Chapter 8: JACE

He hadn't taken over the reins from grandpa as yet, that came five years later.

He's the youngest studio head and according to him, not many held out hope for the continued success of the family business, but twelve years later he was still going strong.

I knew the day would come when I would have to step into his shoes, but unlike him, I wouldn't have to do that as early as he had.

Grandpa had died much too young of a heart attack in his office one day, and that's why dad had had to step in so young.

If not for that, he'd still be looking at at least another five or ten years before he had to make the move.

Some of grandpa's old cronies were still heading their houses to the disgust of their off spring who were chomping at the bit to get their hands in.

It was their kids that I went to school with mostly, theirs and the children of the men and women who worked for them. Leading men and women.

I was very aware that most of my peers didn't have the same upbringing I did, and I had gained a few true-life friends by sticking to the tenets mom and dad set down. But there were still the other ninety-five percent that were assholes.

If Mandy was the leading female, then I am the top dog. Not that I worked for it, I wasn't really interested in the title.

But it came with the territory. The men and women whose kids went to school with me weren't above using the school halls to network.

I usually sniffed out the kids who were trying to pull themselves up by my coattails and ditched them.

Again Mandy comes to mind, I'd really fucked up there. It was the one time I'd been sucked in by pussy, too bad for her I like my snatch attached to a warm body.

I headed back inside to see what Marisa had going for lunch. She was another staple in my life. She's been with the family since before I was born, another one who ran my life.

"Hey beautiful what you got going over there?" she was baking something that smelled amazing. Thank heavens for the home gym or her little delicacies would have me packing on the pounds.

I don't remember a day since kindergarten that there wasn't some kind of treat waiting for me after school, and I always partook of whatever she had on offer, no matter what coach said about nutrition.

No way I was going to hurt one of my favorite people by refusing something I knew she'd made especially for me.

"It's your favorite, I had planned to make them for your first day back, remember how you always liked them?"

"White chocolate macadamia nut?" I picked her up and twirled her around the kitchen making her laugh.

"Put me down senor Jace, I'll get you some milk, they're nice and hot have a few."

"Ummm, marry me, we'll run away together and live on a beach in Cabo."

"You like my hometown yes."

"Yes I do." We'd been there like five times since I was a kid. "I think these are the best you've ever made, better hide some up in my room before dad gets ahold of 'em."

Just then I felt a slap across the back of my head. "Too late, hand them over hog."

"Damn," I watched as he pawed a couple and wolfed them down. "You know you shouldn't be having those, mom said your cholesterol is off the charts."

"Your mom's asleep, what she doesn't know can't hurt her, and if you snitch I'll kick your ass."

"Tough talk old man."

"You boys play nice. Mr. Chad just two for you." She took the plate away from him and took it over to the counter out of reach while he pouted like a two year old.

"You're just sad dad." I shook my head and prepared to rub his face in it as I took a big chunk out of my fourth, but he snatched it out of my hand.

"Who's sad now sucker?" He checked his watch the thief and brushed the crumbs off his face. "Hey, wouldn't coach let you join practice even though you missed class?"

"Good idea dad I'm sure he will since he knew why I had to bail." I got up from the table and headed up to my room to get my gear.

Coach is a hard ass he doesn't play around. He'd once coached in the pros but something happened there and he left to come here. He wasn't influenced by the purse strings of his team's parents and so we didn't get away with shit.

If we weren't keeping up with our schoolwork as well as he thought we should, he'd bench us in a heartbeat.

So missing class and then showing up for practice would've been a no-no in any other situation. But since I'd seen him earlier and told him what was going on I was sure he'd let me on the field.

I could already feel by blood pumping in my veins, I love this dam game. Sometimes it's the only thing that gives me pleasure, the only thing I have to look forward to.

And since I was now sans a significant other, looked like I was going to be spending more time with the pigskin.