Madden and Josh didn’t get along. Josh wasn’t exactly top tier in the boyfriend material aspect and for as long as I could remember, no one was ever good enough in Madden’s eyes. Not for me, anyway.
But that was why I wanted him to come. I needed a buffer and Josh’s friends weren’t my friends. Amanda and I’d been friends for years, but everyone else didn’t count. They were snobby, heartless, and the kind of losers who bullied others.
Not my scene.
“It's not lame, only if you don’t come,” I tried persuading. He wasn’t having it. His head didn’t pop up toward me at all, and I needed to do something to get his attention. Without him, I’d feel so alone. We did everything together. This would be no different.
“Not interested,” he grumbled, continuing his musing and writings.
“What are you going to do then, sit on your ass and smoke alone and write in your little diary?” My voice came out petulant, like a dig because he wouldn’t give me what I wanted. Yet, there was a part of me that didn’t care.
Madden grabbed his joint, taking a big drag, not offering it to me. “Yeah,” he said on an exhale, his face relaxing. “Your friends are losers, Andy. They don’t deserve you.”
I balked. I knew he felt that way, it was easy for him to with how he treated his friends. Anyone would be lucky to have him in their corner. He’d drop the world for them. Usually, it was no different with me, but something bothered him. Madden was a good friend, always there for everyone, never letting anyone walk all over him.
Unfortunately, Josh’s friends were the epitome of backstabbers.
“Please, Toland. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t absolutely desperate.”
He took another inhale, then finally passed it to me. Closing my eyes, I sucked it in, hollowing my cheeks. After exhaling it out, I grabbed the beer I opened to get up the nerve to ask him. He eyed it, a subtle way of asking to share the wealth. I did.
“Fine, but if your boyfriend is an annoying cunt, I’m going to beat the shit out of him.” I laughed, but knew Madden was serious. He recently got kicked out of Arcadia—a really expensive and hard school to get into if you didn’t have the money—for doing just that. He smirked at me, satisfied with his comment.
“Deal.”
“Are there at least going to be non-douchey people?”
I nodded. Not actually sure on that front.
“Good, I need a blowjob.”
“Gross,” I complained, smacking his chest.
“What, you’re my best friend, Andy. I tell you everything, even if you don’t ask.” There was something in his eyes after saying that. A glistening, almost like he wanted to say something but held back. That, or he was high as hell. Given we were sharing a joint, either could be it.
Taking one last toke, I gave him what little was left of his smoke and stood up. “I need to change, then I’ll be ready. Feel free to pre-game.”
He shook his head. “Nah, if you are going to a college party with fuckface boys, I’m staying sober. I don’t need them hurting you.”
It was sweet, how concerned he was about me. Madden had experience of stopping assaults and beating up many guys for their lack of respect for women. It didn’t shock me he worried about that with me.
I stood, waving before heading to my room for a quick change. I didn’t intend on hooking up with Josh, he was a crappy lay when drunk and way too fucking handsy in front of others.
After changing, I did my hair and makeup. Walking down the hall to the front room, I came back for Madden. He had another joint between his fingers, his eyes glazed over. You’d think with a rockstar dad and a mom who knew how easy it was to get addicted, they’d attempt to keep Madden sober.
They didn’t and he tended to smoke a little too much weed and overdrink whenever we partied with trusted people.
Right now, he seemed lost. Dox decided to go on tour when he wasn’t in the right mindset, and with Madden being expelled, he had the entire summer left to get high and drink if he couldn’t escape in other ways.
I tried distracting him, going swimming, fishing, hell, even to the amusement parks. But when you live a fast life with parents who afforded you everything, doing basic things seemed mundane.
Both Madden and I were forced to grow up quickly. Him, because Royce was his only parental figure, and me, because while my parents wanted a fresh start, they died when I was sixteen and it forced me to grow up and fend for myself.
“Ready?”
His eyes connected with mine, widening for a second. It wasn’t unusual for me to dress a little spicy when it called for it, but it was the first time I dressed in little to no clothing in front of Madden.
If I wasn’t mistaken, his cheeks reddened at the sight of me. I decided on a halter top, a short as hell skirt, and there was a bunch of skin showing.
“Yeah,” he muttered, coughing on his most recent drag.
We arrived at Josh’s apartment. Madden was already on edge, his shoulders stiffer than I’d seen him in recent months. He placed his hands in his pockets and strolled next to me at a leisurely pace.
Josh’s complex reminded me of condos in Palm Springs. Fancy if you had the money. He did. Most people in Brightmore did. They were massive buildings. More similar to office buildings than condominiums. I didn’t complain, though, mine wasn’t too far off. Just less busy it seemed.
We took the elevator up to the top floor, Josh’s parents made sure he had the biggest condo available; it was a third of the top floor. Too much for someone as young as him. Hell, for anyone as irresponsible. But it helped having him away from me most days.
His friends were losers, and if I didn’t need a distraction, Josh wouldn’t be in my life. He made questionable choices and I just went along with them to keep busy.
“Of course, he has big digs,” Madden grumbled under his breath. Like he had any place to talk. My brother, Dox, spared no expense for my nephew. He had top-of-the-line everything. A new cell phone? Done. A new car? Done. A new laptop? Done. They spent money like no one in this world starved. It bothered me more than I cared to admit, but that’s why I did what I could with the money Dox offered.
Madden’s house was big enough to make rich people feel mediocre. The condos they were thinking of buying him so he could go to Dupont in two years was egregiously large. Dox didn’t want Madden needing anything.
Pressing the doorbell, Josh came, opening it. His eyes trailed across me and for the first time in relationship, it felt slimy. Whether it was because Madden was here or Josh was high, it made me uncomfortable.
“Who’s the poser?”
“My best friend,” I scoffed, glaring at Josh for being a dick. His eyes raked over Madden and it was as if he was measuring invisible dick sizes. When I said they didn’t get along, I meant Madden hated Josh and Josh didn’t know. Not that it mattered, they’ve met before. Last year at Madden’s party.
“Cool,” Josh half-mocked, his eyes narrowed in a passive-aggressive way. If Madden wanted to punch him before this moment, now that we were here, he definitely looked ready to.
Before I could get to the main room, Zack came up to me, his blond hair a mess across his forehead. “Looking sexy there, Andy.” The skeevy way he ate me up with his gaze had me slightly concerned. I’d heard Zack took what he wanted regardless of consent and if Madden wasn’t here, I’d feel unsafe with the way he eyed me up and down.