Amber rejected me. She rejected me again.

After English, I attend my other classes like a dog with its tail between its legs. The worst part, I guess, is that the whole book-reading thing wasn't even my mother's idea. It was all on me and it was a fail...

You'd think with the deal Amber and I have to find who killed her parents, she'd be a little more chatty. But alas, that's not the case.

I'm pretty sure it was Rhodes. That family-murdering bastard wouldn't think much of killing some Sterling members to gain control over Tygerwell.

After school, I immediately speed walk over to my black Bugatti. Lynch has to jog to catch up to me.

"Blake! Blakey, wait up!" he mewls.

"Ugh, get longer legs," I growl back.

Lynch isn't short, but besides for Calvin, Rhodes and I are pretty much the tallest guys in school. Lynch over here is just above average.

I slip into the Bugatti and Lynch lurches himself in like a dog that doesn't know how to walk.

"How was your day?" he asks as his usual annoying self.

"Crap. I read a fucking book for Amber and still, she refused to go with me to the stupid Northern ball. How on Earth are we going to win this bet? Last night she was with Rhodes at his bloody boxing match and I'm afraid the East might be in the lead. That fucking Rhodes has already kissed Amber twice!! And I'm on Zero. Zero!!!!" I rant.

I light a cigarette to get rid of the stress, but then Amber's annoying voice at the back of my head goes on about how awful smoking is for you.

"Fuck," I grumble before chucking the cigarette out of the car's window an into a puddle.

"That bloody girl will be the end pf me," I growl.

"Uhh... I have a confession," Lynch says with a wince.

I don't have time for his curly hair confessions so I speed my way out of school and sigh, "What is it, Lynch?"

Lynch stays quiet for a second before saying: "So... I wasn't really thinking and.... well.... AmberaskedmetothedanceandIsaidyes" he spits out.

I spin my head and my glare at him while he tries to not-so-casually glance out of the window.

The car goes even faster while I ask: "What did you say?"

Lynch sighs like a 13-year-old teenage girl before looking back at me with the same wince. "I said... AmberaskedmetothedanceandIsaidyes," he repeats.

"Lunch, can you fucking talk slower?" I growl because he's getting on my nerves.

"Amber asked me to the dance and I said yes," Lynch whimpers.

I send him a death glare. "SHE WHAT???" I exclaim.

"I g-guess I d-didn't think it through," Lynch stutters.

"Didn't think it through? Didn't think it through!?" I yell and floor the pedal. We race like maniacs back to the mansion and my blood might boil.

I read a whole fucking book and all Lynch does is talk about his fucking hair. How the hell is any of this fair!?

"It's n-not like what it seems, I s-swear! We can still win the bet!" Lynch tries to reason.

"The bet?" I ask.

"Yeah, the bet for who gets Amber first," Lynch says.

"Oh, yeah, the bet," I mumble.

God, I'm losing my mind over here.

"I say, we see the bright side of the situation," Lunch suggests, "Amber and I really are just friends. She just doesn't want to go with one of you knuckle heads, because you guys are being stupid."

"Did you just call your leader a knuckle head?"

"Don't over react, Blakey. All I'm saying is that it's really the West that's in the lead since Amber is going with me. She prefers us," Lynch explains.

I calm a bit down at that when we pull over at my mansion.

But the horrible truth that I refuse to admit out loud, is that I really didn't about the bet when I decided to read that stupid book...

God, I need to punch something.

A dark grey mustang stands proud at the driveway and I know the Lexus will be here soon as well. Mom mom's red convertible isn't here and my knees nearly quake in relief.

I'm just happy Calvin is back.

My second is even less at school than I am. He handles all my deals and makes sure the shipments go smoothly. Without him, the West surely would've crashed after my brother and dad got killed. He was first loyal to Kyle, but that loyalty automatically shifted to me after everything.

I swagger into the mansion and Lynch is practically cowering right after me. Oh, he knows this will cost him.

"CALVIN?" I howl when I chuck my bag in the living room and make for the kitchen.

"Uhh, yes?" Calvin asks with a guilty smile.

He's busy raiding my fridge and has stacks of food in his arms and a pizza slice in his mouth. I think that pizza is like, a week old or something.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

Calvin quickly drops all the food onto the massive kitchen island before turning back to me like a child that's caught stealing cookies. Only, the child is a grown man and the cookies is at least a month's worth of junk food.

"I... didn't think you'd be home so early?" He says.

Lynch starts howling with laughter and I send him a look that says: 'you're still in the dog box'. Lynch tries keeping in his laughter while I look back at Calvin.

"That's why my food always goes missing..." I mumble to myself.

"I'm a growing guy, give me a break," Calvin says and starts digging into a pack of chips.

Calvin is usually the quiet, efficient one of the group, but he has a fun side that if you're lucky, you get to see.

"Growing? You're literally an inch away from being a street light," I joke - making a ginger reference that he hates.

