The Players Next Victim

Chapter Fifteen

“There's not much to tell but since you're interested, here it goes. My dad part-owned a company with Tyler's dad, which is why we both went to the same school and yes we were friends – and so were our families.” Austin started explaining.

I nodded in response, waiting for him to continue.

“Me and Tyler had the same status as we do now in this school, because we had money, we had chicks, we had everything some people can't get. But that obviously meant competition. Anyways, our dads both co-owned a successful company, which meant we had to stay put in that area. My parents aren't together and my mum lives in New York, so I choose to live here with my dad, after all he deals with business.” He smiles.

I looked up at the shining sky, whilst taking everything in, and thinking that maybe, just maybe he might say more about Tyler and their situation.

So far I know that they're family friends – or at least were family friends.

They both were very popular back in the old school as they are now. But Austin didn't explain further about him and Tyler and who was he in competition with? With the whole school – or Tyler?

I looked down at Austin and met his pale eyes, as they shone brightly.

He continued explaining. “Well, business was doing better than expected and every time business got higher and higher we were pressurized into following their footsteps and not messing up. But we're teenagers, we do mess up and we learn from it but its hard to explain to people who never made an educational mistake... but plenty of social mistakes!”

By we I'm guessing he was talking about Tyler and himself.

“And because business was doing great, they decided to expand their company to other places, which is why we moved here. They needed to put their effort into the new opening of the company and the best way to do that was to move out here.”

Just then we made eye contact, and he smiled and looked down at the grass we were sitting on.

“I took a little trip over in New York when the first moved here to get my head cleared what with everything going on in school and home – it was becoming stressful. Then, I finally came after a few weeks and even though it was a new place, new school it was hardly a new start.”

“What do you mean a new start?” I asked, confused. I was still hoping he would open up more about his problem with Tyler, or Tyler's problem with Austin. But I wouldn't want to push it too far.

He looked up at me again, showing his pearly white teeth as he smiles. “You know, from all the complications high school builds on you, you sort of want to escape from everything and everyone but it was no different.”

“So what you're trying to tell me is that you don't like all the attention you get?” I laughed.

He laughed along with me, his lean body exposing muscles beneath his t-shirt. “You can't enjoy attention when someone's hurt you enough that it's all you think about.”

Is he talking about Tyler? About his family? Or just school in general?

Whichever he's implying, something happened in all three situations and I can't help but ask.

“What hurt you? Or who?”

“You know, I'm over it because everything happens for a reason, right?”

I nodded in a agreement. “Yeah.”

I decided not to push it too far. I don't want Austin to think I don't actually care.