First off, thank you for reading my short story. As you are aware, this short is part of the Monthly Simlit Short Story Challenge. If you are going to participate in voting, please note you MUST read ALL entries and vote for the top three stories in both Veteran and Novice categories. Please, don’t let me down readers, and support all the other writers in this challenge.
Now for the story!
Continue reading “Lamb vs Lamb: An April’s Fools Short Story”
Derek glanced down at the light on his car. Shit, shit, shit. He knew he should have brought the jeep in a few weeks ago, but he didn’t think it was a real problem. Now the car was barely moving, steam was hissing out of his front end, and all Derek wanted was for his car to survive another block.
“Just a bit farther, baby. Come on. Come on.”
Kody held his jersey in hand and tried not to get sick. His heart pounded. Game time was in about an hour. His hands shook a little and he couldn’t stop his mind thinking about the “what-ifs” and horrible scenarios that would end his career tonight.
He needed to get a grip. You got this, Kody, he told himself. But did he really? Kody was never one for getting his hopes or dreams up. That was more Derek’s and Brandt’s thing. Kody saw the world as-is. But this…to possibly play in the SBA? Kody never even dreamed that this could be a future for him.
He wanted it. He wanted what everyone else wanted for him—a chance to play pro-ball.
Brandt finally arrived at the bar. He knew he was late, and judging by the shake of Derek’s head and Kody’s eye roll, he also knew they had been talking about it. Though it wasn’t his fault.
“Sorry. I know. I know.” He said and sat across his friend and next to his brother.
“Dude, we said seven,” Derek reminded him.
Brandt nodded at Derek. “Yup, and if it wasn’t for Mom again, I’d have gotten here faster.” He glowered at his brother. “She’s getting to be annoying again.” Continue reading “Chapter 27: Moving Out”
Derek whistled, and his partner came running toward him like a freight train. He held his hand up. “Stop.” The dog stopped, but didn’t sit. Derek had been partnered with his K-9 for the last year. He loved her, and like most of the officers in his department, at the end of the dog’s career, their partner got to keep the dog. Essentially, Pepper was his, and Derek loved her more than anything.
He finished his end-of-the-day training session with her and walked her over to the car. “Up.” Pepper jumped in the back, sat on the seat and waited. She was such a brilliant dog. “Good girl, Pep.”
Derek couldn’t contain his grin as Grandpa pinned the shield on his chest. Grandpa grinned back, and whispered. “Very proud of you, Ric. Very proud.”
“Thanks, Grandpa.”
With that, the ceremony was over. It had been a quick one, and one that Derek wanted to remember his entire life. It had taken him longer than he anticipated to get into the academy. Before he graduated high school, Derek figured he was a shoe-in for a spot. After his first rejection, he ran to his grandfather. He was Chief of Police after all.
Olivia tossed in her bed again. The images were there, taunting her and coming back to her. She woke up again, sweaty and sick. Her stomach rolled and she felt like she was going to throw up.
How could she have been so stupid? She had been drunk that night. She had never been so drunk, not even with Lucas. Derek had been super drunk, she remembered that much. He could barely speak, let alone walk. She was also really positive that there was no way he would have taken advantage of her. Derek was a lot of things; rapist wasn’t one them.
Trigger Warning: Due to the sensitivity of this chapter and the next, I wanted to post a trigger warning. The use of the word rape get’s thrown around and the situation as well might trigger those who have been sexually assaulted. Read at your own discretion.
“Okay, rules before you three head out.” Dad said. He still had the keys. It was Derek’s jeep the three of them were sitting in, but Dad had snagged the keys before Derek grabbed them.
“Dad,” Derek groaned. “We know.”
“Just humor me. If you drink, you stay the night. If there’s drugs, you stay away, and you just tell me if there’s a chance you got a contact high. I trust you three not doing drugs.”
Derek headed to the kitchen in the early morning. He and his friends planned on heading out to the mountains to do some snowboarding. Only thing was, Kody had texted him that morning saying that Mrs. Lamb needed Kody’s car. Damn.
Second Chances 