Unraveling [BXB]

Chapter 11

It was one of the rare nights when Chase's mom had off and decided to make dinner. Usually, she'd just take a bath and go to sleep early if she had the extra time, but every once in a while, she had enough energy to pull out her recipe book and throw together a family meal, which neither of the boys would ever choose to pass up.

There was something a bit unusual-feeling about sitting at the kitchen table now, though. Chase and Trey had both gotten so used to fending for themselves and eating in their rooms when it came to dinner. Usually, their mom would leave extra money on the counter, and they were old enough to know how to take care of themselves.

"So, both of you, tell me all about your day," she said as she scooped mashed potatoes onto her plate before passing the spoon to Chase.

"It's been typical. I had lessons in the morning, worked after school, and I studied with Taylor in the library for a bit," Chase said, leaving out the tiny part where he'd made out with Wren in the bathroom down the hall from the library for over half an hour when he stopped in after football practice. Well...maybe they'd done a little more than make out, but none of those details were important. Whether they were wearing clothes or not was basically a footnote.

"How do you always have something to study for? Do you even have another test this week?" Trey asked as he slathered butter on a roll.

"I'm studying for next week's Math test."

"...it's Tuesday."

"Trey, don't antagonize your brother, he's just being responsible," their mom said with a small smile. She always gave such genuine smiles, even with the tired look that never quite left her eyes. "What have you been up to?" 

"I just had school and practice today. Coach has been getting on us about our grades more. Some of the guys aren't doing great in classes and we can't afford to lose anyone before the game this weekend. We're a player short because Doug was failing Bio," Trey said before popping a forkful of chicken in his mouth. 

"Are you worried about any of your classes?" she asked, receiving a noncommittal shrug in response as Trey poked at his mashed potatoes. 

"English just sucks, I mean, what the fuck does Shakespeare even have to do with the current state of writing? And besides, whenever he didn't have a word for something, he just made one up but when I make up words, I get docked for it. He's a bad example." 

"Trey, language," their mom said with a soft sigh, but she gave Trey a sympathetic look. "It's your last year of high school, you only have to put up with it for, what? eight more months?" 

"Oh, is that all?" Trey asked in a tone of sarcasm. 

"When you're stuck in school, time seems like it will never pass, but the moment you get out, the years shoot by like bullets and soon you'll be five years in the future looking back on all the things you worry about now and you'll wonder why you ever thought they mattered," she said, shaking a bit more salt onto her mashed potatoes. 

"So...it's okay if I flunk English?" Trey asked with a small smile. 

"No, what I'm saying is, just do your best to get through it because, in the span of your life, eight months is nothing."

"Doesn't feel like nothing," Trey grumbled as he stuffed another bite into his mouth. 

"If you pay me fifty bucks, I'll write your essays for you," Chase said and their mom elbowed him. 

"Plagiarism is not a solution," she said, pointing an accusing finger at him. 

"It's not really plagiarism. It's an agreement to hand over the rights of my work to someone else for monetary value. Plagiarism is the theft of ideas or works, this is ghostwriting," Chase said with a shrug.