Chapter 24 – CJ
Of all the fucking days for the cheer team and football team to hold joint practice, it was today. When all CJ saw was who wasn’t there. Namely, Rebel, Harley, Mattie, and Molly. Jaleena jockeyed to partner with him and managed to convince the other girls to back off.
“We practice and nothing else, so please shut the fuck up and leave me in peace.”
That was all it took for her to talk to him only about what they needed to do for class. He just wasn’t in the fucking mood, even halfway through, when the girls trotted off and Coach Yancy benched CJ. Ryan was still starting quarterback and CJ hadn’t been to practice in weeks.
Near the end, Ryan ran off the field and jogged to CJ. “I asked Coach to let you practice for a bit.”
CJ clenched his jaw so he wouldn’t thank Ryan.
“Dad told me to tell you that Rory went to Turn Creek.”
“Motherfucker can jump in the creek for all I give a fuck.” CJ got to his feet and placed his practice helmet on his head. He ignored Ryan’s gulp and his quick step back. “And Devon?”
“Uh, Dad took him home. He said he’ll see to the clean-up in the locker room. It’s probably already done.”
No harm, no foul. They’d gotten away with it.
“Cool.” CJ started off.
“I-I told Coach Yancy I’ll be happy rotating back to kicker.” Ryan flushed. “If you want your old position back.”
Why was this motherfucker pressing the issue?
CJ didn’t want to fucking care that Ryan had been a fucking victim, too.
He didn’t want to consider what he would’ve done if he would’ve been idiotic and jealous enough to sacrifice Molly and then have Mom and Dad’s darkest secrets exposed.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to say, “You’re good as quarterback too. ”
“Thanks, cuck. I’m still not as good as you. No cap.”
CJ sighed. Fuck, what had resentment gotten them? Fuck all, but Rebel, Mattie, Harley, and Molly hurt. “I appreciate the gesture, Ryan. I’ll work through my anger toward you. Just don’t fuck with the girls again.”
“I’ll regret what I did for the rest of my life.”
“Learn from it. Don’t spend the rest of your life fucking wallowing in guilt. That’ll serve no one, especially Aunt Zoann.”
“Get a move on, CJ!” Coach Yancy yelled. “You’re holding up my practice.”
Ryan shook his head. “That’s a Caldwell boy for you. He can bring everything to a crashing halt until he arrives.”
There was no good response to that, so CJ smiled at his cousin and jogged onto the field.
The moment CJ turned into the driveway of a trailer park not far from an abandoned motel, a dog ran in front of the SUV. If he hadn’t slammed on the breaks, he would’ve hit the animal. It threw CJ an accusatory look, then loped off.
“That’s Cat.”
“A dog named Cat. Interesting.”
Skye smiled.
“She’s yours?”
“It’s a he. And no. He belongs to anyone who feeds him.”
“Slut.”
She giggled. “Right?”
“Direct me to your place.”
“I don’t know, CJ,” she said nervously. “Actually, just let me off here and…and—”
“We have everything we need to start on the project.”
Squirming in the seat, she wrung her hands together. “You’re going to judge me.”
“I promise I won’t.”
Her nostrils flared, but she gave in. “The single-wide at the very back.”
Creeping forward to make sure Cat or any other stray animal didn’t run in front of the Lexus, CJ followed Skye’s directions around a little bend in the road.
He took in the clothes hanging on lines in front of most of the mobile homes.
Piles of garbage surrounded one where a skinny girl sat on the porch while a toddler ran around in a diaper, T-shirt, and bare feet.
“There it is,” Skye said, pointing ahead to a small place with a neat garden overshadowed by the fluttering laundry. “I washed a load before I left for school.”
CJ nodded and parked in front of the trailer.
“You can turn into the driveway. Mom won’t be home until early morning.”
Following her directions was his silent response.
She started to open the door, but CJ caught her hand. “You’re fine, bae. Neither one of us are responsible for the circumstances we were born into.”
“Okay,” she mumbled, snatched her hand away, and then rushed out of the car.
She ran up the steps and opened the door while CJ got the two bagsful of items that would build their Ferris wheel. He climbed the stairs, opened the screen door and peeped into the house. There was no sign of Skye.
“Is it okay to come in?” he called.
“Yeah,” she called from one of the rooms.
When he walked in, he took in the stack of dirty dishes in the sink, the greasy stove, and the stuffy, overcrowded place. Two air mattresses took up most of the floor space while on the ratty sofa, a pillow sat atop a neatly folded blanket.
Skye opened the door and CJ glimpsed a bathroom vanity before she slammed the door shut. She’d changed from her uniform into a Polo-style minidress, putting her legs, pretty feet, and figure on full display.
“Are you hungry?” She rushed to the fridge and threw it open. It wasn’t overflowing but it wasn’t empty either. “I can fry us some bacon and eggs.”
Glancing around for a place to sit, CJ shook his head. “We need to start on the project. I’ll eat later.”
“Do you mind if I eat?”
“Go ahead. I’ll start separating each part and cataloging them.”
