Bear
“Please promise me you’ll have beer available when this week is over,” Skyler whines into the phone and I chuckle, dropping the Xbox controller and moving back through the Omega Chi Beta house toward my room.
It’s the week before classes start, but already the house is filling up with brothers.
It’s loud as fuck and no matter how clean our housekeeper kept it over summer, we’ve somehow already found a way to make it dirty and smelly in here.
“Well hi to you, too.”
“I’m serious,” she says, but laughs a little this time. “I need alcohol. And also to not wear high heels for like, a year.”
I close my bedroom door and fall back on the small bed, staring up at the ceiling. “You know we always have a rager on Bid Day. Too much freshman tail to pass up that opportunity.”
“If I were there, I’d smack you.”
“Whatever. You know your sisters do the same when we have rush week in the spring.”
“Can’t argue that,” she says, sighing in defeat.
“How was the rest of your summer?”
“Busy. I had a tournament practically every week. It’s weird,” she adds, pausing. “People are starting to notice me. Like, they know who I am when I enter tournaments and stuff.”
I lift my brows. “Yeah? That’s awesome, Sky.
” Skyler Thorne is a sophomore, a year younger than me, but she’s one of my best friends.
We met last year on the annual Kappa Kappa Beta and Omega Chi Beta spring break trip and I recognized her from a poker tournament I watched on TV a few weeks before that.
She was shocked that I realized who she was, but I follow poker pretty closely.
Well, I follow all sports pretty closely.
We started hanging out more and more after break and over summer until I went home to visit before the school year started.
My face hardens at the thought of home, but I shake it off and focus on Skyler.
“You know it’s only going to get worse. You’re too good not to get noticed, Sky.
You’re a winner. Winners don’t get to stay in the background for long. ”
“Yeah, well, if I ever get that good, I’ll have to enter tournaments with bigger prizes. I had to work all summer to pay for this year and I still couldn’t give as much to my family as I wanted to. But I’m not ready for the big tournaments yet.”
“Why do you say that? You know you could win them. You’re skilled, Skyler. You know your shit.”
“I’m not that good, Bear.” She sighs. “I still have a lot to learn before I belly up to play with the big boys.”
I shake my head. “Whatever you say. You know I’m in your corner when you do decide to go pro.”
“I know, and you know I love ya for it.” I hear a loud voice yell in the background and Skyler huffs. “Gotta go, practice time. Apparently we aren’t cheering loud enough.”
I bark out a loud laugh. “Good luck with that. I’m going to go drink a beer.”
“Hate you.”
“Love you, too.”
I go to end the call, but just as I’m about to push the large red button, my Mom’s face pops up on the screen. I frown, but click the button to end the call with Skyler and answer hers.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Clinton Pennington, why haven’t you answered my phone calls? I’ve called at least ten times since you left last Saturday!”
I groan inwardly at the use of my full name.
No one at Palm South has called me Clinton since my freshman year.
I gained the nickname Bear after flag football season due to my tall, fit build and aggressive technique – in other words, I tackled people a lot.
Skyler always says I’m more like a teddy bear, but that’s really only with her.
I don’t show my soft side to many people.
“Because I’m busy. Why? You all out of drug money? Need me to break into my savings and send you more?”
“Don’t get smart with me, young man. I’ll drive down there and slap your ass so hard my grandkids will feel it.”
I sigh. “What do you want, Mom?”
“I wanted to check in and see how my son was doing, but apparently there’s a crime against that in your book.”
“I’m fine. Class starts next week. How are you?
” I say the words flatly, not hiding the lack of respect I have for her.
I know I shouldn’t talk to her the way that I do – or at least, if she were a normal mother, I shouldn’t – but she never earned the respect she demanded from me.
And I’m finally getting to the point where I’m tired of giving it for no reason.
I love the woman, I do – but I have no respect for someone who uses and abuses everyone in their life the way she does.
“Well that’s good, sweetie,” she says, her voice softening. “I miss you. Wish you would have just stayed up here for school.” She pauses, waiting for me to say something but I don’t. “Anyway, your brother is bringing the kids out this weekend. I’m sure he’ll want to call and talk to you.”
“Can’t wait.”
She huffs, but doesn’t press me on it. My older brother and I are far from close and she knows it.
The only person in that whole family who I genuinely care about is Clayton, my baby brother.
He’s only twelve, but already he’s being exposed to the things I had to fight to get away from in Pittsburgh.
He’s the only reason I even visit during breaks.
I’m the only positive role model he has, and I have every intention of reminding him what he can accomplish if he gets out of that house.
“Well I guess I’ll talk to you then. Have a good night, Clinton.”
“You too.”
I end the call and toss my phone to the other end of the bed, letting out a long exhale. I don’t have the chance to think about my fucked up family long before I hear my brothers yelling for me from the living room. I smile, leaving my phone and heading back toward the group.
I fall down in a large bean bag as my Little, Josh, hands me a cold Bud Light.
I pop the top and throw it back, letting the sting of the ice cold liquid burn away the phone call with my mom.
Looking around, I can’t help but feel excited about the new school year.
I’m a junior now and our fraternity is the top on campus.
We’re going to have a fucking blast this semester and I’m anxious to get started.
Thank God I have my fraternity brothers.
Real families are a disappointment.