SUPER RICH KIDS

CHAPTER TWENTY- NINE

ARCHER AND ALEXANDER SIT on the bleachers going over new plays for the upcoming basketball game. Matthew can be found lying around on the ground by their feet adding in his two cents. "This weather is ridiculous. It's 100 degrees out here. Remind me again why we aren't inside the gym?" It's Archer's fault that they're outside. He had dragged them out in need of some 'fresh air'."I should be in my bed knocked out by now." Alexander complains.

"Yo same." A minute later, "Have y'all heard from Sebastian?" Matthew asks the other two."I haven't seen or heard from him since his dumbass got exposed for cheating."

"I saw his ass yesterday. He complained about the situation but I couldn't be asked to listen to him. It's his fault." Alexander says, not looking up from the playbook."He'll learn one day. Or not. Makes me no damn difference."

"Well damn. The switch up is something serious."

"Dawg, we told him not to cheat on Noelle and what the hell does he do? Cheats on Noelle... with Marissa Taylor. Speaking of that girl, why is she only picking guys in relationships?" Archer asks.

"She's a home wrecker. That's just what they do."Alexander scoffs, flipping a page in the playbook. "Marissa knows exactly what she's doing. She thrives off the drama. It's not even about the guy—it's about the attention, the power she gets from breaking people up."

Matthew groans from the ground, propping himself up on his elbows. "I still don't get it though. Noelle's cool as hell. Why cheat? Sebastian had everything, man."

"Because some people are just never satisfied," Archer replies, tossing the ball in the air and catching it again. "They think the grass is always greener on the other side. Spoiler alert: it's not."

"Facts," Alexander mutters. He pauses for a second, then turns to the others. "So what do you think happens now? Noelle's not the type to take him back, right?"

Matthew shakes his head. "Nah, she's too smart for that. She deserves better than Sebastian's sorry ass."

Archer nods in agreement. "Definitely. Noelle's gonna be fine, she'll bounce back stronger. But Sebastian... he might not recover from this one."

"Good," Alexander says, his voice flat. "He needs to learn that actions have consequences."

There's a brief moment of silence as the three of them reflect on the situation. The sun beats down relentlessly, and the heat is starting to get to all of them. Matthew wipes sweat from his forehead and sighs.

"Can we seriously move inside now? I feel like I'm melting out here."

Archer finally concedes. "Yeah, yeah, let's head in. I guess I did overdo it with the 'fresh air' thing."

They gather up their stuff and head toward the gym, Matthew trailing behind, still grumbling about the heat. As they walk, Archer glances over at Alexander.

"You think Sebastian's really done for?" he asks, not entirely sure how to feel about it.

Alexander shrugs. "Maybe. Maybe not. But if he doesn't change... well, you can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved."

As they push through the gym doors, the cool blast of air conditioning is a welcome relief, instantly refreshing them. Archer tosses his bag to the side, and Matthew collapses onto the nearest bench with a dramatic sigh of relief.

"Finally, salvation!" Matthew exclaims, sprawling out, arms and legs splayed like a starfish.

Alexander rolls his eyes, but a small smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. He sets the playbook down on the bench next to Matthew and takes a seat, leaning back and closing his eyes for a moment. "Alright, now that we're not cooking alive, what's the plan for practice?"

Archer stretches his arms overhead, clearly feeling more energized in the cooler environment. "We've got to focus on defense. Our offense is solid, but we've been slacking when it comes to keeping pressure on the other team. We can't afford to be lazy."

Alexander nods. "Yeah, we've been letting too many easy points slip by. I've been meaning to bring that up. We need to tighten up our coverage. Especially you, Matthew."

Matthew sits up, feigning offense. "Me? Bro, I'm carrying this team."

Archer laughs, shaking his head. "Sure, but your defense? Trash."

Matthew groans, throwing his head back dramatically. "Man, I'm always getting roasted around here. Y'all never appreciate my skills."

Alexander gives him a deadpan look. "You need to stop focusing so much on showboating. You're fast, we get it, but speed doesn't mean anything if you're not locking down your man."

Matthew sighs. "Alright, alright. I hear you. I'll work on it. But if I get benched, y'all better not say a word."

Archer grins. "You won't get benched if you actually focus."

Just as they're about to dive back into strategizing, the gym doors swing open, and in walks Sebastian. His usual swagger is noticeably absent, and he looks like he hasn't slept in days. His eyes are red, and there's a heavy slump in his shoulders.

Archer, Alexander, and Matthew all exchange a quick glance but say nothing as Sebastian approaches. He stops a few feet away, looking at the ground before finally speaking, his voice rough.

"Yo... can we talk?"

The air in the gym shifts. Matthew leans back, arms crossed over his chest, clearly skeptical. Archer and Alexander remain silent, waiting to see what Sebastian has to say.

"Look, I know I messed up," Sebastian continues, his voice cracking. "I've been hearing it from everyone, and trust me, I get it. I fucked up with Noelle, and I regret it more than anything."

Alexander narrows his eyes, speaking up for the first time. "Yeah, you did. We warned you, but you didn't listen. So now what? You want us to fix it for you?"

Sebastian shakes his head. "No, I don't expect anyone to fix anything. I just... I don't know, man. I don't know how to come back from this."

For a moment, there's only the sound of the basketball rolling along the hardwood floor as Archer dribbles absentmindedly. Then, finally, he stops, bouncing the ball back to Sebastian.

"Look, man, we've known you for years. We're not gonna abandon you just because you messed up. But you need to own this, completely. No excuses, no blaming anyone else."

Sebastian catches the ball, staring down at it for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah... I know. I'm just hoping it's not too late to fix things."

Alexander leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "With Noelle? I don't know, man. That's on her. But with us? It's gonna take time. You broke trust, and that doesn't just come back overnight."

Matthew, surprisingly, speaks up next. "Yeah, bro. But you've got to start somewhere, right?"

Sebastian looks up, his eyes meeting each of theirs. "Yeah. I'll do better. I promise."

Archer steps forward, clapping Sebastian on the back. "We'll hold you to that. Now, you wanna run some plays with us or what?"

Sebastian cracks a small, tired smile. "Yeah, let's do it."

As the four of them head toward the court, the weight of the situation hasn't entirely lifted, but there's a sense of relief in the air. A starting point. It wasn't going to be easy, but maybe, just maybe, they could find a way through this mess together.