Excerpt: Challenge

"Does every word that comes out of your mouth have to be moronic?" Her sassy tone and the unnecessarily frequent click of her tongue made me cringe inwardly and roll my eyes in repulsion. Why did she always pick fights?
"What are you talking about Ann?" I didn't even have to look up at them to know the look that was on Drew's face. It was a mix between a kicked puppy and a knowing smirk, he was convincing like that.
Again, clicking the tongue, "you just gave her, a compliment, while I'm sitting right here." Her scowl had found its way to my face and I could feel the heated gaze burn into my cheek as I looked out the window. She snorted and I couldn't help but turn and give her and equally icy glare.
He chuckled and looked over at me as well. "Seriously Ann, you're way too paranoid," he said returning his blue eyed stare turned back at her. "Me and Kat aren't going to happen." Again. I agreed, not in a million years would I suffer through that.
"Then stop talking to her," Ann glared at her on-again-off-again boyfriend.
"Fine."
Fine. Even though I was not included personally in this conversation, they were talking loud enough to let me know exactly who they were talking about and how they felt, or at least how one of them felt about their subject of intriguing discussion.
"Hey Kat, what time is cross country practice at again?" Drew asked turning and looking fully at me.
I raised an eyebrow annoyed. Boy was dense as, well he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to girls. But, before I could even say anything, Ann turned and glared at me before looking teary-eyed at Drew. Jesus. H. Christ. Was she seriously going to pull this shit again? Like she hadn't all summer when Anth and I would pile into Drew's car, with Ann glaring at me because Drew wanted to do a pick up game with "the guys" and I obviously wasn't a male, but just because I didn't have a penis didn't mean that I couldn't throw the boys around. "Three 'til five," I answered him.
"We are so over," Ann said under her breath, she turned and looked back at me with an almost equally good puppy dog face, but I didn't know what she was trying to plead me to do.
"Soooo, Kat," he said turning and grinning at me, his eyes sparkling which make me twitch. "You need a ride home from practice."
That fucker.
He knows, for Christ's sake, that ever since I was old enough to walk home from school alone, not that Tom really liked it when I walked, that I always ran home after whatever practice I had.
"Go fuck yourself Cornwallis."
"Ms. Geller, is that the impression that you want to leave on the first day of school."
Fuck. Apparently the teacher had just heard me. Good game, Kat. I'm not even going to try and defend myself on that one.
"Detention after school with me."
Fuck.

The first day back at school is always difficult. It is more so for seniors. Our last year and everyone was getting all "Oh em Gee! This is our last year! Let's spend it getting stoned and fucked in the bathrooms and at parties when our parents aren't home!" Fuck that.
I had been ready to be done with school when I started first grade. School, yeah, not for me. But apparently, according to Tom, you needed a College education to get really anywhere in life. He used himself as a prime example. He had been working twelve hour shifts every day at the chemical plant just outside of town forever. Even back when he and Sheryl were married. My dad was pretty cool, I mean, he raised my brother Anth and me practically on his own. Sheryl left us when Anth and I were six, walked out, married her therapist and now tries to win Anth and me over with expensive shit every so often. On our sixteenth birthday, she bought us both cars, two weeks after the fact. We couldn't afford the insurance on two luxury cars, so sadly Tom sold them. Good riddance. He put the money into getting us a used coupe and saved the rest of the money to pay for the insurance on it as well as money for repairs and whatnot. I thought it was Anth's college fund. But when Tom broke his leg about a year back we had to drain the money to pay for the medical bills. I think Anth went to Sheryl about it, because he told me that he got a part-time job that helped to pay the insurance, but I'm not one to be bullshitted.
"Kat is that you?" I always slammed the door shut, habit from my rebellious, … what the fuck was I talking about, I always slammed the door. "Yeah," I called out. I never called Tom, Tom to his face. I don't even remember the last time I called him Dad.
"Got something in the mail."
Mail? Tell me more.
"From state."
State? Shouldn't that be for Anth? "You sure that isn't Anth's?"
"It's addressed to Katherine Geller."
Fuck. I didn't think they'd get back to me so fucking quick. "What is it?"
"I don't know, I didn't open it," Tom said handing it to me.
I snatched it and quickly skimmed it, shoulders falling. Fuuuuck. I tossed it on the table and inhaled deeply and exhaled, holding in the Fuck that I wanted to scream.
"What is it?"
"Waitlisted."
He frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry kiddo." Puppy dog eyes.
Fuck, "yeah, I know."
He sighed. "Well it's not like we didn't expect this."
We? What the fuck are you talking about? I was supposed to get in on my sports skills. What was this bullshit about grades, yeah I know that they suck, but still, the retarded football players are getting into State. "Wait, we what?"
Tom gave me a knowing look. "Kat, kiddo, did you really think you were getting into State just to play basketball? You have to attend classes." He chuckled.
I think my face was contorting, to something like shock, or unbelieving, or fucking something. "What?"
