Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 68066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Cash! I mean it! Bring your hide!”
He backed away, leaving me there.
God, I hate him.
The entire ride home was quiet, other than my mom saying I needed to head straight to the shower and then meet her in the kitchen after.
I did exactly that, hoping maybe my dad wouldn’t be waiting with her when I came back down.
He was.
Crap.
Dad ordered, “Sit down, Son.”
I nodded, taking a seat across from them at the island.
“Your mom is very upset with you, Jackson. I can’t say I’m happy with you either. Especially since you know your mom has been stressed and overwhelmed this last year.”
He was right. I did know that.
My mom was always the best mom she could be, but over the last year, she’d started forgetting things. Like picking us up from school or picking me up from football practice. She’d forget games, doctor appointments, even small things like her purse or car keys.
It wasn’t like her at all, and I think it was because she took on too much. She never told any of us no, not even my dad. We were her whole entire world, and she never said this out loud, but I knew I was her favorite. I spent the most time with her, watching her stupid chick flicks, cooking with her. Anything she wanted to do, I was down for.
She was my mom, and I loved spending time with her. We had a special bond.
But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next...
Nothing.
Mom took one look at me and opened her mouth to say my full name, at least that’s what I assumed, because every conversation when I was about to get grounded started that way. But nothing came out.
“Mom... are you okay?”
She just stared at me, almost like she couldn’t get her mouth to say what she wanted. It didn’t make any sense. She knew my name. She was my mom.
She named me.
“Mom...”
My eyes flew back to my dad, and for the first time in my life, I saw a look in his eyes I would never forget...
Fear.
And I just knew...
Our lives would never be the same again.
Chapter 6
<>Harley<>
Then: Nine years old
“So whatcha want to do this weekend?” Shiloh asked me, walkin’ to our last class of the day. “Maybe we can go watch Cash’s band rehearse?”
Cash started a band about six months before with some kids from our school. They practiced in each other’s garages and were gettin’ really good. Cash was the lead singer and guitarist, which drove the girls at our elementary school wild. It was nice to see Jackson’s face anytime a ditzy cheerleader paid attention to Cash instead of him.
I made sure to rub it in his stupid, smug ego anytime I saw it going down in the hallways and believe me, it happened often. Jackson may have been the most popular boy at our school cuz he was starting quarterback for our city’s little league, but that didn’t change the fact girls liked Cash just as much.
“Oh, that’d be fu—” Out of nowhere, someone bumped into me from behind, sendin’ all my notebooks flyin’ out of my hands.
I didn’t have to wonder who it was. I already knew.
“Walk much, loser?” Jackson mocked, standin’ in front of us wearin’ his stupid football jersey. His jock friend Trigger Reed in his jersey too next to him, both with huge grins spread across their stupid faces.
Trigger was the star defensive end, and the second most important player on the little league team. Together, they were the dynamic duo, and cuz of them, we were undefeated.
Barf.
They were best friends, who thought they were gods. The whole football team did. It was actually really irritatin’, especially durin’ the games. They’d walk through the field, chantin’ and cheerin’ as the crowd went wild. All the cheerleaders tryin’ to get noticed as they strutted by.
Barf again.
It still blew my mind how girls swarmed to them like bees to honey.
In my eyes, they were all big fat douchebags with their brains in their biceps.
I didn’t hesitate, steppin’ toward him, but Shiloh grabbed my arm to hold me back.
“Hi, Principal Salisbury,” she said, surprisin’ me and savin’ my butt for at least the hundredth time.
This wasn’t over.
I was still pissed at Jackson for last night’s prank. I don’t know how or when he got in my room, but he put flour in my pillowcase at some point durin’ the day.
After I went to bed, fresh out of the shower, I laid my wet head down and white powder exploded everywhere. I spent the next hour tryin’ to get it out of my hair and sheets without my parents noticin’.
One of the things that changed between us in the last three years, we stopped tellin’ on each other, cuz it always backfired. No matter who started it, we’d both get in trouble and be grounded.