Page 99 of Saving the Halfback

“Shit, I need a smoke.” I let out a shaky breath.

“Did you bring your stuff?” Ethan asked.

Of course, I did. “Yeah.”

“Let’s go get your shit.” He moved to the door.

“What?” Nodrugs are bad and you’re scum for taking themlecture?

“Lach, if I went through that shit, you bet your ass I’m taking up smoking some weed. I’m just glad that’s your only coping mechanism.”

Chase smacked my shoulder a couple of times to get me moving. “Come on, I think we’re done here.”

Out on the porch,Chase and I passed the doobie back and forth a few times. Ethan declined, and I respected him for it. “Your turn.” I nodded to the two of them. “What the fuck happened?”

Chase was the first to fold. “I didn’t take the deal,” he told Ethan immediately. “I swear on the blood pact, I didn’t.”

The blood pact. It had been the summer when we were eleven, and we had watched the Steven King movieIt. The ending, when all the kids cut their hands and shook, we had the stupid idea to do the same. It was a manly brotherhood thing. It took us forever to even muster the courage, though, and the cuts were more like paper cuts. Still, we thought we were so badass.

Even Ethan smirked at the mention of it. “You turned down your inheritance of probably millions just for me?”

Chase shook his head. “It’s probably a few hundred thousand. My dad is getting the bulk of it, and the deeds to the business. I think I was just getting a college fund and some start-up money.”

I frowned at them. “Fill me in.”

Ethan nodded to Chase, who sighed. “You know those dinners I used to make you go to with me? The ones my dad would put on in an attempt to get me to agree to prep school and hanging out with his friends’ kids and shit?”

I shuddered. I’d hated those. Donning a suit, smiling and flirting with everyone, being put on display. I’d done it so Chase didn’t have to go in alone, but it was all politics. Politics and power plays among the adults, using their children as pawns. Even at a young age, I was able to see it for what it was.

“Well, not long after you were gone…I had an event come up. Bailey was busy, plus she hated wearing dresses. Eth was all I had.”

“Oh, shit.” I ran a hand down my face.

“Yeah, understatement.”

“What? I can be fancy and shit,” he grumbled.

Chase shrugged. “He cleaned up good, but he the moment Trenton started going off, it was like Eth hit his breaking point.”

“You said not to use excessive force. I used what force was necessary.” Ethan crossed his arms now, glaring.

“I didn’t say anything of the sort! I saiddon’t let them push you around, but don’t cause a scene.”

Ethan shrugged. “Same thing.”

I took a drag and leaned back in the patio chair, smiling. “So, you two haven’t spoken in three years because Ethan put Trenton in his place?”

“No.” Chase looked down. “Trenton put Ethan in his place. He called him out in front of the whole group, including a few parents. The adults did nothing.”

“You did nothing.” Ethan’s glare shifted to Chase. “I’m used to being called names, but I didn’t expect it from you.”

“I froze,” Chase snapped. “It was a mistake.”

Ethan shook his head. “I’ve always known it was never the real deal with you two.”

“What?” I sat forward. “Explain.”

“Bailey brought me into the group, out of pity. You two just did whatever she wanted.”

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