Calvin sends me a 'how could you' look.

"Blakey, Calvin is a strawberry blond. Stop it with the ginger jokes," Lynch laughs.

The Lexus honks outside - making it's presence clear and Calvin actually sulks. "Please don't tell Jack and Liam... I'll never hear the end of it," he wines while desperately trying to put the food back in the fridge.

"Nah Brah, you're taking it," I laugh and watch Calvin's expressing turn into one of horror as Jack and Liam walks in.

"Du'fuck?" Liam asks.

"Well, this isn't a surprise. I was getting tired of watching you tip-toe downstairs for a midnight snack on the security footage," Jack grins.

"Oh, God," Calvin breathes.

"You're not the brooding, quiet one after all," Liam laughs and pats Calvin on the back, "It's okay, we all have our weaknesses."

"Like Jessica?" Calvin shoots back and Liam's face loses all color.

And let the banter begin.

"Keep Jessy out of this," Liam growls.

"Oooh, someone isn't over his ex," Lynch chirps in.

"Of course I am!" Liam tries to defend. We all send him a 'really?' look because Liam has been like a love-sick puppy the last couple of months now. It's pretty pathetic.

"It's okay dude, she dumped you. It takes a while to work through that," Calvin chuckles.

Note: Feed Calvin more junk food. It makes him get out of his shell.

"She didn't dump me! It was a mutual decision!" Liam tries to defend.

"That's not what your chat-history says," Jack muses.

"CAN YOU STOP HACKING INTO MY CHATS?" Liam practically cries.

My mood immediately lifts while watching my inner-gang's banter. These guys. They are the reason while I'm still coping I guess.

Younger me looked up to my brother and father, but I was secretly relieved knowing my brother would take over the gang and not me. I wasn't into it. I didn't want it. I had found my own passion and it wasn't drugs.

But then that damn Rhodes ruined everything and I was suddenly thrown into a life I didn't want. I was shoved under this heavy crown without anyone even asking me if I wanted it. And I guess that's what's been killing me.

The responsibility. The weight. The dread.

I hate every moment of it, but these guys make it bearable.

If I can just get rid of Rhodes, I can lose some of the stress... I can turn Tygerwell into the town I once dreamed of when I was younger. With music and laughter and...

And I'm a gang leader.

I can't afford luxuries like hope and dreams.

To keep these guys and the rest of my gang safe, I have to be lethal, cold and merciless.

"Oh God, you ARE going with Jessica to the Northern ball!" Lynch laughs at Liam.

"SHUT UP LYNCH," Liam shoots back. With his cropped hair, he looks like a general that's mad at his soldier.

"I really don't know what she sees in you bro," Calvin muses.

"Yeah, you don't even have hair," Lynch chirps in.

"I'M NOT BALD, LYNCH," Liam shoots back.

"Close enough," Lynch shrugs.

"At least I have a date," Liam smirks.

Calvin coughs, "I'm meeting someone there," he says.

"I've got someone," Jack points out.

"And, uhh, I'm going with Amber," Lynch admits.

Everyone's jaws drop.

"How the hell did you manage that?" "There's no way!" "You've GOT to be kidding!"

Lynch is suddenly over-thrown with questions and I use the opportunity to grab Calvin and head to the training-room. "So, how was the deal?" I ask him.

"It was good. Henry said we should get our shipment in a week's time," Calvin explains.

"Finally, some good news," I mumble.

"What are you going to do about Lynch and Amber?" Calvin asks.

"He's just her date. That might keep the East away - which is good. And well, maybe I can manage to snatch a dance with her... She's... she's something, Calvin. That girl is not as easy as I thought she'd be," I admit.

Calvin hands me a knowing smirk that I absolutely hate. "Careful, Blake. We don't want you falling for her before she can fall for you," he says.

"Careful, Calvin. We don't want you getting too close to the curtains. I don't want the house to burn down," I serve right back.

Calvin's smile drops and he mumbles something about being a strawberry blond.

We get to the training room and I don't have the patience to dress into my training clothes, so I just strap my knuckles up.

"So, you're not worried about the bet then?" Calvin asks before stepping out of view and heads to a couple of weights.

He's worried about the bet as well, because the West-side gang has been his whole life. His father was a second in command and his father's father was a second in command. If we lose the bet and we're forced to leave Tygerwell, Calvin will lose that whole part of who he is.

My phone lights up at a notification and it's a message from the same unknown number that's been sending me messages the last month now.

It reads:

"Nope, not worried at all," I answer Calvin after pocketing my phone again.

I've got some help on my side...

Hey, Goldies!!

Sooooo, is Blake's unknown number also Mysterious Fucker? And if so, who can it be!?!?!?!?!

Don't forget to vote, comment and follow this account (HollyShmit) for updates on TGAAGG! Love you goldies so so much and remember to smile!

Challenge of the week: ask someone who you don't know and that looks down, if they're okay. You might just help someone.

~ Holly Shmit