April Phillips, a successful 32-year-old plus size woman. She has always felt overlooked and underestimated. Despite hearing backhanded compliments like "you're so pretty for a big girl," she remains in the shadows. However, her life takes an unexpe...
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Later that morning, I found myself watching my boys practice. Exhaustion was setting in, but I knew I had to keep pushing through. April hadn't reached out to me yet. I had texted her before leaving my suite, but there was still no response.
"Isaiah, come on, man! Where's your head?" I noticed that he seemed off.
"I'm good, Coach!" He replied as he dribbled back down the court.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I quickly retrieved it to see that it was April calling.
"Aye, Steph, take over for a minute. I need to take this," I said, signaling to my assistant coach, Steph.
He nodded and came over to where I was standing. I walked over to a quiet corner and answered the call.
"Hey, baby! Everything okay?" I asked concern in my voice.
"Hey, I know I'm probably interrupting your practice, I'm sorry," she replied.
"No, it's not a problem. I told you to call me. Are you okay? Are you back home with Zo?" I asked before she let out a sigh.
"I'm back home, but Zo is in juvenile hall until court. My lawyer is working on getting him out. Most likely, he'll be out by Tuesday. There's a long road ahead. I feel like they're trying to make an example out of him. He told them that he was given the bag and didn't know what was in it. That's no excuse, but come on! He's never been in trouble, clean record! They knew exactly who he was when he was arrested," she explained, her frustration evident as her voice trembled.
"What did he have? It can't be weed for them to be keeping him," I asked, turning away briefly.
"Aubrey, he had cocaine! Like, why the hell would he even take the bag without even knowing what was in it? Of course, he's the one being kept. They let the other guys go! Like, what the fuck?!" She yelled, tears streaming down her face. I could hear a male voice in the background trying to calm her, though I wasn't sure who it was. Steph called me back to practice.
"Drake, we need you over here," he said.
I nodded and held my finger up to signal that I'd be there shortly. April heard Steph and realized she was keeping me from practice.
"Oh, Aub, I'm sorry for bothering you. I know you have that big game today. You shouldn't be worrying about my problems," she said.
"Baby, it's okay. Look, I'm leaving right after the game tonight. I'm not staying until tomorrow. I've already booked my flight, so I'll see you tonight," I assured her.
"Aubrey, you don't need to," she replied.
"Nah, I want to be there. Just try to stay as calm as you can, okay?" I reassured her.
"I'm trying," she said softly.
"Okay, baby, I'll see you later tonight."
We said our goodbyes, and I hung up. Returning to practice, my mind was still preoccupied with April and Zo. I just hoped this wouldn't get out. This mistake could jeopardize any chance of him getting a scholarship. I truly couldn't believe this had happened. I knew for a fact that Zo didn't mean for any of this to occur. Teens make bad judgments sometimes. I just hoped he would make it through this mentally.
