Fatherly - F. CASTLE

Marlo

"HUT!" A man in football gear says as the other throws it to his teammates.
Shit man, I'm only just startin' and I'm already tired as hell. I just wanna go home but where is home? I haven't been home in a long time, it doesn't feel right without my older brother, almost like my caretaker, James. He's on a mission in the military, so he headed out a couple weeks ago, haven't got a word since. I've been staying with his wife and daughter but I don't like to really stay, they make me nervous since I'm black and they're all white. I feel targeted but I know I'm not, they love me but sometimes I block it out.
"TALIAFERRO, OVA 'ER!" My teammate shouts, interrupting my thoughts as I'm running on towards the goal.
I leap, just barely grasping onto the flying ball, tackled and pushed towards the side of the goal just barely not making the line.
The coach blows the whistle, throwing a flag out.
"Was it safe?" A boy asks.
"You alright, Taliaferro?" My teammate asks, lending a helping hand to help me up.
"Could've been better but hey, whatcha gonna do, am I right?" The boy chuckles, patting my shoulder guard.
The coach calls us to sit on the bench, telling us what we should've done but it's been a hell of a season with 11-9. Hell, all of us are just juniors in high school, turning seniors in less than 4 months, football season was just about to end. We should've known by now.
"Taliaferro, great work out there but get your head out of your ass and pay attention, we're not all gonna be waiting for you and one of those bullshit moments you've made excuses 'bout"
"Sorry Coach I-"
"Don't be sorry to me, be sorry to your teammates who lose because of you one day, season's justa bouta be over"
I gulp, looking around seeing boys that were sighing, one boy furrowed his brows, knowing that I had a lot going on inside my head. My mind rambled, scrambled like a whole bunch of bees just flying around in a circle sometimes.
"Alright, get cleaned up boys and head out to sleep, gotta big day tomorrow"
Fuck this shit, I mine as well drop out and get into the military with James. What else do I got left to lose, him? It's for the best, I'm already flunking for the amount of time that I've spent with James moving around and not paying attention to school.  He doesn't deserve me for what happened to his family. I feel guilty, what if I had something to do with that Steve Horn guy, he followed me home one day and almost killed me. I got away.. just in time.
The lights came on the field and I didn't even notice, daylight savings is no joke. I sat on the bleachers as I enjoyed the cold. Everyone hated how cold it was but to me, I didn't mind it.
"Marlon?" The boy from earlier came to me, his voice faint like a echo in my mind.
I blink, recollecting myself and looking up at him from the bleachers with my waterbottle in my hand.
"Yeah? Sorry, just um, thinking"
"No, no, it's alright. You feelin' alright? You been acting kind of off since what you told me couple months ago" he asks, taking a seat next to me.
"Mmm, I guess, it's just a lot to process, brother's in the NAVY right now, I'm just exhausted. Mom and Step-Dad disowned me, they don't want me because of.. yknow." He lays a hand on my shoulder guard, patting it with a grin.
"I can't say I relate but I understand it. Gotta be the man for my mama, Daddy ain't neva comin' home tell ya that. Not anytime longer at least" I chuckled, taking a sip from my bottle, sighing a little just enjoying his presence.
"Well, aye, if you ever need anything, talk or somethin', I'm always here for ye" he says, standing.
I get up, giving him a brotherly greeting and letting him go. I completely blanked out, shit, what was his name, I never asked his name! Fuck, what if he did tell me and I forgot, none of the boys really like me. They just know me, but I don't really know them.
"Hey!" I shout, jogging to catch up to him from behind.
He stops, turning towards me.
"Sorry if I sound a bit, eh, rude, but what was ya name again?"
"Tony" he smiles.
"Ight Tony, the names Marlon but everyone knows me by Taliaferro" he looks at me up and down with a eyebrows raise, scoffing with a small chuckle.
Awkward... then he leaves and I head to the locker room grabbing my stuff while the others showered in the locker room. I didn't want to, it would end up with me either getting hurt, or a fight. They don't like me because they think that I'm not good enough on the team. They haven't given me any chances, for fucks sake they put me on cornerback and barely give me any chances for when I'm open. Guess it's just me.
Sigh.