Chapter 1: Peter, Peter, Pleasure Eater

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” - Babe Ruth

Brody: hey whats the answer to #4 on robinsons psych worksheet

Connor: dude its a yes or no question

Damien, Eddie, Hanlan react "HaHa" to Connor's message

Brody: fuck you you know i suck at this stuff

Peter: its yes

Peter: Alfred Adler introduced the idea of the inferiority complex

Brody reacts "thumbs up" to Peter's text

Peter tossed his phone into the day-old pile of unfolded clothes at the foot of his bed. "Of all the dumb questions for Brody to get tripped up on..." he thought. A smile crept across his face. Peter wasn't the golden standard of academic excellence himself. In fact, he'd always had a reputation for being a pest to adults and teachers alike. But knowing a guy like Brody couldn't solve a question with a 50% chance of getting it right, he couldn't stop from feeling a refreshing wave of superiority. His phone let's out a faint vibrating bzz.

Bradley: oh sweet dude thanks i was stuck on that one too

Hi smile turned sour after fishing his phone out from the mess of socks and t-shirts and seeing it was Bradley who chimed in. Acting like he didn't know why Bradley bothered him so much would be pointless. Peter knew. It was Bradley's effortless way of being the life of the party, the newest addition to the group that has quickly become part of the glue to their whole dynamic. His face burned with envy.

Hanlan: hey fellas you're still picking me and bradley up after baseball practice thursday right?

Connor, Brody, Damien, Eddie react "thumbs up" to Hanlan's message

Peter didn't react to the text.

Bradley had become friends with the group over the past summer, and Hanlan added him to the group text a week before senior year had started months later. It wasn't that Bradley was stepping on toes, per se, but Peter couldn't help but feel he had been let in a little too easily. He took it personally that he knew he wouldn't have had the same luck had he not been a part of this particular group of friends since middle school.