Thank y'all so much for all of the reviews and support y'all sent my way! I never dreamed this story would get so many reviews so fast! I shouldn't be surprised because I have the best readers ever! So without further ado, here's chapter 3! Enjoy guys! :)
ATTN: I think I kinda confused everyone with the Drew/AJ thing. Drew and AJ are the same person, and the name switch will be explained in chapter 9 :)
Chapter 3
Clarke pulled up to the football field, watching as Lincoln hauled his stuff across the parking lot before pitching his bag in the back and climbing into the front seat.
"Well," she asked, "How was it?"
"Coach moved me," Lincoln said quietly.
"Ok, where," Clarke asked in concern. If that coach had benched her son, then there was going to be a long drawn out discussion that would not be pleasant for the man.
"Quarterback," Lincoln muttered.
Clarke sat in stunned silent for a moment before hugging her son enthusiastically, "Honey, that's great! Why aren't you happy?"
"I don't know if I've got what it takes. QB is a big responsibility," her son said, his dark eyes uncertain.
"Obviously Coach thinks you can do it or he wouldn't have placed you in the QB slot. You'll do great, sweetie! Won't he AJ," Clarke said with a grin.
"Yeah," the little boy yipped in the back seat, his smile so wide she didn't see how his face didn't hurt.
"Coach doesn't like me," Lincoln said with a solemn sigh.
Clarke immediately sobered, her mommy senses on high alert.
"What do you mean he doesn't like you?"
"I asked him to switch me back to running back, and he refused. He got really angry for no reason, said he could do whatever the heck he wanted," the teenager said morosely.
Clarke's pleasure with the man plummeted. She swallowed her angry retort, knowing it would only hurt her son's respect for the man and she couldn't have that.
"It was his first day, and I'm sure it was a stressful one. Give him time, he'll come around," she said with a smile as she pulled out onto the small side street.
"I hope so," Lincoln said fiddling with his seatbelt.
After they got home, Clarke sent both boys upstairs to do homework while she started supper. She knew her son wasn't excited about his new position, but that didn't mean it wasn't cause for celebration.
She pulled out the fixings for his favorite meal, Chicken Parmesan with zucchini pasta, salad, and garlic rolls. She'd just put the chicken in the oven, when Raven came stomping into the kitchen.
Clarke watched as her friend jerked out one of the bar stools, sitting down heavily with a grimace.
"What's he done this time," the blonde asked with a smirk.
"What's he done? I'll tell you what he's done, Clarke! He took apart my hotrod! My hot rod Clarke," Raven fumed.
Clarke tried to hide her chuckle with a cough, her lack of success earning her a glare from the pretty mechanic.
"I'm sure Wick will get it put back together eventually," Clarke smirked.
"He'd better," the brunette growled, looking about the room, "Where are the boys?"
"They're doing homework, but I figure they'll be down here any minute to see you," Clarke said, soon after the two boy's loud footsteps echoing on the stairs.
"Auntie Rae," AJ squealed, throwing himself at his favorite aunt.
"Hey Munchkin, how was school," Raven asked as she ruffled the boy's hair.
"It was fun! I got to be Miss Jessica's helper this morning because Mom had to see rat face," AJ said seriously.
Raven snickered, trying in vain to cover it up when Clarke turned sharply with a scowl.
"Andrew Jacob Griffin, what have I told you about name calling," the young mother asked with her hands on her hips.
"If I can't say nothing nice, don't say nothing at all," the little boy said, his head bowed and his toe scuffing at the tile beneath his feet.
Clarke caught Raven's gaze above her son's head, rolling her eyes as a big grin curved her lips.
"Where's your brother," Raven asked the ten year old, trying to change the subject.
"He's moping in his room," AJ said with a huff.
"What's he moping about?"
Before AJ could answer, Clarke threw a look over her shoulder- one her youngest knew well.
"That's Lincoln's news to tell," she said before turning back to her supper prep.
"Yeah, Auntie Rae, what Momma said," AJ mimicked before scampering outside.
Raven watched her nephew go before turning back to her best friend.
"What's Linc moping about there Mother Hubbard?"
Clarke glared at the mechanic, "Must you call me that, and like I told AJ- it's Lincoln's news to share."
Raven burst out laughing, "You're such a mom, Clarke!"
"You're such a spaz, Raven," Clarke said with a shake of her head, "Of course I'm such a mom, it's because I am a mom!"
