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“I can’t wait to see you,” I answered.
“Bye,” Cal said.
“Bye Cal.”
We hung up. I sat there for the longest time, holding my phone wishing I could still hear his voice. Pissed that I was grounded. I gazed at the stars twinkling in the sky. The moon hidden behind the tree that was right outside of my window.
My door opened and I turned. “Abby getting in the shower soon?” Dad asked me.
I nodded.
“Are you mad at me?” He asked.
I was and I wasn’t. Did it matter? He was the father. He was supposed to be the disciplinarian. He hated that role though. The one Mom always gave him because she hated it even more.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Love you Abby,” he replied.
“Love you too,” I responded. Then Dad backed out of my room and shut the door. I sighed. I think it was just as hard being a parent as it was being the kid.
Chapter 10
That week I was grounded Cal and I talked every night after we did our homework and ate dinner. We grew closer than if we had spent time together. I learned just how much his father being gone had hurt him.
He grew up playing sports his whole life having a natural ability like my brother. The difference was that it was his mother who cheered him from the sidelines. Sometimes his sisters too when they didn’t have their own activities.
He saw his friend’s fathers rooting on their sons and missed his dad even more. I heard the hurt and the pain in his voice. He usually made a game here and there, but it wasn’t enough.
Homecoming was Friday night. Mom had taken me dress shopping. We brought a light blue sparkly dress with long, sheer sleeves. The round neck snapped beneath my hair and zipped at my waist leaving my back bare. It was fitted to my knees then flowed to the floor in long layers that swirled when I twirled.
She convinced me I was tall enough to wear some strappy silver sandals that sparkled too. The back of the dress was completely open which made me uncomfortable. I didn’t dress in sexy clothes and this felt so unlike me. I wanted to surprise Cal, so he hadn’t seen my dress.
After the game, we were going to Mac’s. This was the first time that Cal had wanted to go to Mac’s since he had started dating me. After every game we went to my house or his and hung out. He finally got to see the basement without Tyson being at the house and was even more enthralled with our television in the basement.
Next weekend, Tyson and I were turning sixteen. My brother wanted to have a party. I wasn’t good at parties. Cal was encouraging me to break out of my shell. He promised to be right by side the entire time.
After the game which the White Oak Creek Cowboys won. I waited for Cal and Tyson. We were riding together to Mac’s farm where Coach Mac held a bonfire. I waited by Cal’s Impala. Aiden was one of the first out of the locker room. He started to walk by me although the look he gave me wasn’t pleasant. Then he came back and stopped in front of me.
“Finally letting him out of his cage?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “I don’t keep him from going anywhere, Aiden.”
We had even stopped eating lunch with Aiden and Luke. I was coming between his two best friends and him. The problem was they didn’t seem willing to share him.
“Right,” he sneered. Aiden got closer. He leaned in so close that I wasn’t sure what he was going to do. “You must have some fine pussy to take Cal away from his friends.”
I gasped. He laughed. “At least that’s what he says.”
I knew he was lying. Cal wouldn’t say anything like that to them.
Then I heard Luke and some other boys coming. He stopped by Aiden. “What are you doing messing with her? She ain’t worth your time. She’s got our boy’s head messed up. He’ll figure it out soon enough.”
Luke grabbed Aiden around the neck loosely and dragged him away from me. I choked on my tears. It wouldn’t do for Cal to find me crying. I wiped furiously at my face, but they kept falling from my eyes. I needed to make sure that Mom and Dad stayed with me from now on until Tyson and Cal came from the locker room.
Two of the cheerleaders walked by and mumbled something at me. I wanted to shout at them to shut up but like always like in my hometown before, I kept it inside.
I chewed on my thumbnail a nervous habit I had since I was five. Too much pressure I put on myself to be perfect. Too much pressure creat
