Chapter 2

Colt 10 years old

After we left the wedding reception, we dropped Konner off at his house. He only lived three houses down from me. I wanted to go in and see how Finley was doing. I felt so bad. It was my fault that she got hurt, and she took the blame because she knew that her mom would ground me from coming over. She hated it when Finley would hang around us. She said we were a bad influence on her because we made her unlady-like but really, we just liked her and she liked the same things so there was no need to push her away. We usually just treated her like one of us. To me there wasn't much of a difference besides when I saw her wearing that dress, she looked so pretty in. I had never seen her wear a dress. I had never thought she looked pretty. It was weird. I can't think like that. 

I slept in late on Sunday and when I got up my parents were gone already. They always were. We played happy family when they were around, but they cared more about their country club and friends than they did me. That's why I spent so much time at Konner's house. It was close and he was always around. 

I wanted to do something nice for Finny. I felt bad about hurting her yesterday, but I had nothing to give her. I went back up to my room and got dressed and pulled out a piece of printer paper. I folded it in half like a card and then pulled out my makers and drew a big basketball on the front just like she did mine. Only hers had so much more detail than what mine did but by the time I was finished I felt good about the card. 

I ran outside and didn't stop until I was standing on their doorstep ringing the bell for someone. Their maid answered the door and gave the tight smile she always did. She hated it when I came over because Konner and I always made a mess. 

"Mr. Konner is in his room."

"I am here to see Finny."

"Oh, she is watching television in the media room."

I didn't even thank her as I ran through the house and straight to the media room. Some cartoons were playing softly on the large television and Finny was lying on the sofa with a blanket on her and an ice pack on her face. 

"How are you feeling Finny?" I asked softly. If her head hurts or something, I didn't want to make it worse by being loud. 

She shot up off the couch and pulled the ice off her poor face. Both her eyes and her nose were swollen, and she had the start of two black eyes. It looked so bad. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. You were supposed to catch the basketball." 

"It's fine." She said, and I could see the tears in her eyes. It was so far from fine. 

"Why are you crying if it's fine?" I asked her and sat down on the couch beside her. 

"Because my mom has said that I'm never allowed to play basketball again. I have to take dance as soon as my face is beautiful again."

Something came over me and I didn't know what it was, but I hated seeing her cry because of me. I reached over and gently wiped the tears from her face. "Your face is always beautiful, and you will play basketball again. I will make sure of it. This wasn't your fault, and you shouldn't have taken the blame. Now why don't we watch some television and after your brother is up, we will make this right."

She nodded and sniffed a bit, and I could tell that it hurt her, but she didn't want to say anything. She turned so she was sitting up and pulled the blanket over her and placed the ice on her face. I placed the card on the other side of me, deciding to give it to her later. 

We ended up putting a movie on until Konner came into the room. He didn't even bother getting dressed and his hair was standing straight up. Both Finley and I started laughing. He told us to both shut up, and he came and sat on the other side of her, and we kept her company most of the day there. The more time went on, the worse her face looked. 

Her father came in a few times to check on her and make sure she didn't need anything else, but her mother never did. That didn't surprise me. She was an awful woman. She hated that Finley was a tomboy and not some princess. 

When her mother did come home, she came into the room and ordered Finley upstairs to her room with her. She said she had gotten her some stuff to help cover up her bruises. I watched as she got off the couch without any argument. That wasn't like her. She fought her mom on everything. She never gave into her crazy demands. She had to be forced. But this time she just got up and did what she said. I wonder what was said to her last night because it seemed to break her little spirit and it kills me that it's my fault. 

As soon as the coast was clear, I turned to Konner, "we have to do something. Finny was crying because your mom said she was not allowed to play basketball ever again and she is forcing her to take dance classes."

"What? Why would she do that?"

"Dude, do you ever pay attention to the way your mother treats her? She is constantly telling her she can't play but you know as well as I do that, she is the best girl player we've ever seen."

"Ya, but what can we do?"

"I'm going to go to your parents' and tell them that it was my fault that she got hurt because that was the truth. I should have never done that, and I really shouldn't have let her take the blame."

