Just Revenge

Chapter Six: Infiltration

After that, I started to sit close enough to their group that I think I might've – at some point – actually been included into the circle. It wasn't as hard as I'd thought it was going to be. As it turns out, as a group they're all actually pretty nice. I even got to know the outskirt members as more than just outskirt members. There's Alex and Izzy who aren't related, but I used to get confused because they both had medium length brown hair and glasses in a similar style, but now I can totally tell them apart. Alex's hair is a bit longer and straighter and she's way funnier than Izzy. Izzy's sweet, but kind of stupid and says really dumb things that don't make sense every now and then. There's Luke, the hot guy that everyone in theater's kind of trying to jump because he's half attractive and a little funny – don't ask, theater kids have low standards in guys, we don't have all that many. There was also Diana who I think might've been Aurora's cousin or something. She's a sophomore and doesn't say a whole lot so I don't know much about her. That just leaves Aurora – who's super sweet and looks like a Disney princess with her flowy blonde hair and kind smile – who's kinda been my biggest helper in joining the group. She always says hello and makes room for me when I show up, she's so great. Harper, who I'm not even trying to pretend to be friends with, but I know won't be openly mean to my face. Cortland, who's still kind of an ass, but I've gotten along with surprisingly well – probably because I too am kind of an ass. And Max.

Max and I have spoken in a group setting, but every time people drift into their own conversations amongst the group, Harper snatches him and glues herself to his side. Honestly, it's so frustrating. I mean, I've been able to joke around with him onstage a little, but not actually talk to him in the way that I need to if I want him to not go back to Harper and take an interest in me instead. So imagine my surprise when one day the opportunity literally just leaps out at me.

It was almost 8 o'clock at night and rehearsal was just wrapping up. Calista and I were helping to put away the set pieces before we left and everyone else was starting to bunch up into their respective friend groups. I hadn't really thought much about the rest of the night, just planning on going home and watching movies or something.

Lis and I finished packing up the shed and she took off for her mom's car – she's a senior too, but for some reason most theater kids just don't drive. I pulled out my flip phone and debated calling my parents, safe bet was they were just late, but they may have fallen asleep or gotten busy or something.

"Hey Flip Phone!" I shot Cortland a glare. Him, Max, Aurora, and Harper were standing in a circle together – the rest of the group gone, "You want a Slurpee?"

My face must've looked as confused as I felt because Aurora stepped in to clarify. "Speedway has 99 cent slushies and we're all going."

"Her car has one more seat if you want in." Max smiled at me with a look on his face that said he knew I wasn't going to say no.

And I absolutely wasn't. "Let's go." I followed behind them, texting my parents as I went.

As soon as we got close to the car, Max hollered out for shotgun.

"Excuse you, no. I get shotgun." Harper's voice managed to be sassy and whiney at the same time.

"Yeah? Fight me for it." Max popping the collar of his shirt up and flashing her a crooked smile.

I smirked at the scene, "Can you really afford to be any more nineteen-hundred's gangster? Cuz at this point, I'm just convinced you're secretly in the mob."

Max turned towards me, his hands going to the silver, pimp chain he wore everyday. "You can't mean cuz of this, can you? Because I could have you sleeping with the fishes tonight for even suggesting something so assuming."

I laughed.

"Please. Her gang would have you ten feet under before your mob got within a mile of her."

I turned, surprised Cortland had chimed in, but then noticed the confused look on Max's face. The part that made him different though was that he didn't question the joke that obviously had formed without him, just paused with the assumption that if he needed to get filled in, someone would do it.

After just a beat, I explained it for Max. "Apparently, I am now a gang-banger because naturally all drug dealers are in a gang."

It took me a second to realize that I hadn't really explained things, but Max didn't seem to dwell on it. "Sweet. Does that mean you can hook me up with some heroine?"

It took me a second to realize that he was probably joking because his face was dead serious, but after a second his smile broke through and he started laughing. Even though it was at my expense, I laughed too. I couldn't help it. Something about his laugh was contagious and just made me feel like laughing.

"Come on, Flip Phone. Get in the car. Otherwise we might leave you behind." Cortland slid into the backseat with a smirk.

"Hush. I'd never leave someone behind and don't pretend I would." Aurora scolded him from the driver's seat.

Max shook his head, looking at Harper sitting securely in the passenger seat, "Looks like I've lost my shotgun seat."

He pulled the door open and gestured, "I'm not taking the middle seat. It's all yours."

Rolling my eyes, I slid across the seat to the middle, "Thanks Aurora. I'm glad that somebody in the car's a nice person"

I shot Cortland an icy look and turned to do the same to Max, but couldn't meet his eyes. As he slid in the car, he was watching Harper in the seat in front of him. She was fiddling with the radio and not looking in his direction, but his eyes were still fixed on her.

I guess that's why it's only Phase Two.