𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐄 𝐃𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐑𝐄, c.d.

𝐭𝐰𝐨

CHAPTER TWO | TRADITION
A knock on the door stopped all conversations, Cove pushing herself away from Charlie as she fixed her skirt. Charlie quickly stomped out his lit cigarette as Neil waved the smoke out of the air, telling whoever was on the other side that the door was open. Mr. Perry stepped into the room as Cove and the boys stood up.

"Father, I thought you'd gone." Mr. Perry took a look at everyone in the room, nodding towards Knox and Cove, who gave fake smiles back.

"Keep your seats, fellows, and uhm, Cove, keep your seats. Neil, I've just spoken to Mr. Nolan. I think that you're taking too many extra curricular activities this semester, and I've decided that you should drop the school annual." Cove and Knox looked at each other as Neil stood up a bit straighter, trying to explain himself to his father.

"But, I'm the assistant editor this year." Mr. Perry sighed, placing his hands on his hips. The boys and Cove watched from their seats like they were watching a play, afraid of what could happen next.

"Well, I'm sorry, Neil." Neil scoffed, shaking his head.

"But Father, I can't. It wouldn't be fair." He took a step towards his father, his hands in his pockets, only realizing his mistake after he had done it.

"Fellas, Cove, would you excuse us for a moment?" Mr. Perry walked towards the door with Neil hesitantly following, before quickly stopping in his tracks and turning to everyone with a smile to say goodbye. The door loudly shut behind them, the group of boys and Cove rushed out of the seats to stand behind the door. Todd just sat on his chair, watching the group of new friends before him. Cove turned and saw the boy watching them, a soft smile on her face.

"Don't think too much of it, Todd. Happens all the time with us. Last year it was Charlie's father, year before that was our dad. It's like tradition. Don't worry." The Anderson boy nodded as she finished, pressing her ear back against the door. It was only about two minutes before Charlie reached out to open the door after hearing Neil's father walk away.

"Why doesn't he let you do what you want?" Cove, Charlie, and Knox stood in front of the boy, the Overstreet girl between the two boys.

"Yeah, Neil, tell him off. It couldn't get any worse." Cove turned to her brother, who's arm she slapped in annoyance, scoffing as she shook her head.

"Are you kidding me, Knox? Shut up." Knox looked at his younger sister with a face full of confusion, as if he were asking what he did to earn a scolding.

"Oh, that's rich. Like you guys tell your parents off, Mr. Future Lawyer and Mr. Future Banker. Cove, I'm not saying anything to you because I know you would tell your parents off." Cove nodded her head in agreement as Charlie wrapped his arm around her, keeping her close to him.

"Okay, so, I don't like it any more than you do."

"Well, just don't tell me how to talk to my father. You guys are the same way." Charlie nodded his head, telling Neil, okay.

"All right, all right, Jesus."

"So, what are you going to do, Neil?" The tall boy looked at Cove, sighing as he answered.

"What I have to do, drop the annual."

"Well, I wouldn't lose much sleep over it. It's just a bunch of jerks trying to impress Nolan." Cove nodded in agreement, leaning into Charlie a bit more as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't care. I don't give a damn about any of it." It had suddenly gotten quite between the four, when that quickly changed as Meeks came out of the room.

"Well, uh, latin, eight o' clock in my room?"

"Holy shit, please. Latin can kiss my ass." The four boys chuckled at the girls statement as they began to make their way past Neil's room, Cove pulling herself away from Charlie's grip. The boy halted in his steps, as Cove stood at the door, speaking to Todd.

"Todd, you're welcome to join us if you'd like." Knox stood behind his sister, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, come along pal." Todd looked up from his desk where he was setting his alarm clock to see the Overstreet twins smiling at him. The Anderson boy nodded as an answer, thanking the two.

"I'm going to break that poor boy out of his shell. He's the exact opposite of his brother." Knox nodded in agreement, as Cove walked towards Charlie, who brought his arm over her shoulder.

"Maybe, he just doesn't like us."

"Charlie, let's be honest, everyone likes us."