The Ten-Year Game Plan

Chapter 2- Josie

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4 Years Ago: Senior Year of High School
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I didn't ever mind walking home from school. My music would play loudly through my headphones, and I could decompress from the entire day. It was a much needed quiet time especially now when I was waiting for my college acceptances to start coming through.

Fortunately, in the digital age, I didn't have to wait for a letter to be delivered. Unfortunately, however, every notification on my phone from my email sent my heart pounding even louder in my ears.

I was one of the rare kids who didn't want to go to college too far from home. South Harmon was the closest one—almost a 30 minute drive—but it was also notorious for being one of the hardest state schools to get into. Some people from my class had already gotten their rejections.

"I thought it smelled bad out here," a familiar voice chuckled, "now I know it's because there's trash on the sidewalk."

"Then get off the sidewalk," I shot back.

I rolled my eyes before I even turned to look at my asshole of a next door neighbor. Adding insult to injury, or course, I'd heard earlier that day that he'd gotten accepted and offered huge football scholarships at all of the schools he applied to. Including South Harmon University.

Donovan Starr was grinning down at me with that superiority complex of his, and instead of looking at him I kept walking. His long legs let him keep pace with me.

He usually left me alone on the walks home from school because he either had football or a meeting for one of the million clubs he was in. Today, I suppose, I was unlucky. My short, but relaxing, twenty minute walk would be ruined by his unrelenting teasing.

Every time, I told myself I would rise above it. Above him. Above the teasing and the taunting. But every time, I didn't.

He chuckled, with those stupid teeth sparkling. Who gave any teenage boy the right to look like him?

"Ooooh. Somebody came to play today. What's wrong? Did one of your teachers give you a 99? Tell me what's got poor perfect little Josie down?"

I glared at him, "you're an ass."

I tried to quicken my pace, but he matched it so easily. I reached up to put my headphones back in to try and drown him out.

"I've been called worse," he snatched the headphones out of my hand and stuck them in the pocket of his football sweatshirt. "Tell me what's wrong, Joey."

It wasn't a question, more of a demand, but that's what I'd come to expect from the most entitled jackass that ever came out of Blackmunn high school. He'd held that title since sophomore year and he's lived up to it ever since. Especially using the nickname he knew I despised.

"That's theft," I told him, "I could file— you know what, nevermind you're not worth it."

Knowing it would bother him, I turned my head toward the houses, completely ignoring his attention. Donovan continued to ask questions as we walked home, but I didn't deign to answer him. Frustration became evident in his voice as he waited for a rise out of me. We neared closer to our two houses and I was adamant that I wouldn't give him what he wanted.

"Did your boyfriend finally wise up?"

No response.

"Did you forget to pull your head out of a teacher's ass and get dizzy from lack of air?"

No response.

"Tell me what happened," he demanded, "did you get a rejection email or something?"