The Football Player

Worry

-Dustin-
I head for home. 2am. I shouldn't have stayed in the parking lot for this long. I pull into the driveway and walk inside and lock the door.
"Oh thank God your home. You had me worried."
I clear my throat.
"I was just at the school."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Dustin, please."
"Fine. I'm not okay. But I don't want to talk about it."
"Dustin. He's an idiot, you out of all of us know that."
"But he said that in front of Scott! He's not going to forget that! And then Clara, she will never forget what he did to her. That's unfair! I get in my own messes because I don't care. They don't have a choice."
"I know. I'm glad he's gone."
I put my keys on the hook in the kitchen.
"Why'd you have him stay anyway?"
"For you guys. Not exactly you and Lizzy but for Scott and Clara. And now I regret it."
"He never cared about them mom!"
"I know he didn't Dustin. That's why they look to you so much. Because they know he could care less about them. So they turn to you."
"I'm okay with that. And they're going to now since he isn't here. And I'm okay with that. They don't deserve a guy like him as a father."
"They don't. I know they don't. None of you do."
"Yeah."
She comes to me.
"I'm sorry."
I hug her.
"It's okay. I promise. It'll be fine."
She lets go.
"Thanks you Dustin. Head up okay."
"Yeah. Talk to you later."
I walk upstairs. I walk into my room and change into my sweatpants and rip off my shirt.
Lizzy knocks on my door.
"You were gone for a while. You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"I know your not Dustin."
"I just don't want to talk about it."
She comes and sits next to me.
"We'll make it work. You know that?"
"Yeah. I know. But will they? They heard and dealt with things they shouldn't have to. They're too young for that! For their father to not care about them!"
"You said father."
"I'm not calling him dad but he still is my father. He may not be one but by blood, he is."
"Yeah."
"I just hate him so much right now. And I probably will forever."
"Me too. I never want to see him again."
I sit up.
"Hey, you okay?"
She just shakes her head. I hug her. She wraps her arms around my neck.
"We don't need him. He's not worth it. He's don't enough for us to not care about him. He never cared, and he never will."
"I know. It's just going to be so different."
"I know. It is going to be. But, I will always be there. I will always be here if you need me. And when I go to Madison, I'll be a text, phone call, anything away."
"Your going to Madison? Your saying yes?"
"Yes. I am. But if something happens I will be here in like 2-3 hours."
"I'll miss you. But I can see you on TV."
"Yeah. Just don't tell mom yet."
"Okay. I'm going to head to bed. Thanks Dustin. See you later."
"Yeah. See you later."
She shuts my door. I turn off the light and turn on the fan and head to bed.

I hear my door open. I look at my clock. 3:21. I look over.
"Dustin, can we sleep with you?"
"Sure. Just shut the door."
He closes it.
Clara and Scott come next to me. I fall back asleep. I wake up later to someone coming next to me. I look.
"Lizzy?" I whisper.
"Sorry. I couldn't fall back asleep."
"Doesn't bother me."
Thank God I have a big bed.
I fall back asleep.

I wake up later. I look over at the clock. 10:30? What?
Lizzy sits up.
"Oh, hi."
"Hi."
We get up. We walk quietly out of the room. We walk downstairs.
"Your really going to Madison?"
"Yeah. Going after my dream."
"Yay!"
"Shoot! I never gave Natalie my sweatshirt."
"Well that's cute."
"Yeah. And I sprayed my cologne on it. I know she likes the smell of it."
"Nice. Wish I had a boyfriend who did that."
"Work on a loyal boyfriend first please."
"Good point."
"And if you get one, they have to be approved by me."
"Fine by me."
"Okay."

