JD brushed his tousled dark curls out of his eyes and yelled at the opposing team:
"Next time, bring someone worth playing! You guys play like a bunch of girls!"
"Phil, come on, let's grab some lunch!".
JD addressed his friend, a well-built dark-skinned man with a crew cut and chiseled jawline.
"Can't Bro, I don't have any money!"
"Neither do I" The heavily-built six-foot-two quarter back grunted, "But I see someone that can help with that".
"Hey, give me 20 bucks..." JD yelled at a timid, mousy girl that happened to be passing the field. She had short, dark hair, and was wearing a black hoodie with the name of some obscure JPop band. It was at least a size too big for her, and hung down below her waist.
"Johnathan! That's my money, I need it for lunch and the bus fare!"
"Walk. Give me 20 bucks..."
"You are so mean!!!"
"Dude, that was harsh, isn't she like, your sister, or something?"
"Hell no. My dad is dating some Asian chick, and Kimmy is her daughter. We live together, that's all, she's nothing to me."
"Still though dude, she seems like a really nice girl, maybe you should lay off a little? I mean it can't be easy for her, living in a strangers house like that..."
"Phil, I don't want to hear this, alright? I can't stand that girl, she grinds my gears."
"Come on bro, she's not that bad! And she's kinda hot too, I wouldn't mind living with a girl like that!"
"Hot? Dude she's got tiny mosquito-bite tits and hair that looks like someone dropped a razor on her head! The sooner my dad chucks her mom and I can get back to my life the better. Now, are we going to go play, or sit here talking?"
"Alright Johnny, there's no need to yell at me too!"
"I told you before, it's not "Johnny" it's J-D. Johnny makes me sound like some kind of condom. No one calls me Johnny, got it?".
He and his best friend Phil grabbed a quick lunch at McDonald's, courtesy of their ill-gotten gains, before taking the bus home.
JD had just turned 18, and his dad was pressing him to pick a career, choose a college, "get serious about his life".
But JD couldn't care less.
He would never admit it, but he had always had everything handed to him. He was naturally good-looking, with an athletic body and movie-star features, and on the rare occasions when he applied himself, he could be intelligent too.
It's not that he was lazy, his performance on the football field proved that, it was more that he was aimless, he lacked direction, and his father had frustrated all attempts to impose this on his wayward son.
He didn't think about his future, and deep down, he hoped it would just sort itself out eventually.
"Phil, Come on, let's go to the beach" JD said.
It was dark when he got home. He and Phil had knocked back a few illicit beers on the beach and lost track of time.
He strolled into the kitchen, not quite drunk but getting there.
Kimmy and her mom, Emi, were sitting at the table. Kimmy sat with her moms arms around her. It was clear that she had been crying.
JD's dad, Steve stood near the door with a sour look on his face.
Steve was a stern-looking man with graying hair and a good physique. He was taller than JD, but much less broad. JD respected him once, but with his son as his only family now, Steve had lost his edge.
"Where have you been?" he glowered.
"Out" JD replied.
"Don't give me that! Out, out where? And what's this I hear about you stealing money from Kimmy earlier? She had to walk all the way home because she had no bus fare! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Anything could have happened!"
"Not my problem" JD shrugged, and opened the fridge.
"Don't you dare turn your back on me! We are going to sit down as a family and we're going to talk about this, now, sit!"
"Not gonna happen old man. I'm just grabbing a bite and then I'm meeting Phil."
"The hell you are! You're not going out again! In fact, you're grounded!"
"I'm 18 Dad, you can't ground me anymore. I'll see you tomorrow."
Without a care in the world, JD glanced sideways at Kimmy and her mom, and left as quickly as he had arrived.
Life went on, as it does, for six months.
JD finished school and, at his fathers behest, got a job as a trainer with a local football team.
He had even gotten himself a girlfriend, Sam. Adventurous and outgoing, she was a year older than JD. She was starting college in his town and was old enough to hit the bars without getting carded, she was a perfect match for him.
To his delight, Emi and his dad eventually split up. One night he heard raised voices and soft sobbing, and the next morning they were gone.
He never asked about it, but JD suspected it had something to do with him.
It was no secret that he hated living with Emi and Kimmy, and eventually, they just couldn't take it anymore.
JD's father barely spoke to him for a week, and for the first time, JD actually felt bad about it.
His dad really cared for Emi.
"Maybe I should have given her a chance" JD thought. "She really wasn't all that bad".
JD silenced his guilt the same way that he always did, by working out at the gym, or beating the guys at soccer practice.
Another six months went by.
JD's father convinced him to try out for a sports scholarship, to at least give him a chance at improving his future, but as usual, he flaked, and missed the deadline.
JD worked part-time as a personal trainer at the gym, but made barely enough money for gas.
Now he was 19, still living at home, and was going nowhere fast.
JD and Steve argued a lot, and as the days went by their relationship deteriorated.
Steve still blamed him for Emi leaving him, JD could feel it.
Steve had to make a choice between his son or his partner, and he did what any father would do, but he resented JD for it.
Any man would.
-
One night JD came home after training, and found the lights off.
He entered the darkened kitchen, and headed for the fridge, but jumped in fright as he saw a man sitting in the dark.
"Dad?" he said, startled.
Steve sat at the dinner table, a glass of scotch in his hands, a half empty bottle sitting next to it.
"Sit down" he said.
"There's been an accident".
"Emi and Kimmy... They were... On their way into town, and... A drunk driver... hit their car..."
"Fuck, dad, I'm sorry..."
Steve replied by draining his glass.
"At the last second, Emi turned the car so that the drunk collided with the drivers side first. She was killed. Kimmy survived." He continued.