"Ya, but she didn't even tell her that it was basketball related. She just said she fell."

I just shrugged my shoulders because I didn't know what to do or say. "We'll go to my father. He will help her." 

I nodded at him and followed him out of the media room. His father was home sometimes on a Sunday. It was getting closer to dinner time, so I'm sure he was around somewhere. We first went to his office, but he wasn't there and then Konner checked their bedroom with no luck and then we headed to the garage to even see if he was at home. That is where we found him. He was sitting in his car talking on the phone but quickly got off of it when he saw us. 

"Boys, what are you two up to?"

"We need to talk dad. Man to man."

"Ok, well let's take this to my office then." He said treating us like adults for the first time ever. We followed him through the house and straight into his office. He went and sat down in his chair and motioned for us to sit in the chairs in front of his desk. I wasn't really sure what he did for work because I really didn't care but now, I am curious. Why would someone have such a fancy office at home? My parents never work at home, yet again they are never home. 

"You boys wanted to talk, so start talking."

"It's about Finny." Konner started but I wasn't going to let him take the blame.

"It was my fault that she got hurt. I was messing around and threw her the ball without enough time to catch it and well it hit her in the face."

"I see," he said and sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. I couldn't help but blurt it out. Konner slapped my arm to shut me up. 

"Dad, it was an accident and Colt is really sorry, but the problem is mom."

"What about her now?"

"She has forbidden Finny to play basketball and is forcing her to do dance. Why does she want her to be someone she isn't? She hates the girly things."

"I appreciate your honesty, Colt. Please just try to remember that she is a girl and she is younger than you. As far as Finley goes, I will take care of it. She can play basketball and she will not be forced to do dance. Now go play because I know for a fact that you rotted on my couch all day."

"Yes, sir," we both said at the same time. 

We moved out of that office as fast as we could. I felt better about telling him, but I still wanted to give her my card. I wasn't sure if her mom was still with her, so I decided to wait. I pushed it further into my back pocket and headed out back to the court with Konner. 

Neither of us were dressed or really in the mood to play ball but that is where we always found ourselves. It was like some magnet force between us. It was that way for all three of us. 

We mostly screwed around for a few hours. It was well past dinner time and pushing on bedtime. We hadn't seen Finny anymore that day, and it was bugging me. 

"Hey, I should get home, but I wanted to give something to Finny, just to tell her how sorry I am. Can you sneak me up there?"

Konner rolled his eyes, but we headed upstairs. I just needed him to cover for me if his parents came up the stairs. I doubt they would, but just in case. 

I knocked lightly on her door and opened it up. She was sitting in the chair in front of her vanity crying and gently wiping her face. Her bruises weren't nearly as noticeable, but the swelling was worse. 

"Finley," I said softly. I know she hates it when we call her Finny, but it's just a nickname that has stuck. 

"What do you want, Colt?"

"I came to give you this," I said, holding out the card.

She didn't even look at me. Instead, she just stared into the mirror. "Finny, what is on your face?"

"Makeup."

"Why?"

"Because my mom said that girls with bruises are ugly and I have to cover them."

"Finny, you are beautiful, bruises or no bruises and you don't need makeup."

I had moved over to stand next to her. I grabbed the wet rag from her hands and as gently as I could I wiped all the makeup off her face. "Now you look like the beautiful Finny that I love." I handed her the rag and ruffled her hair up and walked out of her room. 

I left the house without telling Konner I was leaving but I was so damn mad at their mom. She is an awful human for the way she makes Finny feel. I thought my absentee mother was bad, but I will take that any day over the way Finny gets treated and it's only because she is a girl. 

I walked into my house, and it was dark and cold. My parents still weren't home, which meant I had to find my own dinner. That was nothing new but at least during the week we had a maid who would at least help me cook food and keep me company, but she was only here Monday through Friday and so it was all on me during the weekend. I went to the freezer and pulled out the pizza bites and grabbed a soda. Perfectly healthy meal for a twelve-year-old boy.