Page 11 of Warrior

“Yeah, well they took the wrong parent too!” I mouth back, a second before there is a disturbingly loud crack, and my head flies to the side. The sting burns my skin, but it’s tame in comparison to the pain gripping its hand around the heart in my chest.

My chin drops to my chest, the grief threatening to eat me alive from the memories. My fingers dig into my pocket and whip out my cell phone.

“Miss me already?” Zane’s voice flows from my speaker and into the quiet space.

“Okay if I crash at your place tonight? Then we can just leave from your house.” I wait a split second for his response. Zane isn’t stupid. He knows the piece of shit my dad has turned into. Even on the night before an important trip about my future, the lazy drunk can’t be bothered to be home.

“Good plan,” Zane answers. “I’ll leave the door unlocked. I’m just heading through town now.”

My mom was never the same after losing Alex. She quickly fell into a depression. Refused to leave the house or even to see AJ. He was a reminder of what she lost and nothing or no one could bring her back. I was the last one to leave home the day she died. I was twelve and desperate for her to be normal again. To cook a meal, to help me with homework, to even want to hug me goodnight. She called me into her room and had me sit with her. Her eyes were clear and I stupidly thought she was getting better. She held my hand and told me she loved me and she was sorry for being sad. When I got up to leave, hope spread through my chest, so much so that I didn’t even second-guess when she asked me to hand her the bottle of her prescription medication. I left the house thinking my family was on its way to healing, only to come home to the coroner’s truck in my driveway while my dad broke down crying in his chair. She left us without looking back. Without even second-guessing her decision. The loss of one child outweighed the will to live for the other.

I tell Zane I’ll grab my stuff and be over soon. My feet hit the stairs with a little extra noise. In my room, I throw some clothes in my bag, before pulling up my floorboard to find the stash of cash I hid. I take out as much as I’ll need for food, gas, andthe extra activities Zane has planned. Before leaving, I grab my suit from the back of my closet. The coach mentioned one team dinner with collegiate sponsors that he wanted me to attend. When I told Lyric, she made me go shopping for a nice suit then ironed it for me. The girl is an angel, I swear.

With one last look around the room, I head back upstairs and let the door slam on my way out. I should have told Lyric the real reason I have no fears about leaving the state for college. I’ve already been on my own for years. Putting some miles between that house and myself actually feels more like freedom than anything else.

Chapter 5

Colt

“Oh shit, you got to turn this one up.” Zane leans forward to turn the volume higher while belting out the words to Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home.” I join him when he gets to the chorus.

“I love road trips.” He shakes his head smiling. I glance at my friend, and for the first time, I notice the tightness in his smile.

“Are you okay, man?” I ask, turning the volume down a notch while we drive down another small-town road with the windows open.

He nods, looking around before shrugging. “It’s just weird how fast things are going, you know? We graduate in two months and then I literally leave a few days after that for basic. I will only be home for a day or two before you all leave for college, then who knows what will happen.”

“It’s not like we can’t talk still, Z,” I say to reassure him. “I’ll call when I can and text daily. If you can answer great, if you’re out in a forest looking for the other team’s flag, I’ll understand. You’re going to be busy too.”

He punches my shoulder. “Ass. You should just be glad you got our girl to come down here for school. That’s all you need to worry about.”

I scoff when he says our girl; he knows Lyric is mine, but we were all best friends first. “I know. I plan to do everything I can to make sure she likes it here. Besides, you know Lyric. Sometimes she needs help being pushed out of her comfort zone. Do you really think she would have been happy going to a smaller state college in Tennessee with all the same people we went to high school with?”

“No,” he answers and sighs because he knows I’m right. “I get it, just watch out for her, man. You’re going to be super busy, and if she can’t call me then who will she have? Camryn won’t be there either.” He bites his lip. I glance at him, noticing he’s genuinely worried about this.

“She’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. And if anything happens or I need your help, I promise I’ll let you know. You just be worried about keeping yourself alive,” I say, looking him up and down.

Zane laughs. “I’ll be at basic. I’ll be lucky if they even let me hold a rifle right away.”

“Shit happens,” I remind him, my brow lifting. “I still can’t believe you enlisted.”

He shakes his head, a smile pulling at his lips. “I knew if I talked to you first, you’d try and talk me out of it.”

“Damn straight,” I tell him.

“Colt, what happened to Alex was tragic, and I will never forget when you found out. But besides being sad for my friend, I was proud of him. He stood up for something he believed in and wanted to defend a country he loved. That feeling never left me. College, grad schools, being stuck in a job I hate…none of that was making me feel anything. I couldn’t get excited when college recruiters were at our high school; I was bored just listening tothem. This is the right thing for me right now,” he explains the best he can.

I hear the excitement in his tone and decide to drop it. I’m not against the military because of Alex. I’m just worried about my best friend being in potential danger every day. “Yeah, man,” I respond, clapping him on the shoulder with my free hand. The rest of the drive flies by, us jamming to music, eating Pringles and gummy worms, and slamming energy drinks.

We arrive just in time to check into our hotel when we reach Tuscaloosa. I park in the parking lot where Coach made our accommodations. We check in, drop off our stuff, shower and change before my first meeting. I let Zane drive to the campus because the excitement is starting to set in. This is real now. All the talk and planning that has been leading up to this and it’s finally here. I’ve never been outside of Tennessee, much less my hometown. Now I’m here, states away, and looking at a campus that houses almost forty thousand people. It’s insane.

Zane parks outside the stadium, where I’ve been told to go. For the first time since I received my letter almost a year ago, my stomach rolls with nervous energy. I flex my hand and grip my backpack.

“Well,” Zane says, keeping his eyes on the towering building, “I feel a proud parent moment coming on.”

“Man, shut up.” I laugh and open my door. He also gets out.

“Ready for this?” he asks, nodding forward. My feet are stuck in place and I can’t move. Am I ready? All I’ve been talking about is escaping home and coming to Alabama and playing football. I have a whole future mapped out that I’ve never actually seen in person.

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