answer.
“I molded a
latex mask yesterday, some crazy creature that turns into whatever you’re
afraid of.”
I chuckle
slightly, “Isn’t that already a creature from Harry Potter?”
“No! This is completely
different.”
“Do you have to
think of something funny to defeat it?”
“Shut. Up!”
A chuckle
erupted from between my lips; she always knows what to say to distract me. I
hear someone calling my name. I wish I could move away, change my name, and
disappear.
“I gotta go face
the demons,” I tell her. “Wish you were here, love ya.”
“You’ll do fine,
Bash. I love you. See you this weekend? Meet me half way?”
“Yes, babe.”
She’s moving to Atlanta next week, I live in Knoxville. It’s a long drive only
manageable by meeting in Chattanooga.
“Can we go to
the aquarium?”
“Yes, Quinn.” I
hang up feeling better, but not completely. She didn’t tell me it would be all
right. If only I could convince myself, it would be all right.
I slip my phone
inside my gym bag and walk towards the bright lights of the outdoor stadium.
This was supposed to be my year. After working towards first string my
entire freshman year, I was now the star quarterback of the Ravens. I had
exactly what my parent’s wanted for me. A scholarship, community respect, and
my team. I was about to lose it all.
Chapter Two
10 hours earlier
“What happened
out there?” My father is angry; his eyes crinkle up like mine when he’s mad. I
can barely see through the slits right now and it scares me. People say I’m the
spitting image of my father. We have the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and tall
build. Typical homegrown southerners. But we are as different as night and day.
As the son of a politician, I’m given unrealistic expectations. Expectations
that I can never live up to.
“I was
distracted,” I tell him.
“It’s Quinn
ain’t it?” my mother pipes in. “You’re distracted because of that girl.”
“Don’t bring
Quinn into this, Mom.” We’ve had this fight dozens of times before. As a high
school girlfriend, she was fine, but now all of a sudden she isn’t good enough
to stand by my side.
“Does she know
about Raquel? Have you told her yet?”
“Don’t talk
about her like that!” I take a step toward my mother, but she doesn’t cower.
Even though I’m over six feet tall, and she barely hits my chest, she has
southern sass written all over her. She pokes me with one of her long bony
fingers.
“Don’t you back
talk your mother, young man.”
My father steps
in between us, giving me time to take a deep breath and relax.
“Listen here,
Sabastian Crown. You will get your act together and win next week’s game. Your
mother and I are not going to drive two hours every weekend just to see an
embarrassment to our town and family. Have I made myself clear?”
Crystal.
“Yes, sir.” I
want to tell him to go screw himself, but I can’t. When they find out about the
drugs and when I’m suspended from the team, they’ll never forgive me. They
won’t care about why I need the drugs, they’ll only care that it hurts their
precious reputation.
My parent’s turn
around and we get inside of their Jaguar. We have a dinner date with Raquel and
her family at the club. Then they will go home utterly disappointed in me.
Little do they know that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
They don’t care
about what I want. Maybe if I died, they would care. That would show them. I
feel for my pocketknife in my back pocket. No, it would be too easy. I’m half
tempted to slit my wrists right there beside the car.
Chapter Three
8 hours earlier
My mind is numb.
My body is numb.
My heart is numb.
It’s the best
feeling in the world. If only the blonde next to me wasn’t so annoying.
“You ready?” she
sniffs before wiping her nose clean of any evidence. She leans across me and
puts her silver compact in the glove box. I nod my head and take another shot
of the clear liquid in the
“I molded a
latex mask yesterday, some crazy creature that turns into whatever you’re
afraid of.”
I chuckle
slightly, “Isn’t that already a creature from Harry Potter?”
“No! This is completely
different.”
“Do you have to
think of something funny to defeat it?”
“Shut. Up!”
A chuckle
erupted from between my lips; she always knows what to say to distract me. I
hear someone calling my name. I wish I could move away, change my name, and
disappear.
“I gotta go face
the demons,” I tell her. “Wish you were here, love ya.”
“You’ll do fine,
Bash. I love you. See you this weekend? Meet me half way?”
“Yes, babe.”
She’s moving to Atlanta next week, I live in Knoxville. It’s a long drive only
manageable by meeting in Chattanooga.
“Can we go to
the aquarium?”
“Yes, Quinn.” I
hang up feeling better, but not completely. She didn’t tell me it would be all
right. If only I could convince myself, it would be all right.
I slip my phone
inside my gym bag and walk towards the bright lights of the outdoor stadium.
This was supposed to be my year. After working towards first string my
entire freshman year, I was now the star quarterback of the Ravens. I had
exactly what my parent’s wanted for me. A scholarship, community respect, and
my team. I was about to lose it all.
Chapter Two
10 hours earlier
“What happened
out there?” My father is angry; his eyes crinkle up like mine when he’s mad. I
can barely see through the slits right now and it scares me. People say I’m the
spitting image of my father. We have the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and tall
build. Typical homegrown southerners. But we are as different as night and day.
As the son of a politician, I’m given unrealistic expectations. Expectations
that I can never live up to.
“I was
distracted,” I tell him.
“It’s Quinn
ain’t it?” my mother pipes in. “You’re distracted because of that girl.”
“Don’t bring
Quinn into this, Mom.” We’ve had this fight dozens of times before. As a high
school girlfriend, she was fine, but now all of a sudden she isn’t good enough
to stand by my side.
“Does she know
about Raquel? Have you told her yet?”
“Don’t talk
about her like that!” I take a step toward my mother, but she doesn’t cower.
Even though I’m over six feet tall, and she barely hits my chest, she has
southern sass written all over her. She pokes me with one of her long bony
fingers.
“Don’t you back
talk your mother, young man.”
My father steps
in between us, giving me time to take a deep breath and relax.
“Listen here,
Sabastian Crown. You will get your act together and win next week’s game. Your
mother and I are not going to drive two hours every weekend just to see an
embarrassment to our town and family. Have I made myself clear?”
Crystal.
“Yes, sir.” I
want to tell him to go screw himself, but I can’t. When they find out about the
drugs and when I’m suspended from the team, they’ll never forgive me. They
won’t care about why I need the drugs, they’ll only care that it hurts their
precious reputation.
My parent’s turn
around and we get inside of their Jaguar. We have a dinner date with Raquel and
her family at the club. Then they will go home utterly disappointed in me.
Little do they know that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
They don’t care
about what I want. Maybe if I died, they would care. That would show them. I
feel for my pocketknife in my back pocket. No, it would be too easy. I’m half
tempted to slit my wrists right there beside the car.
Chapter Three
8 hours earlier
My mind is numb.
My body is numb.
My heart is numb.
It’s the best
feeling in the world. If only the blonde next to me wasn’t so annoying.
“You ready?” she
sniffs before wiping her nose clean of any evidence. She leans across me and
puts her silver compact in the glove box. I nod my head and take another shot
of the clear liquid in the
Similar Books
