Playing The Game

Bad to Worse

Brad Pitt is Austin's dad, who we will see later in this chapter.

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*

"I am so disappointed in you, Avery." Dad said from the other side of the bars.

It's late afternoon and I woke up groggy with a pounding head. I don't recall much of last night, only a ton of drinking and getting pulled over by my first boyfriend. Apparently William got a hold of my father the moment I was hauled in but Jed Skinner thought this was a potentially valuable lesson for his little girl. All that really happened was that I sexually harassed my jailer, puked my guts out and slept a whole lot. If my head wasn't hammering the way it was then I'd be yelling back at him but his raised voice beats in my eardrums.

"And don't get me started on your mother. That woman is nuts, she doesn't want to meet her friends for tea today. In fact she took the helicopter to Seattle claiming she needs to relax and get away from things." Dad paced back and forth, causing me to become dizzy, "My dad is only angry that you were drinking and driving. How stupid, Av's! You could've gotten yourself killed. Good thing the Abbot boy was there to save you. This isn't your behavior and for what? Because we just asked you to gain some weight? Such a drama queen." Dad continued to rant on and on.

Until finally realizing he had reduced me to tears when he heard my sniffle.

"Why are you crying?" he questioned.

"Because you're mad and I don't want to be fat!"

Dad gave a tired sigh, "Avery, with your height you would not even be chunky. You'd be healthy."

"Yeah, that's what trainers say to fat people," I hiccup. This is seriously messing up my personal body image. I am 5'8 and have a nice figure that I get to be proud of. I will never ruin that for myself.

"Avery," A new voice said.

I look to it, "Duke!"

William unlocks my cell and Duke slides in. He takes me in his arms and places me on his lap, "You okay?"

"Only when you're around." I admit.

Austin and Cash come in and Dad briefs them on what he's told me.

"Avery, you're being coward." Austin tells me as Cash brushed my hair back.

"Yes and because of it I'm going to punish you." Dad said, instantly silencing the room, "Avery, your actions last night are inappropriate and I have given your discipline much thought. You are my daughter, both captain and quarterback of my team, I expect you to be a role model. But lately you haven't been," When I try to speak up, Dad wagged a finger, "No, I'm talking, Avery. In two weeks when we play the Lions, Austin will be the QB for the entire game."

I rise and stand in front of my dad, not bothering to mask the hurt in my eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Avery, you're benched for our next game. And if I don't see you trying to boost your weight from now till then, you won't play unless you're at a hundred and forty-two pounds. None of you try to fight me on this, my decision is final and Grandpa supports it, doesn't like it but he has my back."

*

"This is so unfair of him! What I did wasn't that bad." I gaze into my cup of coffee. I called Ivy in need of support and thankfully she came. It's her turn to stick up for me as I have done for her.

"I can't say I blame him," or maybe not.

"You're taking his side?"

Ivy put down the huge glaze doughnut she bought. Ever since she got pregnant she no longer cares about her physique. I'd like to have her careless outlook on life in which she recently developed. "I'm not taking no sides here, Avery. I'm saying you could've got killed and you're lucky you didn't. And gaining some weight isn't the worst thing in the world, you're a football player. Twenty pounds, whatever right?"