Two
August
“Dude, Teagan is so fucking hot,” my buddy Alex said as we lounged against the side of our community pool. School was starting the next day and we, along with our other friends, were soaking up the last of the Wisconsin summer sun.
Summers in Wisconsin were either bone fuck cold, never getting above seventy, or they were the armpit of hell at ninety plus with full-fucking humidity. This summer was the armpit of hell, so we spent as much time at the pool as possible.
I looked over to the other side of the pool to catch my pseudo-cousin Teagh doing a swim lesson with some little kids.
I guess she was pretty for a girl, but I grew up with her. I knew her bad habits. “I guess.”
“You just think that because of whatever fucking messed up thing in your head that says she’s family. Porter, Teague Ketterhagen is not your uncle. You could totally tap that ass over there.”
I shook my head, grinning. “I know Teague isn’t really my uncle, asshole, but I grew up with Teagan. Like family. And let me tell you, she’s too good for you, so I would just stop thinking about her while you’re ahead.”
Teagh must have heard us talking about her, because she looked over her shoulder in our direction, all while still giving direction to the little kid she was helping with a back stroke. I grinned and shot her the bird, earning me a crooked grin and a shake of her head.
Teagan was cool. And she was family, no matter what these fuckers said.
“I want to unwrap that bun on her head and fist it all while—” my buddy Ty started but I wasn’t about to let him finish that sentence.
“Shut the fuck up, you dick,” I said, splashing water his way with a sweep of a closed fist.
Ty chuckled and wiped at the water on his face. “She’s fucking hot,” he repeated what Alex said.
Lesly, one of the girls in our group, shrugged. “She’s ok. She thinks she’s better than everyone.” Lesly moved her bug-eye sunglasses off the top of her head so she could stare in Teagh’s direction discretely.
“Just stop, guys,” I said, shaking my head.
Lesly muttered, “It’s true,” but I turned my attention to Alex as he pulled himself out of the pool.
“I think that in honor of the last day of summer, we should break in tonight and go skinny dipping,” Alex stated.
The community center, and therefore pool, closed at sundown. It wouldn’t be the first time we broke in to the pool.
I shrugged and looked over at the other guys, who were nodding. Lesley pouted, saying something about her parents being super on top of curfew this year, but I could care less. She could stay behind. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings none.
“Sounds like a plan.” I looked over my shoulder to where a giant clock was mounted between the club house’s restrooms. I was already on Dad’s shit list, so I would probably be better off getting home in time for dinner. God, I couldn’t wait until the AHL season started and he would be off for days at a time, coaching away games.
But oh yeah.
That’s right.
He retired at the end of last season.
Fuck me and my life.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad. He’s a great guy but his tolerance level for my…stunts—as Mom calls them—is much lower than Mom’s.
“I’m heading out, but text me your plan,” I said as I hoisted myself out of the pool backward, my ass sitting on the ledge before I pulled my leg up beside me to stand. I rung the water out of my shorts and shook my hair, sending water droplets spraying.
“God, Porter!” came a girly shrill beside me. I laughed as I stopped shaking, grinning at Mo, one of the cooler girls in our group. We lost our virginities together two years ago and she was still the one I went to when I needed that release. We were cool, though. She knew I wasn’t looking for a relationship and I respected her when she was in one.
But she wasn’t now.
And to be completely honest, I would be cool with the idea of a relationship with Mo, if she were to ever want to, you know, change the friend label. It probably wouldn’t be much different than what we did when she wasn’t dating someone. Hang out. Fuck. Hang out some more. She had a pretty vigorous schedule herself, so she knew the demands of my lifestyle and would be understanding if we only got to hang out a few hours a week.
“Sorry, Mo.” I winked at her and reached around her for my towel, snapping it at her ass. I loved her ass. Maybe I could talk her into some naked time later tonight.
At the moment, she wore a black strapless top and those cheeky bottoms that showed off her ass impeccably. When my towel snapped her, she jumped and grabbed herself, her eyes narrowing at me.
“You can be such an ass!” she said, but she was laughing and her face was flushed. It was quick, but her eyes dropped and raked back up my body.
Oh yeah. Definitely getting laid tonight.
“See you later?” I asked.
“Yeah, Mo, you should come tonight. Skinny dipping,” Alex said as he lifted Lesly, right before tossing her, yelling, into the pool.
Mo didn’t bother to look at Alex, her eyes locked on mine as she gave me a coy smile. “Sure. I’ll be there.”
