Chapter 1 - Freshman In Paradise
* * * * *
It was early evening in mid May and a warm spring breeze flowed through Trevor's bedroom window. His favorite rock station blared from the speakers and subwoofer of his desktop computer. He lounged in a beanbag, blasting his friends to smithereens and getting obliterated in turn as they enjoyed a deathmatch session before dinner. Trevor knew he would need to wrap it up soon. He could smell the Mexican seasoning, sizzling meat and the salsa emanating from downstairs. It was taco night in the Marshall household and all was right with the world.
Trevor was in that special time and place that, years from now, he would look back on fondly. That snapshot in time that adults dream of going back to for a second taste. He was a high school senior, soon to graduate. His crucial classwork was finished and all that remained was the last few weeks of school events, partying and soaking it all in.
The strapping, six foot young man with brown hair and matching eyes was well known in his small town. He prided himself on being friends with just about everyone in his class and all the lower classmen who entered his orbit. He was the first to show up to any party and often the last to wake up and stumble home when the illicit substances wore off.
Trevor was a member of the football team; a wide receiver. While he was no elite athlete and his years on the
Summerfield Spartans
hadn't earned him any invitations to prestigious universities, he didn't care. He simply enjoyed cracking skulls and having fun on the field. The competition and camaraderie were reward enough for him.
Perhaps he
should've
been more concerned that he was about to graduate and had yet to form any concrete plans for the fall, but Trevor couldn't be bothered. He was a free spirit who lived in the moment and gave little thought to crossing bridges until he arrived at them. Trevor had just turned eighteen a month ago and the world was his oyster.
Besides, he had no shortage of options. Trevor was getting better at playing the bass guitar all the time. He and a few of his buddies held semi-regular jam sessions and there was talk of taking their cover band on the road. Maybe he would do some construction or landscaping work and save up some money over the summer. He could finally buy a vehicle instead of biking, borrowing his Dad's car or bumming a ride from his friends. That seemed like a better idea than taking out loans and jumping right into college when one had no idea what they wanted to study. If all else failed, there was the military. There was always a place for a fit young man in the armed forces.
These possibilities might as well have been grains of sand on some distant beach. Right now, all Trevor cared about was enjoying his game and wolfing down entire plates of delicious Tex Mex cuisine. His stomach winced as he performed a double kill and howled in victory over his headset. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long for the familiar voice of his stepmother to yell up the stairs.
"
TREVOR! WE'RE JUST ABOUT READY!
"
"Alright! Be right there!"
Trevor said goodbye to his friends, logged out and powered down his videogame console. He pushed himself off the comfy vinyl seat and sprinted out the door. His sneakers stamped down the stairs swiftly as he was drawn to the dining room by the heavenly aroma of spiced ground beef and chicken. Upon entering, he was unsurprised to find his stepmother seated at the table enjoying her first glass of wine. No doubt father had poured it for her, happily.
Right on cue, his dad emerged from the other entrance; the one that connected the dining room to the kitchen. Richard was a tall, thin, olive skinned man of mixed Italian / Spanish origin whose hairline hadn't budged at forty five. He carried a metal tray of heated taco shells with an oven-mitted hand and a porcelain bowl of hot ground beef in the other. He set them on the table with a smile.
"Hungry?"
"As a spring bear!" Trevor confirmed as he took his seat.
His father chuckled and strode off to get the chicken, tortillas, salsa, chips, salad and everything else they would need for the feast.
"I can give you a hand, if you want?"
"Nah, I got it" Richard waved him off.
Trevor watched him go before his eyes shifted to the grinning Stacy. He was still amazed at how much things had changed in recent years. His parents had split up when he was fairly young and Trevor's father had been an entirely different man up until four years ago. Trevor's mom was out of the picture entirely and his father had wallowed in self pity for a long time after.
Back then, when he wasn't working, Richard lounged around the house and drank. Chores and bills piled up. If dinner wasn't takeout or delivery, Trevor was left to fend for himself. Richard was never abusive during his drinking, just preoccupied and neglectful. He would often leave for dates in the early evening and not return home until long after Trevor was asleep.
That all changed when the fit, curvy blonde at the end of the table entered their lives. Trevor couldn't deny his stepmom looked good for her age. The crazy thing was, she was a few years older than Richard, though she certainly didn't look it. Trevor never would've guessed his father the type to go for an older woman, but Stacy had him wrapped around her finger.
When he remarried two years ago, Richard was well on the way to becoming a model husband and father. Getting along with Stacy had been rocky at first, but as things with his dad improved, Trevor couldn't hold any grudges against the new head of the Marshall household, which was definitely
her
. Was it even still the Marshall household? Stacy had opted to retain her maiden name.
Trevor didn't know much about her profession, except that she was some kind of therapist and counselor. She worked for a private practice and didn't like talking about her work. Regardless, her skills had helped turn his father's life around.
Since moving in, they'd converted half the basement into a private studio for Stacy. She and father would often be down there at night, enjoying their private time. Trevor never made an attempt to breach their little sanctum. The stern stepmom kept it under perpetual lock and key and Trevor had no desire to uncover her secrets. The last thing he wanted to think about was his father and Stacy boning, nor was he interested in whatever weird shit they were into.
"Looking forward to graduation?" Stacy asked between sips of her Zinfandel.
"Hell yeah! It's gonna be a nonstop bash for like three days. I've got invitations to three different parties. It all starts the minute we toss those caps!"
Stacy offered him a thin smile. "Yes, I'm sure that will be fun. A well deserved bit of revelry, but it'll be over before you know it. Have you given any more thought to what you'll be doing this summer? Or, more importantly, this fall?"
"Some" Trevor answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "But I haven't made any decisions yet. Still weighing my options."
Richard walked back into the room for the third time, setting down the remaining items before taking his seat at the table. He pulled his chair in and gawked at the bounty before him, ruminating over what he wanted first.
"I see" she responded with a nod. "Well, perhaps your father and I can help you with that. We have some news, don't we Richard?"
"Oh, yes! Big news! But we'll get to that soon enough. Please, dig in! Before it gets cold."
The trio hastily assembled their meals, enjoying their favorite combinations of the available ingredients. They chatted amicably about current events and the upcoming graduation as they ate, but as the meal drew to a close, the conversation turned back to Trevor's future.
"So, as Stacy mentioned, we have a proposition for you."
"What kind of proposition?" Trevor asked, his gaze shifting between the two.
