The secretary sitting behind the large wooden desk in the front office clicked away on her computer for what felt like an eternity. "Spencer?" she asked.

I nodded my head as I leaned against the front desk.

"King?" she questioned again.

"Yes, ma'am. That's me," I replied, giving her my warmest smile.

She raised an eyebrow as she assessed me. Her brown eyes lingered on the tattoos that covered my hands and neck before she continued to search for my schedule in her system. "Senior this year. I bet you're ready to go to college," she said, but it came out as a question.

It was clear from the look on her face that she assumed I didn't have plans to go to college, which was a correct assumption. She clicked a button and then wheeled away to the printer. I hated small talk. I also hated this subject. I didn't have time to think about college.

"Yeah, you bet," I said to appease her as she wheeled back over to me.

I heard the office door swing open behind me. I turned to glance at who had entered the room.

It was a girl I'd never seen before. She had curves in all the right places. Her curly blonde hair stopped at her perfect-sized breasts. She bit her plump bottom lip as she played with a bracelet on her wrist.

I leaned back against the desk and folded my arms across my chest. She had no idea the things I would do to her body.

She tugged her backpack up her shoulder as she stepped out of the path to the door. The red t-shirt she wore looked like an old-school soccer jersey, and she had paired it with ripped blue jeans that exposed some of the tan skin on her thighs.

Her eyes met mine. They were as blue as the ocean.

"Spencer. Here you go. You better get off to class. According to my records, you don't show up that often," the secretary said behind me.

I tore my eyes away from the new girl and grabbed the paper from the secretary's outstretched hand. "Thanks," I mumbled without bothering to acknowledge her snide statement.

"How may I help you?" the secretary asked as her attention turned to the girl.

"Oh, hey. I'm new, and I'm just here to figure out my schedule," she responded, showing off a bright white smile.

From the way she talked and the way she looked, it was easy to tell she wasn't from here. Given her tanned skin and light hair, I'd guess she was from somewhere on the west coast.

I passed her on my way to the door, and she glanced at me. For a moment, I swore I could see a small smile on her face as I exited the office.

Time seemed to drag. The small hand on the clock teased me as it ticked along its predicted path. I leaned forward on my hands, resting my face in them and attempted to ignore the flirty glances coming from the girls to my left.

My eyes scanned the room, taking in the familiar faces of people I had been in class with since I was six years old: the people who I should have been friends with, but instead had always made me feel like an outcast.

After a minute, my mind began to wander. The hot new girl was all I wanted to think about. Her body was athletic and toned. My pulse quickened at the thought of her stamina in the bedroom. I bet it was insane. The sound of her voice echoed in my ears, and I could imagine her moaning my name as she reached an orgasm. She would be the perfect trophy to add to my shelf of sexual conquests. My eyes closed as I relaxed into my seat at the back of the classroom.

She was stretched across my bed, my white button-up shirt barely clinging to her small form. As she lifted her arms, it exposed her bare stomach. The only other article of clothing she wore was a pair of red lace panties. My mouth went dry. Blood rushed to my dick.

I strolled over to her. My hand wrapped around her throat as I forced her eyes up to mine.

"Do not tease me like this . . . ," I whispered, my fingers trailing across her lips. Her breath hitched.

My body was filled with excitement and hers was, too.

My eyes flashed open. I sat up straight in my seat. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I let out a deep breath after realizing it was a dream.

My eyes met Mrs. West's, who was staring at me as she stood in front of my desk. "I'm glad you decided to join us, Spencer." She rolled her eyes.

I smiled at the scowl on her face. "I'm honored you want my attention, Mrs. W," I replied, folding my arms across my chest.

She wasn't amused with the game I was playing. There were a few people staring at me, and some were laughing. My other classmates whispered to each other before they turned back to the front of the room. My eyes watched Mrs. West's ass as she made her way back up to the front.

She was a hot teacher, and I would have tried to sleep with her if she wasn't married. Hell, if she asked me to, I would fuck her anyway.

She turned around at the front of the room and held up some papers. "Okay, guys and girls. I have a zero-tolerance policy for being late to class, texting in class, and sleeping in class," she said her eyes focusing on me. "And I have some assigned seats for this year."

I groaned, not wanting to leave the comfort of the back of the room.

She ordered students to move as she motioned to their new spots. Then she looked at me. Her green eyes were thoughtful for a moment.

"Mr. King. You can stay where you are," she said.

I smirked and leaned back into my seat, relaxing. I spaced out for the rest of class. Instead of dreaming about the random girl, I focused on the looming turf war tonight.

Cayden wanted vengeance on the Eastside. The death of the boss would be news throughout the streets of Chicago. The murderers must pay. They had inflicted damage on the Southside, but the retaliation would be brutal.

Finally, the bell rang, and I flew out of my seat, grabbing my bag as I did. Everyone let me pass because they feared me. Since I had fallen in with the Southside, people had begun to respect me, and all the drama associated with high school had seemed to disappear.

