34: Ghosts Part 1
Luci
I didn’t sleep much last night, tossing and turning most of the night. I sometimes wish I was
one of those people who was tougher with my feelings. Able to deflect them and bury them
better. But it’s not me. I have to work through them sooner rather than later. I feel too much
empathy at times and it can hurt.
Deciding it’s pointless to lay in bed any longer, I get up and start finishing my history essay. I only have one piece left thankfully. As I make my coffee, I think over yesterday again wishing some old ghosts would disappear forever.
Easton’s ears must be burning because he texts me. “Hope you slept Luci.”
Wish I did. “Did your dinner go well?” I ask without answering him.
“About as expected. We are taking Cole to the zoo today with my dad.”
“Have fun.”
I reread the messages, wondering what exactly we are. He took me on a date, but I honestly have no idea where he thinks we stand. He wants to talk tomorrow. I’ll ask if he doesn’t bring it up. Not that his answer matters, I remind myself thinking over his mother’s words.
I work steadily throughout the day getting mostly ahead of my homework schedule only losing focus a few times. We are meeting at Sydney’s for dinner and she asked me to come by early. I grabbed cupcakes yesterday as my contribution for tonight. I text her when I’m ready to walk over and she tells me to let myself in.
Music is playing softly as I open the door and I hear her singing. She’s in the kitchen pulling a lasagna out of the oven. “Hey Syd.” I call out to warn her so I don’t startle her.
“Heard you already.” She sets it on the stove and throws her oven mitts down. I set the cupcakes on her island and she turns to face me. “So I found out that Stormi had an issue with a ball player at her last school. Seems like he was harassing her and that’s why she left her old college.”
“Jackass attractor too, I guess. She does fit in with us.” I say wryly.
“Sounds like it. We’ll see if she reveals that to us. If so, I would say we can trust her.”
Twenty minutes later, Stormi knocks on the door. She drops her salad on the counter before walking over and gently gripping my hands. “I heard Maxton Porter was cut from the hockey
1/4
49 Points
34: Ghosts Part 1
team for some stunt Friday night. Luci, did it involve you? Did he hurt you? My friend, Mike,
said he’s got a nasty streak and he’s seen him yelling at you.”
“It did and it didn’t. He trashed the coach’s office and hoped to frame me for it. He tried to trap
me in there.”
She bangs her fist on the island. “Damn I wish I’d never given him my phone.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered. Apparently, he had my number and was going to use some trick to
make his number look like a friend’s to get me there.” I shudder as I think about what Easton
revealed.
Stormi gives me a sad look. “I heard the football team treats you badly from some of the people at the paper. Especially Julian Soames. If you ever want to talk about it, I’ll listen. I
know a lot about athletes who turn nasty.”
“What happened to you?” Sydney asks as I debate telling her my story.
She almost appears to be in pain. “I dated a baseball player before we moved. When I refused
to sleep with him after two months, he spread fake nude pictures about me around campus. It
was awkward because my mom taught at the school.”
“College did nothing?” I ask knowing the answer already.
“Nope. His family was very wealthy and friends with the dean. Not to mention he’s one of their
star players and they went to the college world series the year before. I fought back using the
paper to clear my name. My editor was all in favor of it. But never underestimate a conceited
asshole athlete.”
“Truer words never spoken.” I agree softly.
Stormi takes a long deep breath. “My brother, Lyle, has Down Syndrome and Cade thought he
should use him to get back at me. He became his buddy through his trade school program
and tried to turn him against me. It was awful. He would turn up everywhere it seemed like. As soon as my parents figured it out, my mom resigned and we left. Came here and I can breathe
again.”
Syd stares at me before nodding subtly. I fold my legs beneath me, getting comfortable.
“My parents died when I was three, Stormi. I grew up in foster care. The other kids in my high
school used to tease me for it. Which is not important except that it made me so ready for a
change where no one knew me.”
Stormi’s eyes soften with sympathy. “That is important, Luci.”
DIA
+8 Points
34: Ghosts Part 1
I shake my head. “Freshman year, I came here with Sydney due to a full scholarship. I was excited for a fresh start. Wanted to fully experience life as an unknown, free college girl. We got student tickets to the football games and went to the first two home games. They were good that year. Julian’s older brother was the senior quarterback. Marshall is his name. After the second game, I went by the store late that night and quite literally bumped into Marshall in the ice cream section. My head was in wonderland as usual. He laughed and introduced himself. He was nice. Asked me if I wanted to go have coffee. We went and talked for a long time. He seemed genuine and funny. Asked for my number and I gave it to him. Naive little girl Luci’s first strike. He started coming by after his home games and would bring dinner or dessert. After about three of those dates, he asked me about being his girlfriend, but said it
had to be kept between us until the season was over. His explanation being that his coach.
was a psycho about them dating during the season. Naive i***t strike number two for me
because I agreed.” Sydney takes my hand, knowing what comes next. “I thought he cared
about me. I thought I was falling in love with him. He knew about my ADHD and…all my secrets by the end of it all. Acted like it was nothing to be concerned with. We eventually slept together after four months, that December. During the winter break, Syd and I went shopping for Christmas. I was looking for his present ironically. I heard him laugh and got all excited.
Ran around the corner to surprise him and witnessed him kissing another girl’s neck as they
laughed. She was gorgeous. I watched them for a few minutes frozen as they sat there kissing
with him whispering in her ear. I came out of my stupor when he told her he loved her so
much. I backed away in horror and managed to run into the store’s Christmas display. Just
like in some stupid movie, it all toppled over with me going with it. When I sat up, he was
staring right at me. I was crying and he looked terrified. He hurried that girl out of the store. Marshall showed up at my place late that night, saying it was all a misunderstanding. But by then, Syd and I had done our own investigation. Syd heard him call her name. She was his fiancée who had two social media accounts with photos of him plastered everywhere. He
wasn’t tagged under his name though. We looked him up early on after I met him. He had no
social media accounts, saying it made it too easy for ball bunnies to stalk him. More like
easier to hide his infidelity. Because I found out there was another at the same time as me
along with one the year before. We could form a support group. His real girl went to the
women’s college thirty minutes away. They had been together for four years. He turned me
into the other woman without my knowledge.”
“That sonofabitch!” Stormi rants. “I’d ask if you castrated him, but I’ve seen him on the news
interviews. Unfortunately, he’s alive and playing fine. Someone large that plays hockey should
go break his f*****g hands and end his career.” Her voice is full of pure venom.
Sydney slow claps. “Damn, you are now officially forever part of our tribe. I love that idea and
DIA
+3 Deins
34: Ghosts Part 1
hope to pass it along to a blonde hockey god who definitely has a righteous temper.”
I stare at Stormi with surprise. “I saw him following you in the hallway one day. He was staring
after you with this little smile. If he hasn’t asked you out, he will.” She says with a fleeting
smirk. Her eyes widen before she suddenly grabs my other hand, looking terrified. “Luci, did
Marshall force you?”
“No, but looking back I can see how he manipulated me. Little comments about how hard it was for him to wait for me. I was hesitant to move so fast with him. I did because I thought….. thought someone finally saw me and not the labels I’ve worn all my life. He saw me for sure, but as a challenge to add to his list.”
I swallow the furious shame that comes with those memories before continuing.
“The reason why some of the team hates me is because his fiancée was Brooklyn Humphries; the beloved princess, golden girl daughter of Franklin Humphries, Kenton’s head football coach. And it shattered her beyond repair when she found out he cheated on her. He blames
me for all of it.”
Ivory Row
And now you know most of what is behind the coach’s bullshit. Like I said, I don’t like them and they are complete trash.
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