Full Court Press

by Rose, Ashley

  “I’m fine where I’m at,” Car insisted.

  Her father sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Carmondy, I’ll be finding you an apartment today. You are eighteen, so they will allow you to stay in it alone. I will call you before your practice is over to get you the information and leave the keys in your Jeep. You will not spend another night at this boy’s house.” He motioned to Anderson. “And I will be asking the apartment manager to keep tabs on you to ensure that you are staying in the building.”

  “Great, Dad. Thanks for the trust.”

  “Well, I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with this boy—”

  “I told you, we’re friends. That’s all.”

  “Be that as it may, you will spend your nights in the apartment, no exceptions, unless it is an overnight basketball trip or you can make it home in a timely fashion. You can have girlfriends over. I’ll get you at least a two bedroom, but I want you to spend the nights there.”

  “Dad, I don’t need a two bedroom.”

  “Well, that’s what I’m getting you, so you’ll have to deal with it. I won’t have time today to do it myself, but I’ll enlist a worker at my shop here in Prosser to stock the apartment with groceries and that sort of thing. Now,” he checked his watch, “you’ve made me late for my meeting. I’ll call you with the apartment address before you leave.”

  She nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Dad.” She moved to hug him like always but he either didn’t notice or didn’t care. He turned and walked back over to his side of the car and got in.

  As they left, Carmondy wanted to cry. She and her father always got along so well and for him to be unhappy with her was an unfamiliar feeling. She didn’t like it at all. She looked around at the three who were still standing with her. “I’m really sorry about that, guys. You didn’t have to lie for me.”

  Anderson shrugged. “That was fun.” He pulled Kendall tighter and grabbed her ass. “Right, sweetheart?”

  “Get offa me.” She shoved him away playfully. “You big slab of meat.”

  He grinned before turning to Carmondy. “But you get an apartment now, that’s cool!”

  “Yeah, I suppose, but now you won’t have anyone to cook for you.”

  “Oh that’s right...damn. Hey! Kendall, you can cook.”

  “Umm, no, not really,” Kendall said.

  Car sighed and gazed after her father. He had seemed so disappointed in her. She wasn’t used to that. As tears started to well in her eyes, she felt ridiculous. She was an adult and shouldn’t be crying over a little argument with her father, certainly not in front of her friends.

  Kendall must have noticed her emotions. She grabbed both the boys’ arms and turned them back to the school. “Why don’t you boys run along now? Let me and Carmondy have some girl talk.”

  “What?” Beck asked, trying to turn back.

  “Nope.” She turned him around. “We’ll see you inside.”

  Before the boys could protest, Kendall opened the door to the Jeep and pushed Carmondy in.

  “What are you—”

  Kendall shut the door and rounded the car to get into the passenger side. “Okay, girl, what’s going on?”

  Carmondy sighed and dropped her head back against the seat. “It’s just...God, I never fight with my dad, I hate it. I mean...he was out of line but I just...I can’t stand him being disappointed in me. I shouldn’t be getting all upset. What’s wrong with me?”

  “Uh, you’re human?”

  Carmondy frowned and looked at her friend. “I don’t like being human.”

  Ten minutes later, Kendall had successfully talked Carmondy through her issues enough that she was able to go back into the school seemingly unfazed. She didn’t like showing emotions, especially to Beck.

  As Kendall left her to walk to her class in the opposite direction, Carmondy checked her cell phone. She still had almost fifteen minutes before she needed to be in class. She should be eating but she found she didn’t have much of an appetite.

  As Carmondy pushed through the crowd, a hand latched onto her wrist and pulled her off to the side. One second she was being dragged along and the next second, her back was pushed against a wall, a little ways away from the crowd.

  Beck was up in her face, a closeness that she was actually starting to get used to.

  “Hey.” She glanced around awkwardly.

  “What was that about?” he asked.

  “Uhh...you mean my dad being all asshole and stuff?”