-Natalie-
I wake up and grab my phone. 10:50. I woke up late. Great. I get up and walk downstairs. I walk into the kitchen.
"Look who's up."
"Yeah. I'm up."
I put some hot chocolate in the Keurig. I grab it and sit down on the island.
"Have you heard from Dustin?"
"No. I'm just going to let him be for a little while until he texts me. I'm just going to let him relax."
"I would do that too."
"Where's dad?"
"He had to go to work."
"On a Sunday?"
"Yeah. They're behind."
"Oh. I see."
"You okay?"
"Yeah. I just can't believe that all happened."
"It's hard to take in."
"Wonder how Dustin is though. He saw it all."
"Did you see her?"
"When he brought her down. But that's it."
"Did you see his dad after?"
"No. Only the back of him. He was handcuffed."
"He's probably going to have to jail time. Clara's a minor."
"I know. That's what I said. Dustin thinks it's still his fault."
"He may always think that. He may not get it out of his head that it was his 'dad' who did it and not him."
"He thinks it's him because he started the fight."
"Did he really though? His dad brought up the scholarship didn't he."
"Yes. But Dustin was the one who got mad and fired first."
"But what was his dad all saying?"
"It was more Dustin saying stuff and then his dad just had it and got mad."
"What was Dustin saying?"
"That he never cared about them. Only when someone was watching. And it was true. He didn't care about them."
"So what Dustin was saying was true. He wasn't just saying it to him just because."
"Yeah. Saying that when Scott got his first touchdown he wasn't watching and that he could care less about Dustin and Scott. And when Lizzy got cheated on Dustin was the one who cleaned it up and was there for her."
"Then it's probably a good thing he's gone. If he didn't care about them."
"Yeah. I know. I just hope he's going to be okay, Dustin I mean."
"I'm sure he'll be okay."
"He was crying when I left yesterday. I almost didn't want to leave him."
"He just has to know you'll be there."
"I am. I just have never seen him look at me like that before. I didn't like it at all."
"I'm sure he'll be fine."
"I hope so."
"This is Dustin we're talking about. I'm sure he will be okay."
I put my hair in a messy bun. I put my hands into my sweatshirt. It's cold in here!
"Yeah. Probably."
I hear someone knock on the door. I look at my mom.
"Who could that be?"
"I don't know." She says.
I get up and look out the window. I smile. I go and open the door.
"Hi." He says.
"Hi. Come in."
He walks in.
"How is everything going?"
"Oh, just awesome."
"Really?"
"No. Not awesome. But, better then it could be."
"How did last night go?"
"Lizzy got upset. But everyone else was good."
"Really?"
"Okay fine I didn't get home till 2 but it's fine."
"I know it's not."
"It is really okay. I've got three, four other people to worry about then myself."
"I know but still."
"It would help if they stayed out of my bed but doesn't bother me."
"They slept with you last night?"
"Oh yeah. Quite interesting that we could all fit in my bed to be honest."
I laugh.
"Thank you football! Well, and my height."
I laugh.
"You are tall."
"Yes. Too tall."
"No. I don't think so."
"I had to have my bed specially made for me. I have to have my truck or I can't drive. And if I'm riding passenger I feel like I'm getting scrunched into a ball against my will."
I laugh.
"Reasoning why you always drive."
"And because that's what a real guy does."
"The truth!" I hear my mom say.
"Mom!"
"It is the truth. That's why if my sister ever dated someone who doesn't pick her up and drive then he will get yelled at by me. And I'm not afraid to."
"How bad did you beat up the one who cheated on her?"
"Let's just say that he couldn't use his right leg for a few months."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"Can I have a brother like you?" My mom says.
"Mom!"
"Well God. Wish Bill would have done that for me."
"Well it's Bill. And he wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Don't get how he's a guy to be honest but I won't let him be a trans either so let the guy be."
Dustin laughs.
"Very true." He says.
My mom walks upstairs.
"But really, how are you?"
"Uh, go for a drive with me?"
"Sure."
He grabs my hand and we walk to the truck. He opens my door and walks around. He starts the car and drives down the road.
"Are you okay Dustin?"
"Want the truth or the sugar coated story?"
"The truth."
"Then I'm not the best."
"What's wrong babe?"
"Just everything. Him! Everything about him. What he did. What he has done and I kept my mouth shut for how many years to cover his butt for him! Said he was an awesome guy when he wasn't. That I couldn't ask for a better dad when I wanted anything but him. I knew he didn't care. I knew he didn't since I started Pop Warner and I actually could see he didn't care. I didn't care that he didn't care about me, it was when he didn't care about Scott or Lizzy or Clara. He made it look like he did but I knew he didn't. He only did it when people were around me, or any of us. My family doesn't deserve the guy they got. And I've dealt with it for 17 years and never said anything!"
He really hates him. Hates him a lot. I would too though.
"Lizzy's boyfriends weren't scared of him. It was me! Because I was the one who always stood between the kitchen and the living room and freaked them out. And I always will."
He's stressed. I know he is.
"And now it's going to be on me with her and Clara. And Scott will come to me with everything he needs! It doesn't bother me but I'm not their father! They don't deserve to come to me when they should have a dad who cares and loves them!"
"I know. Just, let it out. Scream, do whatever you want to."
"I just don't get it! Why did he do this all these years! To destroy us? Probably! And now everything is on me! I'm the strong one! I know what to do! Everyone, run to Dustin! No!"
And there's when he tells me he's stressed and I already know that.
"Dustin will help you. No, I won't! I will not! Because I have things on my own that I need to worry about."
I grab his hand. He calms down.
"Sorry."
"It's okay."
"I just don't think I can handle this all."
"Your stressed. That's why your like this babe."
"Why am I stressed? I don't get it!"
"You feel like there's a lot on your back. Your family is the big thing right now. Your worried that you need to do more and fill the spot of your dad. That's why your stressed."
"I guess. I just don't know what to do."
"Keep doing what your doing. They love you for you."
"I know. But still. Am I going to have to step up over there now. I can't do all of it. I have football, school, my stuff too. And I can't always be there. And work, now that footballs over and they can actually work with my schedule."
"I know. It will be okay. If they need to talk to you they can do it when your free."
"Yeah. I guess."
"But they'll be good things that come out of this. You got rid of him. Trust me, it will all work out."
"Yeah. I think good things will come out of this."
I kiss him.
"Oh come on! Unfair."
I laugh.
"Seriously, unfair."