Forged Bonds (BxB)

CHAPTER 7

It seemed like Danielle truly understood how misplaced I felt last time, because she didn't leave my side now. Not that she made me feel comfortable all of a sudden, but I had to admit it felt better to have someone I knew there. It was weird referring to Danielle as someone I knew. Someone that made me feel more secure around a group full of strangers.

"Mika's cheating!" Mark announced "He got cards under his butt"

"You looking at his butt?" Aaron raised an eyebrow, causing Malia to laugh.

"Yeah, Mark, you looking at my butt?" Mika stepped in.

"It doesn't matter any of this" Nia sighed "Jack's gonna win anyway"

"Are you cheating?" Danielle turned to look at me.

"No" I replied "I'm just better than you"

They laughed at what I said, and I got that strange feeling again. The same feeling I had when I made Jeovanni laugh of something I said. Something I didn't say as part of a disguise. Something harmless. Well, harmless to most of them. Danielle glared at us. But Mark was the only one who cared enough to stop laughing.

"I didn't take you as someone cocky, Jack" Aaron said.

Nia elbowed his ribs at this, but Aaron just grabbed her arm and brought it back to her side.

"Jack, Dani said you're part of the football team" Nia brought up. She was always the one who kept making me say things about myself.

"Yeah" I said.

"How is it like to get beaten up by a bunch of dudes as a sport?" Aaron asked.

Nothing I'm not used to.

"They don't beat each other up" Mark intervened.

"No, we pretty much do" I agreed with Aaron "I think it's great. You get to be violent without getting into trouble" I didn't know if that would be a weird thing for me to say to them, so I quickly added "I'm just kidding"

"I understand that" Mika said "I'd pay for Aaron and I to participate of one of those games just so I could tackle him to the ground"

"I want to do that too" Malia stepped in.

"Get in line" Danielle snorted.

"Fine, fine, everyone hates Aaron" Aaron rolled his eyes "But Aaron keeps getting invited to those shits"

"Why are you talking about yourself in third person?" Mark furrowed his eyebrows.

"I won" I placed my last card on the table.

"How is that possible?" Mika stood up "I cheated this whole game and I still lost?" There was indeed a lot of cards where Mika was previously seating.

"You can't cheat your way through talent" I said, making him scoff.

The conversation was interrupted when we heard a loud clatter coming from upstairs.

"Is that Jeovanni?" Danielle asked while Mark was already standing up.

"I don't know" He said "I'll be right back"

All of them stayed silent until Mark had disappeared into his brother's room.

"Is he okay?" Aaron asked.

"I don't know" Danielle shrugged "He's been off this week"

"I thought that had stopped" Mika said.

"Guys, that's not the place nor the time" Nia interrupted them.

That comment caused all of them to look at me, as if Nia's words had made them realize I was there with them in the living room. The attention was quickly averted from me though when we started to hear their muffled yells at each other.