The name's Antoine. And, life has been a bit hectic as of lately.
When I was in high school, I was recruited by many a football program across the country. With my performance both on the field and in the classroom, I had the luxury of picking and choosing where I wanted to go with no issue. I made my choice and went all the way out west. I thought things were going to be grand.
But then things went south. I was pulled into a situation that I had nothing to do with. When my reputation was tarnished, I had absolutely no backing from my then coach, who I grew to dislike over my first and only semester at the school. My dislike was cemented when skeletons started to fall out his closet, causing the school to be hit with sanctions from the NCAA. So, I left the team, did everything I could to finish my classes for that semester on a high note, and left the school once my grades were in.
With all of my years of eligibility intact due to the NCAA deciding to have mercy on the team's players, I took the next semester off, staying at an apartment and working at this restaurant for under the table pay before I decided to go looking for another school – one that was at least in the same state I was from, if not closer to my hometown.
So, there I was, standing in the convention center, hitting up the booths of different colleges from across the country. I already received different offers from different football programs. But it wasn't just about the team for me. While I had every intention of taking a shot at going pro, but I knew my chances were statistically low, and I wanted to make sure I had a good backup plan. When it was all said and done, I got pamphlets from about a good fifty institutions – most of from my home state. Figuring I had enough, I decided to go eat at the restaurant across the street.
Not surprisingly, the place was packed with quite a few high schoolers. I couldn't help but smirk – I wasn't that far removed from those days. Unfortunately, there weren't that many seats left. I didn't feel like grabbing food to go, and I was already there, so I walked around looking for a seat. I saw a table with an empty one. The table had four other people there. I stood there for a moment. A part of me wanted to just leave and just try a fast food restaurant, but I felt… compelled… to see if they'd let me sit with them. So, I walked over.
"Hey guys," I said once I reached them. All four of them looked up at me. And they all looked tired, very tired. I swallowed. "Mind if I sit with you." All four of them looked at each other for a moment. Then one of them – I think he was Hispanic – signaled to the empty chair.
"Have at it," he said.
"Thanks." I took the seat and placed the bag of pamphlets next to my left foot. "I'm Antoine, by the way."
"I'm Jake," the one with the brown hair replied. "And this is Cassie, Rachel, and Marco." As he said this, he beckoned respectively towards the black girl, the blonde, and the Hispanic who told me to take the seat. All of then nodded towards me. "I take it you were at the convention, too."
"Yeah," I said. "Figured it was time to go looking at the different schools, you know?"
"Yeah," Cassie said. "Are you a junior or senior?"
"Freshman, technically." They all gave me a look. Realizing I needed to explain myself, I chuckled. "I took a small break from college after my first semester. I realized the school wasn't a fit for me, so I left and worked for a bit before I decided to go to college back home."
"Back home?" Rachel inquired.
"Yeah…" I told them where I was from. All of them looked a bit surprised. At the time, I assumed it was because I came from a rather far place. "I came here on a football scholarship. But, the coach and I didn't see eye to eye on a few things to say the least."
"I see," Marco said. "What position did you play?"
I scoffed. "I played all kind of things. I was recruited as a quarterback. Then I was a receiver. Then I became a tight end. A couple of weeks later, I was a defensive back. Then I was running back – both a fullback and a halfback. They even tried me as a punter for all of two days before I was a quarterback again."
"Is that why you left?" Jake asked.
"Nah," I replied. "…Well, come to think of it, it played a small part. But as for the main reason… let's just say, the grass I walked through had a snake or two, so to speak." I looked at all of them. "Um, pardon me for asking, but are y'all okay? You guys look dead tired."
They all looked at each other again. Well, Rachel, Jake, and Cassie did. Marco, on the other hand, chuckled.
"We threw some friends of ours a surprise going away party," he explained. "It was practically an animal house. Probably not the best idea to party so hard the night before since we had to be here, but there wasn't any other time."
"Must've been fun," I commented as I moved a dread out from in front of my right eye and tucked it behind my ear.
We talked for the rest of time I was there, telling each other just a little bit about ourselves before we ordered our food and ate. We parted ways. I figured that was going to be the last time I saw them. From my experience, people preferred to stay local if they could. And even if they did go to school out of state, there was a 1/49 chance at best that they'd end up in the same state as I.
Fast forward towards the end of the summer and move-in day.
