“Okay,” I respond and turn to go to the exit door down the hallway.
“Hey, mister!” he yells, and I turn around.
“Blue is my name.”
“Blue?”
“Yeah, Blue.”
“Christ, was your father’s last name Binney?”
“Uh, no.”
“Smith?” he persists. I glance down to notice the rooster is preparing to mount the now recovered hen again. Damn, does the rooster pop Viagra?
“I have no idea who that is,” I finally say, wanting out of here before the rooster shows me once again how even he’s getting luckier than I am. It was bad enough coming from the damn dog.
“That’s what I’m saying. Your generation is doomed. You’re so full of yourselves there’s no room for knowledge. Binney and Smith were the inventors of crayons. That was a great joke I asked if you had the brain to recognize it,” he chastises.
I grunt. It’s either that or cuss him out. I turn around, giving him my back. “I’m going to find my brother.”
“Oh, one last thing,” he says, and I look over my shoulder before I can stop myself. “Do you like your nose?”
“What the hell are you asking that for?”
“Just answer the question,” he snaps.
“I guess,” I answer, kicking myself for even looking at him again.
“Then make sure you keep it out of Gladys’s business.”
“Who the fuck is Gladys?”
“My rooster. Don’t go ratting him out to your brother. A man has needs, and Gladys has his. It’s not easy being him. He has eleven women to keep happy.”
“Eleven?”
“Was twelve but Gertie left him for a turkey that was part of a traveling petting zoo,” he mutters, his voice filled with disgust.
“A turkey?” I find myself asking
“Don’t sound like that. It happens. Haven’t you heard of a Turducken? Those things don’t just happen.”
I could argue with him that he’s talking about a food, but I don’t think it would do a bit of good. I start walking toward the door that leads to the field. I don’t look back even when he yells out at me again.
“Remember, mind your own business!”
Chapter 13
Blue
“Blue? What are you doing here, little brother?”
Green asks when he sees me. I roll my eyes. I’m hardly anyone’s little brother, even if he is older. Still, I know why he’s surprised. I’ve only been out here once. That’s when they were having a party to celebrate Green taking over as coach. I didn’t stay long and left as quickly as possible. I seem to have an allergy around happy couples these days and that certainly sums up Kage and Green’s relationship.
“Where’s Parker?” I growl, not bothering to try and be pleasant. I want my fist planted in Parker Huntington’s pretty boy face. Then, I might be able to breathe. Maybe.
“He’s in the cafeteria. There’s a team meeting in there with the new dietician.”
“Where the fuck is that?” I ask, looking around.
“I can show you,” Green responds, clearly confused. “What’s going on here?”
“Show me,” I bark, already walking back to the damn building. I don’t care if I have to open every damn door in the place or even kick through a horny rooster taking part in a chicken gangbang. I’m going to find Parker and when I do, I’m going to make it so that he has to suck his food through a straw for a month.
“Woah, Blue, why don’t you tell me what’s going on here?’
“Nothing much.”
“It seems like something is wrong. I haven’t seen you this mad in—hell, maybe forever.”
“I’m fine. I’m just going to kill your star hitter,” I tell him and fuck if I don’t sound a little bit cheerful about that.
“Whoa, how about we slow down here?” Green counters, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me to face him. I let him for a minute, but I don’t bother hiding my irritation.
“How about you let me go so that I can do what I came here to do?”
“I just need to understand why you’re so upset. I mean, I know Parker and Meadow have dated, but you don’t really have a claim on her, Blue. She’s been back in Mason for how long now? If you wanted her, then maybe you should have gone after her instead of treating her like you hated her.”
I stop. My eyes narrow at my brother, and my hand shakes with the need to lay into him. “I’ve never hated Doe,” I bite out.
“I know that, bub, but I’m not sure the most important people do,” Green counters.
“I—”
“And I’m talking about Meadow,” he adds.
“I’m not discussing this with you. Not here, not now. I want to see that bastard Parker and I want to see him now.”
“Blue—”
“Fuck this shit,” I growl, stomping off. I’ll tear this place apart until I find him.
Just as I get back into the building, there are two doors. I open the first. It’s a damn supply closet.
“Blue, brother, let’s talk about this,” Green says from behind me.