Reputation

8

- Hayden's POV -

I loved not being at home.

If my friends wanted to play ball and hang out after school, you best believe that I was going. I hated seeing the person that my mom became after her divorce.

So I did what I could to avoid her. 

Isaiah Thomas and Nolan O'Hara have been my friends since I got to Trinity in sixth grade. It was because of them and little ballers that I met Jonah and Jordan.

Over the years, we grew closer. 

Even though we were opponents on the court since Jonah and Jordan went to Wake, we were damn near brothers off the court.

They filled the void in the family unit that I lacked.

I loved playing basketball because it got my mind off of everything wrong in my life. t was even better to play it casually with banter from my closest friends.

"Do you know what I noticed this weekend at homecoming?" Isaiah began as we walked into his kitchen. We stood around the island eating snacks and sipping on Gatorade. "Jonah and Miss Priss looked comfortable."

Miss Priss was our little nickname for  Rowan since eighth grade. Truthfully, I felt like that title was better suited for her older sister. 

All this time I assumed that she was exactly like Sloane Carroway when she was honestly the opposite. 

"I don't know why someone didn't introduce us sooner." Jonah hit my arm.

I frowned. "I'm not the only one in here that knows Carroway."

"You're the only one that can get under her skin like that." Jonah shrugged. 

"You two are cute together." Nolan gently squeezed his cheeks. 

Jordan snickered. "When are you going to hit that? The girl has a perfect body. She's shaped like a fucking hourglass.  "

Jonah frowned. "Why are you staring so hard?"

Then he started laughing. "You're right though. Did you see the top she was wearing at the afterparty? Amazing tits and she has DSLs."

Dear God.

This is why I never introduced them.

Rowan got on my fucking nerves, but she didn't deserve constantly horny Jonah who lost his virginity at fourteen. I didn't even know what they had in common to keep her interested. I'd never seen her with a boy romantically.

"I bet I can get her to sleep with me within a month." Jonah went on. "My dad is business partners with her dad. All  I gotta do is fill er head with romantic shit and boom...I'm in there."

Nolan shook his head as he ate pretzels. "You're evil."

"Not all of us are young and in love and will probably be married by 23." Jonah shrugged.

That was true.

Nolan had been dating Olivia Carter since sophomore year. They were still strong as ever and they would definitely be married young. 

"So you're trying to hit it and quit it?" Jordan asked Jonah.

Nolan scoffed. "Please, she's Rowan Carroway. I don't think she's easy. You see how long she's been beefing with Hayden."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't like Carroway like that. Get over your hypothesis. It's wrong."

Nolan swore up and down that Rowan and I would end up together. Like, please. I would rather shit in my hands and clap than even kiss her.

"Whatever Brooks." Nolan shrugged.

Jonah looked at Nolan and me. 

"Wait, did you two ever have something?"

I shook my head, but he looked over at Nolan.

"They swear that they hate each other for like six years now. Hate is a strong word and they don't even hate each other. They just bicker." Nolan explained

"Allllllllll the time." Isaiah added, 

"You can have her." I assured Jonah.

Jonah leaned against the marble counters. "Good."

"She's going to be in some ball and I want to be her escort."

"That's because you want her to escort you somewhere else." Jordan added.

I looked down at my phone. "I gotta get home. I didn't realize it was almost eight."

I said my goodbyes to my friends and started my drive to my house. I stopped by the store to get something with actual nutritional value to eat since my mom never cooked these days.

When I got inside the house, I could hear the TV coming from her room. I looked at all the bills that were spread on the dining room table. 

I doubt they'd been paid, but that was something II would worry about tomorrow. 

I made lemon garlic chicken breast with rice and broccoli.

"That smells good." a voice spoke from behind me.

I turned around to see my mom.

She used to be the most beautiful woman in the world to me. She had round green eyes, long brown almost black hair, and she used to be really into running.

My mom was the reason I was good at math and handling money. She used to work as a CPA before our lives seemingly went downhill. 

These days the only runs she was into were re-runs of Real Housewives.

I could smell the alcohol coming from her breath.

"You should probably eat." I motioned to her plate. 

She took her plate and went back to her room.

Today was better than most.

I just wished that she would get back on her feet.

I wanted to be her son again.

Not her provider, chef, and sober coach. 

Just her son.