  “No, afterwards, when you and Kendall got in your Jeep.”

  She frowned, unwilling to tell him that she had been on the verge of crying. “Just girl talk.”

  “It was not. Now tell me.”

  “No. Get away from me.” She tried to push him away but he only stepped closer, planting his hands on the wall on each side of her to block her escape.

  “Why won’t you tell me?”

  “Why do you even want to know?”

  “I lied for you. That gives me some jurisdiction, doesn’t it?” he pointed out.

  “What? Are you blackmailing me?”

  “No.” He pushed his head closer so he could talk into her ear. “Blackmailing would be ‘Tell me what I want to know or I’ll tell everyone in the hallway what we did Sunday night. Or rather, what you wanted done to you’.”

  Carmondy’s heart stopped. She blinked and tried to breathe but she felt like her chest had collapsed. The thought of everyone knowing made her shake. Beck’s harsh face blurred in and out for a moment before she could get her eyes to focus.

  He wouldn’t...would he? Yes, of course he would. He didn’t care about her feelings. He had made that clear. She wanted to be as far away as possible. She couldn’t bear to be here when he revealed one of the most private, shameful things in her life.

  As she tried to remember how to breathe, the only other thing going through her mind was to get away. Get away from him, from this hallway, from people. She tried to push him out of the way but he didn’t budge.

  He was saying something to her but she didn’t hear it. All she could hear was what Beck would be saying within the next few moments.

  Spilling her secret to everyone.

  Exposing her shame.

  She pushed hard on his chest. “Get away from me!”

  She wasn’t sure how loud she had yelled it, but it got him to jump back and several heads to turn in their direction. She didn’t stick around for the show though. She took off at a run. She didn’t know where she could go to keep him and other people away but she had to find somewhere.

  “Carmondy!”

  She looked back over her shoulder and saw Beck start to follow her. The door to the locker room slammed open as she ran into it. Once she was in, she stumbled to a walk and sat down hard on a bench. Thankfully, there were only a few girls and Beck wasn’t allowed. She leaned her elbows on her knees and tried to breathe again.

  She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. It was just Alli.

  “Hey. You okay, girl? You look shaken up.”

  Carmondy could only nod. She wanted Alli to leave her alone and—

  The locker room door burst open and Beck strode in.

  “What the fuck!” Alli exclaimed. “You can’t be in here!”

  Beck ignored her, pushing right past the girl and grabbing Carmondy. He hauled her up by her waist, and half-carried, half-dragged her into a storage room filled with volleyballs and yoga mats. Once inside, he let her go and locked the door behind him.

  Alli pounded loudly on the door. “What the fuck are you doing? Unlock this mother fucking door and let her out!” Beck didn’t, of course, and the banging stopped right away. “Don’t worry, Carmondy! I’m going to go get a key!”

  Beck didn’t seem deterred though, pinning her with a stare.

  Carmondy didn’t like the look on his face and backed away until she bumped into a wall lined with shelves.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Beck asked, crossing the room quickly, closing th
e distance she had put between them

  “Get away from me! Do you know the meaning of those words?”

  “What is your problem?”

  “What’s my problem?” she asked. She wanted to laugh hysterically. She gripped the racks behind her tightly, trying to hide her shaking hands. “You just said you were going to tell dozens of people something that...I can’t even process. Just the thought of people knowing...makes me sick. I want to...I need to be away from you, and when you tell everyone—”

  Beck reached out and touched her arm. “You aren’t making sense.”

  “You’re going to tell!” She yanked her arm away and fought to stay upright. Her legs had decided that they didn’t want to support her anymore. “What we did was...beyond private and you said so. I know you can’t grasp this but I trusted you. I had to trust you like I’ve never trusted anyone before. And I can’t...with everyone knowing, and my dad hating me, and he’d find out and everyone will think that I’m a pervert, and I’ll be alone and—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Beck stopped her. “I’m not going to tell anyone.”

