To Be Her First

Chapter 2 - Gin & Smoke

"The school called again." Steven's mother lit a cigarette and didn't bother to look up when her son entered the kitchen just after lunch. She raked her fingers through her black hair that hadn't been washed in days. "That's the second time this school year, and you've only been going for a month."

Steven pulled open the refrigerator door and retrieved the half-gallon jug of milk. He checked the expiration date before taking a swig. "So?" he asked as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"So"—she took a long drag—"they're gonna kick your ass out if you keep ditching school." Smoke puffed out of the corners of her mouth with each word. She shook her head. "You're gonna wind up in jail right next to your brother."

He leaned over to kiss her wrinkled cheek. "Not today, Mom." The smell of gin was mixed with the smoke on her breath. He sighed with disappointment but didn't say anything. She'd been sober for almost four months.

Deirdre "Dee" Drake had been really pretty once upon a time—back before she married Steven's dad. After years of a two-pack-a-day habit, enough Seagrams to trigger the early signs of cirrhosis, and an ex-husband who liked to teach lessons with his knuckles, Dee's yellow skin hung awkwardly around the misshapen bones of her face. His mom was only thirty-nine, but she could easily pass as his grandmother.

Steven squeezed her bony shoulder. "I've gotta get ready for work."

"Hot water heater's busted again," she said. "I hope you don't need a shower."

He pressed his eyes closed. "Great," he mumbled as he walked toward his room.

As he passed through the living room of the single-wide trailer, he noticed a stack of envelopes on the table. He stopped and picked them up. The first was the bill from the electric company, which Steven knew was already overdue. The second was his mom's disability check from the state. And the third was an envelope with his name on it. He noted the red stamp on the front. Lincoln County Jail. He walked to his room, kicked the door closed, and stretched out across his black comforter. His eyes strained to decipher his brother Brian's chicken scratch handwriting on the notebook paper.

Hey little brother,

Hope things are OK at home. I just got out of lockdown for fighting. Knocked a guy's tooth out. I have to go back to court for assault now, but it was worth it. Dude won't run his mouth again. I need a favor. My commissary account is almost dry. So I need you to drop some cash in there when you come this weekend. Don't let mom come this time. I have a black eye, and you know how she worries.

—Brian

Steven groaned and draped his arm over his eyes. First the water heater, then Brian. His paycheck for the week was already spent before he even had it in his hands. The principal wouldn't be calling his mom for much longer; it was only a matter of time before he dropped out to go to work full-time.

He wadded up Brian's letter and tossed it across the room toward the trashcan.

He missed.

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Author's Note:

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!!

Steven Drake is one of my favorite characters. I've always had a thing for the bad boys, I guess...though in real life I married a cop who even refuses to even jaywalk. :)

In this book we get to see a lot of Steven's history here and why he becomes what he does later on in life. For those of you who have finished The Bed She Made: Trying to avoid any spoilers, does this help you see him a little differently?

I dedicated this chapter to dauntlessdiamonds, another youngster I have soft spot for on Wattpad. She's one of the toughest chicks I've met & she's way cooler than I was at her age!***Since this post, my sweet friend left this planet for an endless supply of Oreos in the sky after a long and grueling battle with cancer. She was such an encouragement to me and she will truly be missed.***

Random Fact: Runaway Train (video above) came out when I was in middle school. It was, & still is, one of my all-time favorite songs. ;) Do you like it?