Free Crossing the Barrier by Martine Lewis Page B

couple pieces of bread in the toaster.
    “So, South Texas, hey?” his father asked after a few moments of silence.
    Malakai turned and looked at him, with his mouth open. He didn’t know the sergeant had received his message. Quickly regaining his composure, Malakai swallowed and nodded.
    “Anywhere else?”
    The bing of the toaster reminded Malakai of his breakfast, and he turned around to retrieve his toast.
    “No, but does it matter?” Malakai asked.
    “Well, I was hoping you would consider one of the military academies...”
    Malakai’s knife clunked loudly against his plate. He closed his eyes and slowly counted to three.
    The sergeant couldn’t seriously think Malakai would go anywhere near anything that had to do with the military. The way his father had run the household and the fact the military had basically stolen him away was enough to convince Malakai he would never, ever consider that lifestyle.
    “Dad, the military is your life,” he said so quietly he didn’t know if his father had heard him. “It will never be mine.”
    “It’s not all bad.”
    Malakai turned around and glared at the sergeant, something he would surely have been reprimanded for has his father seen it, but his father was looking down at a pile of eight-and-a-half-by-eleven envelopes on the table next to him. Slowly, he picked them up and handed them to Malakai. Hesitantly, Malakai took them. They had the logos of different military academies on the upper left corners.
    “What’s this?” Malakai asked, keeping his expression as neutral as possible. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.
    “Applications. I spoke to the academies and the coaches, and sent them your school records. They all want to talk to you. They all want you to apply.”
    “You must be kidding me.”
    “Junior, please, consider it.”
    Malakai gently deposited the unopened envelopes on the counter and looked at his father, clenching his fists at his side.
    “I’m going to be late for school.”
    His coffee and toast forgotten, Malakai walked into his room and quietly closed the door behind him.

 
     
    Chapter Seventeen
     
     
    MALAKAI
    For the fourth time during practice later that day, Wes deliberately threw the pass ridiculously too high for Malakai to catch, and Malakai was getting frustrated. The quarterback had practiced poorly ever since they had fought over Lily, and Malakai didn’t find it amusing in the least.
    Coach blew his whistle and called the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers to him.
    “Where’s your head at, Hamilton?”
    Wes opened his mouth to reply, but Coach raised a hand to silence him.
    “I don’t want to hear it. Every time you throw to Thomas, you do it badly. If you’ve got issues with him, take them outside the field. Here, you have no issues, got it?”
    Wes remained quiet.
    “Now’s the time to speak, Hamilton!”
    “Yes, sir!”
    “Good. Now go back and throw like you belong on this team.”
    By the end of practice, things had improved, but Malakai was still frustrated. The quarterback was not only ruining practice for himself, but for the team too, and all that because of Zoe.
    Malakai was walking out of the locker room after his shower when Wes finally came to him.
    “Sorry, dude, I shouldn’t have taken it out on you like this,” he said, falling in step with Malakai.
    “No, you shouldn’t have,” Malakai said, as he continued walking toward the school exit. “Like you said, drama needs to stay out of the field.”
    “Yeah, I should practice what I preach,” Wes said with a chuckle. “Wanna grab a bite?”
    Just like that, Wes was moving on, but Malakai hesitated a moment, debating if he should continue the discussion or let it drop.
    “I have to go to the ATM first, then I can meet you somewhere,” he said, dropping it, for now.
    “Okay. See you at seven? Our usual place?”
    Malakai nodded, then walked out of the school and to his jeep. He didn’t really want to go out, but