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Having been officially dismissed, Coach starts shuffling some papers, and I stand and start making my way back to the fraternity house, leaving the two men behind me.
Lost in my head, I miss my father’s approach. He grabs me by the back of my shirt, spinning us around and slamming me into a wall. With his arm across my throat, he brings his face close to mine. Spittle sprays my face as he talks, his face flush with anger.
“Once again, it is up to me to fix your fuck-up,” he spits out angrily. “Mess this opportunity up, and I will disown your ass. A tutor has been hired, and you will be meeting four days a week,minimum. If you want me to continue to fund your stay here, you will get a B-average,” he bites out.
“But Coach…” I try to interrupt, earning a hard shove, causing my head to bounce off the wall.
“Isaid B-average. Your worthless ass won’t get A’s, so that will have to do,” he pauses for a breath, sneering at me. “You will also keep your prick in your pants. Don’t go fucking the Baseball Annies and end up getting one knocked up. The last thing you want is some slut riding your coattails and taking your money when you go to the majors. For once in your fucking life, be smart about your future.”
Releasing the pressure on my neck, my father turns, walking away without another word as if the past ten minutes hadn’t happened. He fusses with the cuffs of his shirt and suit jacket, straightening his appearance.
I stand in place, listening to the click-clack of his dress shoes as they fade into the distance.
“Fuck,” I mutter to myself, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands.
When my father’s footsteps can no longer be heard, I push away from the wall, heading toward the frat house.
My mind is racing.
How am I supposed to work at least four nights a week with a tutor, go to class, and get my pre-season workout in?
This semester is going to suck…bad.
CHAPTER TWO
“Kassidy, it’s your mother…again. It would be nice to hear from you since you couldn’t bother to come home for the holidays,” she pauses, adding a dramatic flair and a sneering tone. “Your fancy new rich friends must be more important than your family.”
Beep
“Little sister,” Karoline’s sing-song voice comes through next. “You are upsetting mom. Call her back!” Ahh, there’s my bitch sister. It amazes me how Karoline can change moods in the blink of an eye.
Beep
“Kass,” Kavanagh’s tenor voice comes through next, sounding exasperated. “I promise to send you anything you fucking want, butplease, cut me some slack and call Mom back. I beg you.”
Heaving a sigh, I toss my phone on my bed as my thoughts race. My family is toxic on a good day. Deciding not to go home for Christmas was not a decision I made lightly. After the trip to Pittsburgh for the trial, Kennedy needed me.
The shit that came out during the trial was something worthy of an after-school special. When I explained the situation, mybrother, Kavanagh, was the most understanding about it. The fuss that my mother and sister are creating confuses me.
They both hate me.
Getting shit on by my mother and sister my entire life, going away for college meant escaping them. I made sure to choose a school that wasn’t too close to home. Being far enough away meant that going home for every extra holiday wasn’t going to happen. Kennedy could have done without me since she has the guys, but she has stuck up for me. She and I are closer and more like sisters than I am with my blood sister. There was no way I was going to abandon her.
Thoughts of my childhood drift through my mind as I war with myself. Gathering the courage and debating on whether to return my mother’s call or not. I know that nothing good can come of it. The only time my mother calls me is if she wants something.
Growing up, my mother bounced from job to job. Many times, she would either quit or get fired. She usually claimed that a boss or coworker was jealous and had it in for her. Of course, she would only attempt to find employment between men. Once she found the next sap, she would focus all of her time and energy on them, forgetting that she had a family at home. Many of the guys she “dated” didn’t want kids, so she ignored our existence until she absolutely had to. Kavanagh, being the eldest by almost five years, ended up taking care of me most of the time. As a result, he and I are very close.
The kids at school always made fun of me. Taunting me about my father being absent in my life and how my mom was a slut. It didn’t help that I became Karoline’s punching bag. She blamed me for Mom disappearing for days on end and never being around. I often went to school with bruises from Karoline picking a fight with me. Being three years younger than her and much smaller, I struggled to defend myself. Several times, theschool reported my appearance, which only angered my mother. Karoline was happy because Mom would show up just long enough to appease the authorities before disappearing again.
As she got older, Karoline started following in my mother’s footsteps. The only difference between my mother and sister is that my mother already had two kids when she was Karoline’s age. Both of them are looking for some sugar daddy to take care of them instead of being independent.
All three of us kids have different fathers. None of them stuck around long when they realized what my mother wanted from them.
Shaking away the memories, I head into the kitchen for some liquid courage. Moans can be heard coming from down the hall. A soft smile graces my lips at the memories of meeting Kennedy. It is the best luck I have ever had. Her guys have also started to look out for me because of our friendship, making my circle of friends just a little bit bigger.
With all of the crap that happened last semester, Gareth, Kennedy, Ashton, Rodney, and Callum decided that they wanted to live in an apartment on the edge of campus instead of the dorms again. They were kind enough to ask me to tag along.
Grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge, I chug down half of it, preparing myself before eventually calling my mother. The phone calls and voicemails are only going to get worse the longer I put it off. Finishing my beer and grabbing another one for strength, I head back into my bedroom.
