“Some would argue both instances were sexual assault. A girl who is under the influence can’t give consent. There are some who would say her state of mind doesn’t matter, she’s too young, period. I have a feeling if I asked all of you, we would each come up with our own opinion. I’m not going to try and put my beliefs on you all. What I do want you to hear is what Mona has to say,” I said and sat down.
I did not know what she was going to say, but I felt she had a right to address the guys.
“Thanks, David. I know you didn’t have to allow me to talk to the team. I appreciate the opportunity. First of all, the cheerleaders are your biggest supporters. We have many friends on the football team and our hope is we can continue to remain close.
“What David, Tim and Jim don’t know is that we all met yesterday to discuss what happened. The two encounters show how complex these types of situations are. For me, I think we cross the line the moment there is coercion. For me, that is the moment someone begins to feel pressured, even if they don’t say so. It sickens me to think your biggest supporters can’t count on you to protect them. We now have to be on our guard because the guys we thought were our friends have turned out to be our attackers.
“I know that sounds harsh, but we now have an emotionally traumatized young woman who knows two young men on our football team who don’t understand the word ‘No’! She actually had lunch with these guys for almost a year. She was held down, had herself exposed and groped before David walked in and stopped the attack. No girl, or woman, should have to go through something like that, regardless of whether she’s a cheerleader!” Mona said as she began to pace.
She took a deep breath to get ahold of her emotions. She stopped pacing, squared her shoulders, and took a moment to look every guy in the eye who would meet hers. I looked to the back, and Moose and Coach Hope looked like they were going to blow a gasket. I was glad to see the other coaches were holding them in their seats to see what we were going to do about it.
“I hate to do this to David, especially, but the cheerleaders decided they can’t let this slide. As long as the two individuals who assaulted one of ours are on the football team, we will not be on the sidelines supporting you, as a protest. We hope you, as a team, handle this internally; but if you don’t, we’ll be forced to make public the allegations,” she finished.
I got up and hugged her.
“Thanks. I know that was hard to do,” I said quietly.
I waited until she left the gym before I continued.
“We are a team. I’m now going to open it up so that if you want to say something, you can. Please, only the person up front can talk. I don’t need you all talking at once. Who would like to start?” I asked.
There were many hands in the air. I saw Wayne and Ray look at each other, and then Ray raised his hand. I motioned them both to the front. Wayne was an emotional wreck. I saw Ray’s lower lip quiver.
“If you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re the two who were involved,” Ray said, and then looked at Wayne and he nodded. “Kylie is one of our best friends. Both of us would never do anything to hurt her, and yet we did. I’m so ashamed. I wasn’t brought up like that, not even close. I know that ‘no means no.’ All it took was a blink of an eye, and we went from being one of you to you all looking at us as if we were some kind of serial rapists. If there was any way I—and I know Wayne feels the same—could go back in time and change things, I would.
“I’m so glad David walked through that door and stopped us. I’m also glad that David didn’t kick our asses, even though I know we deserved it. Wayne and I agree there needs to be some kind of punishment for what we did. We think what Mona suggested is getting off easy. You won’t have to ask us to step down from the football team, we’ll do it voluntarily.
“All that we ask is that you give us a chance to redeem ourselves. I know it’ll take time, but I consider you all my friends. I hope someday to rebuild that trust. We will also reach out to Kylie. We don’t ever expect forgiveness from her,” he said, and then had to stop because he got choked up.
Both boys had tears streaming down their faces. I got up and wrapped them both into a hug as they buried their faces into my chest and cried. You could have heard a pin drop. Jim, whose sister Suzanne was a former cheerleader, who wanted to take them out back and beat them within an inch of their lives, came out and joined me in hugging them. He also had tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes.
I know its cliché to say it, but there are two sides to every story. You could feel the heartbreak these two guys were feeling, the damage two teenage boys had done to one girl they knew and liked as a friend. It reminded me how one lapse in judgment could change your life. Jim walked them out of the gym.
“Anyone else want to talk?” I asked.
The guys were much more subdued. I looked at Bryan and Brock and motioned for them to come up. We needed to clear the air, even if they weren’t volunteering.
“This has been a wake-up call for my brother and me,” Brock said. “All the girl had to say was that what we did was not consensual, and we’d be in the same boat as Wayne and Ray. I hope this is a wake-up call for all of you. We would like to pledge that from now until after the season is over, we will not touch any alcohol. I’ve seen at least one leader who can go to a party and just drink his Mountain Dew. I’m going to start being an example as well. I know Bryan will, too.”
I stood back up.
“As a team, we made another step in the right direction today. If we plan on being champions, we’ll be asked to do things other teams around the state aren’t willing to do. I think we can all agree that we’re building something here that’s special. What we do doesn’t affect just us. It affects our friends, our classmates, our families, and our community.
“It also affects our cheerleaders. I want each and every one of you to reach out and let them know what their support means to you. They’re part of the team, as is everyone else who helps us be successful. I personally plan on going home and hugging my parents. Then I might go and hug some cheerleaders,” I said with a smile.
The meeting broke up after that. The coaching staff just nodded to Tim, Jim, and me, and walked out.
WE DECIDED TO GO TO the lake today because almost the whole team wanted to go. None of our normal haunts would hold so many people. I called Mona to let her know that Wayne and Ray had quit the team and then invited the cheerleaders to the lake. I was glad to see they showed up en masse. Even Kylie came.
Tracy tracked me down.
“What did you tell all the guys? I think every one of them thanked me for being a cheerleader.”
“Then they listened. Do you feel appreciated?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes at me. I picked her up and ran into the lake. Her squeals caught the attention of everyone there. I had to laugh when Jim grabbed Mona and did the same. Soon everyone was in the lake, having fun. The girls were behaving themselves because they were outnumbered about ten to one.
It was good to see Tami show up with Lily and Cassidy. The three of them came up and gave me hugs.
“I feel left out,” Tami teased me.
“Can you believe a ‘stupid boy’ could actually keep himself out of trouble without your help?”
“I’m hoping he can still get into trouble,” she said as she ran her index finger across my skin just above my waistband.
“I thought we talked about this,” I said.
“I never agreed. I think I said we should,” she said, biting her lower lip.
Someone was horny. I hadn’t had sex since Monday, so I wasn’t saying no, as of yet.
“Take me home,” she ordered me.