"I know, and a darn good one," Raven praised.
"Thanks Rae," Clarke replied with a soft smile right before her eldest came slowly down the stairs.
Both women watched as Lincoln entered the kitchen, leaning against the island and laying his head against the cool granite. His dark eyes cut to Clarke, watching every move she made.
Raven smiled, that kid had been glued to Clarke from the moment he'd come to live with her and ten years hadn't changed a thing.
"So, what's this I hear about moping," the mechanic asked as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.
Lincoln sighed dramatically, as only a teenager would, and turned to face her. "Coach gave me a different position today."
"Oh really," Raven said, "Where'd he put you?"
"Quarterback," Lincoln replied morosely.
Raven's eyes widened, and her gaze swept to Clarke who simply shrugged.
"What's so bad about being moved to QB?"
Lincoln sat down beside her, warming to his subject, "It's like this Aunt Rae. Coach says I have to drop my Humanities class and start lifting in the mornings."
Raven watched as Clarke whirled around, her eyes igniting with blue fire and her fists clenching at her sides. Oops, Coach was in for it now, Raven mused.
"Obviously Coach thinks you're good enough or he wouldn't have given you the spot," Raven counseled, avoiding the Humanities topic.
"That's what Mom said," Lincoln said with the smallest of smiles.
"Well, your Mom's usually right. I'd listen to her if I were you. Plus with that temper, it's better to have her on your side. Let Mom deal with Coach," the mechanic ended with a smirk.
She watched Clarke, her best friend smiling softly at her eldest son.
"See, I told you it would all be alright, and if you want to start lifting in the mornings I'll understand" Clarke said.
Lincoln got up, hugging his mother tightly, "Thanks Mom."
"You're welcome, sweetheart," Clarke said, "No one's going to force you to do anything you don't want to."
"Hey, what am I? Chopped liver," Raven said in mock offense as the boy turned to go.
"Thanks Aunt Rae," Lincoln said as he hugged her next.
"You're welcome, kid," the mechanic said with a smile as she watched her nephew go.
"How dare he tell my son that he has to drop my class," Clarke said with a worried frown.
"He obviously doesn't know who he's dealing with," Raven replied with a smirk.
"Who doesn't know who he's dealing with," Wick asked as he meandered into the kitchen.
"What are you doing here," Raven grumbled, "I came over here to get away from you."
Wick gave his wife a snarky smirk, "I'd never pass up supper at Clarke's."
"Don't I know it," Raven said smacking her husband on the arm, "You've gained twenty pounds since we got married!"
"Hey, that's all muscle," the engineer defended.
"Well I think you look fine Wick," Clarke grinned.
Wick sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, leveling her with a questioning stare.
"What do you want, Clarke," he asked cautiously.
Clarke laughed, "I need some tiling done in my bathroom, and since you love power tools, I was wondering if you would mind taking care of it for me."
She watched her best friend's husband as he seemed to think about it for a moment, a devilish grin curving his lips.
"Chocolate pie for a month," Wick said.
Clarke stared at the man, shaking her head and placing her hands on her hips. "Two weeks and I'll feed you while you work."
He seemed to consider this for a minute before sticking out his hand with a smile.
"You drive a hard bargain woman, but I won't pass up free food and pie," Wick said with a smile.
Later, over supper, Clarke watched her eldest intently- the way he picked at his food and the defeated look in his brown eyes. Her heart broke for her son, but she knew that it would take time to adjust to a new coach.
She hated the thought of Lincoln dropping Humanities, especially since art was something he was really good at and an interest they shared. She met his gaze, smiling softly and watching as one corner of his mouth quirked up.
Clarke went back to her food, her own appetite deserting her as a familiar feeling of determination settled on her shoulders. She would see that her son was treated fairly if it was the last thing she did.
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Bellamy's red Silverado pulled up to his large brick two story, the rose bushes he'd painstakingly planted catching the glow of the little solar lights that lined the front walk. He waited as the garage door opened, pulling his truck into its normal resting place.
He pushed the button again, the garage filling with the loud screech as the door closed. He stepped out into the inky blackness, feeling his way to the door that led into the house.
The moment Bellamy entered the spacious laundry room he could hear his sister singing off key in the kitchen. He made his way down the short hall, leaning in the doorway as he watched Octavia dance across the tile floor- oblivious to his presence with her headphones turned up far too loud.
He tapped her on the shoulder, jumping back when she sloppily threw her elbow at his midsection.
