I'll Swim, You Play Your Football

Chapter 2

"That boy needs to figure his stuff out." Mrs. Howler said shaking her head. "He always comes down too early and makes Tom carry him back." I shrugged and brought my plate to the sink. I went to the door to put my shoes on, not knowing how I took them off last night and waited for Mrs. Howler.

"Ready?" She asked getting all her stuff ready. I nodded and we went out to her car. She started driving, and we rode in silence. Tom's mom and mine went to high school together. They weren't really friends until they both became pregnant. Their boyfriends were already friends so it wasn't so bad. They stayed with each other all through college, but then my mom got addicted to drugs. Mrs. Howler still goes to visit her all the time, but they definitely went two separate ways.

When we got to the motel I live in we both got out of the car. We walked up the rusted metal steps to the second level and down the exposed hallway to our room. I unlocked the door and walked in. My mom looked over from the couch and smiled when she saw us. I kept my face blank.

"Ashley, what are you doing here?" She asked reaching up and grabbing onto my shirt when I tried to walk by. "Landon, where are you going?"

"Check on Callie." I said pulling her thin hand off me and walking down the short hall to the room my mom and my younger sister Callie shared. I softly knocked on the door.

"Cal?" I said quietly. I heard someone moving around inside and the door opened revealing a 5'6" brown haired, brown eyed girl.

"Landon." She said pulling me into a hug. "Where were you last night? I was worried." She said pulling me across the hall and into my room.

"I stayed at Tom's house last night after a party." I said sitting down on my mattress which was pushed into the far corner of the room.

"Why wasn't I invited?" She asked pouting.

"Seniors only." She's only a sophomore. "Plus I went through Tom. There were only a few kids you would have known. Most of them have always been going to Greene high. Wanna come wake up Matty with me?" Yes, Matty from yesterday. Matty who will probably have a really bad hangover and be fun to wake up. She nodded smiling and opened my door.

"We'll be back soon mother. Thank you for the ride Mrs. Howler." I said as we hurried through the living room slash kitchen slash dining room. Before either of them could say anything we were outside and hurrying down the hallway. We went down to the end of the hallway and knocked on the door.

Matt's dad George answered. He smiled when he saw us and stepped to the side to let us in. He's a kind man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up living in a place like this. He's a single dad who ended up going to jail for three years falsely accused of murdering his wife. It was really his brother. Fucked up I know.

"Hey guys. Here to see Matt?" We nodded and walked past him and down the hall. All these motel rooms were set up exactly the same so it was easy to find Matt's room. We quietly opened the door to find the blinds closed and Matt laying on his mattress with his blankets over his head. Callie ran in and jumped on top of him. He groaned and threw his arms over his face.

"Matty, time to wake up." She said in a sing song voice quietly.

"Callie, talk quieter." He groaned putting his arms around her and hiding his face in her neck. They have a weird relationship that even I don't want to get into. I trust him to treat her right and that's all that really matters.

"Fuck you." He groaned when I threw his blinds open.

"Rise and shine sunshine." I said walking out of his room and over to the hall closet where they kept their first aid kit. I pulled out som ibuprofen and went to the kitchen to get some water. I came back to see Callie had moved to sit on the edge of the mattress and was running her fingers through his bangs. She was whispering to him and kissing his forehead and cheek.