My high school years started with a bang. I had my first drink before the start of my freshman year. My friends and I stole a bottle of Black Bull Whiskey from my parents and sat behind the garage, gulping it down as quickly as possible. It was dusk, and lightning bugs were dotting the air in the large, wooded backyard. We sat in a circle, passing the bottle around, taking swigs, and trying not to cough from the burning in our throats.

The taste was strong, but the feeling it gave me was unforgettable. The light-headed, loopy feeling that was followed by uncontrollable laughter is a memory that will be burned in my mind forever. Our fun was interrupted by my mother’s voice. “Kayden Michaels, get in here, now.”

Everyone scattered, running back to their homes and leaving me to take the fall. I grabbed the bottle off the ground and walked toward the garbage cans, hoping to discard the evidence. As my hand touched the lid, my mother’s fingers closed over my hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” she asked.

I stood there for a moment stuttering, trying to come up with a good excuse. My mind went blank as I looked in her eyes. She caught me red-handed, without a viable excuse or plausible deniability. I gave her an innocent smile. “I’m sorry, Mom.” I had nothing else to say.

“Did you take that from the house?”

“I didn’t think you’d notice,” I said without thinking.

Her face grew red, and the anger oozed from her skin like perspiration. “In the house, now,” she spat. My feet felt heavy, and my head swam with all of the ways I’d be punished. “Throw the bottle out first.”

I did as told, knowing I would have to be smarter in the future.

That night, I was lectured for hours and hours. When my father came home, all hell broke loose. I got the belt that night, along with being grounded for two weeks. Thankfully, I had a month left before school started and still plenty of time to have some fun and experience new things.

I bided my time and planned with my friends over the phone for the remaining days of summer vacation. I had a large group of friends, boys who had my back, except for that moment my mom came screaming out of the house. We grew up in the same neighborhood spread out across a couple streets, and we were as thick as thieves. We built forts together as children, and now, our creativity was becoming a little more…delinquent. My boys were Ron, Scott, Freddie, and Tiny. There were more, but we were the core five. The five who were inseparable through grade school, but life changes, and friends often fade away.

Scott was my best friend. He and I used to have sleepovers when we were kids. We loved Batman and all things superhero related, but our interests changed as we grew. Scott’s sister, Mindy, was hot as fuck. I used to go over there just to catch a glimpse of her, but she was a rotten bitch. She hated Scott and by association, me. She always treated us like shit, but she still gave me a boner.

They planned a party for my release from the Michaels’ Prison Facility. Scott’s parents were going to be out of town, and luckily for us, it coincided with my freedom. The party wasn’t really for me, but I liked that they waited until the end of my solitary confinement to throw the damn thing. I would have climbed the fucking walls knowing they were partying their asses off while I sat in my bedroom and played Pong.

I put on my best pair of Z. Cavariccis with a black silk shirt and misted myself with Drakkar. I checked my hair, making sure every strand was perfect. My brown hair was short in the front and long in the back. Mullets were hot—who the fuck ever picked that hairstyle should be fucking shot. My face, thankfully, was pimple-free, unlike some of the kids at school. My eyes were always my best feature—they were jade green but changed depending on my clothes. The black shirt I picked helped my eyes stand out against my tanned skin.

“Where you going, Kayden?” I heard my father say from the living room as my hand touched the doorknob.

“The guys and I are going roller skating. It’s a late skate,” I replied, closing my eyes and waiting for a response. I needed a reason why I was dressed up. Going to hang with the boys or play sports wouldn’t match my clothing. We always went to the rink, and I knew my father wouldn’t question me any further.

“Midnight, Kayden. Don’t be, late or you’ll get another week.” I knew it was pointless to argue.

“Okay,” I said as I opened the door and closed it behind me. I felt like I’d broken free from a long-term jail sentence. Two weeks in the scheme of life is nothing, but when you’ve only lived about six hundred weeks total—it’s an eternity.

I inhaled the warm, sticky air, pulling it into my lungs, and I felt the gentle breeze on my skin. The weather would be changing soon, and the Ohio winter would grip us, causing everyone to go into hibernation.

The gang assembled on the street corner, waiting for me. Scotty lived a couple of streets over, and we traveled on foot together through the fields and cut through the backyards. The light of his house came into view through the trees, and the music was a whisper in the air as we drew closer. We moved quicker, not wanting to waste another minute.

I reached the door first, and it moved slightly with each beat of the bass. The sound of ” blared as I opened the front door and stepped inside. There were people everywhere, filling the stairway and all the rooms. We squeezed through the crowd to find Scott.

