Someone Else

Chapter 16

"You suck, Albrecht!" I yell, completely dominating him in Warzone. "Come on, shoot the douche nugget jumping up and down down there!"

"He's jumping up and down, it's hard to hit him!" He exclaimed, unloading a whole mag.

I switch to my handgun and kill the douche nugget in question and hear a whole lot of profanity from his hot mic.

"Next time don't suck then!" I fired back at the guy before he's gone.

"How are you so good at this game?" Ash asked as we clear out the whole building.

"My talents are not restricted to studying and eating everything in sight." I said, chuckling. "Next time, shoot where he will be, not where he is."

He laughs. "I don't get what that means!"

"Well boo fuckin' hoo, Albrecht."

He nudges my shoulder and I nudge him right back. "You know, some guys are coming over tonight to play, you wanna join?"

"Guys night? Why would I want to attend a nut fest?"

He laughs and wipes away tears from his eyes. "I don't know what you think we do but it's not that! Come on, you can school all of us in warzone."

"That's very tempting. Sure, I'll drop by. But if anyone drops their nuts, I going right back to my dorm."

"No one is going to do that. What food do you want?"

That's an excellent question. "I want a whole lot of hot wings." I said.

"Hot wings?"

Rich kids... "Yeah, spicy chicken wings, I don't really care from where. Oh, actually, I can make them! Do you have a good spice tolerance?"

"Yeah, I can handle it."

"Awesomesauce, also, someone is shooting at you."

+ + +

I buy a whole lot of chicken wings and clean them in the student kitchen that looks like it's never been used. Rich kids cooking? Unseen and unheard of. There is a big fridge here full of sauces so I take full advantage of it.

Ash told me 4 other people were coming over and guys eat like 20 wings each, I'll need to make 120 wings as least. I spent like fifty bucks on 150 wings.

I decide on making 3 different kinds. Spicy, sweet and sour, and honey barbecue. After 1/3 in honey and barbecue sauce, 1/3 in sweet and sour sauce, and 1/3 in hot sauce, cayenne powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and flour.

All if these are going to be baked so I prepare three huge sheet pans lined with foil and oil.

I let them marinate for three hours, writing the alst few chapters on my laptop as I wait.

Chloe walks in and looks at what I'm doing. "What are these?" She asked, pointing at the bowls.

"Chicken wings." I answered distractedly.

"You cook those?"

I look at her exasperatedly. "Of course! It's a pretty popular American dish!"

"How was I supposed to know?" She defended herself. "Why are you making so many anyways?"

She sits across from me and it occurs to me that she's lonely. Last night, there was no indication that she was different from those girls but now, while she's barefoot in cotton shorts and a Nike shirt, her brown eyes are curious and dare I say, intelligent.

"I'm hanging out with Ashton and some of his friends tonight." I told her, putting away my phone.

"That's good, Ashton only hangs out with other council members."

I grin. "I wonder if they'll like me after I pummel their asses... "

"You're meeting up to play video games?" She asked.

"We're teenagers, what else are we supposed to do, go to brunch?"

She blushed. "Oh, right."

"What do you girls do for fun anyways? Brunch?"

"Yeah..."

I laugh. "Hey, how about you come over too?"

"But I don't know how to play those games." She says, seeming embarrassed.

There's honestly nothing to be embarrassed about. "You can come over and talk to them and I can teach you, you'll probably get the hang of it in a few minutes." I offered.

My timer goes off and I lay out the wings on the pan and put them in. Ashton told me to come around 7 and it's 6 now.

"I don't know if I should, I get nervous around guys." She said.

Nervous? Around glorified testosterone in a ball sack? "You'll be completely fine, plus I'll be there. If you can't talk to them you can talk to me."

"But won't that distract you?"

"I'm an excellent multitasker for your information." I said, pretending to be self-righteous. "Come on, it can't kill you to try. I think you need a self-esteem boost."

Her eyes twinkle. "How do I do that?"

"First, you're going to try chicken wings dipped in ranch for the first time. Then we're going to go hang out with the better half of the student council."

"Okay, do you need me to help with anything?" She asked, getting up to join me.

I let her trim and clean some celery and cucumbers. By the way she's holding the knife, I know she's never done anything like this before. It's cute. The wings are done and I pack them up in Tupperware containers.

"Which one should I try first?" She asked, looking at the clear plastic nervously.

"If you like spicy then try the red ones. And use your hands, no American eats wings with a knife and fork."

She giggles and pick up a spicy one. "So I just bite it?"

"Push the meat down, like an umbrella." I said, showing her how to do it.

She does it exactly like I did and tries her first wing. I feel like a proud mama bear. "Oh, wow. That's really good."

"Of course it is, I made it."

"Can I have another one?"

I laugh. "You can have as many as you want, but we gotta get these to Ashton's dorm."

