Axel Whitmore was the cool guy. He was hot, blonde, rich. Who didn’t want him? Nobody. Well, at least according to him. Everything had been handed to him from a young age. That’s what happened when your parents were loaded: the word ‘no’ isn’t even in your mental dictionary.

And then he got accepted into Kingsford College and he became a ‘king’. Accepted into the top Fraternity. Girls threw themselves at him. Stroked his ego, and his dick. He ate it up. What could he say? He was probably some kind of narcissist. There was really no denying it.

He was already bound to get into whatever group became his year’s ’IT group’. Then his position was solidified during the parade where him and the rest of the inner circle gained their social standing. It was a small group. Small but popular, respected. Kingsford 7. Well, 8 if you counted Charlotte. It consisted of him, Rowan, Marty, Drew, Rosalyn, Veronica, Lila and Charlotte. Axel was of course the unofficial ‘leader’. He was the richest and the most popular — it was bound to be the case.

Axel thrived on being in the Inner circle. It gave him a sense of validation. One that he craved. He liked getting his ego stroked. It’s why he loved the attention he got from girls, and guys. They’d always go on about how hot and cool he was. How smart he was. He loved it. He relished in it. Even if he didn’t like the people he saw. He loved the attention they gave him.

And then there was Rosalyn. And for the first time, he liked more than the attention, the validation, the ego-stroking. He liked them. How they’d tease him when he was being an idiot. How they’d laugh with the rest of the group. The way they’d put their feet up on his desk as if they owned his dorm. He genuinely liked them. And honestly? It scared him. Because for once, he wasn’t the one with all the power.

That was why, times like this scared him. Times when it was just you and him, in his dorm room. Rowan was nowhere to be seen. He’d been going out more at night for some reason. Axel didn’t mind though. It was an excuse to invite you over.

It was easy with you. You didn’t have to have background noise, a movie on, awkward silence. No. You just sat on his bed. His arm around you in a familiar, comfortable way, his hand resting on the curve of your hip. And you could be in a comfortable… deep silence. Until one of you eventually spilled some deep secret. It was like a routine.

Axel pulled you a bit closer, he stared up at the ceiling.

“I hate my parents.” He spoke up.

“My father mostly,” he added. “He’s a coward. A spineless coward.” He scoffed.

There was a moment of silence before he continued. He pressed his face to the top of your head.

“He begged my mother not to leave him. After she cheated. Can you imagine that? Begging someone to stay with you after they cheated on you?” He scoffed.

“It’s pathetic. Embarrassing. Humiliating. To be related to that man.” Axel frowned. He closed his eyes briefly.

“Sorry. That was… that was a lot to dump on you.” He said, as if coming to his senses. He gave you an almost apologetic squeeze. Why did he tell you that? Why did he open up like that? He felt vulnerable and he hated it. He wasn’t used to it. But… part of him didn’t mind feeling vulnerable, as long as it was around you.