I was the first one out into the hallway, turning the corner and bumping into a hard body. Not realizing who it was, my hand twitched toward the gun hidden in my pants. My muscles tightened for a fight as I assessed the person in front of me.

"Whoa, Spencer. Calm down! It's just me, brother. No need to get jumpy," he said with a worried look on his face.

It was only Mason. I relaxed my shoulders and took a deep breath. I'd been on edge since my meeting with Cayden. I was trying my best to control the emotional river bubbling inside my chest. During my time with the Southside gang, I had been taught that emotions made you weak. Cayden had spent many nights ingraining that into my mind.

"Sorry, man. I was in a room full of people I don't trust, and it just had me feeling a little off." I tugged my backpack further up my shoulder. "Plus, I've had a lot on my mind today."

Mason was my size. His platinum blonde hair was in a short buzz cut. We'd been in school together since we were little. After I joined the gang, he had followed in my footsteps.

"How'd your time with Cayden go this morning? Holiday and Damen told me he needed you for something important," he whispered.

I pushed past him. "It was chaotic. Cayden left to get the boss from the big house. The warden told him a riot broke out. James was killed by a rival Eastsider."

"We talking about the big boss? Get the fuck out of here," he answered, catching up to me and walking beside me.

I stopped and turned to look at him. "Yeah, man. Cayden is out for blood. He's ordered an attack on Eastside territory tonight. He said it's about time we send them a message. They need to show us some respect."

I tilted my head to look past him. There she was again.

She shoved her books into her locker as she chatted along with Jena from my history class. My eyes roamed her body as I thought about my dream. Mason snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"Dude," he said, turning his head to follow my eyes and letting out a soft whistle."New girl. She's hot as hell. I heard her name is Adrienne."

He gave me a wide smile.

"Mmhm," I mumbled as she disappeared into the crowd of students.

I turned to walk down the hallway. Mason tagged along behind me like a lost puppy. I motioned him away when I reached my next class. Quietly, I slid inside, searching for a seat in the back. My body slumped against the chair as I folded my arms across my chest. I spent the entire class watching the time pass on the clock as Mr. Kent's low, monotone voice spilled on about rules and grades.

About halfway through class, Mr. Kent set his piece of chalk down after noticing someone standing outside the door. "Alright, class, for the last few minutes, Mr. Jackson from the Chicago police department is going to have a few words about some security policies that will be going into effect this year," he said, motioning to the door.

The door swung open. A tall African-American man entered. His biceps contracted as he crossed his arms, filling up the entire door. He was suited up in uniform. My eyes focused on his waist, where his gun and baton were strapped to his belt.

The police always liked to make their presence known, but the gangs in the city never backed down. When James was out of the pen, the Southside avoided the police at all costs; however, since he had gone to prison, Cayden made it a point to torment them.

My eyes roamed Mr. Jackson's face as he rambled on about new changes to policies. The pigs were going to start tightening up on security by installing metal detectors at the entrances to the school. He also made it known that they planned to provide an on-campus officer to prevent students from skipping class and handle drug checks. His dark eyes narrowed at me when he talked about truancy and drugs, and I held his gaze.

As soon as the bell rang, I was out of my seat and in the hallway. I met Mason and Alex before we headed to our next class. This pattern continued in a perfect schedule through the rest of the morning.

After the lunch bell rang, I searched for Mason. He stood at the end of the hall with a basketball in his hands, dribbling it between his legs as he stared out the window at the courtyard. I approached and swatted the ball away from him, dribbling it a few times.

"Sup, Mason?" I asked, spinning the ball on my finger.

"Nothing much. I was going to ball before grabbing lunch. You wanna come?" he responded, raising an eyebrow at me.

I passed the ball back to him, and he caught it. "Yeah, I'm down. You sure you want to get shown up though?" I teased, pushing his shoulder as I exited the hallway.

The sun sat in the middle of the blue sky and blazed onto the courtyard. Mason and I walked past the picnic tables, where people ate their lunches, and came to a stop on the concrete basketball court with fading white lines. The metal nets swayed in the wind, barely attached to the bent rims. Mason threw up a mid-range shot, and it swished through the net.

"You still got it," I said with a laugh as I jogged over to rebound the ball.

"Yeah, but do you?" he challenged.

I dribbled the ball between my legs and then took off, leaping through the air to slam it down into the net. I hung on the rim before dropping onto my feet. I let out a grunt and smiled.

He grabbed the ball. "Damn, Spence. No need to show off."

I laughed as he dribbled in for a soft layup off the backboard. I folded my arms across my chest as he grabbed his own rebound. "Why'd you quit playing?" I watched his form as he attempted another shot.

"The gang. Come on, Spence. You know how much time it takes up," he said, grabbing the rebound.

He passed me the ball, and I caught it firmly between my hands. I shook my head. "That's true, but you didn't have to join the gang." I spun the ball in my hands.

"Really, bro? All of my friends did. I didn't want to look like a pussy," he said as I passed the ball back to him.

