Vic Vaughn is Vicious

“Oh, hell yes, we do!” Rina exclaims.

“Bitch,” Ella says, “I’m not even into the tats, but I would have Vic Vaughn’s baby any day of the week.”

“Mmmm,” Luu says, fanning herself with her notes. “I’d even take the fucking dad. He’s hot for an old man.”

“I can’t,” I say, shaking my head and leaning back in my chair. “I just can’t talk to you people. You have no idea what a bad choice he was.”

“I don’t know,” Rina says. “I mean, I get they come off all crazy—”

“Come off crazy? No, Rina. They are crazy. The gramps was shooting BBs at the police last night when they went over there to find my daughter.”

“He bought me coffee once.” Luu laughs. “He was having a senior moment downtown while I was in line at the FoCo Theater. I sat with him out front until the pops came and picked him up in a dragon sidecar.” She huffs out a laugh, like she’s picturing it in her head.

“OK.” I put up both hands. “You guys are not hearing me. All of this is cute and funny until your daughter is one of them and gets to spend the night.”

“Holy shit, did she spend the night there?” Rina asks. “Are you gonna spend the night there?”

“Can I come?” Ella is begging with her hands. “Please!”

“No. She’s not spending the night there. Yet. But she will. He’s gonna get all possessive over her. Start demanding his weekends or whatever.”

“I think you’re overreacting,” Ella says. “My older sister once dated Vic—”

“Holy shit, my older sister did too!” Rina says. They high-five again.

“Oh, my God. I can’t take this. I gotta go.”

“What?” Luu exclaims. “You can’t leave now. We need more details!”

“And the final doesn’t even start for another thirty minutes,” Ella adds.

I grab my backpack. “I’m going to call Vivi and make sure she’s OK. I’ll see you guys in class.” And then I walk away before they can say any more flattering things about the stupid Vaughn family.

I leave the library and walk across campus to the ag building. But I don’t call Vivi. I just go into the dark empty room and sit down to wait for the final. Because I literally just walked away from them less than an hour ago. She is fine and if I turn into that mother, I will not only hate myself later, but that’s who I will become to Vic. Right now, he doesn’t know me at all. I am some random girl from his past. No different than Ella’s or Rina’s sisters. Women he also banged back in the day.

Vic and I could still end up in court over this. He could try to take her away from me. So how I handle things right now counts. Especially since I didn’t tell him about Vivi from the beginning. That’s already a strike against me, I just know it.

I should be happy that Vivi has a father. I should be happy that he’s even interested in her. He will probably pay child support. And I could use that support, I’m not gonna lie.

As much as it hurts to see the two of them together, enjoying each other’s company and having fun, I need to put those jealous feelings aside and be rational.

But I must keep it in perspective.

He’s not interested in me.

He only wants her.

My ag ec final goes fine and then I have a history final after lunch, and then statistics at four. We’re allowed to use notes and calculators for statistics, so I’m actually fifteen minutes early when I approach the mansion on Mountain Avenue. I’m just about to walk up the driveway when a horn honks and makes me jump.

I look over and see a truck trying to enter the driveway.

Great. It’s the pops. He smiles at me as he pulls his antique truck up and parks diagonally, blocking four other trucks. One is big and black and screams I like mud. That’s Vann’s truck. Everyone in town knows that’s Vann’s truck. It’s the only modern one of the bunch. These Vaughn men sure do like their vintage vehicles.

I linger at the bottom of the driveway, unsure what to do. I was hoping Vic and Vivi would be out front, but they’re not. So I have to go knock on the door.

The door of the newly arrived truck creaks open, then slams. “Lemme guess,” Pops says, narrowing his eyes at me. “Daisy.”

He’s… Vic. Like, I’m talking spitting image, but with gray hair and twenty years older. Except he doesn’t look twenty years older because he’s wearing a white t-shirt that shows off all his muscles and he’s tatted up with… I squint. Battleships, I think. Navy theme. He’s wearing a pair of light-blue tattered jeans and mirrored sunglasses. If I didn’t know he was Vic’s father, I’d peg him at forty-five. Maybe.