning to check on Connie. She didn't come to school today, and she wasn't answering any of my calls or texts. I had no choice but to go to her house.

Thank God I did because her step-mother apparently made her clean up their house instead of letting her go to school. Connie was like Cinder-fucking-ella, only she didn't have any step-sisters. Her older brother was away for college on a football scholarship, and their dad worked as a mechanic all day. She was stuck with that batshit crazy step-mom.

I had to drag her away from there, sneaking her out and all. I always did. I'd known her almost as long as I'd known Alfie. We basically grew up together, attending parties of our older siblings since we were in 6th grade – but I've been going since I was in 3rd.

The sea of students parted for me. I was used to this so it didn't make me feel special. If anything, it was normal.

"You skipping football practice later?" Alfie asked, who was suddenly beside me.

"Nah," I replied, shaking my head. "There's a new kid on the team."

That meant there was someone new for the upperclassmen to toy around with in the field. We all went through it freshmen year. It was the new guy's turn.

"Oh, yeah. The one from San Fran?"

"Yep."

"Shit," he snickered. "The seniors won't go easy on him."

I sneered. "It'll be one helluva show."

"Get real," he snorted. "You're hoping they'd let you in on the fun."

He caught me there.

"Everybody knows that's my thing." I shrugged.

Letting it out on others was my way of relieving the pressure that was suffocating me inside. It was my release. It was the only thing I learned to do in order to cope with the shit that had surrounded me.

What kind of shit?

Parents who didn't give a fuck.

I didn't even know if I still had them because as soon as my sister Annabelle graduated a couple of years ago, they moved to the City, leaving me here in New Jersey by myself. Sure, they sent a generous amount of allowance. I guessed I should be thankful for that, right?

There was also the fact that my siblings looked at me like an accessory rather than their youngest brother. Who could blame them? We grew up in a messed up family.

And then, I had to deal with people who were only being friends with me because my family was loaded. Gold shit diggers. It was hard to identify the real friends at first. But in time, I got the hang of it. Still, though. The fakes were all over the fucking place.

There, take your pick.

"Teenage dirtbag," Alfie chortled.

I grinned. "Jealous?"

"Fuck you." He laughed.

"I'd rather not."

My playful vibe was shot to hell when I saw how long the line was in the cafeteria. Alfie and I stood there for a moment, trying to think of something.

Damn. I was starving. This wouldn't do.

"Fuck it," I muttered, walking straight to the middle of the jet line with Alfie following beside me. I smoothly slipped in front of some girl, without looking back.