He was in the kitchen, filling cups from a keg and handing them out with a smile on his face. We wrestled together in middle school and spent the summer working out together to get ready for the upcoming season.

Scott spotted us across the room. “Come on over here, guys. Grab a drink,” he said.

We grabbed full red plastic cups and made our way into the living room. There were so many girls that I didn’t know where to look first. I bumped into Mindy when I wasn’t paying attention, spilling my drink on her top. She shrieked when the cold liquid soaked her shirt, outlining her breasts.

“Damn, I’m so sorry, Mindy,” I said.

“Jackass,” she said as she walked away. She may have called me a jackass, but at least she acknowledged my existence.

The rest of the night I spent flirting with other girls and made out with one, but I pictured Mindy in my mind the entire time.

I didn’t drink too much. I couldn’t afford more time in the MPF. I left the party in time to return home by midnight and avoid any grilling or the possibility that the smell of beer on my breath would be discovered by my dad.

The house was dark when I walked inside, and my parents were in their bedroom watching Johnny Carson and waiting to see if I made it home by midnight. I knocked on their door. “I’m home. ‘Night.”

“’Night, Kayden,” my mom said. She didn’t have to tell me, but I knew she was thankful I wasn’t late. She didn’t want to hear my dad’s shit about my behavior lately. Crawling into bed, I grabbed my Walkman off the nightstand and pressed the play button. I lay in the darkness listening to and thought about Mindy’s tits glistening through her wet T-shirt.

High school helped develop my love of women and alcohol. I wrestled and made the varsity team my sophomore year. I worked out like a man driven with a purpose—I wanted to be the leanest and most muscular guy on the mat. Being a member of the team made girls notice me more than they had previously. The singlet and the little tight uniform I wore helped show off my manhood. I was a beast on the mat. My opponents knew I would take them down, but that never stopped them from trying. No one was faster or stronger in my weight class. I was the champ.

Sophomore and junior year, I found myself in trouble with the law more than once. We did dumb-ass things that we thought were funny and harmless, but my parents didn’t see it that way. My first run-in with the law came at the hands of my friends. A dare was something I could never ignore—no stupid teenage boy ever backs down no matter how stupid or risky.

We were walking back from a party across town when Freddie turned around and said, “I dare one of you to walk your drunken ass into the police station and ask them a random question.”

The alcohol in my body must have altered my thinking because I took that challenge and didn’t think twice. “I’ll fucking do it,” I said as everyone came to a complete stop.

“You’re fucking crazy,” Tiny said. “You’re gonna get arrested.”

“I’m too smart to get caught. I’ll take the dare. You guys are pussies.”

I walked toward the police station door on wobbly legs and tried to figure out what I’d ask. My palms grew sweatier with every step. I squinted when the light streaming through the door shone on my face. I grabbed the handle, took a deep breath, and pulled it open with authority.

A man sat behind the front desk and looked up when he heard the door close behind me. “Can I help you, son?” He eyed me suspiciously. The town was so small and devoid of action that running a stop sign was a major offense and gossip-worthy.

I leaned on the desk, steadying myself, “What time is curfew?” I’d like to think that I was wittier than that or had some great line, but I drew a blank and concentrated more on not puking than the actual words falling from my lips.

“Have you been drinking?” he asked.

“No, sir. I just want-t-ted -to make sure I’m not out past curfew,” I said and belched. Fuck, what an idiot.

“It’s already past curfew, and you’ve obviously been drinking. I can smell the beer on your breath.” He stood up and walked around the desk to stand right in front of me. I didn’t make a move to leave, just stood there like my feet were superglued to the floor. “You’re not going anywhere, son. Come with me, and we’ll decide what to do with you.”

“Do with me?” I asked.

“Yes, I’ll let my superior decide if we’re going to arrest you or just call your parents to pick you up.” Neither option was good. I was going to be in deep shit no matter the decision.

I followed him into an office and sat there. I knew the guys had split by now, knowing nothing good came out of their little dare. My stupid ass always needed to be the one with the biggest balls. I sat there for what felt like eternity before the door to the office swung open, and my dad stood in the doorway, looking like he had murder on his mind.

“Let’s go, Kayden.”

“Is that all you’re going to say?” I asked.

“I have no words right now. Get your ass up.”

I stood up, and my stomach felt like someone was doing cartwheels inside. I always hated when my dad was pissed off, especially when he had no words to express his feelings. I followed him to the car with my eyes staring at the ground. I climbed into my dad’s orange Chevy Vega and closed the door softly. I wanted to disappear. I stared out the window as he pulled out of the parking lot.