I was back home in the sunny Tri-County area. It was move-in day at the university I was accepted in. Since I wasn't an official transfer, having taken a whole semester off, I ended up joining the school's football team as a walk-on after I enrolled. I didn't meet my roommate yet – whoever it was, they apparently moved in before I got there before they dipped to do something else with their day. So, I just moved my stuff in and took the last bed. Once everything was squared away, I decided to drive down and see how my pops was doing – he was a little less than thirty minutes away.
When I pulled in my dad's driveway, I noticed another vehicle parked in the driveway of the house next to us – a pickup truck that looked like it really been through it.
"I see someone moved in while I was gone," I said to myself as I put my car in park. After powering off the car, I stepped out and closed the door behind me. After using the remote to lock the door, I made my way inside.
As I walked in, I saw my father in the kitchen, talking with man that looked to be about his age and a girl who looked familiar and…
"Antoine!" my dad said, smiling at me. I moved into the kitchen, eyeing the girl, she gave me a look of slight alarm. "Thesee are our new neighbors. This is Walter and his daughter – "
"Cassie?" I asked. She blinked a couple of times. She then tilted her head.
"Antoine?" she replied. I nodded as I smiled.
"You two met before?" Walter asked.
"Yes sir," I said. "Out west. We met at this restaurant. Practically everybody who went to the college fair in the convention center was eating there. There was an extra seat at the table she was sitting at, and her and her crew was nice enough to let me sit with them." I looked at Cassie. "I'm surprised you decided to come this far for college."
"Well, that's partially my fault," Walter explained. I looked at him. "Baby girl here got accepted to a college just a thirty minute drive north of here. She was weighing her options when I got a call from a nature preserve around that same area. Since my brother and his wife decided to run the wildlife rehab my wife and I were running, we decided to move – the offer was too good. So it all came together."
"Funny how that works," Cassie said as she took a sip from a Coke can.
"Well, why don't you two catch up while I continue talking with Walter?" my dad suggested.
I looked at as Cassie. "Mind if we talk in the backyard?" I offered.
"Sure," she said.
I nodded. "It's pleased to you sir," I told Walter.
"Pleasure is all mines, young man."
After that, I guided Cassie to the backyard. Once there, I beckoned to one of the lawn chairs before I sat down on one. I watched her as she sat down. She looked around the area as if she was scoping the place. It made me wonder what she been through for her to be so on alert.
"So, this is where you're from, exactly," Cassie began.
I leaned back in my seat. "It is," I confirmed. "I lived here for all my life, about a year notwithstanding. It's paradise… most of the time." I chuckled.
"So why'd you leave?"
"Remember what I told you back in that restaurant?"
"Something about snakes in the grass, right?"
"Right. One of them was my then coach. He told me a lot of things, and I went over there excited." I shook my head. "I found out the hard way that his word wasn't even worth a cup of coffee from a dirty gas station."
"Sounds rough," Casie said.
"It is what it is." I smiled. "I'm here now. It'll be a fresh start, you know?"
"A fresh start," she repeated. She then scoffed. "A part of me is hoping I'll find it here."
I tilted my head. "…What the heck have you been through?" I asked.
"It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you one day. But, trust me, the less you know, the better."
I raised an eyebrow at her. I then nodded. "A'ight, if it's like that, I'll leave it alone."
"Thanks," Cassie said, giving me a smile.
"No problem," I replied. I decided to change the subject. "You got the lay of land here yet?"
"Can't say I do," Cassie replied.
"Well, if you want, I can show you around and point you out all of the spots – the malls, the restaurants, whatever you're into."
"You're willing to do that for a girl you only met twice," she commented. She gave me a look. "…Are you just being nice? Or are you trying to pick me up?"
I shook my head once as I smirked. "I'm just being friendly, since we're technically neighbors and all," I said in earnest. "Nothing more, I promise you."
Cassie continued to look at me. I wouldn't say I was biggest expert on reading people. But I knew she was trying to get a read on me. I couldn't help but get the feeling she's been through a lot. Just, at the time, I had no idea what the "a lot" was. After a while, she spoke.
"I'll let you know," she said.
"Cool," I said.
We spent the rest of the time chatting over other stuff, like what this part of the state was like. Somehow, though, I couldn't shake the feeling that Cassie had something major going on with her.
I didn't realize how right I was until a little later on.