The Materialists | Book 1 + 2 ✔

03 | I make allies not friends

'Cause you never learned what it's like to treat someone decently

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I'D FORMATTED a plan. An easy plan that won't hurt anyone because they won't have to know. I, of course, have to continue taking down the A-listers. But maybe, I could do it less straight-forward. They are only so powerful because they are the most feared and adored clique in the school, so what if I just made my own clique, replacing theirs? I won't even have to interact with Tao's group that much, I will of course, but I don't have to make them my priority. If people loved me more, they'd turn against Tao, Brandy, and Zia in a second. But the guys were the hard part.

From what I saw, the girls never really hooked up with anyone that wasn't in their own group, but the guys, they were fawned over by every single girl it seems, in the school. So I'd have to get equally attractive guys in my clique to overpower them. This should be easy, actually, there are a lot of hotties in the school that doesn't get attention just because of their ranking.

And I could spread rumors and dirt on the A-listers just through the Instagram account, which Rachael and I posted 2 more things on in the past month. The video of Sonny trying to hookup with Yasmin while degrading Tao and every other girl in the school. A picture of Cajes and Ace juuling behind the school. And to my surprise, juuling and other drugs besides weed were highly uncommon in this school. The account was flourishing, and even teenagers from other private schools in the area were requested to follow it.

So already, people were fearing the A-listers less and less each day, it was obvious, but it wasn't enough to completely take them down. I needed to do more, faster. I needed more things that would actually threaten their reputation posted, so I decided to have another party. But this time I didn't do the public invitations. During lunch when the halls were empty because every other grade was also in class, I slipped each red letter into people's locker. So when they got back from lunch and went to get their books from the next class, the envelope would fall out, and heads were turned, and then I'd strut my shit down the hallway to my locker pretty far away from the cafeteria and just observe everyone opening their letters.

It was almost too much fun. This school was like my little movie, and I could twist the plot anyway I wanted and pretty much get the same outcome. No one in this school was stupid, or clueless, or easy to mess with, they were just blinded by the person they could've been this year. Me. I wonder how many people look at me and wonder why I was asked to join the A-listers on the first day. Why I was their lucky pick. But at the same time, I knew at least 1/5 of them were just waiting for my downfall, as that was what happened with the other guys the past 3 years. And I'm sure those people were also confused as to why that hadn't happened yet.

Because, even though no one in this school was stupid, or clueless, or easy to mess with, I was smarter, wiser, and turn other people's games into my competition. It was like the A-listers were trying to beat the rule-maker at their own game. Except for this time, I make the rules, and they know that. Sure, it's beneficial being friends with the most powerful people in the school, but it's even better doing that while having friends on the outside. They have a small clique, I have an army.

They were losing before the true war even started. This was like the fucking Revolutionary War all over again. And once again, the American was winning.

The only downside was that Reese knew me. Like, really knew me. He could see through the barrier I put up even when I try my hardest to make it bulletproof. And he has fucking morals. I mean, I do to but obviously they are a little faded especially when it comes to ruining people's lives. He was one of the very few privilege boys that actually had a heart and that would easily interfere with what I had planned.

The only way to truly get rid of Reece was to take things with Luca to the next level. Make it more... public. From what the school knows, we've just been talking not really dating. Then he'd finally piss off and understand I'm not interested in him. No one is. But that also means to keep the girls fawning over him, which I've noticed were multiple, away from him.

I sound fucking...controlling as shit.

I mean, I want him to be happy.
Even though he's an asshole.
Maybe he'd only be happy with me.

No, what the heck.

The point is I need to further the relationship with Luca. He was nice, and he was cute, he sucked at making conversations and spent most of our time together just looking at me. But he wasn't an asshole either so it pretty much made up for the fact. He was pretty boyfriend material, just...extremely far from my type.

Or, even better. Drop Luca (Mega power move), take him into my custody (Meaning just add him to my clique), and then let Isaia think he has a chance with me to follow through with Tao's plan and then completely break his heart from the inside out.

Not only did that seem like more fun, but it seemed like it would work better. If people knew I was dating Isaia, they'd remember that despite the fact that, yes I'm talking to a D-lister, I'm still in more power than them. That keeps their respect. And if at the same time I formed my own little group, that keeps their love and trust for me. It was like killing 10 birds with one stone.

I typed out the full plan on the notes app on my phone, sitting on the couch of my empty and dark penthouse because I had yet to open all the blinds or turn on any lights, I realized in full effect, I'm really fucking lonely.

I don't think it was ever clear to me how alone in this world I was. Mostly because I thought that was normal for someone living a lifestyle like mine. It was normal to make everyone your ally, not a friend.

But I really didn't have much time to be sappy. I had to find a way to distance Luca from me, without making him hate me in general. And I also had to figure out how to explain to my parents why they got a call from the school saying I wasn't in the last period. When my phone rang and I saw the screen light up, displaying "Mother" across it, I rolled my eyes, slipped off my heels and uniform, and eagerly changed into a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Leaving the jewelry on my vanity and wiping off the makeup I was wearing, I slid underneath the sheets of my bed.

If I was going to be alone in this world from here on out, I might as well make sleep and the bed my new best friend.

Because 1, I couldn't risk having friends, and 2, someone as bitchy as me doesn't really deserve any anyway.

Song Of The Chapter:

This chapter was mostly just like...describing her plan or whateva. LMAO MY WRITERS BLOCK IS SO FRICKIN BAD I'M SORRY. I don't want to make her seem like controlling asf and I don't want her to seem like she isn't aware that what she is doing is wrONg. So I combined the two and tried to make a decent chapter but I got this instead aha. AnYWHO thank you sm for reading

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