Life With The Parkers

Chapter 40

The buzzer sounded, indicating the end of the game. “Shit!” Bianca cursed from beside me. My head fell into my hands. Redwood lost, we lost the fucking game.

The Westview players, rejoiced and chanted, their cheerleaders joining in. I couldn't look up, I couldn't move a muscle.

Jayson sat down in the middle of the field in defeat and I saw the guys heading to him. Harley hurried and squatted beside him.

“You know this is the second time we've lost since Carson left” I glanced at Bianca and then back at the field.

Well fuck him! He didn't even show up for the game.

I decided to go meet the others. The coach's voice became audible. “...the formation. Failure again, we won't qualify for this year's-"

“Okay stop!” Harley cut him off before turning back and her boyfriend. He sat on the grass in his red jersey and short.

“You know what, Coach?" he spoke up, getting back the coach's attention. “Let's end it all, everything. Football in Redwood. I quit”

What?!

My eyes shot to him. “So, you're gonna quit like Carson?” he asked. “I'm not quitting 'cause I'm tired, I'm quitting because...this ain't my shit. I never wanted to play this game, this is Carson's thing-"

“But he isn't here!” he yelled. “He quitted like a year ago!” Jayson raked his hair. “It's over, coach. I'm sorry but ... I'm done”

Coach Wesler was numb for a while, he couldn't take in Jayson's words. I couldn't too but ...

Fuck!

Why does everything get traced back to Carson? Why does every bad shit lead to him?

Jayson can't quit!

★★★

Dinner.

Dinner with the parents was always different. No one spoke a word and no one ate either.

The mood in the house was low, after the game, Jayson's been down. Luckily he came down for dinner.

There was footsteps and then Carson walked in. It's always this guy. I looked away and turned back to my untouched meal.

I sipped from my glass again.

He walked to the fridge and grabbed a can of Budlight, clicking it open, he headed out...

“Carson, sit for dinner” Mr Parker's voice boomed through the room, causing everyone to look up. Carson paused, for a moment I thought he was gonna disobey as always but he obliged.

He took a seat at the end, pushed the meal out of the way and crossed his legs on the table. Shit!

Mrs Parker's cutleries slipped out her hands. She've had enough of this shit. “Carson, get your legs down”

He looked up from his phone. “I didn't wanna be here anyways”

“Would you get your legs down?” Jayson asked and all eyes shot to him, shit! The tension here could be touched, felt and cut through.

He got his legs down and stood up to leave. “I didn't dismiss you” Mr Parker said.

“I don't need your orders” he stated coldly. Jayson slammed his hands on the table, got up and walked out. “You know your brother lost the game because of you”

Carson huffed and headed for the door. “I'm cutting you off, I'm cutting your allowance-”

“It's funny you think I need whatever shit you give! You can cut it all off, y'all add nothing to my life”

“Carson” Emma said.

“Then why are you still here?”

“Can we not do this?” Austin asked. “I did leave, but you all were the ones calling my phone, calling me back. You think I need all this?” he scoffed.

“Shit! Try being a father sometimes” that made an emotion cross Mr Parker's face for a slight second and Carson turned to leave.

“Walk out ...and you seize to be a Parker”

“I gave up that name a long time ago, David” with that he walked out. My eyes fell back on the table.

That was hard to sit through. I didn't like those fucked up moments, it hurts me. This was beginning to feel like home now...

Moments later

“Hey” I got held back by Mason. “Hey” I said back, rubbing my eyes. “You seem tired” I looked up at him.

“Yeah” Dinner was a mess.

He sighed. “I'm sorry about...what happened back there. I'm sorry you had to sit through it” he rubbed my shoulders lightly.

“It's okay” I was beginning to get used to it. “I gotta go to bed” he moved closer to me.

“Goodnight then” he laid a kiss over my head and I smiled.

He was the sweetest.

“Goodnight” with that I headed to the elevator. Getting in and getting out, once the doors open, the guys voice echoed through from Jayson's room.

“... you're so messed up and it's fucking pissing me off!” he yelled.

“Oh, it's high time” Carson replied, sarcastically. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Coach was right, you're a fucking quitter, when you can't handle shits, you run away”

There was silence, Carson didn't reply. I could feel the sting from that one.

“Dude!” I heard Austin yell. “At least, I can run...you just keep playing puppet” Carson replied.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I heard footsteps, so I scurried to my room. “You keep running from responsibilities!”

He kept on yelling even after Carson had left and slammed the door to his room close, Austin tried to calm him down while I shut my door.

I slowly laid down on my bed. This coming of age story is starting to suck...