Babysitting the Player

Chapter 23

I pull into the parking lot of Smoothie Central and look at the time.

12:07

Only slightly late.

I walk into the smoothie store and see Cassie sitting at one of the tan round tables with a smoothie for each of us, a white one for her and a pink for me.

"Strawberry banana?" I ask.

"Duh."

"You're an angel."

"I am. Nice of you to show up, by the way." She rolls her eyes.

"Oh, shut up. I told you there was traffic." I take a seat in the chair across from her.

"I'm sure there was. Now fill me in and tell me everything. What happened with your dad?"

"I really don't want to use that word to describe him anymore." I grimace.

"It was that bad?"

"It was about a hundred times worse than you can imagine."

"What happened?"

"He had absolutely no remorse for stabbing my mother and killing my brother. He said he was going through a 'dark time' and that he and my mom had a 'disagreement' that day."

"He did not."

"He did."

"Scumbag."

"I know. But it gets better."

"Does better mean worse?"

"It absolutely does. He mentioned you."

"Me?" Her eyes practically pop out of her head. "How the hell does he know who I am?"

"Take a guess."

"I don't think I want to."

"Trust me, you do."

"Don't even tell me one of his little prison buddies got out of jail and has been stalking you for him."

"No, but that's a good guess. It's a very entertaining thought."

She rolls her eyes. "So then what's been going on?"

"Johnny has been visiting him."

"No way!"

"Yes way."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"What do they talk about?"

"Me, I guess."

"How long has that been going on for?"

"I don't know."

"What the fuck is that guy's problem?"

"Which one of them?" I laugh.

"Both." She laughs. "But I meant Johnny."

"We should start calling them Shithead One and Shithead Two."

"I like those names."

"So do I." I laugh.

"So what did Johnny tell him? Any idea about the specifics?"

"Not a clue."

"That's fucked. What was going through Johnny's head when he started making those visits?"

"I'd really love to know."

"So would I."

"So now I need some advice."