RIVAL NIGHT: Third Installment of the "Brennan Baseball Series"

Prologue

"Be ruthless. Be controlling. Be... how I would be."

This is the advice I got at the age of 14 when I announced to my dad that I was going to run for sophomore class president.

High school sophomore class president.

That moment still plays like a movie in my head every single day. Especially when someone antagonizes me and wants to point fingers at who turned me into a complete asshole.

"At least I know how to get what I want," I would say.

And I still do.

And I wasn't wrong.

My alarm beeped angrily at me from my bedside and I groaned loudly before reaching out a hand, blindly to turn it off. I finally hit it, the cord unplugging from the wall as it fell to the ground with a crash as I muttered a few curses under my breath. I got out of bed and threw the covers back messily as I trudged to the shower. I placed my towel on the ledge of the tub precariously as my phone rang. I grabbed it, bringing it to my ear.

    "What?" I answered, choosing my usual greeting.

    "Dude, you're late. Again. Legion should have half a brain to fire you right now, man," Tony's voice flooded my brain as I scoffed.

    "They're not gonna cause I'm the best they got. Besides, 'you think they're gonna even try to look for a replacement? They'll probably just kick me off, search, find no one, and come crawling back to me," I replied, ruffling my hair with one hand as I looked at myself in the mirror.

    "Don't say I didn't warn you though," Tony replied with a frustrated scoff.

    "Relax, T," I said, nonchalantly. "I'm on my way to school right now."

    "Please tell me you're not planning to give the office the 'my grandma died and I had to go to her funeral in Cabo which was a weird place for a funeral' note, man."

I fingered the piece of paper on the bathroom counter next to my clothes and shrugged, realizing that Tony couldn't see me.

    "Would I tell you if I was?" I grinned, toothily.

I heard Tony scoff again and take a deep breath. "You gotta come up with a new scapegoat, man."  He sighed. "Just get your ass to practice and if you get fired, don't come crawling back to me," he said as the end of the phone clicked as I took it away from my ear, holding it in sarcastic shock.

    "Goodbye, Tony," I said, out loud even though he couldn't hear me. I put my phone back on the counter and hopped into the shower.

When I got out, I got dressed in my sweatpants and South Legion High teal and blue jacket with the alligator on the front. I smoothed the front of it down and fixed my hair again, hearing Tony's voice in my head. He always told me I used too much gel. I walked a distance from the mirror and tied my sneakers, looking at myself with a smile.

    "It should be a crime to look this good," I mumbled. "No one looks good in teal. Except me, I guess," I finished, laughing.

I finished getting ready, making my way down the stairs and out the door to my 1996 orange Ford Mustang- the prize of my possession. This morning; however, I found her covered in leaves.

    "What the hell? Not again..." I grumbled as I turned around and looked above my high-rise apartment. "Joe! Joe!!! I know you're in there, you old geezer! Just... stop trashing my car!" I yelled, my hands spread out wide, my keys in one hand, my hat in the other. "Why do you live with so many old people?" I muttered to myself as I climbed into my car and hightailed it to the school before Joe could do anything else to her.

I pulled into my spot at South Legion High and grabbed all my stuff out of the passenger seat, walking along the path, keying my ID, and opening the door. I maneuvered around all the students and made my way to my office. My hand was on the doorknob when a yell stopped me.

    "Windimere! My office, right now!" Principal Timothy Istan bellowed.

I shut my eyes and let go of the doorknob.

    "Oh shit," I mumbled under my breath.