You're Not Enough

Chapter 36

"What are you doing here?" I ask him and then glance over at my dad.

"I wanted to check on you." He says. Why is he checking up on me? He could've called first before he came.

My dad clears his throat, drawing all the attention to him. "Dad, this is Caleb," I introduce the boy my father has never seen before. My dad reaches out and shakes Caleb's hand greeting him.

"Odare, right?" my father questions. He knows his last name. Does he already know him?

Caleb formally answers him, saying, "Yes, sir,"

"Please call me Marcus," he says. "I saw you play before at a game. You were great."

Caleb rubs the back of his head with his hand. He smiles; he looks kind of embarrassed. He doesn't boast or have a prideful look on his face; it's different. I'm so used to Ryder's big ego filling the room. It's nice to see people who don't think too highly of themselves.

"My buddy Frank...Frank Johnson, he talked highly of you," he states. Frank is the recruiter for UCLA, also a family friend of ours. "I'm so sorry...about the accident." he knows about his injury too? I guess he was in a car accident.

"Don't be." Caleb modestly assures him. "Things happen; that's life." he shrugs his shoulders.

"Yes, the world is an unfair place. But things seem to be going well for you now. Hell, you did just win your homecoming game and the game against us last week." I still can't believe they beat Crossland. "Will I see you at the championships?" My dad raises his eyebrow.

"Yes, sir...I mean, Marcus." Caleb smiles, correcting himself.

Keys jingle at the front door. My mother walks in with bags in her hands.

My father greets her, saying, "Hey, hun." He walks over to the door and helps her with the bags. Caleb glances at me for a quick second, and then his eyes leave mine and go to my mother.

"Well, hello." She says to Caleb as she walks further into the house with her heels clicking against the hardwood floor.

"Hello." he greets her back.

"Uhh, mom, this is Caleb."

"Nice to meet you." She says. She looks him up and down. "Do you go to Crossland?" she asks.

"No," he says and then hesitates before adding, "I go to Ravenswood High."

"Oh." My mother simply replies. I already know she disapproves.

He's from Ravenswood. A poor town with a bad reputation.

The only reason my dad seems to approve of him is because Caleb is known by some of the top universities in the country. He wasn't known to me though I had no idea who he was when we met; it seems like everyone knows who he is except me.

"Honey, let's go upstairs." My dad suggests as he wraps his arm around her waist.

"Sure. Nice to meet you, Caleb.," she says as they walk up the staircase.

Soon as they are of hearing distance, I ask, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry I should've called," he says. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright,"

"Why wouldn't I be alright?" I try to play dumb. He couldn't know how he could know. He looks at me, hesitating. He wants to say something, but he's holding back. "Caleb," I say, trying to get him to tell me whatever it is that he's hiding.

He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his phone; he pulls up something then hands me the phone as a video plays. I'm in the video. Someone recorded everything Ashely said to me. I scroll down, and the next video is of me in the bathroom having my panic attack. My hands start to shake; I feel a tear fall from my eye. The phone is taken out of my hand.