Our last hope

Chapter 4

*Reece POV*

I wake up and rub my eyes. Glancing at the clock I see that it's already noon. It's Saturday and practice starts at one so I need to hurry and get ready.

I get out of bed and make my way to the bathroom, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. As I brush my teeth, I can't help but think about Harper and the events of last night.

I think that outburst was a bit dramatic.

I mean I obviously was joking, my shed is bigger than that.

Nah nah let me stop thinking like an asshole.

I seen her ruined shoes but I don't understand why it was such a big deal. She can just get some new ones.

I admit I feel a little guilty about what I said. She already seemed over the edge and I definitely didn't help with that comment.

Why am I even still thinking about her?

She's just some nerd who tutors me. It's not as if I need to worry about her feelings or anything like that. Or maybe I should? Maybe I should try to apologize?

Wait, what am I thinking? I don't have time to deal with this now. I have to get ready for practice.

I quickly take a shower, get dressed, and head downstairs.

As I walk into the kitchen I see my father already walking out the door, probably headed to a meeting.

His suit neatly pressed and his hair perfectly combed. He looks stern and serious as always.

I wish he paid more attention to me growing up, instead of burying himself in work.

My parents only care about how I'm doing in school and with sports. They never ask about my friends or my life outside of academics and sports.

I feel like they're just using me as a trophy, a way to show that they have a successful son who excels in everything.

The day they found out that my GPA had dropped below a 3.0. They were furious, yelling and screaming at me. They were sure I had failed all classes, even though I told them that I had just gotten bad scores on a few tests. They were not satisfied with any of my excuses, and they made it clear that they expect better from me.

My dad called me a disappointment and a waste of his money.

I can still feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I listened to him lecture me about how I needed to be successful in order to be a part of this family and that nothing else mattered. It was like I wasn't a real person to him, just a symbol to show to the world that he had a perfect son.

Meanwhile my mom was embarrassed that she had to reach out and hire me a tutor to help with my studies.

She tried to excuse my dad's behavior, saying that he was just stressed about business. But I know the truth. My dad doesn't care about me as a person, he just sees me as a means to an end. He wants to use me as a tool for his own success, and he doesn't want anything that distracts from that. It's a cold, harsh realization, but it hits me like a fist to the gut.

I got used to it. I started to believe that maybe it's true. That maybe I'm just a pawn in someone else's game. It's a dark thought, but it lingers in the back of my mind.

I grab a bagel and head out.

As I'm driving in my car my mind wanders back to Harper.