Signing the contract

Arriving at Brooke’s house the next morning, I felt a mix of anxiety and dread. She’d always had it out for me and now I was going to willingly submit myself to whatever whims she had? Was I crazy? But I *had* to do this. For Erin.

This time, Brooke was waiting in the doorframe, all dressed and ready for school in her preppiest outfit with a grin on her face that made her look like the cat that got the canary.

“Come on in,” she beckoned to me as I walked up the driveway.

Walking into the foyer, she led me away from the stairs to her room and towards a room on the first floor. Going into the room it was clear that this was her father’s office, as the legal paraphernalia clearly indicated. And sitting behind the big oak desk inside was an older man who was obviously Brooke’s father.

“Hi there, Clint Sawyer III, Esquire. I’m Brooke’s father, and for the purposes of today’s meeting, also her legal representation.”

“Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”

“You know your stuff, young man! If I was trying a case against or for her, perhaps, but I’m really just here to explain the details of the contract I drafted up. Pretty standard stuff, the party of the first part, you legally bind yourself to do whatever it is my daughter tells you to do until such a time that the concert occurs and is attended by the ticket holders, breaking the contract incurs penalties, etcetera, etcetera…” Mr. Sawyer said. “Just sign here.”

I knew that I probably should have read the contract more closely, skimming it I could see that it included the words “grooming standards” and “uniform requirement where applicable” but if it was the only way to get that ticket for Erin…

Brooke handed me a ballpoint pen and placed her manicured fingernail onto the line at the bottom where I was to sign. I slowly signed my name, making sure to keep it neat as I did. When I finished, Mr. Sawyer pulled the contract away and inspected it.

“And there we go,” Mr. Sawyer said, getting up. “A pleasure doing business with you. I’ve got to get to work honey, have a good day at school.”

He kissed Brooke on the head, before shaking my hand and then headed off, leaving Brooke and I behind.

“So… What now?” I asked.

“Now, your ass is mine,” Brooke replied with an evil grin plastered on her face as she hustled me out of her father’s office.

As we walked back out into the foyer, she handed me a piece of paper, glancing at it, it looked like a schedule.

“This is my daily itinerary, obviously you still have to attend your own classes, if only it was summer, but you’ll be by my side at all other points of the day. I get up at six, so you should arrive here no later than six-thirty so you can assist me in getting ready. And then you’ll be joining me for whatever after school activities I have planned until I go to bed, promptly at ten every night, at which point you can go home.” Brooke said.

“This is like a full-time job…” I muttered as I read the sheet of paper.

It had everything I needed to know on it, Brooke’s locker number and combination, a list of her favorite foods, even a list of her favorite makeup, in addition to where she’d be at any given point in the day.

“All right, first things first, I’ll let it slide today, but if you’re going to be hanging around me, you’ve gotta clean up a little. Run a brush through that hair,” Brooke thrusted a hairbrush into my hands. “And tomorrow, I expect you to be dressed properly. Pants, shoes that aren’t literally falling apart, and at least a polo shirt, okay?”

“I have a uniform?” I asked as I neatened my hair.

“Barely a uniform, I have a certain standard to uphold, and now, so do you!” Brooke said, chipperly. “All right, I think it’s about time we left, here’s my bag.”

Brooke dropped her schoolbag into my hands and nearly skipped out the door, her ponytail bouncing behind her. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that this was for Erin, and followed her.