Captains

Chapter 9

Very Important Author's Note At The End!

My parents are yelling at me, telling me not to talk like that. My grandmother is sighing, my grandfather is laughing, and my brothers are grumbling.

My mother is who speaks loudest.

"Sterling Emory, you will not talk about your brother's death like that!" Tears are already streaming down her face. She gets up and leaves. No one, with the exception of Rider, has touched their meal. My father follows her into the living room.

My grandmother speaks up next. "Maybe we should try this again tomorrow. We will head to our rental." Her and my grandfather leave.

I look at my brothers. "This has been fun, huh?" And we all start laughing. Rider looks beyond confused. I roll my eyes. "Come on. I'll tell you the story." I grab his wrist, and drag him up to my room.

I sit in my bed, with my back against the head board. Rider sits facing me in the foot of the bed.

"Just so you know, this is the story that my parents told me. I was merely 5 months old. Apparently, we were going to my dad's parents house, and were hit by a drunk driver. Mason was 4, and was sitting behind me, and Brennan was 2, and sitting behind Joseph. Joseph was killed instantly, but Mason almost knew what was going on, so he had protected me. He broke like 3 ribs, his right arm, and he had a concussion. My dad blames himself because he was driving, but my mom blames herself, because she had us running late."

He just looks at me.

I just roll my eyes and stand up. "I'm not helping you this time, Calloway. Get your ass up. We have homework to finish." And I walk up to my room. I soon hear footsteps following me up the stairs.

When I get to my room, my phone is ringing. I run to it, and accept the call. "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" I automatically say.

"You know it's green, shithead." I hear Brooklyn on the other end.

I smile. "Oh. Hey you piece of shit." I greet. Me and Brooklyn are at the point in our friendship, where we insult each other.

"Hey, bitch. Me, you, and Cali are going shopping Friday." She says, not even bothering to ask.

"Why are you telling me this now? It's only Wednesday."

"It's a heads up, so you don't make plans with loverboy." I can picture her smirking. I told her and Cali about me and Rider having to hang out, and now they are convinced we're in love.

"Shut the hell up." I roll my eyes and sit down on my bed, gesturing to Rider to sit. "Anyway, why are you dragging me shopping?"

She snorts. "Hello? Homecoming is three weeks from Saturday, and none of us have a dress, and you don't even have a date."

I roll my eyes again. "First off, you know we're not allowed to make plans on Friday. Game day. And second, when the hell did you and Cali get dates?"

She giggles, just a little. "Um. Trystin Jones, you know, the wide receiver, asked me yesterday. And Flynn asked Cali on Monday I think. We're all just waiting on Rider to ask you."

I look to make sure Rider didn't hear that. He didn't. "Fine. But I'm not going to have a date, and we're going on Saturday, not Friday. Game day." Rider looks over to me, confusion all over his face.

"Fine. You win, Sterling. We'll let you see your boy toy play Friday."

I hit my palm to my forehead. "Oh my God, shut the hell up. I'm hanging up now." And I do just that.