"Child, you better get that cigarette out of your mouth before I come out there and whoop your butt," my mother called from the front porch.

"You've got a football game tomorrow night!"

​

 "Alright, Mama," I laughed, bleary eyed and three sheets to the wind. Smirking, I took one final drag before quickly passing the joint to Hayley, who was sitting beside me in the back seat of Reg's truck. "Here, babe." 

​

"Are you crazy? I'm not touching it," she shrieked, holding her hands up, warding me off. "My dad's the fricking sheriff, Luck." 

​

"Child," Reggie snickered, snatching my smoke up and putting it to his lips.

 

"Dude." 

​

"Goddamn, Luck," Jessie chuckled from the passenger seat. "That woman still thinks you're ten." 

​

"Don't even think about it, Reginald!" Mom called out, causing the rest of our teammates to crack up with laughter. "Put it out."

​

"Reginald," I choked out through fits of laughter, thoroughly amused by my best friend's grimacing expression. "Shit, man. Haven't heard that in years." Snickering, I slung an arm around my girlfriend and attempted to get back in her good books. "Jesus," I purred, taking in the sight of her cheerleading outfit and the way my Leatherman jacket swallowed her up. "Gimme a kiss –"

​

My words were cut off when the car door was flung open and something pinched my ear. 

​

Not something, I quickly realized. My mother's hand.

​

Like a fucking piranha, her fingers dug into my flesh as she dragged me out of the car. "Get your butt in the house," she growled, attempting to haul me back to the house by the ear. "You're grounded for life." 

​

Cackling like a fucking douche, I ignored my teammates, saluted my girl, and then let my mother lead me away. "It's all good, Mama."

 

"All good?" she practically spat, hauling my clumsy ass up the porch steps. "You're sixteen years old and you're smoking weed!" 

​

"No, I'm not," I laughed.

​

"Don’t lie to me," she warned, shoving me into the house. "I can smell it on you."

​

"Well, I'm not doing it now," I offered, desperately trying and failing to wipe the dopey grin off my face. "I'm not, Mama." 

​

"You are on track for a full ride to CU," Mom choked out, shaking her head, and stoned as I was, I could hear the disappointment in her tone. Yeah, that stung like a bitch. "You need to tow the line, Hunter. If you keep playing with fire, you're going to get burned, baby." 

​

"Come on, Mama," Grinning, I slung an arm around her frail shoulders and led her into the kitchen. “It’s all good.”