Illegal Formation (The San Diego Storm #2)

Lennox Sanders

Ten Years Old

My parents were arguing again. No matter how I tried to block out the yelling, I never could. Not even burying my head under my pillow could stop the sound.

One thing I knew for sure was I was never getting married. I was going to grow up and play football with Dane. He was my best friend and would be forever. We’d get a big house and eat all our favorite foods every day. No arguing allowed.

Tossing my pillow off my head, I headed for my escape route out the window. The sooner I got out of here, the better.

Pushing it up, I climbed out onto the porch roof, which gave me just enough footing to reach the lattice. My mom’s attempt at growing climbing roses had become my favorite way in and out of the house.

Avoiding the prickly stems, I made my way halfway down, then jumped the last couple of feet. Sneaking around the side of the house, I went to Dane’s. It was hard to get in trouble when they never noticed I was gone.

Unlike my mom, Mrs. Calloway was always nice to me when I showed up. Even though she never said anything, I think she knew about my parents. No matter what time of day it was, she always met me with a big smile and ruffled my hair.

“There’s my favorite Lennox,” she said when she opened the door. “You look like you could use a sandwich. I was just getting ready to make one for Dane.”

I grinned. “Yes, ma’am. But you don’t have to feed me. I know I eat a lot.”

Mrs. Calloway smiled down at me like mothers do when they think you’re being stupid. She opened the door for me to walk in, then put her arm over my shoulders.

“Lennox, sweetheart. You are a growing boy. How are you supposed to grow up to play football if you don’t eat? I know a thing or two about that.”

I shrugged. She knew about that because her husband, Roger Calloway, was the quarterback for the Arizona Stars.

On the way to the kitchen, she stopped at the bottom of the staircase.

“Dane?” she called. “Lennox is here.”

She winked at me.

“Coming Mom!” he replied.

My best friend didn’t have parents who hated each other. They actually liked each other. The four of them ate dinner together every night and played board games during the summer.

I wished I could live here.

“Now,” she said, smiling at me. “What about that sandwich?”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

Mrs. Calloway looked at me like she loved me. “That’s what I thought. Go wash up, sweet boy.”

Dane came bounding down the stairs, then stopped in front of me. My face must have worn some kind of sign because he always seemed to know when something was wrong, even when I tried to hide it.

“Hey. Are they arguing again?”

I nodded. “Yeah. And throwing stuff. Might not have any dishes when I go home.”

Dane’s eyes bugged out, making me laugh. He acted shocked by my stories, but he was used to it. He was my best friend. He knew everything.

“Well, if they break them all, there won’t be any left to throw.”

“Then they’ll get the paper plates.”

Dane snorted. “You’ll never hear that!”

He always knew how to make me feel better.

“Boys, hurry up!” Mrs. Calloway called.

“Race you to the bathroom,” he said, then took off.

“Cheater,” I griped, following him. “You were supposed to count first.”

We shoved our way into the bathroom and stood shoulder to shoulder at the sink, washing our hands. Being here always made the bad stuff not seem so bad.

“What did you get on the fractions test?”

Dane looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

“101.” I grinned. “What did you get?”

He smiled, ear to ear. “105. I aced it.”

I shoved him with my shoulder. “Brainiac.”

He laughed, then looked at me in the mirror. “I can help you study. Math is my thing.”

“I only missed one question. But I’m better at geometry. I’ll ace that test, then I can help you.”

Dane grinned and bumped me with his elbow. We shared the towel to dry our hands, then he took it and hung it up before heading to the kitchen.

We slid into our seats as Mrs. Calloway stood at the island with everything imaginable for a sandwich. She even pulled out the potato chips and our favorite drinks. Two for each of us. Not just one.

She smiled as she pulled the bread out of the bag. It was the good kind with thick, soft slices.

“Lennox, the usual? Roast beef with cheddar and horseradish sauce?”

My stomach growled as I nodded, eagerly. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

It was my favorite, but my mom mostly bought bologna and peanut butter. Sometimes ham. But the only time I got this was when I came over here. Mrs. Calloway always had it for me.

“Dane?” She glanced at him with the same expression.

It made me feel like belonged in their family.

“Turkey and cheddar, please. Thank you, Mama.”

He reached for the chips as I went for the juice. I tried to poke a hole in my bag drink, but the straw bent at the tip. I loved the way they tasted but hated the packaging.

“Need me to do it for you?” he asked, reaching for my drink.

I frowned and held my juice bag away from him. “No. I can do it.”

