“Mom, did yousee?”
“Your father is going to shit when he sees this final notice from the bank,” she fumed between sips ofwine.
“What’s it for, Mom?” Chad asked when he walked into thekitchen.
Chad came over and pushed me against the counter and punched me in theside.
“Ow, fucking stop!” I yelled at him and went back to gathering my USCpacket.
He grabbed my arms and pinned me against the counter with moreforce.
“Or what, you fucking pussy? Gonna cry? I like it when you cry. It makes me harder,” Chadgrowled.
I twisted my arms and body away from Chad, but it only made him more aggressive. Sometimes when I fought, he’d ease up, and sometimes it made itworse.
“Yeah, fight you littlefucker.”
I stopped fighting him and let him push himself against me until my mom stepped in to help; sortof.
“Do not start that shit with Ryan before dinner, Chad! Your father will be home soon, and he’s going to lose it when he sees this notice. It’s a final notice for thecar.”
Chad released my arms and pushed himself away from me. I quickly gathered my USC stuff just in time before the front door slammed shut. Oh,shit.
“Mom, look,” I quickly whispered and tried handing her the papers in myhand.
“What is it, Ryan?” she asked in an annoyedtone.
“Scholarship, Mom!” I said, but she hadn’t reacted. “USC, Mom.” Nothing. “Forbaseball.”
“Ryan!” my dad yelled forme.
“Mom!” I begged her to acknowledge what I was holding out toher.
“Your father is calling you, Ryan,” she grabbed my papers, and Chad pushed me to go see ourdad.
“Go see Daddy, Ryan,” Chadsang.
I fucking hated my life and had to get out of there. It was May, and I only had a few weeks left of high school. I just needed to graduate and get the fuck out. I had a scholarship waiting for me, so fuckthem.
In the entryway, my dad had my backpack in his hand and an angry scowl on hisface.
“Do we throw our stuff in the entryway, Ryan? I opened the door to my own fucking home, and your goddamn backpack was right up against thedoor.”
“I didn’t leave it right up against thedoor.”
Fucking Chad. I knew he had moved it just to piss Dad off. Fuckingasshole.
“Are you calling me a liar,Ryan?”
“No. I’msorry.”
I walked toward my backpack that dangled from his fingers. The second it was in my hand, his hand crashed down on myface.
“Go to my den and wait for me,” he hissed and walkedaway.
I closed my eyes and leaned over to set my backpack down on the floor next to the coat closet. When I stood up, Chad was standing a few feet away with a fucking grin on hisface.
“You shouldn’t leave your stuff in the entryway,pussy.”
