My cousin’s eyes close as he exhales next to me.
“Sounds good. We gotta go,” Zack responds, keeping the keys in his palm this time and jetting right toward the front door. I lag behind, and my pulse actually races with fear that my uncle will try to pull one more piece of intel out of me before I can get away. I breathe out in relief at the sound of the door falling closed behind me.
“Take it you wanna drive this morning?” I meet his eyes over the roof of the car.
He nods, getting in without pause and firing up the engine before I have a chance to shut my door. We don’t talk most of the way to school, but I can tell he’s stewing.
“I think I’m throwing to you today,” I finally speak.
“Uh huh.” Zack’s response is clipped.
It’s bullshit, and we both know it. I have no idea who I’m throwing to. I only know that I threw with Hollis on Thursday and Coach likes to rotate us.
“Workouts are pretty regimented anyhow. There’s not a lot to see, so your dad will probably get bored and leave in the first ten minutes.” I don’t know why I’m hell-bent on easing his anxiety, especially since I’m embarrassed for him after Friday’s basketball incident. And he clearly isn’t interested in anything I have to say this morning.
The car hits the dip into the school lot forcefully and I have to palm the dash to steady myself. Zack’s driving like an ass.
“Fuck, dude. Easy,” I finally grit out.
“Pfft,” he breathes.
I sink into my seat and focus out my window on anything that isn’t my cousin. When I see Hollis and her dad pull around to the back of the school in their van, I make a silent wish that Zack missed it. I’m not ready for him to launch into some snide remark about how nice it must be to live with Coach and get rides to school with him. I won’t be able to indulge his grudge if he tests me right now.
Luckily, he’s not in the mood to talk. We pull into our spot and he leaves the car before I unbuckle. I laugh quietly to myself as he stomps through the main doors and disappears, probably getting to class earlier than he ever has in his entire life. Turning my attention to the front, my gaze meets Tory’s and he nods, leaving our group of friends and walking toward my side of the car. I kick open the door just as he steps up.
“Hey, man. I see Zack is still on his one-man douchebag mission,” Tory says, pulling a short laugh from me as we slap hands. I shift in the seat while he folds his arms over the window frame on the door and glances around the lot.
“That was pretty fucked up, yo,” Tory says, and I know he’s talking about Friday.
“Yeah.” I sigh. I don’t have much to add because his synopsis captured Friday to a tee. Fucked. Up.
“This is about him, just so you know,” Tory says, and I turn to look him in the eyes. “Don’t get caught up in it and think you have to do whatever he does or defend him. I’ve learned a lot of things this last year, and key is knowing how to take care of your own shit. Don’t get yourself neck deep in his to the point you drown in your own.”
“Colorful,” I say, chuckling.
“Yeah, well.” He shrugs, opening my door fully while I grab my bag from the floor and step out of the car.
We hang close, Tory probably sensing that I’m not ready to talk about Zack’s shit with a full group. It would be impossible for people not to bring it up. I’m surprised his ass slap isn’t trending on social media. For Hollis’s sake, I’m glad it’s not.
Hollis.
I’ve been so caught up in my morning that for a brief bit I forgot I have to sit three feet from her in about ten minutes. I spent most of the night tossing and turning, playing out how this morning would go. I tried out jokes and flat-out apologies. Every scenario I imagined ended in her telling me to fuck off. Maybe I should just get that over with and say it before she has a chance to.
“See? That’s how it starts,” Tory says, pulling me out of my head.
“What?” I ask.
“You, taking on your cousin’s shit. You’re trying to work it out. I can read it all over your face.”
“Pshh, nah. That’s not it.” I push away from our car and wander closer to the main doors. Tory tags along, waving off his brother who’s hanging out with the girls.
“Spill,” Tory says when we’re far enough away from everyone for there to be no ears around to hear.
I wrinkle my face, a little in self-disgust but mostly because talking about things in my head with anyone but my dad isn’t something I do. And even with my dad, it’s mostly school, college, or baseball talk.
“My first hour is with Hollis. Think you can pretend to be my uncle and call me in sick?” I lift a brow at him, half serious about my request.
Tory’s shoulders lift with his laugh.
“That’s what happens when you kiss a total stranger. Things get messy.” He pulls the tab on his energy drink and sucks down half of it, peering at me over the can.
My eyes narrow.
“How’d you know about that?” I query.
He pulls the can away and belches while shrugging.
“Saw you through the window.” He holds his can out for me, and I take a shot of caffeine. I’m going to need a jolt of something to get through this.
“Yeah, well, that’s only half the reason this is all so complicated. I’m not sure I can avoid drowning in Zack’s shit because we have the same mess. Our issues bleed together, and then our dads are involved, and his is on the