I closed my eyes, the motion of the car causing my eyes to hurt and my stomach to gurgle. A sharp pain woke me from my slumber as my face hit the car window. My dad had slammed his fist into my face. coldcocked me while I wasn’t looking. “You’re a stupid fucker, Kayden.” His fist hit me again. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

The pain drew me out of the alcohol haze, and I could feel my blood almost begin to boil. “Don’t you dare fucking hit me, again,” I said.

“What are you going to do about it?” His fist started to move in my direction, and I moved, avoiding another blow.

“I don’t know if you noticed, Dad…but I’m bigger than you now. Don’t push me,” I said, staring him in the eyes.

“Are you threatening me?”

“No. I’m just telling you I won’t take your shit anymore. I’m not that scared little kid who will hide under the covers. If you want to hit me, at least do it like a man. Don’t hit me when I’m not looking.”

“I brought you into this world, and I’ll take you out,” he said with a look of such hatred, unlike anything I had ever seen before.

“I’ll go out bringing you down with me, remember that.” The car stopped, and I climbed out, preferring walking home to being in the car with that bastard any longer. I was so angry with him, and it took everything I had not to physically fight back in that moment. I knew I had to get away from him and give us both time to cool off. I walked to Scott’s house and found refuge on his floor for the evening. Tomorrow, I’d face the music, and I prayed that neither one of us would speak of that moment again.

I studied hard and wanted to give myself every opportunity for a college scholarship, but my senior year, everything started to fall apart. In October, my parents sat me down and told me the worst news a kid could ever hear. They were getting divorced. Everything disintegrated quickly after that “talk.”

My dad moved out, and my mom immersed herself in her work. Money became something just out of reach, and we never had enough. Dad didn’t contribute his share to household expenses or help out with my team costs. Wrestling, besides girls, was my one true love. I watched it and studied it like an obsessed fan. Without money, I couldn’t continue to compete. My mom apologized over and over again, and I knew she meant it, but my dad, the one person I thought would understand my love of the sport, didn’t seem to give a fuck.

I quit the wrestling team halfway through the season, right after my eighteenth birthday. I know it pissed off my teammates and my coach, but we didn’t have extra money to pay the team fees since we barely paid the household bills each month. It ripped my heart out, and my one true reason to do well and achieve in school had vanished. Not only did my family disintegrate, but so did my only means of attending college and the reason I had to stay out of trouble.

I started working to fill the void after school and help my mom pay the bills. My life became something entirely not my own. I needed to escape my new reality. I found other things to occupy my time. They were the only things that made me forget the bullshit that filled my life.

A friend, who will remain nameless, gave me my first taste of cocaine toward the end of senior year. A small bump, but it rocked my world. I’m not condoning drugs, but the rush it gave me was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and spent the rest of my life chasing. I knew it was something I couldn’t do again, at least not anytime soon. I needed to stay on track and graduate from high school.

I worked at night and tried to stay awake during the day in class. I wasn’t always successful at keeping my eyes open, and the boredom of hearing a teacher give a monotone lecture was better than any sleeping pill I’ve ever taken. I wanted to kiss the ground and thank my lucky stars the day senior exams rolled around. I had made it and done well enough that, no matter my exam scores, I’d receive my diploma.

My mom had a new boyfriend, Joe, and he was occupying her free time by the time graduation day arrived. I was nearly blind from my mother snapping so many pictures, but she wanted to capture every moment of her oldest child graduating from high school, an event she’d never experienced for herself.

My mom found out she was pregnant with me at the beginning of her senior year, and she dropped out to raise me and work full time. I have a younger brother and sister, but we were never really close. The age gap was too great, and we were nothing alike. They were close, but I was the outsider.

“Is Dad coming today?” I asked as she placed the small pink camera in her purse.

“I don’t know, baby. I haven’t spoken to him in a long time. I sent him the invitation, and the rest is up to him,” she said before kissing me on the cheek. I knew by her words that he wouldn’t be there. He’d barely even acknowledged my existence since he left months ago.

As I walked down the aisle, I looked through the crowd trying to find him, but he wasn’t there. I don’t know why I even fucking bothered. I knew the bastard wouldn’t be there. Other than the money he’d made, he wasn’t missed in the house. He was a miserable bastard and not very loving. Things had been calmer, and my mom and I got along better without his sorry ass around. I sat there stewing about my feelings, or lack thereof, for my father while everyone gave speeches I tuned out.

