Stepping inside, I have to maneuver around a pile of laundry right beside the door. I’m already frustrated, so I kick at it, sending clothes flying across the living room. On my way down the short hallway to my bedroom, I beat on Roger’s door. “Get your shit picked up, bro. You aren’t the only damn person who lives here!”
I don’t even wait for a response before trudging into my bedroom and slamming the door shut behind me.
Sitting down on the edge of my bed, I take my phone out of my bag and reluctantly call my mom back.
“Hey!” she says brightly. “How did the game go?”
“Team won,” I say, trying to muster some joy so she doesn’t call me out for having a bad attitude.
“That’s so good, hun. Any plans with the team?”
“No.” I pick at a piece of dirt on my pants. I’m not even sure how it got there since I didn’t play. “Not tonight.” I could be hanging out with Parker and Ben. That would be preferable to sitting alone in my dorm, but for some reason, I just don’t know if I can force myself into it.
I listen as Mom rattles on about church in the morning. She’s leading the worship in song, and she’s so excited I can practically hear her smile. “That sounds nice, Mom.”
“Are you okay, Landon? You sound a little down.”
How am I supposed to give her an honest answer? How am I supposed to tell her that listening to the words of a bigot and then hearing her talk about Sunday church is the reason for my foul mood? I can’t.
I can’t risk her ire. For all the ways she irritates me and all the ways she hovers and tries to control my life, she’s still my mom, and I still love her. “I’m alright. Just worn out,” I say instead.
“You really should get out and celebrate,” she says quietly. “You work hard. You deserve it.”
I didn’t do anything but stand on the sidelines and freeze up when someone was attacking one of my teammates. I can’t help wondering what Ben and Parker are doing.
My phone dings, so I pull it away from my ear to read the message that just came through.
Parker
Where are you?
Ben
Yeah, didn’t you see me tell you to come here after the game?
I did, but…
Me
not sure I’m feeling up to it tonight.
“Well, hun, I’ll let you go,” Mom says. “I love you, and let me know what you think of the church group at the school. I’m excited to hear all about it.”
“I love you too,” I say, not even giving her a response about the church meeting. There’s no way in hell I’m going to that.
I hang up the phone, then step into the hall. Hopefully Roger isn’t occupying the bathroom because I want a shower. Thankfully, the room is empty, and I strip out of my gear, grabbing a fresh towel from the small closet behind the door.
The showers in the dorms are small, but the water pressure is amazing, and when I’m standing under the spray, being pelted with damn near boiling water, some of the tension leaches from my body.
After a few minutes, I scrub my hair, then my body, before standing under the water until it runs cold.
Reluctantly, I get out and dry off, then tie the towel around my waist. Before I leave the room, I pick up my clothes—which is the polite and responsible thing to do, Roger—before hightailing it back into my room.
Slipping on a pair of boxers, I crawl into bed, grabbing my phone.
I have a few notifications, and I swipe them away without even looking at them, then open the group chat with Ben and Parker.
Ben