I let out a sigh and ran my hand through my hair. "You should have stayed on the team. You have talent, Mason. You could have used it to get out of here." My eyes followed him as he pulled up for a shot.

He missed. The ball rattled off the metal rim.

"Get out of here? I don't see you trying to get out. It seems to me you're trying to get farther in." He raised an eyebrow as he walked over to grab the ball.

I glanced down at my feet. Mason's circumstances were different than mine. He had people who loved him. He was from the type of family that took summer vacations to Disney World. They also showed up to every event he participated in. He didn't deserve to be stuck in these streets like me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "There's no reason for me to get out. Cayden is more of a father to me than my own dad. Besides, I'm making plenty of money selling for him. It's the only way I've survived. I can't abandon the people who helped me, but you still have a chance to make something better of yourself."

He looked down at the ground as he bounced the ball. He was quiet. I stepped over to him and stole the ball.

"Hey, I was just talking. Don't get all worked up, bro. We're in this together," I said, taking another shot.

He nodded his head but remained silent. I turned to rebound the ball when I saw Alex and Tex walking across the courtyard. They were headed to the tree where most of the BG members sat at lunch.

I motioned for Mason to follow me and walked over to them. The shade was welcoming. It blocked the burning sun. I fell onto the soft grass at the foot of the tree. Tex leaned over and hit my leg.

"Mason told us about James, amigo. Does this mean Cayden takes over now?" he asked as he shoved a bite of sandwich into his mouth.

I nodded my head as my eyes scanned the rest of the courtyard. "Yeah. Cayden will take over. He was just acting out James's orders before, but now he controls the Southside's destiny."

Tex shook his head. "Mierda. This will be new, but I think it will be good for the Southside."

"Of course it will. Cayden has a firm handle on how to run shit. James taught him. He only wants what's best for the brotherhood," I breathed with a smile on my face.

Cayden and I had a special bond. He chose me to come to the Southside. He saved me. With James gone, Cayden could promote to lieutenant, and I was high on his list.

"Cayden likes you, Spencer. You've risen through the ranks at un paso acelerado, so it's only a matter of time before he promotes you again."

I shrugged my shoulders. "We'll see. I wouldn't mind stepping up in the gang some, but for now, we need to stay focused on the job tonight." My eyes landed on Jena. She sat at a picnic table on our side of the courtyard. That was out of character for her. "I'll be back in a few," I said, rising to my feet.

I crossed the grassy area toward the table she was seated at. The courtyard was full as people tried to get out and enjoy the good weather. The wind whipped through the open space and snagged papers up off people's tables, carrying them away. The sunlight beamed down on my back as I approached Jena.

"Aye, Jena," I hummed, circling the table. I placed my hands on it and smiled at her. Her head jerked up, and she glanced around before speaking.

"Uh, hey, Spencer. I know nobody sits this close to the gang, but my new friend said this is where she wanted to sit," she stammered out.

I shrugged my shoulders. "It's no problem. I was just coming over to see if you could take notes for me in history today."

"Yeah, I can do that. Aren't you going to be there? It's the first day," she questioned. She lowered her hands and clasped them together in her lap, continuing to avoid eye contact.

"I have some stuff to take care of today, but I knew I could count on you to help me out," I winked.

Adrienne approached us, and my pulse quickened at the sight of her. My eyes darkened as she reached us. I pushed away from the table and stuffed my hands in my pockets. Adrienne took a seat across from Jena and slid her bag beneath the table. She leaned forward to talk to Jena without acknowledging my presence.

I shifted my weight as I removed my hands from my pockets and folded my arms across my chest. I know she saw me, but she chose not to say anything--even after that smile she gave me in the office this morning.

"Jena, so I've been thinking, right, and we should go to Summerfest tomorrow." She brushed her blonde hair behind her ear. Her voice was warm and sweet.

Jena looked up from her hands. "I'm not too sure about that, Adrienne. It's on a school night. Plus, Summerfest is usually pretty dangerous." Her eyes flickered to me.

I folded my arms across my chest. "What is that supposed to mean?" I snapped.

Adrienne looked at me. Her blue eyes assessed me and then looked back to Jena.

"I . . . I just mean I've heard there's always drugs and violence," Jena mumbled as she unzipped her lunchbox.

"There's also music and good food. Come on, please. I haven't had any fun since I got here this summer," Adrienne pleaded.

"I think if you were a good friend, you would take the new girl to an event. Let her get to know the city," I added, grinning at Jena.

I could feel Adrienne's eyes on me. She smiled, amused I was trying to help her.

Jena let out a loud huff and glared up at me. "I think I already agreed to help you out. Why don't you move along?" she said, picking up a grape and tossing it into her mouth.

I laughed and looked to Adrienne one last time before walking away from them. "Fine. Thanks," I called over my shoulder. I headed back towards the guys.

As I walked away, Jena agreed to accompany Adrienne to Summerfest, and a smile crept onto my face. I would be there, too, completing my next job for the gang.