• S E V E N T E E N •

"Oh, no. I think I've accidentally developed an emotional attachment to a human being."

• • •

Finally, Victoria is finished getting ready. I tuck the ridiculous book back into my bag and stand up.

"So what's the plan?" I ask.

Victoria laughs, "Have fun! What more of a plan do we need?!"

I snort, "Well, how are we going to get there? And where, exactly, are we going?"

Victoria rolls her eyes and sighs, "I'll drive there and we'll meet up with my boyfriend and a couple of his friends at Notes."

Nodding, I tuck that information away. We head out to her car and I hope in the passenger seat as Victoria starts it up. Music pounds out the speakers as we hurdle down the road.

Eventually, we pull up in front of a large building with music spilling out into the street. Victoria and I get out and head to the entrance where two men are stationed. We receive red X's on the back of our hands so we don't get served anything alcoholic and head inside.

"Trey and his friends are over this way!" Victoria shouts over the music.

Nodding, I follow her closely, not wanting to lose her in the crowd. I see Trey, remembering him from when Victoria introduced him to me at the fighting ring.

"Hey!" I shout. "I'm Rage!"

"Trey! And this is Caiden, Caleb, and Calvin! " Shouts Trey. "Don't worry if you can't tell them apart; no one can!"

They each nodded as Trey said their name, so I know which is which for now. I study the identical triplets quickly to look for differences. Unfortunately, they are all wearing the same outfit—ripped jeans, right black shirt, and a leather cuff on their right wrists. Caiden's leather bracelet is a lot more worn out, I notice as he instinctively rubbed it. Caleb has a habit of slouching, and Calvin is constantly running a hand through his blond hair and making it stand up slightly more than the others.

"Nice to meet you all!" I call back.

Trey takes Victoria by the hand and they scurry onto the dance floor. Caleb yells that he's going to get a drink and Calvin and Caiden shuffle out of his way. This is my chance to see if I can recognize them.

"Caiden!" I yell at him. "Wanna dance?!"

He beams, clearly not used to people recognizing which triplet is which.

We move to the dance floor and start dancing along to the electronic song blaring out of the speakers. After the first dance, Calvin and Caleb join us, the three of us dancing together. I am in the middle and they make a sort of thing around me as we dance.

There is nothing romantic about our dancing; we use it more as a release.

Besides, I definitely have my eyes on some other boys...

"I'm going to get something to drink!" I yell over my shoulder as I head away from the three.

Caleb comes after me as Calvin and Caiden continue dancing.

"Hey, Caleb," I call. "Are you coming with me?"

"Yeah," He replies. "But how did you know it was me?"

I shrug and send him a grin as we make our way over to a counter and order some water.

We spend a while dancing and Victoria and Trey join us so the six of us are dancing together under the lights.

The group of us dance until the early hours of the morning and the triplets are the first to leave with Trey. Victoria offers to take me home, but I decline, claiming I don't live too far away. I skip out into the night and just start walking.

I watch the sky, gazing at the beautiful moon and just take in my surroundings. Everything looks better at night.

"Mind if I join you?" A familiar voice asks kindly.

Smiling, I turn around and say, "Of course, Gage."

Gage smiles softly and inquires, "So where are you going dressed like that?"

His hazel eyes travel up and down me, taking in my attire.

Shrugging, I answer, "No where. I was dancing with some friends, but they all headed home."

"Friends?" Have questions with a raised eyebrow.

I roll my eyes and retort, "Yes, friends. Am I not allowed to have them?"

"Not at all," Gage replies smoothly. "Just curious."

"So what are you doing out so late? Or so early, I suppose."

Gage looks at me and answers, "I rarely sleep at night. Insomnia."

I nod, understanding. "My shadow powers make it so I never need to sleep."

"Well, we can walk together, then?" Gage offers, running a hand through his blood red hair.

"Of course," I tell him with a warm smile. "Text me whenever you're out and we can walk together."

"It's a d-deal," Gage agrees.

I frown at his stumble in words, knowing that Gage rarely ever messes up his speech. But I shrug it off, figuring he must be tired.

"So how long have you had your powers?" Gage asks.

I freeze, faltering in my stride before shaking my head and continuing. "About four years."

Gage nods. "I've had mine since I was eleven, so seven years."

"Were you the first of the group to get a power? Is that why you're the leader?" I question.

Gage shakes his head and answers, "No, Boaz got his first at an extremely young age. No, I'm the leader because it is a fitting role."

"I can see that," I chuckle.

"Why are you here?" Gage asks finally after a long pause.

"I thought I already explained about the dancing," I say with a furrowed brow.