  You just said that you were.” Kendall had stopped her tears once already today but it had only been temporary and she felt like she was losing control. She choked and turned away. Beck couldn’t see her like this.

  “Hey...” Beck’s hand on her shoulder made her flinch and try to step away but he wasn’t having it. He stepped closer, trapping her in a corner.

  She wiped roughly at her cheeks, trying to get rid of the tears. Everything was swirling in her head: Beck telling everyone, her father hating her, and then finding this out on top of it, the looks she would get in the hallways. It was all too much. If Beck wanted to tell, then he was going to tell and there was nothing she could do about it.

  “Carmondy...I don’t...”

  “Just go away,” she choked out, curling her shoulders in, trying to protect herself from his gaze.

  “Goddammit.” Suddenly his arms were around her, pulling her tightly against his chest and tucking her face into his neck. He slid down the wall, curling her up into his lap as he sat on the floor.

  “Shhh...” he consoled her. “I’m not going to tell anyone. I promise.”

  She just shook harder though. She didn’t think that this level of compassion was within Beck’s abilities. Even though she had heard the promise, she couldn’t stop the tears from coming. She pressed her face against Beck’s neck. She wanted to pull away but at least this way, he couldn’t see her crying.

  One of Beck’s hands kept her face securely tucked against him while the other rubbed her back in long, soothing strokes. “God, Carmondy, I don’t understand—”

  “You said you were going to tell everyone,” she said against his warm skin.

  “I didn’t mean it.” He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “Fuck, I’m stupid. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “You said it like that.”

  “I know but...I would never tell anyone, I was just messing with you. So...stop crying please.”

  “I-I can’t...”

  “Okay, take your time,” he said, his hand stroking her hair.

  She gulped in a deep breath and let her head turn to the side, resting her cheek on his collarbone. The tears had slowed to a trickle and Beck used his thumb to wipe one away.

  “I’m so sorry that you took it that way, I shouldn’t have—”

  The noise came from the doorknob a split second before it swung open, revealing a pissed off Kendall and Alli.

  Kendall strode over to where Beck was sitting on the floor. “You piece of shit, let her go right now or I’m going to—”

  “Kendall.” Carmondy looked up, pleading for her friend to understand. “I’m okay. Can we...get a minute alone?”

  “No! I don’t know what he said to you but—”

  “Kendall. It’s okay. I just...I need a minute, please?”

  Kendall didn’t look too happy about it but she turned and strode back to the doorway. “Fine. If you’re not out in five minutes, I’m coming back.” She shot a deadly warning look at Beck before she shut the door, leaving the two alone again.

  Carmondy wiped her cheeks one last time before pulling away from Beck. As she slid off his lap, his arms loosened and let her go.

  She opened her mouth to speak but wasn’t sure what to say. He had just comforted her, and she hadn’t thought that was even possible from him.

  “Are you okay?” he finally asked, tired of waiting.

  No, she wasn’t okay. She was confused as hell and the short tear session hadn’t seemed to provide any relief from the pressure inside of her. “You seem to care.”

  Beck looked away. “I don’t like making girls cry. I didn’t mean to and I’m sorry.”

  She nodded and used the countertop to pull herself to her feet. “Okay.” She headed for the door but Beck leapt up, getting in her path.

  “That’s it? Okay?”

  “What were you hoping for?”

  “I don’t know, maybe...I’m fine. I’m better now. You’re forgiven. I trust you. Any of those.”

  “You’re forgiven.”

  “And the others? Don’t you trust me? I promised that I won’t tell anyone and I mean it.”

  “I believe you...on that. But I can’t trust you, not in the broad sense of the word, anyway.”

  “Why the hell not?” he demanded, stepping closer.

  She stepped back, not wanting to deal with his wrath right now. “That’s why, Beck. That is exactly why.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I can see that.”

  He clenched his jaw. “I could care less if you liked me, or if you wanted me, or if you hated me. But I’ve given you no reason not to trust me.”

