- T H E R E J E C T S -

M O N E Y M O N E Y

- Richy -

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Cooper Cohen"

I eyed the boy up and down. He was wearing an ugly brown sweater and worn down jeans, a vintage camera hung around his neck. He had a black computer bag slung over one shoulder. I shake my head and look towards Yeehaw, the both of us sharing a look. This should be fun. 

"I can't believe you pulled through. Diesel I owe you ten bucks" Yeehaw pulled out his wallet, carefully counting the crumpled notes.

"You guys bet on me?"

I raised my hand. "Not all of us".

Mustang scoffed and rolled his eyes. I noticed Cooper shuffling his feet. Standing up I made my way over to him and stuck out my hand. 

"Richy, I'm in your history class"

He put his hand in mine and shook it.

"Yeah, you're the guy that sits up the back right? You always correct the teacher too"

I chuckle "Yup that's me"

"I hate to break up this stellar bonding circle we got going on here, but we need to get this over with" 

The only time King uses words like 'stellar' was when he was aggravated. Anyone could tell he didn't like having new people in the Manor. He doesn't handle change well.

Taking our seats around the room we waited for someone to start. Cooper stood awkwardly in the door, not knowing whether or not he was welcome. Diesel got up and grabbed his arm, pulling him down onto the couch beside her. 

"So anyone does have any ideas?" Cooper spoke up.

Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

"Dude we brought you here so you could do the writing. We're just gonna present it" Mustang gestured around the group.

"So I'm writing everything but I don't have to stand in front of the class?"

We all nodded. 

"Great!"

Confusion made its way onto the faces surrounding me, we thought he would have put up more of a fight. Yeehaw even wrote down dot points on the best things about writing for us. He only came up with one and that was; not having to stand in front of everyone and talk. 

"Great?" Diesel turned to him with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I hate getting up in front of people so I guess it's a win-win for all of us"

I smiled it might not be so bad after all.

"Ok, so Cohen just follows us around for the next 3 weeks and writes about our neglect from the social hierarchy that is high school? Easy." King stretched across an armchair in the corner.

We had jokingly picked up the antique red velvet armchair for King's throne when we first found the Manor, he had grown attached to the chair and is now referred to as 'the throne'. We even bought a plastic crown to hang from the top. Diesel sat on an old worn-out, two-seater couch, it was her favourite thing in the world because it looked like it had come straight out of a diner booth from the '60s. Yeehaw lay on a porch swing we had hung from the ceiling and I was sat on an old leather recliner that we had pulled out of my dad's guest house. 

I glanced up at the clock and noticed how late it was.

"Oh crap, I better get home before dad loses it again"

Yeehaw stood up and stretched his arms up into the air. "I better get goin' too. Up and at 'em early tomorrow"

"Yeehaw when are you not up early?"

"Shut up Mustang"

King pushed the two fighting boys apart. "That's enough you guys, we already look bad enough as it is, don't make it worse"

"I gotta get back to the shop, Dad got a new shipment of parts yesterday I should put into the system" Diesel sighed.

I felt bad for her, she was an amazing person and over the time we've known her, I'm ninety-nine per cent sure everybody has had a thing for her at some point. We headed out the doors and got our bikes.

"I'm gonna head down the street for a while, check the new games they got at the video store. You wanna go, King?"

King nodded and they both said their goodbyes. The rest of us knew they didn't actually want to see the games, they just didn't want to go home. 

"I'll see you guys tomorrow" Diesel waved and rode off.

Cooper just stared up at the Moner for a few more minutes. Yeehaw and I rode off in the direction of our houses, keeping small talk about our day at school.

_____________________

"How was school?"

I looked down at the plate in front of me, knowing what was about to come. 

"Kasey do not even start you know the boy does nothing but hang around those low life rats" My father snapped.

I lifted my head to see my mum hiding her face with a hand.

"They're not rats dad" 

He stood and slammed his fist on the table.

"You need to figure out what you're doing with your life! No son of mine will waste their life away with rejects!"

"Then I guess I'm not your son, because dad, as much as try to stop it,  I am a Reject"

"Not under this roof!"

I storm towards the door and grab my backpack. I get on my bike and take off down the road. Before I realise where I was going, the big wooden sign of the Hill Ranch came into view. I rode up the long drive and lay my bike on the side of the two-storey barn-house. Picking up a few loose stones I throw them at a window on the second floor. Yeehaw's face comes into view, he's rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He wore a blue shirt that hung loosely from his tall frame and he had a pair of grey sweats on. He helped me up through the window.

"Richy, what are you doin' here?" He whisper-yelled.

"Dad, he uh- we- I got- kicked out" I looked down at my feet, embarrassed. 

A hand fell onto my shoulder and I looked up to see Yehaw.

"Hey man, it's fine. Everybody gets in'o fights with their ol' man"

I nodded. He gestured towards the bed and I grabbed a pillow to lay on the floor.

"What're you doin'? Just get up here, we'll figure it out tomorrow"

I slowly got up and lay down beside Yeehaw. I could tell he was nearly asleep by his heavy breathing. I turned away from him and closed my eyes, the events of that night playing through my head.

Why can't my dad just understand? I'm a Reject.

A/N: there you go, chapter 4. I made Pinterest for my wattpad account - Buckys_avenger. I made a board on the aesthetics of each character so have a look if your interested. Vote and comment <3