Chapter 12 - Senior Year Begins

Joseph's POV

RING! RING! RING!

I slammed my hand down on the alarm, cursing the damn thing. Today. It had to be today. The first day of senior year. Just as I was finally enjoying the summer—spending time with Mom and, unexpectedly, Mom’s new daughter, Trish. The girl I hoped would be my girlfriend someday. Now, I had to go back to pervy Mthland High, put the mask back on, and fight for my big dream all over again.

“JOSEPHHHHH! Get up! Senior year has started, you don’t want to be late!” Mom’s annoying morning scream drifted from the kitchen. “You know it’s easier to be a football player if you graduate neatly out of high school, blah blah blah!”

I turned off the alarm, nearly smashing it. I just wanted to go back to sleep. Who cared about school, anyway?

Just then, Trish came storming into my messy room. She was wearing a completely different look; Mom had bought her clothes in her style, and Trish looked undeniably hot.

“Hey! Joseph, we’re going to be late. What happened to working hard, huh? Come on, man, we’re seniors now!”

“Ugh. Enough with the senior thing! I get it, we’re seniors, Trish. It’s annoying.”

She spun around, catching her reflection in my mirror, oblivious to me for a second.

“Hey! Don’t talk like that.” She turned back, looking stern. “You’re the one who said you needed me, right? Didn't you?”

I faltered. “Y-yeah, but…”

“Didn’t you say you needed me to help you be a better person, a better man?” she pressed. “Well, if you don’t need me anymore, you can keep dating girls to maintain your popularity just because you’re not strong enough to be on the football team.”

“Hey, you don’t need to be mean.” I felt a fresh wave of shame remembering the awful things I did just to keep my spot.

“Joseph,” she called out, her voice serious and charged with emotion. “You’re not going to be the best in Mthland High School Football if you’re too lazy to dress up and go to school! And you’re never going to get chosen to play for Mthland City someday if you don’t take your final year seriously.”

She sounded exactly like one of those girlfriends who was ready to go all out to make sure their man was the best version of himself. We weren't an official couple yet, but her support immediately fired me up.

What if Mom found out? What if she left us on another business trip? The last time we were hung up on each other, but at least we hadn't kissed. Now, I liked her, and she liked me. I was definitely not ready to be a dad, and we both had futures. Living with her sometimes made things easier, and sometimes impossibly hard.

Trish gave me one last stern look before heading out to the kitchen. I looked at my rugged self in the mirror. I had taken the easy route until now, but today was the first day of senior year. It was ride or die for Joseph Roland.

Minutes later, I was at the breakfast table, where Mom and Trish were deep in a tearful discussion about the school year.

“I really wish you guys the best. I can’t believe it, I’ve got two grown-ups in senior year…” Mom sniffled, holding Trish’s hand. “Honestly, this is the happiest I’ve ever been. It all began when you became a part of our home, Trish.”

They both fell into a deep cry. I didn't get it; why was everyone so emotional? It’s just senior year!

“Okay, my babies. Go on, don’t be late for school. Have your breakfast quickly, and chew well, okay?” Mom tapped our heads and pulled us into a tight, motherly hug, which made Trish flush like a little girl with a mouthful of cereal. Mom was such an emotional child; it was almost embarrassing to watch.

But for me, it just created more tension. I wasn't ready to be the "King of Mthland" the whole school expected. I was going to change my ways, but how would people see me if I didn't act like the guy they wanted?

“We’re off, Miss Britney. Could you give us one more hug before we go?” Trish, clearly not satisfied, begged for another. Mom sprang her hands wide, deliberately resting them on us as she pulled Trish and me together.

Trish and I left for our first day. For me, the goal was to work hard and become a football player for Mthland City one day. For her, the book nerd, her sights were set on becoming an author whose fiction people couldn't get enough of.

The school wasn't far, but the problem was the toxic nature of Mthland High. I was so popular that if anyone found out we were dating, and worse, living in the same home, Trish would be humiliated. I wouldn't want that for her. Ever.

“Hey, Joseph?” Trish grabbed my hand, shyly releasing it as I turned toward her. “Um… you know people will talk if they see us together, right? Especially when we come to school together.” She stumbled over the words. “You’re so popular, and I don’t want people giving me looks. If they find out I live with you now… I can’t even think of what my life would become.”

“It’s okay, Trish, I completely understand.” I gently held her slender shoulders. “We won’t let anyone find out you’re living with us. Matter of fact, they won’t even see us together. We’ll only pretend like we’re going to school together so Mom won’t worry. Once we’re out of her sight, we’ll take separate routes.”

That was the only way. If we were caught walking together, the pervy students of Mthland High would immediately sneak and gossip about us.

“But Joseph, what route are you talking about? You know there’s only one road that leads to the school, don’t you?” She bulged her eyes, a look I was getting used to.

“Nope, there’s actually one off to the left.”

“Oh, no, no, Joseph, you’re not talking about taking that way to school?” She pointed down the supposed route. “You’re crazy! That’s way too long! You want to be late every day!”

“It’s okay,” I insisted, softening my voice.

“As long as no one finds out we live together, it’s totally…”

“NO, JOSEPH!” she yelled, grabbing my hands and bolting toward the main road.

“We won’t go that far just to avoid critics! We won’t! We stay together. We will go to school together! Screw what anyone has to say!”

She stood tall, defiant, and then smiled—a soft, nervous smile that melted me.

“After all…” she finished, squeezing my hand tight. “We’re boyfriend and girlfriend now, aren’t we?”