Hazed (Palm South University)

I drive to the next block, pull over to the side of the road, and let myself cry.

“HOLY SHIT, HE IS so fast!” Skyler says, her mouth hanging open as she watches my little brother sprint across the Palm South University practice field. He gets fifteen yards down before he cuts left, looking back just in time to catch the ball thrown in a perfect spiral right to his chest. He takes off toward the end zone, running the play all the way through before the coach blows his whistle.

“I’m telling you, he has more talent in his pinky finger than I ever had when I played,” I muse with a proud smile.

It’s family weekend at Palm South, and that means the campus is crawling with moms and dads and siblings who have come to check out the university. Family weekend is always filled with barbecues and field games, Greek Row presentations and fancy family dinners, and more. My personal favorite part is how the college bars that are usually crawling with students take on a completely new vibe once the parents are involved.

Sometimes, they party harder than the kids.

As for my family, this is the first time I’ve had them all here. Sure, Clayton has come out a few years now to visit, but other than when she showed up to ask for money, Mom has never been. Carleton, my older brother, and his wife and kids, are here, too.

It’s a surreal experience, having them here, and knowing that in just a couple more months they’ll be watching me walk across the stage, too.

“His coach talked to me after this past season ended,” my mom chimes in from the other side of Skyler. “He said scouts are already asking to come watch as early as next season, even though he’ll only be a junior.”

“They want to snag him early so he doesn’t even consider other options,” I say. “But if he hasn’t changed his mind, the last I heard, Palm South University was the only school he was considering.”

“He wants to be like his big brother,” Mom says, smiling at me. “Can’t say I blame him.”

When I found out the whole family was coming for family weekend, I set an appointment to talk to the head coach for Palm South University’s football team. I told him about Clayton and showed him some of his tapes, pleading for him to carve some time out to run some drills with him. I was honestly flabbergasted that coach actually agreed.

And that was just further proof that Clayton has what it takes to play at the collegiate level.

So, for the last hour, coach and a few of his second- and third-string players have been running drills with Clayton while Mom, Skyler, and I watch from the sidelines. Carleton took his wife and the kids to the beach for the day, but they’ll be meeting up with us later.

“I kind of wish we were closer in age,” I say, watching as Clayton takes a giant swig of water from his bottle before jogging back out onto the field for the next drill. “It would be cool to be here with him.”

“Ohhh no,” Skyler says with a shake of her head. “There’s no way this campus could handle two Penningtons at once.”

“Touché.”

“I’m actually thinking of moving down here with him,” Mom says, and Skyler and I both snap our heads in her direction.

“Really?” Skyler asks.

Mom nods. “I know he’ll be in a dorm or living in the fraternity house — since I know he wants to rush immediately.” She winks at me with that. “But… I don’t know. I missed so much of Clinton’s experience, I don’t want to do the same with Clayton. I want to be around to see his games and help him with schoolwork or whatever. If I get a little place not too far from campus, I can be there when he needs me.”

Something pinches my stomach, something that feels a little like resentment and a lot like jealousy. But it’s only there for a moment before genuine relief and joy wash over me.

“I think that’s amazing, Mom,” I say.

Her brown eyes glisten in the sun when she returns my smile. “And then you’d have a place to visit, if you ever wanted to come back to PSU.”

Skyler whips her head in my direction then. “Come back? Are you leaving?”

I give Mom a thanks a lot look, because the truth is, I haven’t really decided anything. But Pittsburgh is calling to me. I could be there for the last two years of high school for Clayton, and be closer to my nephews, and spend time with my mom. Besides, I miss the Burgh. I miss seasons. I miss not always sweating when I walk outside.

“I haven’t decided anything,” I tell Skyler. “But… I’m leaning toward going back to Pittsburgh. There are a lot of creative agencies up there, and I think it would be cool to start my graphic design career in my home city.”