Ragged✔|18+

EIGHT

CLYDE

"Last chance, you fucking punk." I slide a fifty toward Leo. "Go get us some food or I'll take the money, go up to that counter, order for myself and not get anything for you."

He gives me a chilling look. "I'm not your slave, asshole, and last time I checked, I was the one calling the shots in this whole arrangement."

I snort at that. Arrangement? More like convenience.

I arrived home from school today, fully prepared to follow through with my everyday routine— which is to avoid human interaction in that house as much as possible —only to find my dad and Wade going at it in the living room, quarrelling like they've never before. Had it not been for my intrusion, blood would definitely have been spilled.

Leo was sitting in one of the lounge chairs, head in his hands and rocking back and forth. One look from Wade and I knew they were fighting over him and that I needed to get him out of there pronto.

Not sure why they were arguing about Leo and I'm not sure if I even care. All I know is I'm stuck with Leo until the coast is clear for us to head back home.

"Do you see Wade here?" I make a show of glancing around us. "No. I call the shots now. Now go get some motherfucking food."

He takes the money and stands up.

"Don't forget the fries," I remind him.

He flips me off before taking the money and heads off to do what I told him to.

Sometimes, it feels good being his big brother. Means he's got to do whatever I ask him to do. Most of the time, that is. Leo's a fucking nutcase. His mood changes constantly and not even  Wade keeps up with them.

My phone vibrates on the opened exercise book and I pick it up, expecting it to be Logan or Andre or anyone else. Anyone else but her.

Zoe: Can we talk?

I'm about to type out a reply when I fucking remember what I promised myself at the beginning of this year. I was not going to get tangled up with Zoe again. Not as friends. Not as aquaintances. Not as anything.

An immature move on my part, but I'm not apologizing for it. Best to stay out of all the drama and enjoy some fucking peace for once in my life. I tuck my phone away and try to concentrate on my algebra homework. Which is getting on my last damn nerve because why the fuck would someone or a group of people sit down and invent this monstrosity that will be of no use to me in ten months when I graduate?

I curse and pick up a pencil. Might as well try to solve the damn equations. I look to the counter to see if Leo truly is getting our order and my eyes instead land on a familiar face.

Reyna.

Christ. I was joking about the whole fate wants us to be together thing but right now, I'm beginning to believe in my own bullshit assumption.

She smiles, and I wonder if she's thinking the same thing. She must because she starts heading toward my table, a smoothie in one hand.

The enchanting moment is cut short when my panic sets in. All my insecurities swirl in my mind.

She slides into the booth and sets down her smoothie on the table.  "These coincidences need to stop or I'm actually going to start to believe you're stalking me."

"I think I'm loving these coincidences and maybe you're the one who's stalking me for all I know."

"You live here?" she asks.