Junior Year Box Set

“Yeah, is everything okay?” she asked.

“Everything’s just fine. Thanks for taking care of me,” I told Kendal.

Mom stood there with her hand out for the phone.

“I need to call Tracy and let her know I won’t be there,” I told her.

Mom just nodded, so I called Tracy. I asked her to call Mona and let her know, too, since I was only allowed one phone call from prison. That got my phone snatched out of my hand, and Tracy hung up on.

◊◊◊ Sunday August 30

Mom and Dad had a huge fight. Duke and I escaped to my apartment to stay out of the crossfire. I was confused when Dad packed a bag and left. An hour later Mom came up to my apartment with all my stuff. She laid it all on the coffee table and sat down.

“Your father made a confession yesterday. Phil Prince isn’t your uncle, he’s your half brother,” Mom told me and put me in a state of shock. “Your grandfather stepped in and supported Phil and his mother. That’s why Phil thinks Grandpa Dawson is his father.”

I was stunned. That would mean Dad had cheated on Mom, because Phil was younger than Greg and me. I would never have expected my father to step outside his wedding vows. Dad was the most devoted man I knew. I hoped to have a marriage as good as my parents had. I’m sure I wondered about the same things my mom had. I sat next to Mom on the couch, and she pushed me away, which hurt more than anyone would ever know.

I got up and walked into my bedroom.

◊◊◊

Chapter 4 – Things Your Momma Never Warned You About Monday August 31

I set a new record at Lincoln High: I got a three-day suspension before school even officially started. I guess I had better explain that one.

I got up and didn’t feel like running. Duke was disappointed when I wouldn’t let him go upstairs and get his morning loving. I was almost afraid of what Mom would do to him. Dad hadn’t come home last night. He called me and told me he would be staying with Uncle John for a while. I just hoped he wasn’t going to be exiled for three months like I had been. I got the unenviable task of calling Greg to fill him in.

I wasn’t surprised when Greg showed up for breakfast.

“How’s she doing?” he asked.

“I’d recommend that you stay far away until she comes to you. I tried to comfort her last night, and she pushed me away. I honestly have no idea what’s going on in her head right now.”

“How’s Dad?”

I just snorted and shook my head. How did Greg think he was? Mom had banished him to Uncle John’s farm.

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Greg said. “How are you doing?”

“I got grounded for asking to go to Tracy’s lake house for the weekend. My dad fathered me a little brother who follows me around like a lost puppy. My mother can’t stand to be around me. She wouldn’t even let me go to football practice this weekend, which got me into trouble. So everything’s great,” I said.

We ate breakfast, and Greg caught me up about his family. He had me smiling by the time I left for school.

◊◊◊

On the ride to school, I received a text with a picture attached. The phone was in the cradle on my dash, so I tapped on the link for the photo and smiled when I saw Mona had sent me a naughty picture from the weekend. When I pulled into the parking lot, I took a closer look at the photo. It seemed a little risqué, even for Mona, because it showed her with her legs spread. I peered closer and decided I needed a bigger image to see better, so I got my tablet out.

I blew up the image, and my blood ran cold. Someone had snapped the picture after leaving a deposit in Mona. There was a reflection in the photo, so I used my fingers to blow up that part of the image and saw Mike’s smiling face. I got out of my car with the intent to kill him. The Alpha Male in me was running the show as I came up to the front door and saw Alan first.

“Have you seen Mike?” I asked.

“No, I don’t think he’s here yet. Why, what do you need?”

I ignored him because I saw the varsity cheerleaders and walked to them with a purpose. I got my phone out and brought up the picture. I walked up to Mona who smiled at me as I shoved the photo in her face. Realization dawned, and she went white. Mona knew how I felt about this.

“David, I can explain,” Mona said.

“No need. Do us both a favor and stay the hell away from me.”

“David,” Tracy said.

“You, too; you taught her how to hurt me.”

Tracy’s eyes got big. I wasn’t sure if she knew what Mona had done or not, and quite frankly, I didn’t care at that moment.

“David,” Pam said.

“Screw you, too, for letting it happen,” I said. I spun away from the cheerleaders and spotted Mike.

He was in the parking lot with his girlfriend Gina, the girl I had set him up with.

“Oh, shit,” he mumbled as I got closer.

“What’s going …? DAVID!” Gina screamed as I used the side of my foot to hit Mike in the nose.