Third Strike Rule

Catch L.A.

"Are you ok?" Nolan asks Viv as she slides into his Jeep wiping under her eyes.

Viv nods a little too enthusiastically, "yeah I'm fine."

Nolan takes several quick glances as he pulls out of the USC dorms, "really because it looks like you've been crying..."

Viv sniffles and gives away that she had in fact been crying moments before Nolan had picked her up, "yeah I was, but its all good now."

Nolan frowns, "do you want to talk about?"

"I mean it's the usual shit my mom called to ring me for not coming to our family dinner and I reminded her that I haven't gone in a year. So she yelled at me for being ungrateful for her giving me a great life, which then turned into us yelling back and forth until she finally brings up that if it wasn't for her and Christian I would be nothing," Viv sums up and then looks out the window so she can secretly wipe away another tear before adding, "That's usually when I hang up and wait to here what my punishment is."

Nolan breathes out of his nose as he makes a quick precise decision on how to respond, "Viv, I am feel bad that you're crying because you're going to dinner with my family instead of yours-"

Viv cuts Nolan off, "please don't feel bad she's only making a big deal about it because its your dad."

"Why?" Nolan asks.

Viv takes a deep breath, "Just take a few seconds to compare us, and keep in mind all families have their issues. When you think of the Yelich family the surface is three super star athletes that have followed their parent's footsteps, but under the surface there is a lot of resentment, anger and pettiness. Now my mom has only ever seen the surface of the your family and it really just ticks her off knowing that you and Cy love your dad, put up with him, have conversations with him and continue to try everyday. My mom is point blank jealous. She thinks I am going to dinner with you guys to spend time with Rose and Cody."

"Ahh, she thinks you're going elsewhere for parents," Nolan says finally understanding what the real issues are.

"Exactly, but that's not true I love my mom and dad I just wish they handled things differently. This is random, but growing up my dad never said 'good game' or 'you played great' to me. It was always 'you need to work on' or 'you could have done better'. As you can see it gets hard to never be able to make your dad proud so one day you stop trying," Viv admits to Nolan who has quickly become her outlet to vent about her parents.

"I wish I could say I understand, but my dad has always rode my ass making sure I knew what I was capable off and celebrating any and all success I had. It is actually so annoying having him as involved as he is," Nolan shares his own frustrations with Viv who listens intently.

Viv nods, "Like I said every family has their issues. Now, enough with the heavy where are we going to eat?"

"Catch was the only place with reservations," Nolan says.

Viv grins, "OMG please tell me that you parents will get-"

"The Hit Me Cake?" Nolan finishes her sentence, "Fuck yes."

"Damn my day has been made," Viv says and smiles at Nolan.

She takes in his outfit for the first time since she got in the car. He has on dark jeans, Jordans and a black t-shirt. Two gold chains hang from his neck and he smells like designer cologne. If Viv had to guess she would put money on Gucci. They hadn't meant to coordinate and wear all black, but it worked so she didn't make a comment.