Fiction/Relationships/Football
O.N.C.E.—Chapter Three
One night changes everything
Graduation came and went, which meant more parties and a lot more women. I got my final acceptance letter from USC and had a start date for football camp and practice for the first week of August.
Nothing was going to bring me down from the high I was on. I had radio shows wanting to interview me, I did a special event for ESPN about excellent prospects for college football; and, check this out, an indie production team wanted to follow me around for a freshman college football documentary once I got settled into USC.
Fuckin A, right.
Six more weeks, baby, and Trent Mackenzie will be a household name in every college football-loving home.
Oh, yeah, don’t forget, I will be a hot commodity in every sorority and female dorm room across the university’s campus.
I can’t change who I am, but then again, why would I?
The doorbell rang for a second time before I heard my mom call me from the living room.
“Coming.” I clicked off my iPhone and proceeded out of my bedroom.
Mom was standing with the front door slightly open, looking at me like I’d just committed murder. The look of panic, being scared, and pissed off all rolled into one.
As I stepped closer, I saw two blue uniforms standing on the doorstep.
‘What the fuck? I didn’t do anything… or at least nothing I could remember.’
“Trent,” Mom held open the door wider so all would have visuals of one another. “The officers are here looking for you.” Her eyes questioned me about what the hell I got myself into.
“Hey,” I said, greeting them as pleasantly as possible. I tucked my hands into the pockets of my shorts to stop them from shaking.
‘Shit, not a good idea. They might think I’m gonna pull something out or keep something hidden.’
I removed my hands and clasped them together in front of my stomach.
“What can I help you with?” I tried to sound confident and strong, but, fuck, this was nerve-racking.
“Are you Trenton Mackenzie?”
“Yes, sir,” I spoke to the officer who addressed me.
“Do you know a young lady by the name of Marissa Walsh?”
‘Shit, I’d met a lot of girls. Did I remember their names…um…not all the time.’
“Not off the top of my head. The name doesn’t ring a bell.” That was my honest-to-God truth.
“What’s the concern, officers.” Mom stood behind me as my backup. She was just as curious as I was regarding their visit.
“Ma’am,” The older officer of the two dipped his head in a courtesy nod. “Is your son over the age of eighteen?”
“Yes.”
My mom’s voice trembled as she spoke. We were both panicking.
“Then, I will have to have him answer the questions. I can only give information to him since he is an adult.”
Mom nodded and stood back. I was on my own with this one.
Then, she made her presence known.
Ericka walked around the police car that was parked in our driveway and came forward. She stayed behind the cops as if they were her barrier of protection.
‘What the fuck is she doing here?’
Marissa.
Marissa.
Marissa.
Now it was all starting to become clearer.
Marissa was the girl from last summer, Ericka’s cousin, or something like that.
Holy fuck, are you kidding me? She waited a whole year to press charges or something.
“It was consensual.” I glared at Ericka as she walked closer.
Both she and the cops looked at me like they had no clue what I was talking about.
“Trent, what’s going on?”
I glanced back at my mom. “I’m hoping Ericka can enlighten us all.” I looked back outside and waited to hear what kind of charges were going to be pressed against me.
“I can explain.” Ericka stood beside the officers. She looked worn out since the last couple of times I’d seen her. Maybe a bit too much partying.
The younger officer held up his hand and stopped her before she said anything else.
“Someone tell me what’s going on.”
“Mr. Mackenzie,” the older cop took charge once again. “Do you know Marissa Walsh?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so. I mean, after Ericka came around, I put two and two together and figured out who you were talking about.”
“Did you have sexual relations with this young lady?”
I nodded. “Once, twice, it was all on the same night last summer.”
“We need you to come down to the station. You’re not in any type of trouble, we need a sample of your DNA.”
“What?”
‘What the fuck was going on?’
“We need written consent to get a cheek swab to test your DNA.” The officer tried to explain once again, but I was still fucking confused.
“What the fuck for?”
“Oh my God.” Ericka’s patience level blew sky-high. “Marissa and her family were in a car accident two days ago. She and her parents died, the only one to survive was her daughter.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
Yeah, I felt sorry a family lost their lives and the baby was left motherless, but what did they want me to do about it?
“She’s your baby, Trent. I tried to tell you last year Marissa was pregnant, but you kept blowing me off whenever I wanted to talk.” Ericka’s face was red, her eyes were glassed over with tears, and she looked like she wanted to rip my throat out.
“No. No. No.” Now my mom went into hysteria. “Tell me it’s not true, Trent.”
“It could be anyone’s baby, mom. I don’t know who else she slept with.” I tried to ease my mom’s fears.
“That’s why we would like you to come with us. Do the simple test, and in seven days you’ll find out whether or not the baby girl is yours.” The officer waved his hand for me to follow to the patrol car. “The baby is with Ericka’s family right now. Marissa confided in Ericka that you were the biological father, but we have to be certain before custody rights can be handed over.”
“Wait? What? Custody?”
I didn’t want a baby. Hell, no. Contracts have been signed. My next four years were going to be at USC, this was something I planned for all my life. A baby being part of it was never in the equation.
I held my hands up in surrender. “I don’t want any part of this. I barely knew the girl.”
“Can you please come with us?” The cop once again gestured with his hand to the patrol car.
I glanced back at my mom, she had a look of horror written all over her face.
“Just go, Trent, clear this all up.” Mom wouldn’t look me in the eyes. She looked disappointed and devastated over the past five-minute conversation.
I followed the officers out, with Ericka following behind.
The story will continue…