Together, We Rise

Chapter Twelve: I'm Getting it Back

Chapter Twelve

Luke

When I walked into the gym later in the afternoon, the shocked looks on the basketball team told me that they weren't expecting me to show up. I couldn't blame them; I wasn't sure if I was going to show up myself. However, Melody ended up convincing me with her stupid puppy-dog beg that I could never say no to.

I was hoping I was going to do better in basketball since I did find my birth dad. Unfortunately, something else was occupying my mind: The fact that I was going to be a freaking father. At seventeen. Technically eighteen since my birthday was next week, but still. I was going to be in grade twelve when the baby is born.

Briggs walked over to me while the rest of the team started a game of scrimmage. "Well, would you look who showed up," he said. "I thought you told us to find a new captain."

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked. "Because I can."

Briggs glared at me. "Don't think you're getting away that easily, Cosgrove. You've already missed one practice to sleep with your girlfriend."

"Correction, to sleep while she ate," I said.

"We need to lay down some ground ruled," Briggs said as if I said nothing at all. Why was he acting like he was the captain? "One, no missing any practices. Two, show up to all parties so people don't think we're the loser team. And three, spend more time with the team than your girlfriend."

"Yeah, that last one isn't possible," I said.

Briggs raised an eyebrow. "Luke, you're our captain. You don't see any of us staying with our girlfriends twenty-four seven."

"You're girlfriend is back in Vermont," I pointed out. "If she was here, then you would be spending more time with her than the team."

Briggs shook his head. "That's not the same."

"There's no difference," I objected.

"Yeah, there is," Briggs said. "Need I remind you that my girlfriend is pregnant?"

"Like I said, there's no difference," I repeared before I could stop myself. Oh, why did I say that?

Briggs furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talk........?" He raised his eyebrows once he knew what I meant. "You're joking, right?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Not one bit."

"So you got a girl pregnant?" Briggs asked. "More importantly, you got Matt's little sister pregnant? He's going to kill you, man!"

"Matt already knows," I said. "Melody found out yesterday and told me. Matt was pissed at first when we told him, but he's better now. I'm just afraid of her aunt. She's all for adoption while Melody's determined to keep the baby."

"Wow," Briggs said, sounding utterly shocked. "Is that why you haven't been focused too much on basketball?"

"No, that's another reason that I figured out," I said. Usually, I would have told Briggs what was happening, but ever since he kicked me off the time last year, we haven't been as close as we were before, even though we made up. It just wasn't the same. "How is Annie, by the way?"

"She's good," Briggs replied. "I talked to her yesterday and she's been in a lot of pain lately. She was just a little bit more than a month to go."

I was going to reply, but the doors opened, followed by the ever-so familiar sound of Laura and Eli arguing. I groaned silently and turned towards them as they walked over.

"Luke, tell Eli he's being a moron!" Laura demanded.

"Why?" I asked.

"He thinks the sun is a star!" Laura said.

"Why the hell are you two arguing about that?" I asked. "Don't you have better things to do? Like, I don't know, not interrupting practice?"

"But you're not practicing right now," Eli pointed out.

"Yeah, but my team is," I said. "Can't you bother someone else about the stupid sun thing?"

"Dad won't listen!" Laura protested. "He's too busy talking to your mom."

"About what?"

"Oh, so now you're interested in something other than practice," Laura said as she crossed her arms.

I sighed. "There are still plenty of people to ask about the sun. There's Melody, Jane........"

"Already tried," Eli said. "Now can you please tell Laura she's the moron?"

Briggs seemed to have had enough of the arguing. "This is a closed practice," he said. "The only people allowed in are family members of the basketball team or girlfriends."

"First off, it's not a closed practice if people can watch," Eli pointed out. "And secondly........"

"They are family," I finished. "This is Laura and Elijah, my half-siblings."

"Hold on," Briggs said. "Since when did you have half-siblings?! I have known you almost my whole life and I have never heard that."

"In my defense, neither did I until yesterday," I said. "Long story short, my mom had an affair while she was marries and made me."

"And I didn't know this because?"

"Because I found out a few months ago," I told him, "during a mediation session my family had. Anyway," I turned towards my siblings, "back to you two. Laura, the sun is a star. Now please stop arguing all the time!"

Laura frowned and crossed her arms. "You're just taking sides........"

Melody was the next one to walk into the gym. "Laura, Elijah, your dad is looking for you," she said.

"We were just asking Luke about the sun," Eli said. "And how I was right!" Laura scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Matt paused the scrimmage game and hurried over to us. "Melody, you should be resting," he said.

Melody swatted her hand. "I'm fine, Matt. I'm only a month pregnant."

"A month?" Briggs asked, stepping out from behind me. "And you found out yesterday?'

Melody raised an eyebrow at me. "You told him?!"

"It slipped out," I said quickly. "And in my defense, his girlfriend is also pregnant so it's not like he will spread the word."

"Oh, I don't know," Briggs said. "I wasn't the one who got Annie pregnant and it will make a great story that our captain got a girl pregnant."

I turned to Briggs, eyes narrowed. "You won't tell anyone."

Briggs smiled. "A secret like that will cost a small fee."

I rolled my eyes as Matt stepped forward. "You wanna see tomorrow?" he asked. "I suggest you keep it to yourself."

"Alright, chill," Briggs said, holding his hands up in defence. "I won't tell anyone."

"Good," Matt said. "Now let's actually practice. Our first game is in three days and if we lose that first game, we're out of Nationals. Luke, you better be ready to play."

"Why don't we find out?" I asked.