Hey! Well, I would dedicate this chapter to xowritergirl14xo, butttt it's not good enough to be dedicated 2 her soooo.....
Enjoy!
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Chapter Nine
I skipped soccer practice after Tim finally let me go. It was already 3:15 by the time I left anyway, so I knew that Coach would rip my head off if I did show up late. I sent him an email from my phone telling him I had some lady problems I needed to take care of. I knew that he wouldn't approach me by saying that. Coach was very masculine.
I hopped in my car and headed to the local library. WHS had a library, but it was full of reference books and boring crap like that and the local library wasn't as crowded with kids trying to cram for tests and finish term papers. It was quiet and smelled nice like a real library should. I worked there over the summers and after soccer season was over also. I just sat at the desk and put books away, checked them in and out, and helped people who required assistance in finding a certain book or periodical of some sort. I enjoyed the job very much. I got to be surrounded with my second favorite things in the world every day.
I parked my car in the lot and walked through the double doors, the smell of pages and pages of printed letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs hitting me. I smiled and took a deep whiff. Oh, how I loved the library.
I spotted Dorothy, a co-worker of mine, sitting at her desk reading a novel with complete concentration. She pushed up her spectacles that were falling down the bridge of her nose as she turned the page. I hated to interrupt her while she was so engrossed in the book, but I just had to greet her. She had been gone for the entire month of August on vacation with her husband, Whit, for their 40th anniversary, so I hadn't seen her in forever. Dorothy was kind of like the grandmother I'd never had. I asked her for advice and stuff because my mom was kind of bad at giving advice and guiding me. My mom was a weak person as you can probably tell because she was still with my dad.
"Dorothy!" I whisper-yelled (I was in a library, after all.)
She looked up at me and smiled. She looked tan and had this great glow vibrating off her skin. "Jasmine!" She exclaimed putting her book down, walking out from behind the desk, and embracing me. I hugged her back and breathed in her lavender scent.
"Oh my God, I missed you so much, Dorothy! How was the Bahamas?"
"I missed you too, my darling! Oh, and the Bahamas were beautiful. I don't think I've seen a more beautiful place in my life."
She talked for a while about how she had gone sky diving and snorkeling and all that fun stuff. Then, she asked me about how my senior year was going and I cracked down and told her about my predicament except I left out the part of me being abused my father. One person knowing was plenty enough for me.
"Well, that's quite a story, sweetheart," she said staring into outer space. She looked like she was thinking hard.
"I know," I sighed leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms across my chest, "I can't believe that he would want me to go out with him so bad that he's blackmailing me. And what is this about a ball? Who has balls anymore? This is not the 18th century; it's the 21st, thank you very much."
Dorothy laughed and looked at me with her sparkling blue eyes. "I think that maybe he's in love with you."
Now it was my turn to laugh. Timothy Lenoir in love with me? I don't think so! When that happened the sky would be pink and grass would be purple. Seriously. "Dorothy, you have been reading way too many romance novels. They have turned your brain all mushy with all this lovey dovey crap."
She faked a hurt expression. "Hey! Don't judge me because I like to read about love! And this Tim is completely head over heels in love with you. If anyone would know, it would me. I'm 63. I'm old enough now to be able to pin point a man in love with ease."
I rolled my eyes. "He's not in love with me. He just wants to get into my pants. Guys are different these days, Dory. They are less into love and more into sex."
Dorothy made one of those tsk-tsk sounds that parents make and shook her head. "You should listen to me, Jasmine. I'm old and wise."
"OK, Yoda, thanks for the advice," I joked.
I left the library after picking out a few books and giving Dorothy a big hug. I really did not want to go home, especially since Dad was going to be home that night and for the rest of the week until he left on Monday morning for Detroit. I really hoped that there wasn't a repeat of the night before.
After my dad had chucked his plate across the room, he began to yell at my mom at how she was a fucking bitch blah blah blah... and that he didn't deserve a wife who was going to poison his food. I tried not to laugh at that part. It was just parmesan cheese! It wasn't going to kill him!
Anyway, the night was filled with screaming and my dad went to strike my mom because she wasn't answering him when he asked her why she had tried to poison him. Frank told him to stop and then the night went to complete hell when Dad started to beat up poor Frank. Frank received a bruised cheek and bruises on his arms in the shape of my dad's fingers. I didn't try to intervene. I know that I might sound like a vindictive bitch when I say that, but if you would have been there, you would understand. Plus, Frank was old enough to stick up for himself. He was thirteen after all.
So, I texted my mom, asking her if she wanted me to pick up John from football and she quickly texted me back telling me that she would appreciate it if I did. I drove to the middle school and waited in the parking lot. Practice wasn't over yet, so I just sat in my car and watched John run with the ball and then get tackled ferociously by some 200 pound sixth grader. I tried hard not to laugh. John wasn't a little kid at all. He was pretty big for a sixth grader at 5'4 and 110 pounds, but just seeing him stand next to this other kid was hilarious.
Practice ended and John grabbed all his crap and ran over to my car. He was completely drenched in sweat and smelled even worse than he had the day before. If I continued picking him up, I really needed to invest in a couple gallons of Febreeze. "Yo, what's up, loser?" I said as he hopped into my car.
"Did you see me get those 30 yards?" He asked excitedly. He looked so happy and I felt so terrible that his happiness was going to be completely crushed when we got home.
"Yeah, and then you getting tackled by that guy on steroids?" I teased him pulling out of the lot and heading home.
"Yeah, Mark Lenoir. That guy is seriously jacked. I need to figure out what his secret is."
"Mark Lenoir?" I repeated.
"Yeah, he's in my grade. Why? Have you heard of him?"
"I think I might know his brother."
"Oh yeah! He has a brother your age, Tim, I think, and then he's got a brother a sophomore in college, Kyle. He plays football for the Florida Gators. He's in running for winning the Heisman this year. He's an amazing quarterback, probably the best ever in college football."
I laughed. "You're such a nerd, John."
Wow, I had had no idea that had such an impressive family. No wonder everyone loved him. His brother was a famous football player. I really had no idea who Timothy Lenoir was and I was going to be his girlfriend for a whole month. Great.
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This chapter doesn't have Tim in it, so it sucks, but he'll be in the next chapter!!! Don't Worry!!!!!
VOTE/FAN/COMMENT pleeeeeezzzzz!!!!!!!!!!
Thx!
Love,
Mel Bell <3