Misery Company

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“What happened?” Kira was waiting outside the school when Mac was finally let go.

Mac sighed then smiled. “I kicked Dean’s ass in a game of basketball. The Coach finally found a way to get me on his side. It’s either work with the team or I’m expelled. I’m like a second coach so to top it off I have control too. His face had been so priceless.”

Kira laughed as they walked. “I knew only good things could come from hitting Christy.” Both girls soon parted ways, Kira lived close to the school while Mac had at least twenty more minutes to walk. She thought about practice as she walked. Today had been easy and fun but tomorrow her punishment began. No one on the team wanted her there; they’d never listen to anything she’d have to say, even if she was good at the game.

If Dean would just stop being a jerk there might be some hope, the team followed his lead, he hated her so they hated her.

She turned on her street when she collided with someone. Walking with your head down in thought had its downfall. “Sorry.” Mac said then noticed the girl, about her age was crying. “You ok?”

With a groan she wiped her hands over her face but the tears kept coming. “I hate men but this has to be done. He can’t think he could call me names and think I’m some slut. She’s his baby and now he has to accept it.” she was furious.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you’re his neighbor. Make his life hell, push him off that perfect pedestal this whole town has him on. Dean is a deadbeat father who doesn’t have the balls to claim his own kid.” She wiped her face again. “Why should anyone look up to him?” she walked away.

“Wait, what? Hey!” Mac stood there and couldn’t believe what had just happened. Dean had a baby? Who was the mother; Mac had never seen her around school. She kept walking, curious about what she had learned, was it true? She knew Dean was a jerk but to abandon his own kid?

That woman had a point; Mac could spill his secret and make his life hell. The star basketball player a teenage father, a scandal it would be. Good thing they lived in a small town where those things were a big deal and enough to cause big problems.

Her day was turning out to be pretty damn good. Even better when she got home and her Aunt was still at work. Once she found out about the latest fight there would be at least an hour of yelling. She ran inside to ditch her bag and change her shirt. As luck would have it her bedroom window was right across from Dean’s window. She looked over and again wondered if he having a baby was true.

After changing Mac went back outside to get some answers. Dean’s parents both worked late shifts, it gave him most of the day alone and that was probably the problem, she mused. She knocked on his door and waited. His car was in the driveway he had to be home.

Dean opened the door, shocked, she never showed up at his door before. “What do you want?” he asked, nervously.

Mackenzie didn’t hear him; her focus was on the crying baby girl on his arm. “Here.” She moved inside and took the baby. She noticed the school books scattered along the floor. “If you’re stressed you’re never going to get her to calm down.” She held the baby against her chest, it was definitely not apart of the plan. New plan. “Who’s the kid?”

“My cousin, what are you doing here Ashby?”

Mac tensed and wanted to throttle him. Forget what the woman had told her, the baby looked exactly like him! Same light green eyes. “I was in the neighborhood.”

Dean crossed his arms over his chest, he needed to get rid of her but at least the baby stopped crying. “Funny. Now seriously.”

Mac sighed and looked at the baby who was staring up at her. “Seriously? You’re an idiot. We both knew that but this is a new low. I know she’s your daughter.”

Dean turned pale white, all the color running from his face. She seemed so sure that there was no point in lying. Of all the people he didn’t want to find out she was at the top of the list. “You can’t tell anyone.”

Mac scoffed and hated the fact his fear and the little girl’s eyes made her feel guilty. “I plan on taking an ad out in the paper.”

“You can’t. If you do this for me---”

“What?”

“I’ll help you with the team and I’ll stop being an ass to you but you can’t tell anyone. Just until school is over.” Dean begged; something he rarely did but it was important. “Do it for Megan, she obviously likes you.” he stopped himself from making a face over the fact his kid liked his enemy. “You help me and I’ll help you.”

“What do you want?” Mac figured she’d hear his terms, it might be better then ruining him; for now.

“You keep this secret and help with Megan when you have time.” He needed all the help he could get, even if it was from Mackenzie, anything to make the crying stop. “And in turn I do whatever you want.” He swallowed back hard.

Mac ears perked up. “Whatever? Hmm.” She looked down at Megan again, she liked the kid. It wasn’t her fault she was stuck with Dean as a father. Maybe with her help Megan would have a chance not ending up like the preppy jerk her father and his friends were. “Ok you admit I rock on the court in front of the whole team tomorrow and agree to accept my help because whether you like it or not we’re stuck together. You also have to tell Christy she was wrong to bring up my mother. So far that’s all I have but this deal is open to more terms. I won’t tell anymore and I’ll help you with Megan since you are obviously baby clueless. Those are my terms.”

“Fine we have a deal.” Now Dean knew what it felt like to make a deal with the devil.