ʀᴏᴏᴋɪᴇ | ᴋᴏ ✔︎

3

"What do you mean? A complaint from who?" I ask as my heart sinks, using all my focus not to fall into a panic attack.

"I can't disclose that information." The man finally replied, tearing his eyes away from the mess surrounding us both. I only then realize that my mom isn't here, and neither is my brother.

"Do I have to?" I hear a small voice ask from the hallway, and see my little brother. His head hung low so I can't see his face but I know he's crying.

"What's going on?! Why won't you tell me anything!" I aim my frustration at the suited man in my home. My brother, only now noticing that I'm home, runs to me, dropping his bag in the process.

"Logan! Don't let him take me! I don't wanna go!" He latches on to me, gripping my shirt as tight as possible and I begin to cry too. "I don't wanna leave you."

"Please. Sir, I'm begging. Whatever this complaint is, I can fix it, give me a chance." I literally beg the man. He watches me with glossy eyes, the scene my brother and I are making is obviously getting to him. "Please. Just give me a chance to fix this."

He looks through a file, scratching his head as he reads over the paperwork. I don't know what kind of complaint it is, but it's obviously serious enough that Child Services has sent someone out. Kevin continues to cry, his face buried in my chest as he squeezes me and I focus on him until the man sighs and I raise my head.

"I can give you two weeks, that's all but I will  be back. If things aren't better, then-"

"Thank you." I cut the man off, already knowing the end of his statement but not wanting to hear it. He shows himself out and I watch from the kitchen window, making sure he leaves as my brother still clings to me with his life.

"Don't let him take me, Lo."

"I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen. I promise, Kevin. Where's mom?"

"I don't know." He mutters, burying his face into me once again.

It's an hour or so later, when he finally calms down enough to talk. I decided to let him lay in my bed as I sat at my desk.

"How did your meeting go today?" He asks with half-lidded eyes, a small yawn following.

"It was good."

"Just good?"

"I signed with Reign." Is all I have to say before he jumps out of my bed with newfound energy, throwing himself into my arms as he cheers.

"I'm happy for you, Lo. I know you'll kick ass!"

He eventually falls asleep in my bed and I don't have it in my heart to move him, so I grab a pillow and blanket and set up for the night on my floor when my phone goes off. I unlock it and read the text from my new manager.

From: LauraH
Team bonding tomorrow, lunch. Details in the next text.
Laura

Well, at least she gets straight to the point. A second later I get another message from her, with an address to a restaurant and the time to be there for.

_________

It's finally tomorrow. Sleeping on the floor made the night feel way longer than it actually is, so when I wake, I crack my back and sigh in relief. I see Kevin still sound asleep in my bed. I decide to leave him there and check if my mom came home at all during the night.

"Oh, you're home." I mumble when I see her on the couch, a drink in her hand which makes me look at the time to see it's only 8 am.

"Of course I am. I live here." She snarls at me, slurring slightly as she puffs away on a cigarette.

"Do you want breakfast?" I ask my mom, regretting it immediately when she stands and sways her way to the kitchen where I am.

"I'm the mother here. Not you. I'll cook." She pushes me away from the stove that I already turned on and doesn't give me a chance to warn her before she puts her hand on it and yelps out in pain. "You didn't tell me on purpose, you little shit!" She continues to yell at me and fight against me as I try and get her to run her hand under cold water. I only stop in my efforts when I feel a searing heat on my forearm. On instinct, I pull my arm away to inspect it to see that theres a circular burn and ash on my skin. My eyes snap to my mom, who is giving me a look that I've seen plenty of times. It's empty, cold. It's fucking scary, and I know better than to open my mouth right now.

I turn the stove off, and go to my brother's room. I grab some clothes for him to wear, and a bag with his favorite books and I go to my room to wake the sleeping kid.

"Hey. Wake up, sleeping beauty." I chuckle when he slaps my hands away, his eyes slowly peeling open.

"Let me sleep." He whines, only making me chuckle more.

"Get dressed. I have a meeting, I'm dropping you off at the neighbor's." I inform him as he gets up, takes his clothes from my hands and goes to his room to change. I get dressed too, in my nicest pair of sneakers, which aren't exactly that nice, a pair of ripped skinny jeans and a tank. I throw on my new Reign windbreaker, zipping it halfway as I meet my brother in the hallway.

"Nice jacket." Kevin gives me a lopsided grin while I ruffle his hair. I wrap my arm around his shoulder and lead him to the front door, only to be stopped by our mom.

"Who gave you money for new clothes? I knew you stole from my wallet!" she yells as she approaches, eventually spluttering spittle over my face. Wiping my face, I open the door and leave with my brother, ignoring my mom shouting on me...well, shouting at me.

I walk the short distance to the neighbor's house. She's a nice old woman who seems to understand that things are bad at home, and I'm thankful that she doesn't ask many questions. I knock on the door, and wait for her to answer.

"Ahh, hello Logan, Kevin."

"Hi, Mrs Holland. I'm really sorry to ask this on such short notice, but I have a meeting and-"

"Don't worry, Logan. I'll be happy to watch Kevin."

"I can't thank you enough!" I sigh out in relief and hug my brother, kissing the top of his head as he walks by Mrs Holland and into her house.

"Are you okay, dear?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You're avoiding your arm." She narrows her eyes at me. She's always stayed out of our family affairs, she told me so long as my mom doesn't hit us, she won't be on a war path.

"I'm fine. Really. I gotta go though, or I'll be late. Thank you so much!" I hug my neighbor, and run back to my truck wishing that I didn't have to drive such a piece of junk into a nice neighborhood as the one that the restaurant is in.

Five minutes later, it finally starts, and I begin my journey only to arrive 20 minutes later. When thinking about it, it's laughable how quickly this place goes from nice and respectable, to rough and dangerous. I park a block away, hiding my embarrassment of my truck and I walk the remainder of the way to the restaurant.

When I enter, Vicki sees me immediate and comes to welcome me.

"Hey, striker!"

"Hey, V. What's up?"

"Same old. Come on, let's meet some people." She wraps her arm around my shoulder, ushering me to the group of people she was chatting with before my entrance.

"You must be Logan. Martin here has told us a lot about you. I'm Jess." She shakes my hand, which I return.

"Nice to meet you too. Nice accent, is that Welsh?"

"Yes, it is. I just got here yesterday and you're the name everyone has been talking about."

"I doubt that." I laugh her compliment off, only to be interrupted.

"Oh it's true, we've all been dying to meet you. Including me! I'm Megan-"

"Rapinoe. I know, its an honor." I shake her hand so enthusiastically that the other players around me laugh.

"I hope none of you don't mind, but my friend here will be with us for the day. She's not on our team, don't hold it against her, but her flight isn't until tomorrow and I didn't want to leave her alone at my place. She snoops.", Megan jokes, only to be slapped in the arm by her friend who stops in her tracks when our eyes meet. I don't hear anything around me as she steps in front of me, her hand outstretched.

"Hi. I'm..."

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