Sterling

Chapter Twelve

"You want us to go to a football game with you?" Jimin questioned the small brunette boy, earning a nod from him and a small smile as a response. His best friend looked around the table, unsure about how to answer him, "But, we've never been to a football game ever since we've gone to this high school. We even agreed on how stupid and pointless they are. Why are you wanting to go all of a sudden?"

Taehyung opened his mouth to answer before Hoseok beat him to it, "Jungkook invited you to the game, didn't he?" Jimin and Yoongi looked over at the youngest male sat at their lunch table, looking at him expectantly. Taehyung felt put on the spot, and he wasn't liking the stares he was getting from his friends in the slightest, so he just hesitantly nodded as a response. "Knew it."

"Jungkook invited you? So that's why you're going?" Yoongi asked, and Taehyung nodded as an answer, earning a scoff from Jimin. The small brunette boy looked over at him with furrowed eyebrows, before seeing his face and how it looked like he couldn't believe what was happening. "And if we don't go?"

"Then I'm not going." It was simple, and he made it out to be simple. Taehyung wasn't going to go if his friends weren't going, and that's that. He didn't want to go by himself, just the thought of it gets his anxiety high and it was something he couldn't even imagine doing by himself. He hated going places alone, and he always had someone with him, and that someone was always one of his friends.

"I don't like Jungkook," Jimin stated as he folded his arms over his chest firmly, narrowing his eyes onto the younger male sat across from him. Taehyung rolled his eyes as he nodded and pulled his hood over his head. Hoseok reached over and smacked Jimin on the arm, shaking his head as he glared at him. "What? It's true. I don't like him, or the other two you talked to that one time."

"Look, I was serious when I said Namjoon and Jin are really good people," Hoseok started, retracting his hand and scooting his chair closer to Taehyung, narrowing his eyes on the shorter man, "And I meant it, no only because I'm friends with them, but because it's true. They're not like the other jocks at this school, and I really wish you would just trust me on this. I wouldn't lie to any of you and I definitely wouldn't put any of you guys at risk with some guys who may have it out for you."

Taehyung knew Hoseok was right, and he trusted him with his life. He even trusted Jungkook and believed he was a good guy as well, but the others, not so much. He hasn't properly met them, only that one time when Namjoon came to their table and had a small conversation with them for a little bit before leaving to go to his boyfriend and friend.

"I don't get a good feeling about them either," Yoongi stated matter of factly, crossing his arms and sinking down in his chair. Hoseok rolled his eyes as he wrapped an arm around Taehyung's shoulders, pulling him in for a side hug, and the sudden touch made the small boy flinch a little, before relaxing when he remembered it was only Hoseok touching him. "They're friends with Bogum, for Christ sake's."

"Do you guy not realize how Bogum hasn't been messing with Tae in almost over three weeks?" Hoseok pointed out, looking around the table as Jimin and Yoongi shared a look. "Ever since Jungkook came around, Bogum hasn't been messing with Tae. Did you guys also seem to forget that Jungkook beat the shit out of Bogum for pinning Tae against the lockers?"

Jimin and Yoongi shared another look before casting their gazes down to the table. The sound of students chatting continued on around them as the table fell silent. Jimin sighed, shaking his head a little as Taehyung and Hoseok watched them. Taehyung didn't know what to say, and it was starting to feel a little awkward. He was tempted to walk away from the table and tell them to forget about his offer.

He looked around the cafeteria and seen Jungkook walking with some of his jock friends, and he even seen Namjoon and Jin. They walked by their table, Jungkook catching Taehyung's eye and offering him smile, to which the small brunette boy returned easily. Jimin watched, rolling his eyes before sighing and sitting up in his chair, "Alright, I'll go to the game with you."