  “You’ve given me no reason to trust you. I don’t know you, Beck. You don’t let me in, you don’t even try. You can’t just expect me to trust you when you don’t put any effort in. So you haven’t told anyone about us, about my...perverted fantasies. So what? That doesn’t require effort. I can’t trust you if I don’t know you.”

  “They aren’t perverted and that’s dumb.”

  She nodded. “Sure. It’s dumb, I’m dumb, whatever. Why do you even care? Why do you want me to trust you? You don’t care about my feelings, which is fine. I know the drill. But if this thing between us is no strings attached then...why do you even care?”

  He looked at her. She could see his mind working. He didn’t know the answer to the question and seemed just as confused as she was.

  “You’re right. I don’t care, just...” He ran a hand through his hair. “We are clear that I would never tell anyone, right?”

  “Yes. I believe you on that now, and I’m sorry I freaked out, but I’m a girl, a teenage girl, and that’s what we do; freak out for no apparent reason.”

  “You had a reason. You’re upset at yourself and your father and this just pushed you over the edge. I’m not going to say that I understand because I don’t. I hate my father, but you two obviously have a closer relationship.”

  She nodded. “Can I go now?”

  He looked at her for a little while longer before he turned and opened the door for her. He held it open as she walked out, meeting two furious-looking girls.

  “Are you okay, Carmondy? Do I need to get someone bigger then Beck to beat the shit out of him?” Alli asked, eyeing the tall boy.

  Carmondy couldn’t help but smile. “Is there anyone bigger?”

  Alli shrugged. “I think there are a couple football players who could team up for the job.”

  “Thanks, but...” She glanced at Beck, who was now leaving. “No thanks.”

  Kendall steered her over to a bench and sat her down. “Are you okay though? You’ve been crying. What did he say?”

  “It was just...I’m fine now? Okay? That’s all that matters, and I don’t really want to talk about it.”

  * * *

  True to his word, Carmondy’s father had left a voicemail on
her phone outlining the address to her new apartment. He had said that he would be paying an employee from his shop to stock her apartment with bedding, groceries, utensils and other necessities to get her by until some of her stuff was brought down from the house.

  She had said goodbye to her friends as she left the locker room, and Kendall had wished her luck on her apartment. Carmondy avoided the boys on her way out, leaving through the back door so she didn’t have to see Anderson or especially Beck.

  She checked inside her glove box once she got into her car and sure enough, a set of keys were in there, like her father had said, along with a brochure of the apartment complex with a map on it.

  Using the map, she navigated to the apartment. It was dark out but the parking lot of the complex was well lit. She parked in one of the two spots that matched the apartment number on her key.

  She was glad that you had to enter from the outside, so she didn’t have to go inside a building to get into the apartment. She unlocked the correct door using the bigger key on the new key ring and stepped inside.

  As she walked in, there was a small entryway with a coat rack and bench. The kitchen was big for an apartment, with a new stove, large refrigerator and even a granite countertop island. The kitchen and dining area continued to a living area complete with a TV, Lazy Boy, and couch. Everything was new and crisp. All of the furniture was in neutral, muted colors and she sort of felt like she was in a hospital waiting room.

  She continued into a bedroom off to the right, flipping on the lights as she set her bags down. The bed was covered in a light-blue comforter and matching pillows and sheets.

  The bedroom was large, with a big walk-in closet and bathroom. Her father really hadn’t spared any expense. The closet had several racks for hangers and a couple large cabinets. The one at the back had a key hole and she took her new keys out of her pocket and tried the mysterious smaller key in the lock. It unlocked the door to show a large cabinet with deep shelves that was kind of cool. She ventured to the other side of the living room and into the other bedroom. This room was a little smaller and had a bed but no sheets or other furnishing. It also had a closet and decent-sized bathroom.

  She sighed and went back out to the living, dining, and kitchen area. She had to admit that she liked the openness. Then she noticed a slip of paper on the kitchen counter along with a key, and she picked them up.