"Well if you can manage to pull your average up to a C+ or so, and Anth does well also, maybe we can strike a deal about you having to go as well if they want him. It depends on how much they want him though. He's smart Kat, but he can't play ball like you."
This was true. Anth liked sports, he liked his friends, and he liked the activity. But his nose was buried in a book more that he was dribbling a ball. I was all about the games. Fuck studying, I wasn't going to understand what the fuck was going on anyway, so why even bother trying? But apparently now, instead of showing off my basketball skills and my knowledge of all things 'sports' to the head honchos' of the local sports broadcasting station and getting the job based on my street smarts over my looks or my book smarts, I was forced to get my dork smarts in order. Fuuuuck.
"Dad!" the door opened, and closed. Nothing like me, slamming and stomping. While this was still loud walking, it was unintentional, Anth was a taller guy, weighed more. I just stomped cause I hated the world.
"In the kitchen," Tom called out, giving me a look that said "We'll talk later." Fuuuck that. He started making dinner and I stared at his back angrily.
Anth and, to my dislike, Drew entered the kitchen, both covered in sweat and stomachs growling. "You're just putting dinner on now?" Anth tried not to whine, but he wanted to eat, the freak wanted to get his studying in. He was tied to his schedule, like its organization made everything better because it was planned. He would tie himself to a bullet train if it fit his tight schedule.
"Yes, your sister and I were just talking." Uh-oh, don't do it Tom.
"About what?" Anth asked, turning to look at me with that oh-so-innocent look on his face.
My eyes went from his to the discarded letter on the table. I went to make a grab at it, but Anth's taller form was blocking my path and Drew snatched it up, right before it was in my hand. FUUUCCCKK.
I watched that sad, angry face as he read over the letter quickly. Fuck him, don't you give me that concerned bullshit face you fucker.
He handed to Anth quickly, as my brother asked him what it said. His eyes scanned quicker, and his brow furrowed deeper, causing the lines on his forehead to pop and almost fold over each other. Damnit.
"Oh, Kat," frown face, sad eyes. "I'm sorry dude, that sucks."
Well no shit it sucks Sherlock, you didn't think I was fucking upset when I read it? At least you have a fucking chance.
"Yeah, whatever." I hate that word, it's too fucking girly, but to spare Tom from my wicked tongue, I used the more feminine usage. That's embarrassing, enough so that I just grabbed the basketball that was on the floor and made my way down the hall and out the front door. On our driveway we had a pretty sweet arch painted with a hoop hanging above the garage door. Anth used it for the drills that he liked to perfect usually around now, but he was inside now, probably discussing with Tom what they were going to do with me and what will happen to me, what they can do to help and all that bullshit. I don't want their fucking help, it'll be useless. Swoosh, I love shooting. The sound of the front door opening and closing doesn't distract me, and I'm not focusing on who walked out because he is the last person I want to talk to about school.
"I can't believe you."
What? "What?"
"You seriously can't act like you don't care about not getting into State."
"I don't even want to go to college."
"Then why apply?"
"Cause Tom wanted it. Says I need a college education to get a decent job."
"Your dad is right." Fucker, missed the shot and now the pain in my ass has joined my own game. And he's pretty good, he knows the rules.
"That's what you think."
"Well what were you going to do. What are you going to do now that you're not going?"
"I never said I wasn't going, they said I was waitlisted, I can still get in."
"Yeah, they waitlist the athletes who's grades aren't good enough to let them think they have a chance. Usually they can't pull their grades up so they don’t get in."
"Yeah, well that's what you say."
"That's what everyone says."
Oh go fuck yourself. "I'll get in."
He laughed at me, "and how do you plan on doing that Kat?"
I cringed, I hated it when he said my name. I tried not to listen and heard the phone ringing inside the house. "I'll figure it out."
"Oh yeah?" he laughed again. "You were never really one for thinking well."
Really? "Fuck you Cornwallis!" I threw the ball at him with a bit much force and it bounced loudly off of the garage door as Tom stormed outside glaring at me.
"Kat! What the hell were you thinking! You skipped detention?!"
Whoops. "Oh, uuh, yeah."
"Why?!?" his face was kinda turning red, hadn't seen it like this in a couple weeks.
"Cause I had cross country practice?" I didn't mean for my voice to crack into a question, but it slipped and I squirmed.
"Well, they kicked you off the team, happy now?"
I think my body shit down there for a minute. "WHAT? Are you fucking kidding me!?"
"Kat!" Veins were popping out of Tom's neck. I was in fucking deep. "You're grounded. For missing detention, and for using that language!" He turned and started walking back into the house, before pausing, "And if you break the garage door you're fucking paying for it!"
I was dry heaving, I think I couldn't breathe. Heart racing, blood pulsing. "Fuck me!" I hissed and looked at Drew in shock.
He shook his head. "Well at least you'll have more time to get your grades up," he smirked.
Glaring, I threw the ball at him again, leaving a rather large dent in the garage door.
"KAT!" Tom called out from inside.
"FUCK!"