Dane looked at me, then at my juice. “Change the trajectory, then push. It breaks the tension point of the seal better.”

He shifted his hand to show the angle like I didn’t know.

“I know how to do it.”

“Wait!” he yelled, scaring the crap out of me. He grabbed his juice and elbowed me again. “Let’s see who can do it the fastest.”

I was always eager for a challenge.

“Do you boys compete over everything?” Mrs. Calloway asked.

I shrugged as she slid the sandwiches over to us at the same time.

“I don’t think so,” I said, trying to decide what I wanted more. The sandwich or the drink.

“Not everything. Just the important stuff. Like grades. And football.”

I smiled, deciding on the sandwich. Dane frowned at my choice, then opted for his sandwich, too. I guess he didn’t want to race after all.

“After we eat, let’s go pass the ball. I want to see if I can throw it further than yesterday.”

Dane nodded. His cheeks were stuffed like a squirrel, so I did the same. I could always get more food in mine.

“Please don’t choke,” she added.

We grinned at each other, then opened our mouths to show each other our chewed-up food.

Mrs. Calloway chuckled and shook her head.

“What am I going to do with the two of you?”

I went back to eating and enjoyed the easy attention. And for the millionth time, I wished Mrs. Calloway were my mother.

Thirteen Years Old

I slammed my locker and leaned my head against it. Everyone around me was collecting their books for our first class. But I couldn’t find the will to care. After the conversation I’d had with my dad before school, I didn’t want to be here.

“Lennox, what’s wrong?”

Keeping my forehead on the cool metal, I turned my head to look at Dane. My eyes filled with tears as I tried to push them back.

Dane’s face shifted from concern to understanding. There was only one thing that made me want to cry.

“What happened now?”

I turned back to face my locker so no one would see me. I was embarrassed.

“She’s having another kid that she can mess up.”

Dane leaned closer and spoke so only I could hear him. “How do you know?”

I wiped my eyes. “My dad told me. She’s gonna marry Steve.”

Just saying the words out loud felt like a knife being stabbed into my chest.

“When?” He sounded as upset as I was.

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Dane didn’t respond, and I knew his big brain was thinking hard. Leaning in, he placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke into my ear.

“She’ll figure out she misses you and will want you to come live with them. It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

A sob clawed at my chest for so many things, but I swallowed it down. I took a deep breath, and when I could talk without blubbering, I told him.

“It’s not. She said she wanted a fresh start and to forget we existed. She has a new life with only him. My mom doesn’t want me, Dane.”

He sucked in a horrified breath at what we’d known all along. My mother didn’t love me the way she was supposed to.

“It’s gonna be okay, Lennox. You’ve got my parents. They love you as much as me and Elle. Sometimes I think my mom loves you more.”

“Impossible. Your mom isn’t like that. She doesn’t choose one of you over the other. She loves you both the same.”

“I know,” he said softly.

The warning bell went off, signaling me to wipe my face. We had to get to class, or we were going to be late.

Dane looked at me and assessed my face. “You look okay. If anyone says anything, just tell them you farted, and it made your eyes water.”

I chuckled and looked at my best friend. “You’re the one with the atomic farts. I’ll say it was you.”

“Whatever. I don’t care. As long as your eyes aren’t leaking, we’re good.”

We walked down the hall, side by side, bumping into each other as usual.

“Let’s go to my house after school. My mom will make us a pizza and we can go swimming.”

I smiled, knowing Dane’s family would make me feel better. But when I had to go home, it would be terrible again.

“Think I could spend the night?”

He snorted. “Don’t you already live with us?”

I bumped my shoulder into his. “No, butthole.”

Dane shoved my shoulder again as we walked down the hallway. “I bet they would if we ask.”

I wished I could live with them and have a normal life. But I knew my dad would never allow that. It would make him look bad to everyone. But everyone knew he and my mom weren’t good parents.

“Do you think your dad would help me start training? You know, show me some things the coach might like in a quarterback?”

Dane looked at me like I was nuts.

“Duh. I’m sure he would. We can ask him when he gets home from practice.”

Sighing, I was starting to feel better about my craptastic day. At least I had Dane and his family.

“When I’m playing in the NFL one day, I’ll buy a big house and you can come live with me.”

He snorted. “I’ll have my own big house and you can live with me.”

We were best friends until the night we graduated from high school. I don’t know what happened to make things fall apart. He stopped talking to me and I lost my best friend over something I was sure had to be my fault. That’s the way my life went.