Game On

Chapter Sixteen

(Attached: Alex and his dad on Alex's 5th birthday)

ALEX'S P.O.V

"Dad? Would you like cereal or toast this morning?" I gently shake him awake.

A soft smile plays on his lips. "Don't you have a girl to go win over Lex? You don't need to be worrying about feeding me son." He replies, his voice groggy with sleep.

"Oh shove over, she's just a girl." I laugh, helping him out of bed.

Dad gives me a knowing look. "But she's not just a girl, is she?"

"Don't be an ass, I could give you oats this morning..." I tease, poking him in the ribs.

"You wouldn't dare!" He gasps.

We share a laugh and head downstairs for the kitchen.

"What did the doctor say?" I ask Dad, with a mouthful of Cheerios.

He offers a weak reassuring smile. "Let's just say, cancer is being a bitch to your old man right now."

My heart constricts. "We'll be fine, no news is good news."

We try to remain positive, but we both know that we're running out of money for hospital bills, rent, and such-like.

"Stop thinking about the money boy, you've got that look on your face." Dad scolds.

I become interested in my cereal. "It's not fair dad... She can't just leave like that and take all the fucking money!"

"Language Alex! And do not speak about your mother that way."

I bite my tongue. "Sorry."

"I will get you to college, and you will get a wonderful job and send millions of dollars back home to me while you travel the world with that lady of yours." My dad smiles.

We both share fantasies of the future all morning, knowing full well that our dreams will stay our dreams in more ways than one.

I underestimated Jordan Reid. She's already got me wrapped around her little finger and we've only just begun. Here I am, sitting in the locker room before the afternoon practice, thinking of her ears.

Her god-damn ears.

And don't jump to any conclusions, I don't have an 'ear fetish'. I just can't stop thinking about every tiny little detail about her face. I close my eyes, and instead of seeing black nothingness, Reid is standing there staring back at me.

"Yo bro! What's taking so long?" Spencer yells as he looks through the locker room door, before sprinting onto the field again. Your sister, that's what's taking me so long.

I knock my head against a locker and run my hand through my hair. "Get your head in the game Alex."

I chuckle to myself at the awesome reference and jog onto the field to join the rest of the boys.

"Who's ready to play some football?" I yell, smiling like an idiot.

I always feel at peace on the field, like I'm where I'm supposed to be.

"Hey where is everyone? I was the last one in the lockers." I ask Spencer, gesturing to the empty field.

Apart from the cheerleading team, there was only the two of us. We look around, and find them sitting behind the bleachers like a bunch of twelve-year-old girls.

"And she sat on my lap and whispered in my ear and it was so hot."

Excuse me?

Spencer and I share a look and stride over to the group, where Logan is sharing a very familiar story.

"She's so hot! Her legs... And guys, guess what? She asked me out! I mean I was gonna ask her out anyway, obviously, she's the best girl ever, but how crazy is that? She must really like me!" Logan gushes.

I know Logan isn't trying to be a dick, but somehow he just can't help it.

One of the younger boys in the team pipe up. "When you gonna screw her?"

Spencer cracks his knuckles.

"I don't know man, but she's gonna be good!" Logan grins.

"Matthews, why don't you come have a little chat with Spencer and I?" I spit.

It wasn't really a question, more of a demand. At the sound, the team turn around and panic flares on their faces.

"We were just talking about, uh, um..." Logan stutters.

I grab his collar and haul him off the seat, leading him towards the middle of the field.

"What was that you were saying about my sister Matthews?" Spencer asks, with a calm expression.

The guy is shaking in his boots. "I was just explaining to the boys that Jordy is my girlfriend now."

Spencer takes another step forward. "Don't call her Jordy. That's only for family."

"Ruby calls her Jordy..." He says under his breath.

Spencer looks uncomfortable at the mention of Ruby, so I voice what we were both thinking. "Ruby is family."

"I thought you guys liked me... It's better me be Jordan's boyfriend than any other guy on this team!" Logan pushes, seemingly offended.

"That's where you're wrong, if it was up to us, Reid wouldn't have a boyfriend." I raise my voice.

The team is beginning to gather, and I notice the cheer team haven't been making much noise.

"Look I'm sorry okay, please don't tell Jordan what I said! I'm being a dick right now, I'm sorry. " Logan pleads.

Spencer looks furious. "If you so much as look at her in the wrong way, or say a single negative word about her, I will not hesitate to beat the living shit out of you, do you hear me?"

Spencer is one of the nicest guys in the school, not a single bit of bad blood in his veins. But it comes to his little sister, I can't say the same thing.

"I'll get a few punches in too." I add, crossing my arms.

Logan turns to me. "Why do you even care Alex? You fucking hate each other. You can't say shit about talking bad about her, you're the king at it after all!"

I see red. "The only person who gets to fuck Jordan over is me."

"I won't fuck her over, I'll just fuck her."

I throw my fist forward before Logan has the time to apologise for his taste-less joke.

I know a guy like him wouldn't make such a vulgar comment on purpose, and was probably just intimated that he had two of the biggest guys in the town threatening him, but I wasn't in the mood to be rational.

Punch after punch, Spencer and I give him a few bruises. He doesn't fight back, taking all the hits as they come. I take a moment to breath and wipe the blood off my knuckles. I get ready to connect my fist with Logan's jaw, but a scream rips through the air, stopping me in my tracks.

"Carter! Get off him!" Jordan cries from across the field.

I whip my head around at the sound of her voice. She is watching us from the very top of the pyramid.

Spencer yells back. "Jordy! Focus on the pyramid! We've got this under control."

"Not until the two of you stop beating my boyfriend to death!" She screams, distressed.

I don't miss the way her legs wobbles.

"Reid! Dammit, stop shaking or you will-"

I watch in horror as her body falls into a heap on the floor, unmoving.

hey :)

omg what a cliffhanger!!!!!! oh just fyi alex and his dads relationship is so so special and so so beautiful - that is all.

bye :) - grace