___________________________________

"You're f*****g dog water, you know that kid?" I yell at some guy who almost knocked me out from the roof of some building. I snipe him off and this dumbass falls to his death.

"Hey! That was me!" Charles yelled back at me.

I burst out laughing and he flips me off. "Not my fault you shoot like a kid who's dog water!" Sam gives me a fist bump.

"What's dog water?" Chloe asked, watching my screen.

"I couldn't darken your mind like that, love." I said, lightly knocking my forehead against hers. The guys look at the gesture curiously but don't say anything about it.

She pouts and eats a sweet and sour wing. These guys ate like it was their first meal after a siege. We got stuffed on wings before playing to avoid any distractions like saucy hands.

Turns out Ash's bros where Charles Reichmann, Samuel Cargill, Archibald Cox and Nathaniel Busch.

I also found out that the other 2 on the council didn't like them very much, especially since Ash and Damien have been rivals since play school.

"f**k! I'm down, pick up pick up pick up." Archie called out, marking his location.

I throw a smoke and revive him.

"Thanks man." He said, tapping controllers with me. These boys have all sorts of weird rituals and gestures.

Archie, Sam and I are on one team and the other three on another. Our fourth random teammates are already died.

"My God, Lia. Are you hacking or something?" Charles asked, coming over to watch my screen.

"You wish, Reichy boy." I said.

He huffs at the nickname. "You can't call me Charlie boy or anything else?"

Chloe giggles. "I think that's a bit common." She said.

"See? She gets it."

A splat or red appears on my screen and I hiss. "Ambush! Ambush! Someone throw some fire down the stairs!"

Sam throws a grande down there and knocks out a random player while I heal up. "Don't kill him yet, his team will be coming to get him." I told them, throwing some smoke down the stairs.

"You're giving them cover?" Archie demanded.

"Boys, boys, don't be be so brash." I said, smirking. "They'll rush us, be ready for it."

I climb on top of the roof entrance and wait patiently. After a minute, a full team of four come up.

"f**k!" Sam yells as he's knocked out.

Archie gets knocked too and I annihilate the other team and revive them.

"You're so good at this game it's scary." Charles mumbled.

"Think like a King, not a soldier." I replied, looting the poor suckers. "I'm coming for you Nate, death is hiding under your bed."

He scoffs. "I can handle you."

"What do you think, Chloe? Can he handle me?"

"No way in hell." She agreed.

"Hey, how come you get a cheerleader?" Ash exclaimed.

I whisper something to Chloe and she blushes. "Don't be such dog water and maybe I'll cheer for you too!"

Atta girl! I knock foreheads with her again and focus on the game again.

In the end, Sam takes out Nate and I kill Ash with a grenade. "And that is 5 to zilch! I rule!" I shouted, doing a handshake with Archie and Sam.

"Well played, Lia. Well played." Nate said, giving me a hug with one arm.

I can happily say that I'm one of the guys.

"Guys, I have to get back to my dorm." Chloe said when her phone alarm went off. I check the clock and it's only 10 pm.

"Feel free to come over to mine any time." I tell her, giving her a hug before she leaves. I sit back down and nibble on some celery.

"Is she your girlfriend or something?" Charles asked.

"What? No. Why would you ask?" I said, flabbergasted.

They glance at each other. "You two seem pretty affectionate." He explained.

"Nah, man, I don't think she swings my way." I said, laughing. Boys think any affection means we're sleeping together.

"So you do swing that way?" Ash asked, his eyes wide.

I blush. Why are these guys asking about my s****l preferences? "I swing both ways, boys. It's called being a dirty bisexual."

"So you must get a lot of girls, right? I mean, everyone has seen the video." Sam said.

Video? "I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Am I on pornhub or something?"

Nate clicks on something on his laptop and shows it to me.

Oh s**t! It's from the diner! 1.3 million views on YouTube? "f*****g hell, s**t travels fast in the big city, huh?" I said, covering my face. God, this is so embarrassing.

"You're internet famous! 'Best-selling author and heiress, Amelia Shackler, harassed by Karen in a diner'." Sam exclaimed, putting an arm around my shoulders.

I groan and bury my face in my hands. "I just hope this passes quickly, I already have enough to worry about."

"Why? Isn't this a good thing?" Nate asked. "I mean, it's good publicity."

"It's just that... This video can be edited to make me look like the bad guy." I explained. "It can be made to look like I'm some spoilt rich kid acting up in public."

They nod in understanding. "It's gonna be all right, this will pass when something else happens. It's New York, drama is everywhere."

As long as that drama isn't directed towards me, I hope it happens soon.

"There's an event coming up, a formal of sorts." Charles said. "Almost every year some kids are arrested for public intoxication, vandalism, all that s**t. It gets all of tabloids and everyone's attention is directed towards that. Everyone will forget the diner incident."

I nod. "Okay, I guess I shouldn't go to that, huh?"