I flashed her the Prescott Dimple as I wrapped my towel around my hips—before my dick drew attention to itself—and left, heading for my car and for home.
***
Dinner tonight hadn’t been that bad.
All of my siblings were gone—Kenna and Ace to college, Jonny and Caleb and their wives flew back to San Diego the week prior, and Myke lived a town over and was pardoned from family meals, on account of her being twenty-eight.
I think my parents wanted to see her married off. I don’t think anyone expected Jonny to be the first to get married. For as long as I remember, he’d dated Jenna. We all hoped he would drop her like a bad habit, but nope. He went and proposed to her instead.
From the moment he put a ring on her finger, Jonny was hardly ever around.
And I hated Jenna the most for that reason alone.
Even when Jonny did come around, he wasn’t the same guy he was three years ago.
Married life suited Caleb really well. And Sydney was a great addition to the family, I would definitely give her that. They started on babies right after the wedding, and I have to say, I do enjoy being an uncle to their first kid, Brandon. He was almost two and looked just like Caleb, but with Sydney’s eye shape and color. I wouldn’t put it past Cael to get the kid in skates sooner than later either.
Sydney was also pregnant with their second kid. They announced it right before flying back to San Diego. Caleb was a great dad, but it was just one more thing to pull my family away.
But back to Myke. She was still single. I don’t know the last time she had a boyfriend, to be perfectly honest. Maybe she was gay…
Not that there would be anything wrong with that, but seriously.
Dad and Mom asked their obligatory questions about if I was excited to start school the next day. I don’t think they knew what to do with just one kid in the house, with Ace leaving for college earlier in the week.
While I wasn’t exactly excited for school, I was excited for hockey practice.
Varsity was definitely more fun than the summer league I played on. Because the summer league was thirteen to seventeen, they were stricter on the rules, and while, sure, there was no fighting in high school hockey, I could definitely get away with more of my chirping taunts and sly stick moves.
Now that I was the only one at home I was left with all the chores, which sucked major dick. But whatever. The sooner I got the dishwasher loaded, the sooner I could hide out in my room, waiting for go time.
“Hey, Porter, I talked to Coach Max today,” Dad said from the living room as I pressed the start button on the dishwasher. Coach Max was the hockey coach for an elite high school in the area.
I stuffed my hands in my shorts pockets and walked into the living room, seeing just my Dad there, sitting in his recliner. “Yeah?”
I knew what he was going to say.
Coach Max, “…wants you at University School, Ports.”
He’d been trying to recruit me to the school since I was in seventh grade. He and Dad got to know one another a few years ago during a hometown celebration for Caleb and Jonny and when Dad told him he had one more son to go through high school, Coach Max wouldn’t let it drop.
University School was not only the best high school in the state, but they had a fucking awesome hockey program. It was stupid of me to not want to go there, but… “You know I
want to finish at East, Dad.”
Beloit East was where my friends were. It was where my brothers’ numbers hung on the gym wall with their accomplishments.
I wanted to knock them down.
Change the #11 C. Prescott to #11 P. Prescott.
I couldn’t do much about the #21 J. Prescott, but I could at least put some more recent years on the wall.
It was annoying as fuck to go through school being known as “Caleb and Jonny’s little brother,” or “Baby Brother Prescott,” or even fucking “Caleb’s mini-me,” but I had an agenda to accomplish with the school, and fuck if I was going to leave it all behind.
I didn’t need a fancy school to get noticed. I was a damn good player and was at the top of every Elite Prospects list
“I know, Porter, but it would be a great opportunity, a great step before Juniors if that was the route you decided to take before college.”
My parents both knew that college wasn’t in my plans. I was getting scouted right away and going straight to the NHL. Mom told me it would be smart of me to get a degree, and Dad enforced that there was nothing wrong with taking a few extra steps to get to where I wanted to go, but I was done with all the middle-man shit.
I just wanted to play in the Big Game.
“I know University’s a great school, Dad, but I really want to stay at East.”
He nodded and stood from the recliner he’d been sitting in. “Alright, Ports. Maybe just think about it?”
“Yeah, sure,” I agreed, wanting the subject to be done. I turned to head up the stairs just as Dad called out, “Good night, Porter. I love you.”
“Yeah, Dad. You, too.”
I heard him chuckle at me and I could just imagine him shaking his head in my direction. I fought the grin trying to bloom on my face and headed to my room, waiting for Alex’s text.