To Be Her First

Chapter 6 - Better Man

There was a familiar brown sedan parked in the driveway in front of Steven's house when he pulled in after school. The back fender was missing, and the back driver's side door was a green junkyard replacement that hadn't been bothered with a paint job. Steven shifted the Chevelle into park and rested his head back against the headrest.

There was a short list of things in the world that Steven loved more than he loved his black muscle car. His mom and his brother were the only two things he could think of. The Chevelle had been nothing but a rusted piece of scrap metal when his grandfather had given it to him.

It was Grandpa Joe who taught him how to rebuild an engine, replace worn out parts, and sand away the years off a classic. He had also been the glue holding the remnants of the Drake family together. Until June anyway. Steven knew it was the beginning of the end as he stood over Grandpa's casket. His mom was doped up on Xanax she'd gotten from Brian, Brian's eyes were bloodshot from God-only-knows-what, and it was the first time Steven had seen that ugly old sedan.

He sat in the driveway with the engine running and debated going inside or just backing out onto the road again. He'd known this was coming the minute he smelled the alcohol on his mom's breath the week before. Unfortunately, his work uniform was in his room, so he blew out a deep sigh and killed the engine. Leaving his Earth Science book on the passenger's seat, he got out of the car and slammed the door shut.

The front door creaked when he pulled it open, but the house was quiet. Maybe he could get in and get out undetected. He ducked into his room and found his work shirt on the top of the laundry pile in his floor. He stripped off his black sweatshirt and slipped his arms through the sleeves of the uniform. Then a door opened down the hallway.

Steven groaned as his mother stepped into the doorway to his room. "Hey," she said, leaning against the chipped doorframe.

He didn't look up as he stepped toward his closet to get his work boots. "Hey."

"Your daddy's here."

He picked up the boots and dropped them on his bed. "I know."

"Is 'at my boy?" he heard a familiar gruff voice call down the hallway.

Steven's stomach soured. He focused on changing his shoes as quickly as possible.

A moment later, Ricky Drake's large, shirtless frame filled the doorway. Thankfully, the only physical feature Steven got from his dad was his height. Ricky was balding and pale, with a beer belly that sagged over his waistband. He scratched the hair on his chest and yawned, displaying a mouthful of rotting teeth. "How ya doin', boy?" he asked.

"I'm busy. I'm gonna be late for work," he said as he laced up his boots.

"Well, ain't ya gonna even say hello?"

Steven shook his head. "Nope."

Ricky shifted on his feet. "Is that sass I hear?"

Steven stood up and grabbed his jacket. "Yep." He stared his father down, as his mother pushed her way back into the room between them.

"Now, boys," she began. "Let's not start this."

Steven shook his head as he walked past her. "You're so stupid, Mom."

Ricky took a bold step toward his son, but Steven didn't flinch. "You don't talk to your momma that way, boy!" Ricky roared.

Steven narrowed his eyes. "No, that's your job, isn't it?" He shoved past his dad, knocking shoulders with him as he pushed through the doorway.

In three long strides, Steven made it across the living room and out the front door. Outside, the trusty Chevelle rumbled to life under him and spun up gravel as he peeled out of the driveway. Everything inside him wanted to turn the car around and go back to kick his dad's ass. Instead, he tried to think about work. He tried to think about the new Terminator movie. He even tried to think about school.

Thinking of school reminded him of knocking down that girl with the pink hair. He wondered if she was all right.

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Gotta Love Pearl Jam. :)

I dedicated this chapter to ttorrest because I FELL IN LOVE with her trilogy Remember When this week. Check. It. Out. Right now, it's free on Amazon!