"Of course you have to go!" He exclaimed. "Come on, you're part of the team now, we'll stop you from doing anything stupid."

I sigh. "All right. Text me when the event is, yeah? I'm gonna go eat a sandwich."

"After all that food?" Archie asked.

I chuckle. "Eating a sandwich means smoking a blunt." I clarify.

"s**t, count me in." Archie said.

Soon, all the guys are in my room smoking weed. I open a window to let out the smell and we have a nice ass time.

"Lia, what do you think I should do about Damien, the fucker spray painted, then ceran wrapped my Lambo." Ash asked.

I hum. "Who's Damien?" I asked, pretending not to know who he is.

"He's another guy on the council. Him and his best friend, Hunter." Ash explained.

So that's their relationship, best friends. "I suspect you had to do something to him before that."

Charles giggles and nudges Ash's arm. "Bro, it's like she knows you."

I smirk and take another drag. "So, what did you do?"

"I just put shaving cream in his shoes, locker, table, backpack."

I laugh. "How juvenile." I muttered. "You know, I think you should be the bigger person and stop these prank wars."

He groans. "But that's no fun!"

"This has been going on since middle school." Sam whispered to me.

"Hey, I heard that!" Ash lied.

Gosh, they're exactly like little kids. "My opinion still stands, you two should grow up."

The door opens and Chloe comes in. She pauses when she sees me laying on the floor smoking. "I just wanted to, uh, show you a video I found just now."

"Yeah, I saw it already. I'm basking in my fifteen seconds of Fame as we speak." I said, chuckling. "You probably shouldn't be in here, you could get high on the smoke."

"It's okay. Can I try?" She said, sitting on the floor next to me.

I groan. "Guys, I'm such a bad influence." I said. "You really don't have to, Chloe. This is the strong stuff."

"I agree with her, actually." Nate said, blowing smoke bubbles.

Chloe sighs. "Okay. I'll just hang out here for a little while longer." She lays down with her head on my stomach and I ignore the suggestive looks the guys give me.

'You guys are children.' I mouthed to them, making them laugh.

"Yo, you play PUBG?" Sam asked, hitting the eject button on my PS4. "s**t, I haven't played this in so long."

"What's PUBG?" Chloe asked.

I chuckle. "Player Unknown Battle Ground. It died off these past few years but it's still alive in my heart."

"Are there any new maps or anything?"

"Livik, Karaken, they got rid of Vikendi." I said, frowning.

We launch into an argument about which is better, COD or PUBG and Chloe falls asleep among the ruckus.

Ultimately, I win the argument since I could kick their asses in both. "Damn, she's out cold." I said, gently lifting Chloe's head to I can get up.

"You want one of us to take her back to her room?" Nate asked.

I lift her up bridal style and they look impressed. "Guys, I was a junior varsity and varsity competitive cheerleader. I got the upper body strength to Cary two Chloes."

"There's competitive cheerleading?" Ash asked.

I roll my eyes. "You guys wanna see some pictures? Come on." I put Chloe on my bed and show them some pictures I had printed. They look at Toothless on my bed and raise an eyebrow.

"He's my pet dragon!"

"Whoa, that's really high up." Archie said, gawking at me at the very top of the pyramid.

I show them my many medals, mostly silver and gold. "Impressive, right? I was good at it."

"You know, there's a team here, why don't you join?" Sam asked, turning the scrap book page.

Most of these pictures were taken during practice, competitions and parties, then there are some of my vacations.

"Whoa..."

They got to one of me sitting on the beach in a bikini, my back facing the camera, put I'm looking behind me. Chase took that picture.

"Is that tattoo real?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, I have two."

"Can we see?"

I sigh and lift up the back of my shirt. I wasn't wearing a bra so I wasn't about to undress in front of five guys.

"That looks so bad ass! Where's the other one?"

I lift the hem of my shirt and show them the Sanskrit tattoo.

"Damn, you're so hot." Ash blurts out.

I narrow my eyes at him and Nate smacks him upside the head.

"Shut it, man." Nate warned him for me. "We're all going to some party tomorrow night. You wanna come?"

"Yeah sure, Ash can drive me."

I see them out and come back to a sleeping Chloe. What am I going to do with her? I don't know which room is her's. Should I wake her?

No, I'll text Latisha. She replies within minutes with 'idk'.

Excuse me, what the f**k? Aren't they friends? If Latisha doesn't know, I highly doubt Britney knows. Then there's only one option left.

"Chloe, Chloe it's almost eleven." I said, shaking her shoulder.

She groans and turns around, pulling my blanket over her head. Okay, so that's a no on waking her up.

Am I supposed to sleep on the same bed or something? Where am I supposed to sleep? I guess there's only the couch for me.

My phone buzzes with a text from Julian. 'We miss youuuuuuuu.'

'I miss you guys too. Goodnight!' I responded. I take Toothless and lay on the couch on top of him.

Oh Toothless, you remind me of Matt.