"No, I mean why are you here? In this city? Why'd you move?" Gage presses.

I sigh, "Honestly? I am running from something. Something I don't want to talk about."

Gage nods, respecting my privacy and I swear my heart soars at that simple but kind gesture.

The two of us walk for a while, getting closer to Gage's home.

Gage opens the door to his garage and I step in slightly.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Gage offers, about to head inside. "You already know my mom and my dad wouldn't mind."

I shake my head. "No, I'm just going to walk around some more before I head home."

"Goodnight, then," Gage tells me with a smile.

"Goodnight, Gage."

• • •

The next day, I lazily walk into my first class about fifteen minutes late. Yes, I did show up late just to spite Ms. Valdez.

"Oh, hello, Rage," Ms. Valdez calls with a glare. "Nice of you to finally show up. Detention."

I shrug, not caring at all. It's kinda funny, really, the way I care so much about some things and not at all about others.

"We are quietly working on page fifty-nine," She calls after me.

Plopping down at my desk, I ask myself a very important question.

Why the hell am I even here?

I need to talk to a counselor or something and figure out how many credits I need left. They lost my transcripts when I switched schools, but maybe they'd be willing to find those transcripts. An evil grin spreads across my face.

"What are you smiling about?" Kolton whispers. "Most people would be annoyed about getting detention."

I look at him, still grinning. "Oh, I don't care about detention. A good place to relax. I have a plan for something else, though."

"What?" Kolton asks, furrowing his brow.

Shaking my head, I reply, "It doesn't concern you, sorry."

Kolton nods but presses, "Is it illegal?"

I pause. "Let me get back to you on that."

Sighing, Kolton returns to his textbook, squinting at it as he tries to make sense of the math.

"You really don't understand it, do you?"

Kolton looks at me and shakes his head. "Nope. Not at all."

I lean over and glance at what problem he is at. I glance back at my completed sheet of paper and sigh.

"I'll help you out, but only this one time," I warn him.

His sky blue eyes shine as I move my desk next to his.

I nearly write down the steps to answer the question in large, round numbers and slide the paper over to him.

"Please tell me you can understand what is going on with this problem," I say, looking at him.

Kolton scrunches his face up as he studies the paper.

"Yeah, I understand it," He says slowly.

"Good," I respond with a nod and write down the next problem. "Now solve this one. It's the same process."

Nodding, he takes the paper and starts on the work. After a second, he starts jotting down the work, but he soon scribbles it out and tries again. His handwriting is large and the sloppiest I have seen. Ever. And it's mostly just numbers.

"I don't get this!" Kolton grunts, slamming down the pencil and raking his hands through his golden hair.

"Why not?" I ask.

And that is how I lost a half hour of my life trying to explain simple math problems to Kolton.

• • •

I head into the cafeteria and pike up a tray with as much food as I am allowed. Scanning the cafeteria, I spot Victoria at the same table and head over to her.

Setting the tray down, I sit down across from her and start to devour my lunch.

"How are you not dead?" Victoria groans. "I'm so tired that it hurts!"

"I'm sorry for not sharing in your misery," I tell her.

Her head shoots up and she glares at me. Snatching a roll, she crams it in her mouth.

"Now, you get to share in my misery," She says with an evil grin.

I fix her with a murderous glare and snarl, "Did you just steal my food?!"

Victoria's dark brown skin somehow manages to pale and she says weakly, "I'm sorry?"

I roll my eyes, knowing she isn't sorry at all. "Get your own food!"

"I did! I ate it all already!" She whines.

Shoveling more food in my mouth, I shoot her a puzzled look.

"I was let out early to lunch today," Victoria explains.

"And you claim to be miserable?!" I exclaim.

Victoria gives me a sheepish smile. "I guess it isn't completely terrible. Just mostly."

I roll my eyes and eat some more when Kolton, Asher, and Darkon sit down at the table with us. Victoria is shooting me a smug look that says, See? I told you.

I don't know what she's getting at so I merely shrug.

"Hi, you guys. Have you come to feed me?"

Darkon grins and replies, "Huh. I didn't think it was that kind of zoo, but sure. I can feed the animal."

Once again, I shrug. "Call me anything except late to dinner."

A smug grin falls on Kolton's handsome face. "Sure. I'll call you anything and you can call me anytime."

I snort and reply, "Sure. But when I'm calling you at three in the morning for the fifteenth time, I think you'll reconsider."

Asher laughs, "You wouldn't want your beauty sleep disturbed, would you, Kolton?"

Victoria's jaw is dropped and her eyes dart between them all. I understand, though. Kolton is easily the most popular boy in school and Asher—who never speaks—is teasing him.

