RIVALS

Touché

"I'm home!" I yell, stepping through the front door, kicking off my heels.

I pick up the mail at my feet before petting Benji on the head. He was a little ugly thing, but I loved him ever since Nana brought him home when I was a baby. He was like my little brother.

I quickly got down on the floor with him like the child I am and let him lick my entire face.

"Violet? Violet?! Is that you?!"

"Yes, Nana!" I reassure her, trying not to give her a heart attack on my first day back to school.

I stand up with a wince. Yes, the weight of carrying around a 90 pound backpack for the better part of 15 hours was exhausting, but so was being back home.

I had spent all summer doing nothing but studying, working, exercising, and taking care of Nana. I loved all those things, but it was exhausting. Trying to keep up with my scholarship, pay all the bills, and figure out what to do with my life as I watch my Nana's fade away right before my eyes...it was exhausting. But still, I managed to put a smile on my face every time I came back to see her.

"What took you so long to get back home young lady?"

She does her best to wrap her arms around me and pull me into a hug, but she only manages to lift her forearms off the bed.

"Muah!" I kiss her balding head and lean back to look at her.

"You know, I may not be able to whoop that ass, but if I find out that you been hanging it with some boys I will find the strength to do so."

"Nana, you know me. That is not something that I would waste my time on," I say, making my way to her bathroom, washing my hands, and gloving up to get her changed.

"I was at the library with Ericka doing some homework...brainstorming."

"You know you can bring that Ericka girl around sometime. I'd love to meet one of your little school friends."

As I lift her bed up and roll her to her side, I roll my eyes.

"Mmm...I don't really have that many friends, Nana, just Ericka. And plus her parents are strict. She can't really come over anyone's house. That's why we go to the library," I lie.

Ericka's parents couldn't give less of a shit about her sorry to say. She could go to Tokyo and be back next week and they wouldn't bat an eye. I just didn't feel comfortable bringing her over. The house is a mess and it smells like pampers and dog shit. Speaking of which, I need to take both out...

"I need to tell you something, though." Once I'm done, I toss the gloves into her bedside trash bin and plop down beside her. Benji soon me.

"This!"

Her eyes skim over the paper, but she looks confused.

"Why do you have that face? What's wrong?"

"So you win money?"

"Yes. $1,000,000 to be exact." She frowns. "Why do you look so disappointed?"

She takes a long exhale before repositioning herself.