Page 15 of The Home Game

“Okay. Love you!”

“Love you too.” He ended the call, then finished organizing the room. Tonight he needed to work more on lesson plans. Plus he desperately needed to clean the kitchen and bathrooms and search for houses, and, and, and …

No sleep for me tonight. Antoni’s thoughts were grim as he locked his classroom behind him and walked through the corridors, his footsteps echoing.

When classes started, the place would be filled with the noise and chaos of hundreds of teenagers. But most of his fellow teachers had come and gone already today, done with their prep work.

Antoni pushed open the door and was hit with a wave of muggy air that immediately made sweat bead up on his skin.

He tugged at his shirt, disgusted by the way it clung to his body.

Ugh. Gross. Antoni couldn’t wait until this heatwave broke, bringing in cooler temps. He’d just have to suffer through for the next few weeks.

He groaned as he walked toward his van. That was going to be boiling hot too.

The minivan looked sad and pathetic, all alone in the parking lot except for a few vehicles parked under the meagre shade.

After the kids moved in, Antoni traded in his much nicer and newer car for the minivan. It was ugly and it made horrible noises sometimes, but it had good safety ratings and it had gotten them around for the past four months.

With a groan, Antoni got inside the hot, stuffy vehicle. The air-conditioning didn’t put out a lot of cold air but even the hot breeze was better than still air.

He cranked the ignition immediately, and was met with silence. The engine didn’t even sputter once.

“Fuck!” he swore, thumping the steering wheel with the side of his fist.

He didn’t need this shit.

He tried to start the van again, but nothing.

Had he left the light on or something? Please let it be the battery, he prayed as he got out.

He jogged over to the small booth where the school security officer was stationed, grateful to see Clancy there.

“Hey, Mr. Bianchi,” Clancy said with a big smile. “What’s up?”

“Uh, my van won’t start,” he admitted, pushing his sweaty hair off his forehead. “And it’s Antoni, remember?”

Clancy smiled. “Want me to take a look?”

“Would you?” Antoni asked hopefully. “I’d appreciate it.”

“Probably just a dead battery. Let me lock up and I’ll drive over in case you need a jump.”

“Thanks,” Antoni said with a grateful look. “Appreciate it.”

But twenty minutes later, Clancy shut the hood of the van and gave Antoni a sad shake of his head. “Sorry, Mr. Bianchi. No luck. It’s not the battery. Could be your starter, maybe? But that’s not something I can fix here. You’re gonna have to get a tow.”

Antoni bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. Fuck! Not only was he going to be late picking the kids up from his parents’ house, but he was also going to have to pay for a tow truck and whatever repairs he needed.

Fuck my life, he thought.

And immediately felt ungrateful. He was alive. As hard as it was, he was alive. Bethany and Corey weren’t and they should be, goddamn it.

But his friends were gone and Antoni was taking care of their precious children and God, he had to keep it together. He had to show them they’d made the right choice, leaving their kids in his care.

“Thanks for trying, Clancy,” Antoni said, his voice thick.

“Sure thing, Mr. Bianchi. And if you want to stay cool while you wait for the tow, just come over to the booth.”

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