I shook it off and went to work with the kids. After all, that was why we were there in the first place. I wasn’t going to stand around any longer listening to their bull crap.

The kids we were hosting at this camp were so little, barely big enough to dribble a ball. I’d been that young when I started playing, and over the years the game had it’s ups and downs. Many times I wanted to just give up and quit, especially in high school. Other things seemed more important at the time, like girls. Even now they were still a distraction. But being on a scholarship meant that I couldn’t afford to be distracted. Most of the guys on the team had more disturbances than they knew what to do with.

I only had one.

Holly.

She was my girlfriend of two years, and she was more than enough for me to handle. At times she was too much.

In the beginning I got with her because she was hot, and had a promising reputation. It started out as fun. The occasional lay, when I didn’t want to sleep around. We were together a couple of nights a week with no strings attached. Then one day she acted all female-like and demanded that I give her more. Being with me in the bedroom wasn’t enough for her. She was a good piece off ass, a real good piece of ass, so I agreed. I didn’t know what I’d be getting myself into. No one told me either. I get exhausted just thinking about it.

She was everywhere, and I meant everywhere. It was real hard at first, what with the constant calling, and showing up everywhere I was. Finally after working out all the kinks, we just sort of fell into this comfortable routine. I like comfortable. If she’d just quit bitching so much it’d probably be worth the effort. Fourteen text messages a day was thirteen too many. Especially since I was trying to keep my head on straight. Basketball had to be my first priority.

My grades had dropped, and my parent’s were constantly on my ass. They were nagging me everyday about this and that. Whether or not I was doing my part to keep my grades from sinking. My scholarship was on the line, so I had to keep my shit together. There was no screwing it up. It wasn’t an option, and for the life of me, I couldn’t make her understand. She was needy and wanting, and she knew just the right buttons to push to keep me running back when I should’ve been more focused.

After two hours of sweating my ass off with the kids, I just wanted to go home and relax for a little while before I had to pick Kennedy up from work. It was going to be a long night of studying for me.

I managed to get dressed, say my goodbyes, and walk out of that gym without an hour-long lecture from the coach. He wouldn’t forget though. My guess was that I’d be running laps at our next practice.

After I tossed my bag into the passenger seat, I reached for my phone.

Eight messages and four missed calls flashed on the screen. I groaned at the sight of them. Every single one was from Holly.

“Where are you?” She said when she answered her phone.

“You know I had basketball camp today. We just got finished.”

“Oh, well I tried to call you a couple of times. I was worried.”

Yeah, right, just a couple of times. I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine. I have to go home and study some before I pick Kennedy up from work.” It was times like these that I was glad I no longer had to live on campus. It helped having parents who gave generously to the college. Besides if anyone asked, there was still a room there with my name on it. Only it was being occupied with one person instead of two.

“You want me to come hang out with you tonight. I could help you study.” Her voice purred into the phone. The seduction in her voice overflowed. Immediately my pants got a little tighter. She knew exactly how to catch my attention. Like I said before, she knew which buttons to push. It always worked.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll call you later tonight.”

“Later baby,” she made a kissing sound into the phone.

I took a deep breath and tossed my phone back into the seat. Looked like I’d have to spend the rest of the week studying my ass off, instead of the rest of the night. I had plans.

It would be worth it. That girl knew how to relieve some stress.

3

Grace

Talk about nervous. First day, at my first job, and I was totally freaking out. I wore my favorite blue skirt with a white button up blouse and pulled my hair back away from my face in a long braid. Even though I was comfortable and I felt like I looked nice, it still did nothing for my nerves.

Aunt Darcy had already left for work, but she said it was safe for me to walk. I trusted her, and I didn’t mind walking at all. She drove me there after supper last night so I knew exactly where it was. The walk seemed easy enough.

 From the way Darcy talked, I would probably just be doing paperwork today, but I was hoping that my new boss would put me right to work. Otherwise, I’d be moping around the house with nothing to do while I waited for Darcy to get home from work.

I slipped on my favorite white shoes that I knew would be great for walking, and grabbed my shoulder bag from the dresser, draping it across my body.

Despite being nervous about the job, I really hadn’t felt better. There were no crazy animal noises to wake me up at the crack of dawn, no one yelling at me to pick up my pace, and especially no dad. For once I didn’t feel like I needed to tiptoe across my bedroom, although I did it anyway. Habit I guess. Somewhere deep down inside of me I felt like I just wanted to scream, or sing really loud in the shower. But, that would have to wait until later.

When I glanced at the clock I knew that I needed to start walking. I wasn’t exactly sure how long it was going to take me to get there by foot, and I couldn’t be late on my first day.

No way.

The morning sunlight felt warm against my cheeks when I stepped outside. It was a beautiful day. The air was much different here then it was back home. Aunt Darcy mentioned that the night air was a little cooler so I hoped my sweater would be enough until I could get something a little warmer. I’d only brought what little necessities that were most important at the time, and a coat wasn’t one of them.

I made the walk in a fairly short amount of time. I didn’t take the time to stop and admire the scenery because I was too excited for my first day on the job. Well, hopefully it would be my first day.

The door opened quietly at the library and there were already a few people inside reading. The smell was wonderful, and my first thought was how perfect this place was going to be for me. It was quiet and serene, everything I was.

A tall lady wearing a pair of purple-framed glasses stood behind the desk. Before I had even made the walk there, she spotted me. By the look on her face, she knew exactly who I was. Not that I didn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

She moved quickly around the desk and welcomed me with open arms. That must have been the most common welcome gesture in these parts. I knew that she was Trish the Librarian from her warm welcome. She patted my back like we were old friends, and I nearly threw up on her because of my nerves. Aunt Darcy assured me of just how wonderful Trish was, and that I shouldn’t worry. But I couldn’t help it. It was a brand new adventure for me, a crossover into the real world.

Thankfully Darcy was right. Trish was super sweet, and she was so grateful that I was able to get started on such short notice. Her kind words made me feel much more comfortable. It only took about ten minutes to fill out my paperwork and then she put me right to work.

Trish introduced me to the other girl working on the same shift. Her name was Kennedy, and if I had to guess I’d say she and I were close in age. On the outside we were polar opposites. She wore a pair of jeans so tight that I wondered how she moved, and bright red lipstick that you could see coming from miles away. She was a very pretty girl, and probably very popular from the look of her. Her voice was loud though. That was something I wasn’t used to. Of course my knowledge on the human race was mostly non-existent.