Somethin' About That Boy

“Where the fuck are you at?” he asked, sounding amused.

I chuckled as I flicked a couple of locks that were on the lockers.

“I’m at a volleyball game,” I answered. “Where are you at?”

Dad laughed. “I’m at work. I just called because you haven’t called and talked to your mom and me in a couple of days.”

I instantly felt like a dick.

“I, uh… met a girl,” I admitted.

Dad started to laugh, full out belly laughing.

“Did you now?” he joked. “What’s her name?”

So that was how I ended up spending the next twenty minutes, telling my dad about my girl.

“Your mom and I are coming up for the weekend, as you know,” he said. “I was going to stay at your sister’s place. I just wanted to make sure that you have time for us this weekend?”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course. But if you come down early enough on Friday, you can watch our first scrimmage.”

My dad said something to someone, momentarily ignoring me, and I pulled my phone away from my ear and sent Perry a text telling her where I was before placing it back to my ear.

When I did, I heard my dad talking.

“…what time?” he said.

“Kick off is at seven,” I said. “You could be here on time if you left work a bit early.”

Dad didn’t work regular cop hours anymore like he used to. He was purely a nine-to-five guy now, and my mom loved it.

Though, he liked to say that he still didn’t get the same adrenaline high out of working the ‘boring hours’ as he did when he was younger.

“I’ll talk to your mom, see if she can kick off early, too,” he said. “If you would’ve told us earlier in the week instead of two days before the game…”

I grinned. “I actually just learned about it today at practice. Swear to Christ. I was going to call you after the volleyball game.”

“And will we get to meet this girl?” Dad asked.

Just as I was about to reply with ‘yes’ something shoved me from behind, making me go sprawling.

My phone slid across the floor and hit the edge of a locker, and my body went with it.

I was up and moving before whoever pushed me could get another solid hit in, though.

When I turned, it was to find none other than Vance staring at me with his fists clenched.

“I’m sorry, did I interrupt something?” he asked stiffly.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stay where the fuck I was.

It took every bit of control I could muster.

“Go away, Vance,” I snapped.

“Make me.” He prowled forward.

My back hit the locker, and I was seconds away from throwing a punch when I heard a low, “Don’t even fuckin’ think about it.”

When I looked up, it was to find my brother standing there with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His eyes were solely on Vance, and he was tensed, waiting for a fight.

I had no clue what my brother was doing here, but I really fuckin’ appreciated it. Because I did not, under any circumstances, want to be suspended. One, I wanted to see Perry the next day at school, and I couldn’t if I was suspended. Two, I couldn’t play football if I was suspended, either.

Vance paused, hands tensed to strike, and let them drop to his sides.

“Lucky bitch,” he said before backing away.

“You need to go back home to Benton, Vance,” Ford said through gritted teeth. “There’s nothing for you here.”

“You think so?” Vance laughed stiffly. “I think I’m quite liking it here.”

Then, without another word, he was gone.

That was when I saw Perry standing at the end of the hall, looking worried.

Ford watched Vance leave through the doors he’d apparently entered through, then turned his eyes to me.

I went to my phone, cursing when I saw the large fucking crack through the middle of the screen.

I picked it up and placed it to my ear. “Dad?”

“Vance?” Dad asked, sounding pissed.

“You got it,” I growled. “I can’t fuckin’ believe I’m having to deal with his ass.”

“I’m gonna take Friday off. Have a talk with your principal,” he said.

I laughed then. “Don’t bother. I heard he was a complete dick.”

In fact, the one and only time I’d run into him had been when I’d gone to the office on my first day of school to pick up my schedule. When I’d arrived, he’d berated me for not arriving earlier. Even though I hadn’t known when school started, and I’d literally rolled into town that morning.

So, needless to say, I hadn’t been super impressed with him and his manners.

Who talked to a new student like that? Especially one that hadn’t done anything to deserve his ire?

“Great,” he muttered. “I regret sending you away now.”

I grinned at Perry who was down the hall walking toward me.