“You can sit on the sofa.”
“It looks like someone’s bed.”
“Mine, but it also doubles as seating.”
CJ took the seat while Skye busied herself in the kitchen.
“May I ask you something?” she asked a few minutes later.
The scent of delicious bacon filled the small space, stirring hunger in CJ. “What was earlier about?”
“Which earlier?” CJ poured the contents of one of the bags onto the sofa. “There were many.”
“Under the bleachers. With your brothers and your friends.”
“My cousins.” CJ picked out the long metal rods and began placing them in their own pile. “All three of those fuckheads are my cousins. Rory’s dad and my dad are brothers and Devon and Ryan’s mom and my dad are sister and brother.”
“So, they’re Rory’s cousins, too? He has the reddish blond hair, right?”
Done with that pile, he scoped out the shorter rods.
“He’s the fuckface, dickhead, motherfucker.
And, yeah, they’re cousins too, but not because Uncle Johnnie and Aunt Zoann are siblings.
It’s because my great-grandfather was the original fuckface, dickhead, motherfucker.
Rory inherited everyone of that fuckbag’s genes. ”
“You were really angry with them.”
CJ began piling the screws. “You’re talking in past tense. I’m currently angry with those motherfuckers.”
“May I ask what they did?”
“You may, but don’t expect a fucking answer. It’s family business. Private.”
“I won’t tell.”
“I don’t know you well enough to believe you, so drop the fucking subject. I’m not telling you.”
“Right.” She sounded hurt.
CJ didn’t give a fuck.
“I’ll get my food.”
He hoped he’d purchased all the tools he needed. “Yeah, do that.”
He’d found diagrams online. If he hadn’t been so fucking outraged after the scene under the bleachers, he would’ve remembered to go to the resource center at school and print all of them.
Although there was no WI-FI, his 5G roaming picked up a nearby signal.
Unless he wanted to go from site to site, he had to choose the best illustrations and work with that tonight.
Skye plopped next to him, plate in hand.
CJ’s stomach growled.
“The other two are your brothers, right?” she asked, holding out a piece of bacon to him.
He nodded, not hesitating to take the bacon and stuff it into his mouth.
“Don’t you have another one?” She crunched through a piece of bacon, then stuffed a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. “Isaiah?”
“Axel. And he isn’t the only one. I have three more brothers. Diesel, Rule, and Gunner. I also have two sisters, Rebel and Squiggles. Jo. She’s the baby.”
“Squiggles is a cool nickname. I bet you all spoil her. My little sister, Dusk, is ten. The youngest of us. I’m the oldest.”
“I’m the next eldest. When I say Jo is the baby. I mean literally. She’s four months old.”
“Oh, wow! A baby-baby.”
“Yup.”
She held out her last piece of bacon to him.
“No, bae. I was the stupid motherfucker who turned you down.”
“I can fry more.”
“It’s okay. Really. I’ll stop somewhere on the way home.”
Standing, she brushed passed him, allowing him to admire her round ass up close and personal. After setting the plate on top of the other dirty ones, she returned to her spot next to him.
“I have another question.”
“You’re full of them.”
“Do you really live near a motorcycle club, through a forest, and in a mansion?”
Irritation surged into him. “We’re back to this again?”
“I’m so curious, CJ,” she admitted. “I know we got off to a rocky start, but I swear I just want to know more about you.”
“If I’m willing to share any more than I already have. Which I’m not, so again drop the fucking subject or I’m leaving.”
“You don’t have to be rude.”
“You don’t have to be nosy. Telling you gently isn’t getting through to you.”
“I like to be heard.”
“Good for you. I like my privacy respected.”
Her nostrils flared. “I’m just trying to get to know you.”
“You and Jaleena gave me a lot of bullshit last week because Harley was with me.”
“She didn’t belong in our class and I was jealous. Just like I’m jealous of Jaleena. I want to know if you really are a good kisser.”
“I maintain she has a big fucking mouth by spreading rumors.”
“So, you aren’t a good kisser?”
CJ shrugged. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“You aren’t. You’re just extolling your prowess.”
“There’s a girl at the other end of that. You don’t need to know my business or theirs. And you don’t fucking know me to be jealous over who I’m with.”
“I don’t have a shot with you?”
“Not even the slightest,” he told her flatly. “You’re fucking pushing and pushing. There’s a reason for that.”
“I just told you why. I like you. I think you’re so cute.”
Maybe she was being honest, but each time she mentioned Jaleena, CJ remembered all her demands. It left him suspicious.
“Can we get to the project? I can’t stay past eight.” Two hours away.
“Dusk and Cosmos will be home in an hour. I’m going to have to cook bacon and eggs for them, too.”
“Do they like pizza?” CJ asked irritably.
“It’s a cool treat when Mama can afford it.”
“How about I order two or three pizzas with some sodas?”
“That’ll work,” she said, glancing at him through her lashes and offering what CJ didn’t want.
He was taking Harley out soon. Hopefully, they cleared the air once and for all. Once CJ knew where they stood, he’d go from there.