the damage?”
There was silence on the line before Shaun came out with it. “I’m uh, suspended from Big Nu for a little bit.”
“How long is a little bit?”
“Oh, you know, ‘til the coach calms down. That asshole Webb ‘Cherry’ Chenault threw me under the bus.”
Kyle didn’t bother to hide his irritation. “So it’s everyone else’s fault but yours, because you didn’t have anything to do with getting kicked off the football team.”
“Who says I was kicked off the team?”
“I read about it online. ESPN and the Bleacher Report called my rep to see if I had a comment on it.”
“Oh.” Instead of Shaun reflecting on how he’d messed up, he simply said, “So can you get me back on the team?”
Kyle inwardly cursed. He knew his baby brother was prone to idiotic behavior, but he’d hoped Shaun realized what an opportunity he’d been given. “That’s not how it works. You sit on the bench until you prove yourself worthy enough to take the field. And you listen to the coaching staff, especially the head coach-”
“But he doesn’t know anything!”
“Now you’re whining.”
“Yeah, but the plays he sent in sucked. You said yourself those plays wouldn’t work-”
“I said they wouldn’t work in the NFL. Because college ball and pro ball are two different animals. But you didn’t hear that part, did you?”
“I guess not. But-”
“Shut the fuck up and just listen. You go to his office, shake his hand and the hands of any staff who may be around, and tell them you’re grateful for the opportunity even though it didn’t work out. Then you go to your dorm, pack your shit and wait for the limo I’m sending to pick you up.”
“Aw come on Kyle, if you just talk to him-”
“You’ve got one hour. Just one. After that, you can make your way back hitchhiking for all I care. Get your ass back here and I’ll see if a smaller college will take you.”
“But-but Notre Dame-” Shaun sputtered.
“Is out of the question now, because you blew it. You can’t just walk on any college campus and throw my name around as if my experience in the NFL magically transfers to you. I had to pay my dues and so do you, if you truly want to become a pro baller. Right now you’ll be lucky if a community college accepts you.” With that Kyle ended the call, but not before reminding his brother that he had one hour.
Willa was standing off to the side, watching Kyle as he paced the room, both hands on his hips. “Kyle, he just wants to be like you. He wanted to make you proud enough to come to one of his games. That’s why he took getting benched so hard.”
“I saw him, Willa. I watched the game on TV. Shaun had a fucking temper tantrum, stomping away from the offensive coordinator, throwing his helmet on the ground, dropping f bombs at the coach and other players who tried to calm him down. He even took a swing at Webb, the starting quarterback. Not only did he let his team down but he’s blown any chance of transferring to another school.”
Willa’s face looked stricken. “Scott didn’t tell me all that. He said-”
“What’s Scott got to do with any of this?”
“He was just trying to give Shaun a pep talk since you’re always so busy now with your new girlfriend-”
“LEAVE HARLOW OUT OF IT!” he bellowed, and Willa dropped her head. “What the fuck is Shaun doing calling Scott?” As far as Kyle was concerned, Scott had more than enough pressure on him. “Scott needs to get clean Willa. That’s all I want him to concentrate on. Not Shaun’s whining because he’s trying to play big man on campus. And not my love life, because that’s nobody’s business but mine. You got that?”
Gathering her emotions, Willa started again. “I was trying to say, that because you’ve been occupied elsewhere neither of them can come to you with their problems.”
“If they can call me about giving them money they can damn sure tell me about their problems. So don’t use Harlow
There was silence on the line before Shaun came out with it. “I’m uh, suspended from Big Nu for a little bit.”
“How long is a little bit?”
“Oh, you know, ‘til the coach calms down. That asshole Webb ‘Cherry’ Chenault threw me under the bus.”
Kyle didn’t bother to hide his irritation. “So it’s everyone else’s fault but yours, because you didn’t have anything to do with getting kicked off the football team.”
“Who says I was kicked off the team?”
“I read about it online. ESPN and the Bleacher Report called my rep to see if I had a comment on it.”
“Oh.” Instead of Shaun reflecting on how he’d messed up, he simply said, “So can you get me back on the team?”
Kyle inwardly cursed. He knew his baby brother was prone to idiotic behavior, but he’d hoped Shaun realized what an opportunity he’d been given. “That’s not how it works. You sit on the bench until you prove yourself worthy enough to take the field. And you listen to the coaching staff, especially the head coach-”
“But he doesn’t know anything!”
“Now you’re whining.”
“Yeah, but the plays he sent in sucked. You said yourself those plays wouldn’t work-”
“I said they wouldn’t work in the NFL. Because college ball and pro ball are two different animals. But you didn’t hear that part, did you?”
“I guess not. But-”
“Shut the fuck up and just listen. You go to his office, shake his hand and the hands of any staff who may be around, and tell them you’re grateful for the opportunity even though it didn’t work out. Then you go to your dorm, pack your shit and wait for the limo I’m sending to pick you up.”
“Aw come on Kyle, if you just talk to him-”
“You’ve got one hour. Just one. After that, you can make your way back hitchhiking for all I care. Get your ass back here and I’ll see if a smaller college will take you.”
“But-but Notre Dame-” Shaun sputtered.
“Is out of the question now, because you blew it. You can’t just walk on any college campus and throw my name around as if my experience in the NFL magically transfers to you. I had to pay my dues and so do you, if you truly want to become a pro baller. Right now you’ll be lucky if a community college accepts you.” With that Kyle ended the call, but not before reminding his brother that he had one hour.
Willa was standing off to the side, watching Kyle as he paced the room, both hands on his hips. “Kyle, he just wants to be like you. He wanted to make you proud enough to come to one of his games. That’s why he took getting benched so hard.”
“I saw him, Willa. I watched the game on TV. Shaun had a fucking temper tantrum, stomping away from the offensive coordinator, throwing his helmet on the ground, dropping f bombs at the coach and other players who tried to calm him down. He even took a swing at Webb, the starting quarterback. Not only did he let his team down but he’s blown any chance of transferring to another school.”
Willa’s face looked stricken. “Scott didn’t tell me all that. He said-”
“What’s Scott got to do with any of this?”
“He was just trying to give Shaun a pep talk since you’re always so busy now with your new girlfriend-”
“LEAVE HARLOW OUT OF IT!” he bellowed, and Willa dropped her head. “What the fuck is Shaun doing calling Scott?” As far as Kyle was concerned, Scott had more than enough pressure on him. “Scott needs to get clean Willa. That’s all I want him to concentrate on. Not Shaun’s whining because he’s trying to play big man on campus. And not my love life, because that’s nobody’s business but mine. You got that?”
Gathering her emotions, Willa started again. “I was trying to say, that because you’ve been occupied elsewhere neither of them can come to you with their problems.”
“If they can call me about giving them money they can damn sure tell me about their problems. So don’t use Harlow
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