Page 12 of Wrong Pucking Player

And I’m spluttering milk everywhere.

“WHAT?!” I shriek, milk dripping everywhere and down the poor fridge. I couldn’t care less about any of that because I’m looking at my best friend, whose jaw is literally dropped as she stares at her dad in horror.

She then looks to Coach Cyrus, who opens the newspaper to the full length to hide behind.

“Have fun saving yourself,” he hums.

He ain’t saving anyone tonight.

Coach Cyrus normally never argues with Coach Johnson. Not to say he’s more submissive out of the two, but more so he’s the type who enjoys picking and choosing his battles wisely.

I bet he wants to stay over tonight.

“If you have anything else embarrassing to reveal to my memory-loss self, I’d like no part in the discussion,” Mikayla concludes in defeat. “Instead, I’ll get a towel to clean that up.” She points my way, forcing me to acknowledge the mess I obviously made.

“I’ll help. My bad.” I can’t help myself when that revelation was far too funny to ignore.

“Clean it up and meet us at the kitchen island,” Coach Johnson concludes with his ‘serious’ tone.

I can’t help but give Mikayla a look.

Uh oh…

Rushing to clean up my chocolaty mess, we’re at the miniature island in a nutshell. It really isn’t too big. Enough to fit four people, but it fits the cozy environment Mikayla’s place delivers with the mix of vintage and sophisticated furniture that really accents the place much more luxurious looking than one would think of this place.

I know downgrading from the huge mansion up north was hard as fuck for her and Coach Johnson. When you’re on the climb of being deemed wealthy only to have no choice but to use such funds to save the woman you love, it’s a hard blow to the heart when things go down for the worse.

Spent all their funds on saving his wife from cancer, only for her to die, anyway.

Foreclosure was the end result, and that was why they came back to Strattonville.

The most annoying part of it all was witnessing how everyone slowly ditched their family when they dropped a few tax brackets.

It proved once again how this world can be.

Everyone loves you when you’re rich and successful, but God forbid anything bad happens that takes that all away. You’re left with very few people who will stay by your side.

“If this is going to be about me getting shit-faced, Mary-had-a-little-lamb drunk, then I’ll admit I’m not sorry,” Mikayla voices in dismay.

I pinch my nose as I shake my head.

“You never apologize unless you mean it,” I acknowledge.

That’s actually true. Mikayla is one of the real ones. She doesn’t bullshit for anyone.

She’s a genuine diamond that sparkles so beautifully in the dark world we live in.

Sometimes, I envy how she can be so open and true to herself.

I wish I could do the same, but when you’re forced to mingle with adults who only want what’s best for their pockets, you have no choice but to wear a mask that will get you what you need to survive.

“Glad you know me well,” Mikayla voices back and looks back at Coach Johnson, who’s shaking his head just like Coach Cyrus.

“With that trait, she’s gonna get kicked out before her placement is done,” he mutters to Coach Johnson.

His comment makes me frown with Mikayla as we both question that singular word.

“Placement?” I’m trying to figure out what he can be referring to, which is why I gasp in horror at the possibilities.

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