"Bell! What the heck! You scared me half to death," Octavia said placing a hand over her chest.
"Sorry," Bellamy smirked, "What's for supper?"
"TV dinners," his sister answered with a sigh.
Bellamy stared at the sad excuse of a meal, grease congealing on the top of the enchiladas and water droplets popping up on the black plastic container. He simply shrugged, taking his plate and sitting down at the island.
He took a bite, scalding his tongue. The tortillas that made up the enchiladas were tough and the sauce was too spicy. The refried beans were gritty, and the rice was tasteless.
"Not too bad," Bellamy said, his features saying otherwise.
"I don't believe you," Octavia said, wrinkling her nose after her first bite.
"This is only temporary," Bellamy assured her, "Just until I get the oven fixed."
Octavia rolled her eyes, her face scrunching in disgust as she took another bite.
"You'd better do it soon, or we're going to starve," she said before throwing the half eaten meal in the trash.
Bellamy watched her go, waiting until he could no longer see her to dispose of his own dinner. He washed his hands, grabbing a handful of grapes before going to his office for the night.
He was still working through the footage of last year's games, trying to learn more about his team. In his experience, the more he knew about his guys the better he could coach them. He didn't just want to know his star players; he wanted to know all of them from the best to the worst.
Bellamy watched as Lincoln ran onto the field. The kid's whole stance spoke of quiet confidence. He knew exactly what to do, and he executed the plays flawlessly. He had to admit that someone must have really worked with him because his talent had been fostered instead of allowed to run wild.
A soft knock drew his attention, Bellamy's dark eyes moving to where his sister stood in the doorway. He beckoned her forward, smiling as she took the seat across from him.
"How was school today," he asked.
"It was good. I really like my art teacher, she seems super cool and…" Octavia started before she was cut off as her brother's phone began to ring.
"Blake," Bellamy said, shooting an apologetic glance his sister's way.
Octavia listened to her brother for a moment, hoping he would cut the call short if she stayed. She'd wanted to have a normal conversation, talk about life and how their day had gone like they'd done before Bellamy's rise to coaching stardom.
She stared at him, remembering when he was just a two bit assistant coach with a little hole in the wall school. Now here he was, head coach of a winning team and getting closer and closer to his dream job at Texas A&M.
Octavia sighed, seeing that her brother wasn't going to be hanging up anytime soon.
"I'm going to bed," she mouthed.
Bellamy nodded, giving her a smile and a wave before turning back to his phone call.
She left him, her heart sinking in her chest. Lately she was beginning to think that she was weighing her brother down and keeping him from achieving his goals. She hated to think that he could be living his dream right this second instead of having to care for her.
Octavia wished, not for the first time, that she and her brother were a normal family that did normal things- but they weren't. Bellamy was on track to become a great coach, and she had no idea what she would do with her life. All she knew is that for once, she wished she ranked above football in her brother's life.
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That night Clarke tucked AJ into bed, grabbing his Greek mythology book and laying it out of reach on his nightstand. She ran a hand through his golden curls, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"Goodnight, baby," she said with a smile, standing and switching off his lamp.
"Night, Mom," AJ called as she closed the door.
Clarke made her way down the hall, stopping at Lincoln's open doorway. She stepped inside, finding her eldest sitting up against his headboard with his nose stuck in a book.
"Hey," she called softly.
"Oh hey, Ma," Lincoln said placing his book on his bedside table.
"You ok, honey," Clarke said as she sat on the edge of his bed.
"I'm fine," Lincoln smiled, "I'm not going to quit Humanities. I can find other times to do my strength training."
Clarke let out a relieved sigh, "Whatever you want to do, sweetheart."
"I really want to stay with you, Mom," Lincoln said seriously.
Clarke cupped his face in her hands, kissing his forehead as she rose.
"Goodnight baby," she called as she turned off the light and closed his door.
Clarke finally made it to her own room, going straight to her bathroom to remove her makeup and change into her nightclothes. As she slid beneath the covers, she couldn't help the anger that surfaced at the mere thought of her son's coach.
One thing was for certain; Raven was right- Coach Blake had no idea who he was dealing with.
Thanks for reading! Please review! I love hearing from y'all! :)
To all my Guest reviewers: Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a review! I wish I could thank you each individually, but I hope this in some way makes up for that! Thanks again guys, and I can't wait to hear what y'all think of chapter 3! :)