The kid next to me stood up, and it was my cue that I’d be next. My moment had finally arrived. High school officially ended the second I walked across the stage and shook the hand of the principal. I could hear the cheers from the crowd and the hoots of my mom from a distance.

There would be no graduation party filled with family afterward. My mom had to work, and there wasn’t extra cash to pay for a party. I understood and had enough to do that evening to fill the time and celebrate. Scott’s family was throwing a party, followed by a party for all his friends, without the parental crowd to bring us down.

My friends and I gathered in front of the school after throwing our caps in the air. Our parents took pictures of us as a group. None of us knew how close we’d be after high school. They were going off to college all over the country, while I’d stay home to work and figure out my future. We still had the summer to party and hang out, but I knew shit would change soon enough, and I’d be left behind.

I had a mission for the evening of graduation—Mindy. I’d liked her for years and she hardly noticed me, but tonight that would change. She left for college two years ago, and I’ve changed and grown into a man during her absence. She’d be mine tonight… Paybacks are a bitch.

I strolled into Scott’s backyard shortly after nine, and the party was already in full swing. The family had cleared out, and a bonfire was roaring in the middle of the yard. People were everywhere. I found Scott in his usual spot, dispensing drinks.

“Dude, can you believe it’s all fucking over?” he asked, handing me a drink.

“I thought this day would never come.” I sipped the beer, letting it run down my throat. “The last couple of months fucking sucked. I’m ready for whatever’s next,” I said.

“I can’t wait to get out of this shithole town and head off to Chicago for school. I can’t believe I got into Northwestern,” he said with a smile.

“I’m happy for you. Maybe I’ll come out and see you sometime. It’s going to be weird without you here, though,” I said, my smile dropping with the thought.

“I’m sorry, Kayden. I keep forgetting you’re not going off to school like the rest of us. What happened to you is not right, dude, just not fucking right. You would have been offered a full scholarship,” he said with a sincere look on his face. Scott was my best friend, and I’d be forgotten and replaced within months of his departure.

“Scott, don’t be sad for me. I’ll make it and figure shit out,” I said, slapping him on the back. “This is a night for celebration, and I see your sister is here.” I motioned with my head in her direction.

“Yeah, but she’s still the same miserable bitch she’s always been,” he said with a sour look.

“Well, at least you’re not going to the same school. You’ll rarely see her.”

“You got that shit right. She’ll get hers, that nasty bitch,” he said, taking a swig of the beer he’d been fidgeting with during our conversation. Scott and Mindy had always had a tumultuous relationship. She’d treated him like shit since he was little. She never got over the fact that their parents fawned over Scott. He was the golden child, the one who would carry on the family name. He was lavished with love and affection, and Mindy became more miserable over time. Scott never felt her absence when she left for college.

I walked casually toward Mindy as she sat on a log near the fire, talking with friends and laughing. I kept my eyes on her, waiting for her to notice me. I knew she would notice me, but maybe not recognize me at first. Her eyes zeroed in and locked on me when I was within ten feet of her.

“Hey,” she said with her mouth hanging open in shock.

“Hi… Mindy, right?” I said. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing her name. She looked over my entire body slowly, eyeing me with her mouth still open.

“Kayden?” she asked in a voice that showed her disbelief.

“Yes,” I said, giving her a devilish smile and winking at her. My one and only target tonight was her. She’d get what I wanted to give, but it was more about taking it from her.

“Ladies, this is Kayden, my brother’s friend. Move over and make some room for him.” Mindy shooed them with her hands, and the girls all shifted, moving away. I sat down and made sure my thigh touched hers. “You look great, Kayden.” She licked her lips after saying my name. I knew I’d get what I wanted. I could see the lust in her eyes.

“Thanks, Mindy. You look beautiful, as usual,” I said. I leaned over, pretending to fix something on my shoe, and as I started to sit up, I brushed the skin on her ankle with my fingers. I could see her body react out of the corner of my eye. Yeah, I had her. “How’s school? What are you studying, again?”

“It’s good. I’m studying fashion design at the Art Institute. I have two more years before I can finally break into the field. I’ve been…” I tuned out at that point. She may have been beautiful, but she was boring as fuck and totally self-absorbed. “What are you going to do, Kayden?”

“I have an interview with a cell phone company to be a salesman,” I replied. I was excited for the chance to work in sales. I knew it could be a lucrative career. Cell phones were becoming popular, and I knew it was the next big thing—something everyone would have to have.

