River “Are you okay, River?” Sydney asks me when she comes in from her class and finds me sitting at our desk just looking out the window. “No.” I respond because I’m not. I don’t know what to do about Jim. “Talk to me, what’s going on?” Sydney asks me with concern in her voice. “My dad wants me to come to the prison and talk to him. I don’t know what to do about that. I really don’t want to, but then again, I feel like I owe him at least that much.” “The fuck you do, River. What does Rock say about this?” “He told me he would go with whatever I wanted to do.” I told her. “That man tried to kill you. River, you are not going to that prison and seeing him, he can suck a dick.” Sydney says angrily, and I can’t help but laugh at her. I love when she becomes momma hen. Sydney rolls her eyes at me. “Okay, I know you don’t do parties but there is a bonfire going on down by the river tonight because it’s getting cooler outside, so we are going and yes before you ask Rock and the footb
Rock It's our first game of the season and I'm in the locker room putting on my uniform on Saturday night. The coach comes in and tells me I'll be playing in the game tonight. “Where’s Alex?” One of the starters asks, and he informs us that Alex got arrested for a DUI. Fucking idiot. This is his last year in college. This is when he either goes pro or does something different with his career and from what I know about Alex, he was banking ongoing pro. Whatever more play time for me and if I can prove to the coaches I'm worth the starter’s position, I could kick Alex out, anyway. “Alright brother, are you ready to get out there and show them assholes who Rock Martinez is?” Speedy asks me. “Yes, I am. Let’s do the damn thing.” I tell my buddy and we get ready to run out on the field. Once out there, I look around the field real fast and for some reason it looks so much bigger out there than our highschool field was. “Are you ready, rookie?” One of the seniors asks me as he’s running
River It has been a few months since we started school, and I have noticed that Rock and I are facing challenges in our relationship because of his commitment to football and our ongoing project. These factors are making it difficult for us to spend quality time together. It’s Friday night, and we are supposed to go catch a movie, but I feel like Rock is acting a little weird lately. He’s been canceling our dates and studying together. I’m sure I am just overthinking this. I mean, he is my first boyfriend ever. “Hey, River, are you and Rock still going to the movies tonight?” Sydney asks me. “We are supposed to.” I told her. She gives me a look. “What Sydney, just spit it out.” I snapped at her. She just throws her hands up. “I didn’t say a word, River.” I walk back to my room to get my phone. When I pick it up I find yet another, I am sorry but I can’t make it tonight message from Rock. So I walk back to our living quarters. “Syd, would you like to go to the movies with me tonight
Rock “Hey Rock, will you meet me in the library after school? I have a few things I have to talk to you about on our paper.” Page, my English partner and the captain of the cheer squad, tells me. “Yea, I’ll be there I tell her and turn around to talk to Speedy again and he is giving me one of his looks. “What bro?” I ask him. “What are you doing, Rock?” He asked me. “What are you talking about, Speedy?” I ask my buddy because I really don’t know what he’s talking about. Page and I have been partners on all of our projects the last couple months and we have always met in the library every time we need to work on one. “What ever man, just don’t be typical Rock and fuck it up with River over another girl.” Speedy tells me, then walks toward our class. “Didn’t plan on it, asshole.” I holler at his back. River and Sydney come walking around the corner about then. River looks tired and I don’t know what’s been going on with us lately, but we are not spending as much time with each other
River “Thank you for coming with me to see Jim.” I’m telling Sydney as we are walking into the police station where they are holding Jim for the kidnapping of me. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Sydney tells me, then takes my free hand and squeezes it. We walked up to the clerk’s desk to let her know we were there to see Jim Darby. She looks up at us with a smile on her face. “Yes, Jim has been telling us you were coming to visit with him.” She tells us and Sydney and I just look at each other. This lady is acting like it’s no big deal that Jim is in jail for the kidnapping and attempted murder of his own child. Leave it to my father to make friends with everyone here. That’s what Jim does. He manipulates everyone into thinking he is a good guy, but I’ve always known he was a monster. “Right this way, Ms. River.” The clerk tells me and we follow her down a narrow hall. Then she walks us into another room that has rows of glass and chairs. We find a chair that’s empty and walk over to
Rock “Where’s River? I tried to get her at the dorm before I came here, but she or Sydney didn’t answer the phone are the door, and she’s not here.” I ask my mom as I’m walking into the kitchen. “She is sick. Sydney says she just started throwing up about an hour again and couldn’t keep anything down, so she was going to take her to the aftercare clinic on campus. And I’m going to send you home with some soup to take back to her. Are you two talking yet?” Mom is asking, giving me her best stank eye. “No, mom, she won’t talk to me. She won’t even look at me right now. So, I’m moving on.” I tell her and she just rolls her eyes at me. Whatever, my mom doesn’t get how frustrating this is with River. I’m tired of her acting like I’ve committed a crime. I get it. I kissed another girl, but fuck, River was distancing herself from me, anyway. I know that’s not an excuse for kissing another girl, but damn. “You are going to lose her for good, then what Rock?” Mom is scolding me when Rivers
River “River, I’m home, sis,” Sydney says from the other side of my door. I’ve been hiding out in my dorm room as much as I can lately. I need to talk to my mom and Gab before Thanksgiving this weekend, but I don’t know how to approach them with this and I don’t want them to be disappointed in me. I walk out to the front room and drop down onto the sofa. “Soon, I need to have a conversation with mom and Gab.” I tell Syd. “Do you want to call them to meet us at the pizza place today?” Syd asks me. I think for a minute, and honestly, that would be the best thing. That way there is no chance of running into Rock. He is home for the Thanksgiving break where I stayed at the dorm. “Yea, that’s a good idea.” I tell her, then pick my phone up and call my mom. After our phone call, we made plans to meet at the pizza place in an hour, around 5. Realizing the limited time, I quickly get off the sofa, rush to take a shower, and grab a pair of slacks and a blouse to wear. By the time Sydney
Rock It’s Saturday night, our last game of the season, and I’m pumped up. “Let’s play this game like we are pros already.” I yell at my teammates and we run onto that field like our asses are on fire. I can’t understand why I had the expectation of seeing River here, supporting us. However, as expected, she came up with some excuses for the coach, claiming to have a cold, and skipped our final game. It’s not like she is really needed, anyway. The water people are volunteers. I guess I just thought she would at least come out and watch me play my last game. How stupid am I? River Darby is more like her father than she thinks she is. She’s a selfish bitch. She says I won’t have to have anything to do with the child she is carrying, but even I know that shit won’t go over well with our mothers. As soon as that demon is born, our mothers will be all over me about stepping up. But fuck, I’m only 19 in college and playing the best college ball of my life. I hate to say it, but now I und