That Football Player

chapter 15

"Are you sure you are okay to go to school?" I ask Zack.

"Yes, I'm fine." He says.

"I know, but..." I trail off. He puts his hands on my shoulders.

"I will be fine." He says.

"Okay, but promise me something."

"Okay."

"Tell me if you need to come home, I will bring you." I say. "And no football practice today."

"But-" I give him a look and shuts up.

"And one more thing."

"What would that be?" he asks.

"I drive!" I yell and run out the door.

~****~

"I need to ask Dean a question, is he home?" Zack asks when we get home after practice.

"He should be in his room." I say. "The showers are broken in the girl's locker room so I'm going to take a shower." I say. Zack nods and walks down stairs.

I step into the warm shower. When I get out I change into my pajamas that I grabbed before I go in the shower. My pajamas are black sweat paints, a tank top, and a LSU sweat shirt. I go to Dean's room and the boys aren't there. Then I go to the kitchen no one it there. Where is everyone? I bet Dexter is home. I walk into his room. He is playing on his x-box.

"Knock much?" he asks.

"I was just wandering if you know where the boys went." I say.

"They went shopping." Dex says.

"haha, vary funny," I say, "seriously where are they?"

"They seriously went shopping." He says.

"I guess I should start on homework then." I say and walk to my room.

After I finish homework I watch LSU games on YouTube. After watching football for an hour they finally come back home. I run down the stairs but they have already went into Dean's room. Just as I make it into Dean's room Dean is putting something in his closet.

"Next time y'all leave tell me." I say. The boys jump.

"We told Dexter to tell you." Dean says.

"Dex never leaves his room, did you really think he would come tell me?" I ask.

"Shut up." Tony says. "We got you some food." Then he throws the bag at me. We eat foot and play madden.

I set in the kitchen eating an apple, Zack is upstairs doing who knows what. Then Dexter walks into the kitchen.

"I didn't know you could leave your room." I say to him.

"I didn't know you could survive five seconds without your new boy toy." He fires.

"Zack is not my 'boy toy'." I say.

"Oh really?"

"Why don't you just go back to your room and stay there." I say. Dexter turns around and runs up the stairs. I hear a door slamming. I roll my eyes, he can be such a drama king.

I wonder what Zack is doing so I walk up the stairs. When I pass by Dexter's room I hear someone crying and two people talking. I get closer to the door, the two people talking are Dexter and Zack.

"You are a part of the family." Zack says.

"No I'm not, I'm nothing like them. They hate me." Dexter sobs.

"Dexter, they don't hate you."

"Yes they do. You don't see it?"

"I see a family that loves each other. I know what it is like for someone to hate you."

"No you don't." Dex says.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Zack asks him.

"No."

"I'm here because my own father beat me. He never thought I was good enough. Hell he didn't even want me. He wanted to put me up for adoption, but my mom said no. he never came to any of my games, we never did anything together." Zack says then he takes a deep breath. "My dad is the reason my mom is dead. I know what hate is. And this is not hate."

"Dexter, we don't hate you." I say. Both boys turn around. Dexter's face is red from crying. I kneel down next to Dexter. "You're my little brother, I love you."

"Really?"

"Of course I do." I say. Then I pull him into a hug. I haven't hugged him since he was eight, he had a really bad nightmare and he came to my room. He came to me instead of mom, dad, or Dean. I was the happiest sister ever.

"Zack," Dexter says. "You are a part of this family too, come here."

"No, this is brother-sister-time." Zack says.

"Shut up and come here." I say and pull him to us. Once we pull back from the hug I smile at the two boys.

"So, Dex, do you want to teach me how to play that killing game?" I ask.

"Sure!" he says excitedly.