“Hey, you have to earn those.”
They both gave me ‘the look.’ Even Mr. Happy, ever the optimist, realized that this look meant I might not ever get sex again. I did the smart thing and backed out of the doorway and returned to the living room where my buddy, Duke, needed some loving. As I loved him up, I realized that getting Pam pregnant might mean she could take all my t-shirts, if she wanted to. She’d more than earned them. I wondered if that was how Greg felt when he found out about Angie being pregnant with Kyle.
I decided to watch Monday Night Football. They had a lousy game on, the Texans against the Bengals. After a half hour, I decided to check on the girls and found them lying on my bed, talking. Pam saw me and put her arms out.
“Come here,” she said.
I crawled onto the bed, lay down beside her, and she hugged me.
“I’ve missed you,” I said.
“Me too,” Pam said.
Tracy started to get up, but I reached across Pam and grabbed her hand.
“Thank you for standing by her. I knew I could count on you to be her friend when she needed one,” I said.
Tracy’s eyes misted up, so I leaned across Pam and kissed her. When our lips pulled apart, Tracy got out of bed and meandered to the living room. I still was leaning over Pam, so I turned, and she captured my lips. Things heated up to the point we found ourselves naked. I made a point to let Pam know that I found her sexy. She had just started to thicken around the waist and had the beginnings of a baby bump.
I reached for my condoms, but Pam stopped me.
“You can’t get me any more pregnant,” she reminded me.
We’d talked about this in Indianapolis, but I was in the habit of using one. Then again, who was I to argue? I covered her body and slowly entered her. Pam wrapped herself around me, and I made slow love to her. I really had to go slow because the difference between wearing a condom and not was dramatic. This way, I felt everything.
I believe we both needed a reaffirmation of our feelings for each other. We hadn’t really talked much since our night in Indianapolis. I hadn’t pushed it, because she acted a little nervous about her role in everything. Hopefully, tonight would assure her that I understood and still cared for her. I’d missed Pam and her quirky sense of humor. When I finally came, it wasn’t earth-shattering or epic. I wasn’t even sure whether Pam had gotten off or not; that wasn’t what this was about. We ended up just holding each other in comfortable silence.
“David?”
“Yes?”
“You’ll really help me through this?”
“Of course I will.”
“Okay.”
◊◊◊ Wednesday November 18
Our college prep class was canceled today, so we were able to catch up with our friends at lunch. Or at least I thought I might get a chance. Mike Herndon, of all people, stopped me before I made it to our usual table.
“Can we talk?” he asked.
I thought we should go out behind the school and have our talk but decided that could wait until after football was over.
“Uh, I guess,” I said and followed him to a table on the other side of the cafeteria.
We’d ordered Chinese for the prep class. I would call it in and pay for it over the phone, and they delivered it to the office each day. Several people came over to get their share before we were left alone. I noticed that no one offered to pay me today, so I would have to track them down later, or they could buy next time. I would bet none of them wanted to get in between Mike and me if something went wrong. Most everyone was aware of our altercation in the parking lot.
When things finally settled and we’d started to eat, Mike finally told me what was on his mind.
“Do you think the team will accept me again?”
My snap answer was no way in hell did we want him back. If it were purely a football decision, I could see him as a key player next year. Players with his size and speed could always help your team. As a sophomore, he’d been one of the hardest runners I’d seen at this level. He had the potential to be a better back than his older brother, who’d been All-State his senior year. It seemed he just didn’t put in the effort this year. His production had dropped off after we’d had our altercation over what he’d done to Mona. If we had Ty, sophomore Mike, and me in the backfield … it would be almost impossible to stop our ground game.
The problem was he’d turned out to be even a bigger douche than his brother had been. If the team hadn’t banded together against him, and if he’d not hurt Gina, I might have said yes.
“No, I honestly don’t think they can get past what you did,” I said.
“Is that just you, or do you believe the team feels the same way?” he asked.
“You do remember the whole ‘O. P. P.’ episode?”
Mike bit his lower lip and looked away from me.
“That was what my dad said. He suggested that I talk to you to make sure,” he said, and then sighed. “I think I’m going to transfer. I’ve talked to my family, and they agree that if I plan to get either a baseball or football scholarship, it’s for the best. It’s time I made a fresh start.”
I just nodded. It probably was for the best.
“I hate to ask this because I can see how history seems to be repeating itself, but could you help me? I think I’d like to go to Wesleyan, and I know you have contacts there,” he said.
“The question is, do I want to use them for you?” I asked.
I don’t believe Mike ever expected I might possibly turn him down. His brother Luke had lost his football scholarship offer because he’d been involved in a fight with me. I’d helped get it reinstated. I expect Mike thought I would just roll over and do the same for him.
“You seriously won’t make a call for me?” Mike asked.
“Would you do the same for me?” I asked.
Mike thought about it for a minute.
“No, probably not. Will you do it anyway?” he asked.
I decided to step back and consider the bigger picture. With Mike gone, it would be better for the team. I was afraid of what they’d do to him after the season. I’d held them off to this point.
“Okay. I’ll make the call.”
Mike just nodded and stood up to leave. I don’t know what I expected. Maybe a thank you, but apparently, I wouldn’t get one. I thought about not calling, but then my uncle’s words about being a man of your word came back to haunt me. I figured I should just get it out of the way, so I called Teddy Wesleyan.
After I filled him in about Mike in general terms, I gave him Mike’s number. About all you could say was I made the call. Teddy said he would look into it and call Mike. I knew that Wesleyan could really use a quarterback. If Mike were able to throw the ball to Damion Roth, he would have a breakout senior year.
◊◊◊
After football practice and the dojo, we drove back to Brook’s house. Cassidy tagged along because she wanted to ride the four-wheelers with us. I smiled when I saw Brook had another one tucked away in the garage.
“I thought you only had two,” I said.
“Mom saw how much fun Dad and I had on them, so she wanted one. Except she putts around on it like an old woman.”
I showed Cassidy how to drive it.
“Now, just take it easy until you get the hang of it,” I cautioned.
Both Brook and Cassidy roared out of the side road towards the trails. Yes, I said ‘trails,’ because Brook and her dad had been busy since the last time I was there. I took my time and put on my helmet and goggles. I fired my four-wheeler up and shot towards the trails, determined to catch up with the girls. As I came screaming up a hill, I remembered there was a tight turn at the top that then opened up into a little clearing.
I leaned hard into the turn and felt the tires bite into the ground and then slide as I powered into the clearing. That’s when I was shot. I caught a round in my upper chest, and then one that hit me in the hip, and another in my goggles quickly followed. I let off the gas and rolled off the four-wheeler.