Looking for Trouble (Nashville U Book 1) by Stacey Mosteller Read Free Book Online Page B

Anna continues her tale. “Not to mention, he had to give her a ride home when Max didn’t show and then Max ,” she says his name like it’s a curse, “had some whore in his room.”
    “Anna!” my mother admonishes. “Watch your language. You don’t even know this girl.”
    “Relax mom, I said whore, not cockmunching dick wanker.”
    Anna rolls her eyes, and Mom’s mouth drops open while I stop in my tracks and start laughing. I’m laughing so hard I’m bent over, an arm wrapped around my waist to try to hold myself together. I can’t hear what Mom is saying to my sister, but I know she’s scolding her. All too soon, the laughs turn to sobs and I hear my mom say, “Oh honey,” before I’m wrapped in her arms, the familiar scent of her citrusy perfume enveloping me in comfort. This is exactly what I need right now, to spend time with my family who loves me unconditionally. She holds me for just a few minutes before taking my hand and leading me into the house, leaving Anna to follow us as she asks about my schedule for this semester.

 
    Clay
     
     
    First class of Tuesday morning is just as awful as yesterday’s—Business Communication. Even the class description on the synopsis has me snoring. The study of principles, practices, and mechanics of writing in modern business . See? Snore . The only decent thing about this class is the fact Emmett is stuck here right along with me, and we’re sitting far in the back of a lecture hall full of people.
    “Our fathers hate us,” Emmett mutters, sliding further down in his seat. “That’s the only explanation for why we’re in a class about business writing at nine in the morning.” He sounds like he’s had little-to-no sleep, and I wonder if he and Livvie are fighting again since she hasn’t been around as much lately.
    His griping makes me chuckle. “I don’t think this class is the reason they hate us. It’s that they want us to take over for them someday. Talk about torture.” CFO of a major corporation? Honestly, who would ever trust me to be in charge of a company’s finances? Dad and Uncle Scott were best friends as kids who started what is now a multi-million dollar construction company with offices in downtown Nashville. It’s come a long way from the two of them trying to get jobs building anything once they went out on their own. Uncle Scott always says Dad is the brains of the company as CEO, but he’s the brawn, in charge of all the foremen they employ.
    It’s great that our dads get to do something they enjoy for work, but I wish they’d let us do the same. Wyatt’s the suit and tie type, and maybe Emmett is too, but I’m definitely not. Then again, I’m not the dirty jeans and work boots type either. I was the child growing up who drove my parents crazy, never able to sit down for more than five minutes, unable to concentrate on one thing for very long, unless it was something I loved, like football. Diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, I’ve been on multiple forms of medication, enough that I wasn’t able to join the military after high school like I wanted to. I always wanted to be a Marine, from the time I was young. I even took JROTC in high school, though it was Navy not Marine, but found out when I was a junior that the medication I’d been on for years would hinder my acceptance.
    It turned me into a very bitter guy. I’m still supposed to be taking the meds, but I don’t. Mom fills them, but they sit in my underwear drawer ignored. I don’t need them, I refuse to use a crutch, and that’s what they are to me. Besides, my focus problems aren’t as bad in the fall with football season. I’m so exhausted from practice, games, and workouts I don’t have trouble sleeping like I used to. Not to mention, not being on meds means I’m actually hungry, so I eat the way I should. But, now that football is over, I’m going to have to find something else to occupy my time and help get rid of all the excess energy.
    A