Between Us (all of us #1)

T H R E E

T R E N T O N

After school I always go to Diesel's house. Honestly, I always go to Diesel's house period. After work I go to Diesel's house, after going to my house, I go to Diesel's house—after being at Diesel's house, I go back to Diesel's house.

My mom used to complain about how often I was over and that I needed to be home with family, but she finally got over it when I turned seventeen and ever since then it's like I live here. Most of my stuff is here, only thing I do go home for is dinner, because that's the one thing that is sacred to my mom. Ever since my dad left, I figured the least I could do was sit through dinner a few nights a week with her and my sister.

Diesel returns to the room, dressed and reeking of cologne that wafts in from the doorway. "Well, ready to go?"

"Go where?" I keep my eyes on his flat screen, my finger steadily hounding the R2 button on the controller in my hands to trigger rounds of shots in this first person shooter game.

I like Diesel's house for a lot of reasons. Besides him being my best friend, there's minimal rules here compared to at my house.

Sure, Roger's annoying, but he really doesn't ask for that much. Just to pick up after ourselves and occasionally to turn the fucking music down. Besides that, they've got everything here. A pool, hot tub, sixty inch flat screens in every room, and they pay for all the cool streaming services so Diesel has access to whatever movies or shows he wants.

When I'm here, I mostly play video games. Every birthday, Aubree buys him whatever new system or game is out. He's spoiled to the max, but the way they let me hangout here all the time, I sort of am too. Only difference is, I know how to say thank you.

"I'm going to Chloe's," he states, his hand resting on the door knob. "You're going home."

"Really, man? You're making me leave just because you got a booty call? We all know you won't be gone longer than thirty minutes. If that."

"Fuck you." He rolls his eyes. "Come on, or you're walking home."

And Diesel got a car for his sixteenth birthday. I'd be jealous, but he's been my chauffeur for the last year and a half so it's cool.

"I'll just stay here." I lift my eyes briefly at him. "Yeah, I'm on a killing streak. Don't fuck this up for me."

I hear him sigh. "Fine. I'll be back later."

"Cool. Later."

He shuts the door behind him and I keep playing until I hear his car take off. I could care less about a killing streak or anything else they have in this house. Let's be real. The main reason I like being here is because of Mrs. Cooper, and ever since Roger started leaving on business, it's been easier to get time alone with her.

I peek out the window to make sure he's gone before leaving the room.

The light is on in the den and I know she's in there. It's sad, she spends all this time at home by herself. Roger never takes her out unless it's to some lame ass business party or something, which she always gets dressed to the nines for. I bet he walks her around like she's some kind of trophy. I mean she is, but she should be more than that.

He doesn't deserve her.

I step into the wide entrance of the den, standing beside the wall watching her for a moment. She's sitting on the couch with her kindle reader in her lap, legs curled up and a blanket draped over her thighs, but hardly covering anything or providing her any warmth. Her arm's outreached for her glass of wine when her eyes lift onto me, and she pauses before taking a sip.