Page 35 of Repairing the Wreckage

I pat the seat of the bike. “Just took her for a little ride.”

“You broke the speed limit!” Jordan yells.

Guess I have two dads in this skit.

“Dude, he broke the sound barrier,” Woolly hollers.

Jordan whips around and points at Woolly. “You, stay out of this!”

I duck my head and snicker.

The camera guys circle us while coach and producer scold me. I smirk, roll my eyes, and nod along.

“Drop and give me twenty,” Underhill orders, stabbing his finger toward the ground.

Wait, am I in an Army sitcom now?

“Seriously?” I glance at the gravel. “Here?”

Underhill just keeps pointing at the ground.

I ease onto hands and toes. The big stones dig into my palms as I crank out twenty pushups.

When I’m done, I pop up and grin at the coach.

“Try to show a little remorse,” Jordan mutters.

I slide an insolent look his way. “I’m not that good an actor.”

Underhill lets out a disgusted snort and stomps away. One camera guy chases after him.

“We got some good footage.” Jordan claps my shoulder and squeezes. “No bullshit on the way back, though.”

It’s getting hard to tell if he means it.

Or if he wants me to do the opposite.

* * *

After an uneventful ride back to the house, a new sense of determination settles over me.

“That should be enough to keep you here a little longer.” Venom slaps my back as we walk into the house together. “Much more exciting for viewers to watch you race off and pop those wheelies than two meathead fighters…fighting over who ate the last french fry.” He punctuates the dig with an eyeroll.

“Is that what they were beefing over?” Woolly asks. “Forget the van, they should’ve ridden in a clown car.”

“I don’t know.” Venom laughs. “Probably.”

“You got somethin’ to say?” Bull stomps over and chest-bumps me. “You talkin’ shit on me? Think you’re the golden boy ’cause you zipped around on some lil’ crotch rocket?”

I lean down until my forehead’s an inch from his. “You better back the fuck up.”

“You back up.” His palms slam into my chest and he shoves.

For fuck’s sake.

I grunt at the blow but don’t move an inch. “You sure you want to do this?”

“Didn’t you get enough humiliation when Naptime got you in that bulldog choke?” Venom asks.

---