I laugh lightly at her expression and snake a hand out to steal Kolton's roll when he isn't looking. I need to replace my stolen one. I'm starving.

I can't think of a time where I was absolutely stuffed. I've always been hungry. After all, for most of my life, I was starving.

"So you guys want to work on our project after school today?" I ask the three of them.

"Asher and I can," Darkon answers for the both of them.

Kolton shakes his head. "I have football practice after school and then my dad wants me home this evening."

I nod, completely understanding. If I had a family, I'd spend as much time as possible with them. Well, I would now. I took my family for granted when I had them.

I miss them so much.

• • •

Kolton's POV

• • •

I wave goodbye as I open the door to the car. Tossing my bag inside, I plop down in the passenger seat and wait for Dad to get done talking with Coach. The two were best friends and rivals in high school. They were the stars of the football team and the most popular kids in their "glory days."

Now, Dad makes sure that I will get all the scholarships I will need. I've been offered scholarship after scholarship, but they are still not enough for him.

Looks, talent, popularity.

It's all that matters to him. Well, concerning me, at least. His money and job matter to him too. And his family, on occasion.

I mean back and rest my head against the window of the car as I wait for Dad and Coach to wrap up their discussion about the plays in the upcoming game. Dad wants to make sure that I score the most goals and play the showiest. Coach understands, but he also knows that this is a team. If it weren't for Coach, Dad would've sold my soul for a perfect football career for the both of us.

An injury prevented Dad from achieving all he wanted to. I have to achieve it for him now.

I squint and try to read what Coach's sweater says. I know it has the school's name on it, but I can't read it. I rub my temples, my headache flaring. When I get home, I might even dog through my closet for my glasses.

I swore I'd never wear them. Glasses would only make me look like a need or a loser. But my eyesight has only gotten worse.

The slamming of the door draws me out of my stupid thoughts.

Dad is angry. Very angry.

"Guess what, bud? Coach isn't going to let you do all the plays we discussed!"

Thank fuck.

"I know you're disappointed, but that just means we'll have to train harder and work harder until you can prove that your fit to play the good parts," Dad tells me before muttering angrily, "Stupid asshole. Thinks he can just do whatever. Well, my son isn't going to tolerate this. No way. I deserve better than this."

I sink further into my seat and tune out his ranting. I've heard it all before.

Finally, we pull up to our house. I clamber out quickly and head inside to grab something to eat.

While I wait for my toast to cook, I begin chomping on an apple.

"Kolton," Mom sighs. "You know I already have dinner cooking. We'll eat in an hour."

"You mean you want me to starve for another hour?" I trade before drinking a glass of water. This pounding headache is driving me nuts.

I take my toast into my room and groan as my headache gets worse. In the bathroom, I toss back a couple pills and scramble to my closet where I desperately search for my glasses.

I've never even thought about wearing them. I hated them and all that they represented. It's not that I have something against glasses or people that wear them. It's just that Dad has made it clear that I shouldn't ever wear them or even need them. College scouts don't recruit players with glasses or bad eyes.

I slide my glasses on, finally finding them. They allow me to see much better, but I know that they aren't the right kind. My eyes must have gotten worse because I still can't see clearly.

Groaning, I flop on my bed and spot my backpack. Normally, I wouldn't even try with my homework.

Dad always says that grades are only there to make sure the idiots don't play football. He would rather I make someone else do my schoolwork than waste my time studying.

But I pull it out anyway and make my way to the floor to do my schoolwork.

Ugh. I feel like such a nerd with my glasses on as I do my homework.

As I am struggling through one of the last questions, I hear Dad bellow, "KOLTON!"

Leaping up, I rip my glasses off and stuff my homework in my bag. Moving quickly, I thunder down the stairs, knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea to keep Dad waiting.

"Your coach doesn't think you can handle doing better," Dad scoffs, a gleam in his glassy blue eyes. "Get in the garage and start lifting weights. I'll check in later to make sure you are lifting enough."

I nod, not replying otherwise.

Sighing soundlessly, I enter the garage and make my way to the bench press where I start lifting the weights that Dad had set up previously.

It's not that I don't appreciate him and his efforts. I do. I know that without him, I would be lost. With Dad, my future is set and secure. But I can't help but wish he weren't so... There. I guess it is one of those things where the grass is greener on the other side.

I know that people would love my life.

Why can't I love it too?

Shaking my head slightly, I focus on the mindless task of slowly lifting the weights.

I have more than I will ever deserve. And I am grateful for that. So very grateful. There isn't anything else to it.

• • •

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JadeQueen100

• • •

Q: So, do you guys have a favorite boy?

A: Naw, #whychoose