Prompt Rides - 25. Brotherly Advice

The candy apple red Ferrari came to life with a roar, bringing a smile to Kip’s unshaved face. His beaming smile spoke volumes about the frame of mind he was in. One more tick on the bucket list of the Miami Marlins up-and-coming star. His kid brother, a senior in high school following on the star pitcher’s footsteps, let out a whoop as the Italian muscle car peeled out of the dealership’s parking lot. The teen’s longish, dark-brown hair whipped around his face, as his older brother stepped on the gas pedal, and swung onto the ramp for the expressway.

“Yay! This fucking rocks, bro. maybe I’ll skip college and enter the draft. I could use me a ride like this.”

“You just go ahead and do that, little boy” Kip took a hand away from the steering wheel, slightly lowered his sunglasses, and momentarily peered at the younger guy in the passenger seat. “I’ll make sure you spend your entire career on a farm team in the middle of nowhere. Or I might just cut your balls off instead.”

“Ouch!” exclaimed the kid quickly covering up his groin. “What the fuck, man? What’s your problem?” He furrowed his brow and shook his head, while staring at his older sibling. “The scouts have been smelling around enough. I know I’ll be a high pick if I declare for the draft. I may as well make hay while I can. What if I blow out my arm or something?”

“Then you finish your degree, like I did. With that piece of paper in hand, you lead a normal life.” Kip slowed down enough to ensure his voice was heard above the combined roars of the engine and the wind. “Being a jock can’t be the most important thing in your life, bro. Sports won’t last long, an education will. You have a scholarship, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Take advantage of it.”

“Easy for you to say. You’ve got it all: the bazillion dollar contract, the crib, the wheels, a College World Series diamond ring... All you need is the honey pot to dip into.”

“Yeah, well, had that too for a while. The asshole cheated on me as soon as we got to Stanford, I had to throw his sorry ass out.” A slight note of sadness tinged the ball player’s words for a few seconds. “I shouldn’t complain. In a way, it was a blessing. It kept me out of trouble. The breakup made me spend my free time at the gym or the library. You could say the world gave me onions, so I made onion soup.”

“Bro, you’re sooo weird. But I still love you anyway. When can I drive?”