“They’re too pricey for me. Maybe when I make it big in the fashion industry… Perhaps you can hook me up,” she said.

“I’d love to hook up with you.” I winked at her, and redness filled her cheeks.

I sat with Mindy and her friends for a while and let them talk about college and the parties they attended. As Mindy spoke, she touched my arm, eventually holding on to my bicep. I flexed it a couple of times, and her grip would increase slightly. The rest of the girls slowly grew bored and left until it was just the two of us.

“Want to go somewhere a little more private?” I asked, slyly grinning at her.

“I’d love to,” she said.

I didn’t waste a moment. I stood up and helped her to her feet. “Where ya wanna go, babe?” I asked.

“Let’s go in the woods. It’s dark and private,” she said as she began to walk in that direction. She was a little eager judging by the speed at which she moved.

I grabbed her by the wrist. “Not so fast. Walk slower so we don’t draw so much attention.” I placed my fingertips on the bare skin of her back. She wore a cute little belly shirt and jean shorts.

“You’re right, I wasn’t thinking.” From what I knew of Mindy, she rarely ever had a thought that didn’t involve material possessions or her vanity. We passed by a shed that was nestled only a couple of feet into the woods. Her parents stored all the power tools to keep the yard neat and tidy in the small wooden building.

“Let’s go behind the shed…more privacy,” I said, moving my eyebrows up and down. She didn’t respond verbally, but she turned around with a smile and walked behind the shed. She faced me, waiting. I grabbed her by the back of the neck and stared into her eyes. “You want me?”

“Yes,” she said, all breathy and filled with longing, and she placed her hand on my hip. “More than anything right now.”

I crushed my lips to hers, smashing her body into the back of the shed. I grabbed her lip with my teeth and sucked it into my mouth, running my tongue along the smooth, sweet skin. She moaned from the sensation, going limp beneath my hands. I placed my leg between her knees, forcing them apart. I moved my knee up slowly, making contact with her sweet spot. I could hear her breathing change, and her body twitched. I ravaged her mouth, searching it with my tongue as if looking for a lost treasure. I’d kissed plenty of girls over the last four years. I had this shit down pat. I pulled her body into mine, increasing the pressure she felt against my leg.

Her hands gripped my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin. I slowly moved my hand from her naked back to her smooth stomach. I could feel goose bumps break out across her skin. I placed my hand against her ribs and brushed my thumb along the underside of her breast—she didn’t have on a bra. I increased the pressure and strokes of my thumb as my kiss grew deeper and more demanding. I waited to see if she’d tell me to stop, but she only gave in more, moving into my touch. She sucked my tongue into her mouth, scraping her teeth against it as I drew it back into my mouth. My cock grew hard, and my balls tingled at the sensation. I wanted to feel my cock in her mouth, buried balls deep down her throat. I cupped her breast, running the tip of my thumb across her nipple as I moved my knee out, dragging it across her skin. The friction of her jeans and my knee caused a moan louder than I wanted to escape.

I broke the kiss, “Shh, Mindy,” I said as I placed my finger against her lips.

“Sorry, it felt so good, and I want you so bad, Kayden.”

“Suck my cock, and I’ll give you more than you can handle,” I said, tilting my head and waiting for an answer. I didn’t need words. The full moon helped illuminate her face, and I could see her pupils were dilated, and she was ready to give me what I wanted.

She shifted, and I removed my leg, letting her feet touch the ground. She dropped to her knees without a word of protest. “Unzip me,” I said. She looked up at me, surprised by the tone in my voice. It was a demand and not a suggestion. Her fingers fumbled with my zipper before sliding it down slowly. “Pull down my pants slightly, Mindy.” Her fingertips touched my side as she reached inside my jeans to slide them down my leg. As the jeans moved partially down my thigh, my cock sprang free. The look on her face was priceless. It didn’t even come close to matching the look when she’d first seen me tonight. At this moment, she looked scared at my size. “You can do it, Mindy. Look how hard I am for you, how much I want you.”

She palmed it in her hands, barely able to touch her fingertips together. She timidly licked the tip as if checking the flavor of a lollipop. My cock was like a Tootsie Pop. I had a surprise for her after we found out how many licks it took to get to the center or my end. She drew her tongue back into her mouth, looking up at me, probably hoping I’d change my mind. I shifted my hips, moving my cock closer to her, giving her the hint or encouragement she needed to continue.

