𝖶𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖧𝖾𝗋

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻

☆ ☆ ☆

Parker sat silently at the dining room table, listening to the eating utensils hit the plates. It was a chaotic symphony that he preferred to listen to rather than his fathers voice that was often drowned with bitterness and dark liquor.

It could only be quiet for so long "So son, how are applications going?" Aaron Maddox asked watching his eldest child sit back in his seat and sigh.

It was the beginning of October, leaves have turned completely turned orange and the heat mellowed out somewhat. The homecoming game was October 28th and the dance was the next day. So he had about a month to ask Mac to be his date.

His focus had been elsewhere and it was nice. Not about how he would be applying to colleges he didn't even want to attend.

Parker had barely been home between practice and hanging out with Mac.

"I haven't applied" he shrugged pushing the asparagus around on his plate.

The silence was back, "Bunny, Amanda, do y'all mind leaving the table so Parker and I can have a heart to heart"

Parker smirked, a heart to heart, if only that was what a berating was.

His mother looked at him and he looked away. She knew what was to come. The two left the room leaving just him and his father.

The tall man stood and went to the bar cart in the corner and poured more than three fingers worth of whiskey and threw it back like it was water.

"Do you want to bring shame to my name?" Aaron asked quietly, looking at his son who looked unphased.

"I think you do that just fine by yourself" Parker smirked taking a sip of his water, he set the glass down already anticipating Aaron's next steps.

The father was in his sons face in an instant and grabbed hold of the collar of his shirt "what did you say boy?"

"I said what the fuck I said, you heard me. And I wouldn't recommend laying another hand on me since we have the People's Magazine photo shoot tomorrow about how perfect the Maddox family is" he said unbothered, for a man who claimed to have it all he was falling apart at the seams and it shows.

The older man let go of his collar eyes already bloodshot, "you lucked out"

"No, I didn't. You're still my father"

Parker stood up, leaving his father primed to get drunk for the night.

He walked into the garage and got into his vehicle and put his head against the steering wheel, his eyes burned as he refused to let the tears fall. He couldn't cry, he thought he was bigger than his tears, he felt fire in his throat from trying to hold his emotion in.