Yvette — Chapter 7: The Agreement
September
The ornate front door of the hobby ranch home swung open as Jason stepped inside, kicking his shoes into the entryway.
He spotted his father at the table, still in his work clothes, his cowboy hat turned upside down beside him.
“There he is,” Jacob said sternly.
Jason felt a knot tighten in his chest. His father’s tone carried weight.
“Have a seat.”
Jason set his bags down and made his way to the chair across from his father, Jacob watching his every move.
Jacob’s face remained stern, and Jason sat down with nervousness welling up inside him. He didn’t know what was wrong, but the look in his father’s eyes meant business.
“Where’s Mama?” Jason asked.
Jacob blinked. “She’s at a church group meeting. Which is good, because you and I need to talk, man to man.”
Defeat overcame Jason’s voice. “Yes sir,” he replied. “What is it?”
Jacob reached into the chair next to him and lifted a folded piece of paper in front of his gaze. He read aloud.
“C minus in Algebra, and a B in biology.” He paused, looking over his son’s uneasy expression. “Do you wanna explain this to me?”
“Daddy,” Jason protested calmly. “Those classes are hard, and with the work in the mornings I—“
Jacob pursed his lip, and Jason realized he should stop talking.
“Now as I understand it, we had a deal.” Jacob said sternly. “You agreed to keep your grades up to play football this year. And the ranch? I don’t even wanna hear about it.”
Jacob looked down at the table, his shoulders slumped.
“Look at me, son,” demanded Jacob quietly.
Jason raised his eyes and met his father’s stern gaze.
“Has Coach Jackson seen these grades?”
“I don’t know,” Jason mumbled.
“Well, he will,” assured Jacob, “and you better get these up if you want to play the rest of the season.”
Jason exhaled slowly, he knew better than to protest.
Jacob put the paper down on the table. “You made an agreement with your mother and I, and if you’re gonna be anything, it’s a man of his word. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, I understand.” Replied Jason.
“Good,” said Jacob flatly. “If you need the mornings for school, I will gladly sell that truck. I know your mother would be more than willing to drive you, if that’s what it takes.”
“No sir,” replied Jason, “I’ll take care of it.”
Jacob smiled. “Good, and I don’t want to hear you on that game either, until I know you’re taking this seriously.”
Jason nodded.
“Your mother left some food in the fridge. Eat dinner, and start studying. Tonight. I’ll take care of the animals myself.”
Jason watched as his father placed the cowboy hat on his head and left for the door. The boots echoed across the floor, and Jacob didn’t look back.
Jason didn’t move until the door shut.
After finishing his dinner, he went upstairs and dropped onto his bed. The gray bedspread bore a Dallas Cowboys helmet, the blue star worn soft with time.
He reached for the Xbox controller on his bedside table and pressed the center button, listening to the startup chime.
Jason sighed and clenched his jaw, then tossed the controller onto the bed.
He pulled his Algebra textbook from his bag and opened it, staring at the page longer than he read.
It wasn’t the fear of punishment that bothered him, it was the threat of losing his autonomy. He turned the page and began to study.
“Yvette” is a tragic literary fiction novella based in rural Texas, by Ash Seawolf. Read previous chapters here: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6.