She opened her mouth and moved toward my cock, placing it against her lips. I stared down at her. I could see her breasts through her top and her blond hair moving in the breeze. I’d waited years to feel her lips on my body, and I knew I wouldn’t last long. The warmth of her mouth enveloped me, causing an uncontrollable shudder to run down my body. She slowly moved her lips up and down my cock, never deep enough to tap the back of her throat. I ran my fingers through her blond hair, playing with it, tangling it between my digits. She grabbed a little tighter with her hand, making sure to use it as a barrier not to take me too deep. I stood there, feet planted shoulder-width apart and became lost in the ecstasy. This obviously wasn’t her first blow job. She knew the tricks. I let her work my cock for few minutes, enjoying the softness of her tongue on the sweet spot underneath. I wanted deeper. I wanted to possess her mouth…wanted to fuck her face.

“No hands, Mindy. Put them on your knees,” I said. Her eyes shot up at me in a question without words, my cock still in her mouth. I was so close to coming from the innocent look in her eye, but I needed to control her. Her hand slipped off my cock, and she placed them both on her knees. I gripped her hair and began to move—slowly at first, giving her a sense of security and false comfort. The tighter my body grew, the tighter my fingers gripped her hair, moving back toward her crown to give me better control. I pulled her by her hair, moving my hips forward and causing my tip to tap the back of her throat. I withdrew quickly, hoping I didn’t scare her off. I did it again, but this time, I jammed it as far down her throat as I could. She gagged, and I could feel her throat muscles close against my cock as she tried to breathe and swallow. I pulled it out again, granting her a moment of reprieve.

“That feels so good, baby,” I said in reassurance before repeating the movement. Drool ran out of her mouth and glistened on her chin. Every time my cock was buried in her mouth, her eyes would bulge out in shock, but she never said stop or made any motion for me to do so. My legs began to tremble as my balls tightened and my cock grew larger, more rigid in her wet, sweet mouth. I let go of her hair, letting her control the pace and depth. “I’m so close,” I said, giving her a warning. “I want to come in your mouth.”

She sucked more feverishly…wanting my orgasm or praying for it to end. My body shook as warm liquid spilled from my body and into her mouth. She sucked it all, keeping the quick pace I had set earlier. She gagged slightly each time she pulled me into her mouth, while my cock kept giving her my seed. I moaned because a blow job had never felt so good. I removed my cock, my legs shaky and unsteady, and watched her as she licked her lips and swallowed everything I gave her. I grabbed my jeans, tucking in my cock as I brought them up around my waist. “Thanks, babe, that was fucking fantastic,” I said.

She stood up and looked as excited as a kid waiting for their favorite ride at Geauga Lake, a nearby amusement park. I made no move to touch her, and I started to walk away, “Hey, where ya going?” she asked. “What about me?”

“I’m sure someone here would be happy to give you what you want. I got what I was looking for, babe.”

“You had me suck your cock, and you’re just going to fucking leave me here?” she asked, glaring at me with hatred so pure I could almost feel the fist she wanted to hit me with.

“I got what I came for. You were a total bitch to me for years. You don’t deserve what I’d give, how good I’d fuck you,” I said with my arms crossed over my chest.

“You’re a total cocksucker, Kayden,” she said, poking me in the chest with each word to drive the point home.

“No, that would be you, babe,” I said with a smile. “Oh, and by the way, you have a little on your chin,” I said, pointing at her face and chuckling softly at the situation. I watched as she wiped her chin, and I turned and walked away, leaving her there like she deserved.

I left Mindy out of the story of my life when I sat down and started to tell Sophia about my high school years. It’s not one of my shining moments, nor is it who I am today. It was a total dick move, but fuck, she was a bitch and deserved being used and thrown away.

We all knew those girls in high school. The mean ones who think their shit doesn’t stink and they have the right to treat everyone like they’re disposable. Mindy is one of those girls. She never liked me or gave me the time of day until she came back home for our graduation. I knew when she saw me, the man I had grown into, that she’d be nice and friendly. She got every bit of what she deserved.

The rest of my youth had been filled with more dumb-ass decisions that caused problems at home. My dad was a dick who thought that using a belt was the best way to “correct” my behavior. Major FAIL. It all ended when he learned that I was bigger, quicker, and stronger than he was. I wouldn’t have hit him, but I wasn’t going to sit by and take his bullshit any longer. My mom and I were better off without him. She found Joe, a loving man, and he became my father, the one I looked to for advice as I grew up and learned how to become a man. My real father became more and more absent from my life. He left me behind. I may not have always agreed with him, but to be left behind and feel forgotten is not something anyone wants to feel during their life.