Chapter Thirty-Nine
Linc
Linc was a baseball coach, not a damn guidance counselor. This was total bullshit. How the hell was he even supposed to start this little life-lessons talk? He looked over at Jasper sitting in the passenger seat. His thumbs were flying a mile a minute on his phone. “So, talking to that chick from last night?”
Jasper chuckled. “Nah, like I said earlier, she ended up not being worth the trouble.”
Linc sighed. That sounded like something he would have said himself. Hell, he was almost positive he had said those exact words at some point. What was he supposed to do with that? Corey should have just written out a monologue for him to perform. “You left a bunch of shit for your teammates to clean up last night. Thank fuck those Haxton boys were wasted. Charges could have been pressed, lawsuits filed. It could have been the end of St. Leasing baseball.”
Jasper leaned his head back against the seat, setting his phone in his lap. “I know, Coach. And I really am sorry. I promise to be more careful.”
Linc rolled his eyes as he pulled up to the one and only pizza place in Haxton. “And how do you plan on doing that? What changes are you going to make to ensure this never happens again?” That sounded grown up. Linc had to grip the steering wheel to keep from pumping his fist in the air.
Jasper’s jaw dropped open and he started to stammer, no doubt not expecting to have to elaborate on his plan. “I…uh…I’ll…make sure that…I wait until all my friends have left the party before I leave to hook up?”
Linc just stared at the kid and gave him his most Baze-like look of withering disappointment. He was stalling. He had no idea what to say to that. He had spouted the same thing to Corey and Molly not an hour ago.
Jasper took his silence for punishment and tried again. “Or I could try and have more respect for the people around me? Maybe try and stay away from the girls with boyfriends? Is that the right answer?”
Linc narrowed his eyes. “There is no right answer here, Jasper. I want to know how you feel. How does all this make you feel?” Okay, that wasn’t so smooth. He was basically repeating lines he’d heard therapists say on TV and movies.
“How I feel? The truth?”
Linc nodded solemnly, like he pictured a therapist would.
Jasper turned his body more toward his coach. “I feel like a fucking rock star. Girls literally flock to me. Even after I’ve used them, they still adore me. I have girls offering to do my homework and sneak over to the dorms at all hours of the night. On top of all the girls? I have badass friends, my brother is doing better, I play baseball at St. Leasing. My life is a dream.”
Linc scrubbed his hands down his face. “Jasper. Wake the hell up. Your actions have repercussions. They always have repercussions. You like your friends? Act like it. Bros before hoes, dude. Just because you have this supernatural ability with girls doesn’t mean you get to disregard people’s feelings. Be. A. Better. Person.” Would that do? Would Corey want him to yell some more?
Jasper managed to look chastised as he let out a deep breath. “I hear what you are saying. I promise to never put my teammates in that sort of situation again. No more chicks with boyfriends.”
Huh. This adult thing wasn’t so hard. Linc felt compelled to continue since things were going so well. “You better not be letting those girls do your homework. And if you get caught with girls in your room after hours you’ll be suspended at least one game if not more. You know, these kids, they look up to you. You are a role model. Be a better one.”
Jasper jerked his head back. “Be a better role model? Did Ms. Cooper put you up to this?”
“Uh. No. I, uh, volunteered. You know Jasper, you and I are a lot alike. I know exactly how it feels to be such a hit with the ladies.”
Jasper was laughing now. This was going south. “A hit with the ladies? Who talks like that? You should have stopped after ‘bros before hoes dude.’”
Linc reached out and popped Jasper on the back of the head. “Look, you little jackass, all I’m saying is that I know how it feels to be able to pull any girl you want. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Besides, I’d be careful if I were you. They don’t make condoms like they used to.”
Jasper stopped chuckling and turned white. “What? What do you mean?”
Linc shrugged. “Rumor around the shifter circles is that the number of unplanned pregnancies is on a huge rise. They think it has something to do with the material that condoms are made out of now—they don’t, um, contain the shifter sperm as well as they should.”
Linc had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He had just pulled all of that out of his ass but Jasper looked like he was about to shit himself. Good. Linc figured he might as well back up his life lessons talk with some good old-fashioned fear.
“All right, well, I don’t know about you but I am starving. Let’s eat.”