The Big Time

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

TROY SAW HIS MOM making a beeline from her seat in the stands for the gate leading from the field, and he forced air through his teeth. She met him with a scowl.

"What in the name of the good Lord are you doing?" she asked.

"Leaving," he said, trying to push past her.

"Oh, no," she said, grabbing his shoulder pad and yanking him around with surprising strength. "You march right back out there."

"This is bull!" Troy shouted, glaring up at her and twisting free from her grip. "I make him into an all-pro linebacker, but his stupid knees just can't take it. That's my fault? So he benches me? No way, Mom. I'm done with this. Border War. Who cares? I don't need the headache, and I sure don't need the scholarship money."

His mom's face got all pinched up.

"No," she said, "that's right. You've got all the money in the world if you want it now, right?"

" We've got all the money," Troy said, feeling less certain, his hand finding the edge of his thigh pad and tugging it into a more comfortable position.

"That's right," she said, "all we have to do is turn our backs on our friends, our home, the people we work with, our family, and we've got all the money in the world. That's a real nice trade-off, Troy. Really nice. I'm proud."

Troy hated her tone of voice, and he hated the look she was giving him. He looked out into the parking lot, wishing against all hope to see the orange Porsche speeding in from the street. He needed his father. His father understood. His mother was twisting things. She loved Seth; he knew that. That had to be what this was all about.

"Can I use your phone?" he asked.

"What?"

"Your phone," Troy said, holding out his hand. "I want to call my father."

"Your father?" she said, drawing out the syllables as if they were curse words.

"You don't have to drive me home," Troy said.

"You're talking crazy," she said. "Stop it."

"You stop it."

"Troy," she said, gritting her teeth.

"Then take me home," he said.

"No," she said, pointing. "You'll go back out there."

"Or what?" he asked.

His mom stepped closer to him and leaned forward so that their noses nearly touched. In a low, harsh tone she said, "If you think this is how it goes, you are sadly mistaken, mister. I allowed you to see your father. I gave him permission to represent us in this. I'm still your mother. I am your legal guardian. I call the shots. Your father abandoned you, and he abandoned me. I'm sorry. I know that hurts, but I'm not sure if he even knows the difference between what's right and what's wrong. I have my doubts."

Her voice dropped another notch and she said, "And if you think you and he have some power over me, I'll slap a restraining order on him so fast his head will spin. I'll call Seth Cole personally and tell him the deal's off no matter who promised what. I'm your mother. I can end this whole thing, send you to military school, and tell them no sports for you because you're to concentrate on your studies, so don't you ask me what I'm going to do, mister. Not ever again. Now, you get out there and practice. "