4. Karrie
816 Words
Four
Karrie
“How’s it going, sweetheart? You doing well in your classes?”
“Mom,” I chided. “School barely started.”
“I know, honey, but your scholarship…”
“I’ve been doing this for three years now, I know what I need to do to keep my scholarship.”
“Sorry, force of habit.”
“Yeah, it’s okay, I’m used to it,” I joked. “How’s Carter doing?”
My brother, Carter, was fifteen and a teenage nightmare. He and I had always been close, but my parents were having a hard time with him.
My mom sighed.
“The same. Basically stays in his room all day and grunts at us when we try and talk to him.”
“Is that Karrie?” I heard my dad ask in the background.
“Yes, Judd, I’m not done…”
“I just want to say hi before I head out, Sam.”
I smiled at their bickering.
“Hey, baby girl, how’s practice going?”
I rolled my eyes and laughed.
While my mom was always worried about my schoolwork, my dad only cared about softball.
“So far so good. It’s been great seeing everyone again, and meeting the new team members.”
“Coach still got you at short stop?” he asked, and the fact that we’d had this conversation a million times over the years brought me comfort.
“Yup, that’s what she said last practice.”
“That’s good. Make sure you’re warming up good every time, even if you’re just running drills.”
My dad had played baseball in college and had even gone pro for a while, but had given it all up for me and my mom. He’d gone on to coach at the high school he was a teacher at, and coached me growing up.
There’d never been any question about it, I was always going to be a softball player.
“I know, Dad, I will… promise.”
“Okay, Kare-bear, love you, here’s your mom back.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
“I’m back,” my mom said eagerly, and I felt bad when I informed her, “Mom, I’ve got to go. My first class is in fifteen.”
“Oh, okay, honey, you have a good day, and we’ll talk again soon.”
“Thanks, Mom, love you.”
“I love you, too.”
I hung up and picked up my bag as I headed for the door.
“I wish I had parents like yours,” Ermina said groggily.
My eyes flew to where she stood in the kitchen, coffee cup in hand.
“Jeez, I didn’t know you were standing there!” I exclaimed, my hand going to my heart.
“Mmmm, I was eavesdropping while you talked to your hot dad.”
“Gross.”
I curled my lip up at her as I put my hand on the door handle.
“I gotta go,” I told her, and added, “And, your parents are great.”
She huffed. “My parents are more worried about whether or not I’m tarnishing their good name than how I’m doing in my classes. They’re nothing like your parents.”
I didn’t have time to argue or talk up her parents, so I simply said, “Make sure you make it to class on time. I’ll see you tonight.”
“’Kay.”
I was hurrying to the English building when a large mass stepped into my path.
I looked up, pulled the earbuds out of my ears, and blinked at the sexy crooked grin from the other night.
“Hey,” I said, cringing when it came out more breathless than I’d intended.
“Hey yourself,” Ridge replied with a grin, giving me a onceover.
I was suddenly very aware of the fact that I was wearing the same T-shirt from the party, my hair was pulled back in a makeshift bun, and my face was once again makeup free.
Feeling self-conscious, which only made me defensive, I glared up at him.
“Get a good look?” I asked. “I bet you’re happy I look like this … It falls right into your makeover plan.”
Ridge c****d a dark eyebrow.
“Does that mean you’re going to go along with it?”
I’d told him I’d think about it and get back to him before the party, but I was still on the fence.
“Not sure yet,” I said, before darting around him.
Within seconds he’d fallen into step beside me. “What do you have going on today?” he asked.
“Why?”
“Cause a boyfriend should know his girl’s schedule,” Ridge said with a cocky grin.
“Ugh,” was my reply.
“Come on, it won’t hurt you to tell me…”
No longer hearing him, I stopped in my tracks when I saw Drake and the girl from the party. They were walking up the steps to the English building. He was smiling down at her, and she up at him.
When he opened the door for her and followed her inside, the breath came back into my lungs and I became aware of Ridge talking.
“Karrie.”
I blinked and looked up at him.
A thousand pictures flashed through my mind.
Drake and I at the fields after my games, Drake telling me he loved me as he hovered over me in bed, and Drake smiling at the girl who’d replaced me.
“Okay,” I told Ridge, my mind made up for me. “You have a deal. I’ll be your makeover project and go home with you for Thanksgiving, if you help me make Drake wish he’d never even heard my name.”
- Writer
