AT LUNCH, I SKIPPED reading my lines and was waiting at the big table for the freshman cheerleaders. I swear they’re a pack; they do everything together. They all came out of the lunch line, led by Emma. She saw me and stopped. Piper about ran her down.
“What’s the deal ...” Piper started, and then saw me.
I just motioned them over. They came over and sat down. The guys decided that today was not a good day to come to our table. It might have been the look on my face.
“So, who wants to explain about the inappropriate touching at the dance?” I asked.
They all giggled.
I slammed my hand down on the table, and their expressions told me they’d never expected me to get mad at them.
“But ... but ... Tracy and Peggy ...” Kylie stammered.
“I’m dating Peggy, and Tracy’s a special friend. They came on the dance floor to protect me and touched me so you wouldn’t have your reputations hurt. People, in general, think that if you’re a cheerleader, you have questionable morals. I know you’re not that type of girls, but all it takes is something like what you did at the dance to get people making assumptions,” I explained.
“We’re sorry, David. We were just having fun,” Emma said.
“I know you guys were just playing, but it was too public a forum. Tracy asked me to protect you, and that includes your reputations. I don’t want the guys to get the wrong idea about you gals. I like you all too much for that.”
“We get it,” Kylie said, giving me the ‘rescue me’ puppy look.
They’d learned that I often fell for that. I just glared as they looked pitifully at me.
“Who wants to be the sacrificial lamb? The one that’s going to take the punishment for the group?” I asked.
They all looked at each other, wondering what I was up to. Emma started to volunteer, but I stopped her.
“It can’t be you. You have a boyfriend. That also rules out Faith, Kylie, Carmela and Gabriella. That leaves Ann or Piper. Time’s a-ticking. Which one of you is going to take the punishment?” I asked, snapping my fingers.
Ann was the mousy one of the group, so I knew Piper would protect her. I reached out to grab Ann, and Piper stopped me.
“Piper, I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock on Tuesday. Tell your parents you’ll be home by eleven,” I said.
“What do you plan on doing to my sister?” Emma asked.
“You all groped me. I plan on groping Piper for several hours,” I said, waggling my eyebrows.
“I call bullshit,” Kylie said. “He’s just teasing us. I bet he takes her to the Dairy Queen or something.”
I just picked up my lunch and went to a two-person table so I could do my homework.
THIS WEEK WAS THE ANNUAL away game where we spend the night in a hotel before playing a Saturday game. This year we were playing Adamsville Prep. The good news was that they didn’t have a great team this year. They did have a great tradition, though. Adamsville Prep was two-time national champions, nine-time state champions, and twenty-six-time conference champions! The winning tradition had helped produce two Heisman Trophy winners. This year, while the team was so-so, they had four players that had Division 1 scholarship offers: two to USC, one to Notre Dame, and one to Purdue.
Our athletic director seemed to pick teams that we had no business playing. Adamsville Prep was a dangerous team to be playing on the road. Last year, we’d pulled out a 31–30 victory, but, before that, we’d lost five in a row.
The early highlight of practice was Coach Hope spending what seemed like all night explaining why my touchdown at the end of the last game was a bad idea. To keep from getting mad, I just tuned him out. I think all teenage kids have the ability to do that. When the droning finally stopped, I put on my best sad face.
“Sorry, Coach, it won’t happen again,” I said.
FOR DINNER, WE HAD lasagna, garlic bread and salad. Dad and I had put together a menu for the week. When I got home, I had to leave right away to get to my acting class. Mom put together individual Tupperware containers for everyone in my acting class, and I gave her a kiss on the cheek. She handed me a cooler and a six-pack of Diet Cokes as I went out the door. I got lucky and found a parking place close to where my class was.
Cheryl met me at the door. They had a table set up for dinner, and even our teacher, Kate, was there. When the lid from the cooler opened, I thought Terrance was going to start drooling. The lasagna did smell good.
“David, you know you don’t have to feed us before class,” Kate told me.
“Hush, the meals are getting better,” Cheryl said.
“Kate, you guys don’t have to help me get ready for my movie, either. It’s just my way of saying ‘thank you,’” I told her. “Plus, Cheryl’s roommate made me a Halloween costume.”
I guess there had been some wild parties at State over the weekend. Debbie was showing us the ‘beauty mark’ she’d gotten on her hip. She couldn’t figure out where she got it.
“It’s a hickey,” I blurted out, thinking I couldn’t be right.
The other members of the class looked closer and then started laughing. Debbie blushed and wanted to talk about anything else. Terrance kept asking to see if she had any others.
Kate had us run through my first two scenes, and then we worked on the third one. It was getting easier to remember my lines. I think my biggest problem going in was the fear I wouldn’t be able to recall them. The more I did it, the easier it became. She was still working with us to speak clearly, and to be aware of where the cameras were.
Chapter 16 – Grog Like!
Tuesday November 4
When I walked up to the school, I found Mitch talking to Peggy. I figured I might as well pound him now and get it over with. The second offense for fighting on school grounds was a full week. I would miss the away game, but I’d be back for the playoffs. Tracy stepped in front of me, stopping my purposeful stride.
“Hold on, tough guy. She’s telling him that if he doesn’t back off, that she’ll have you take him out of action. Let her take care of it,” Tracy told me.
Mitch looked up, saw me, and turned to go into the school. Peggy gave me a big smile, and Tracy let me go so Peggy could kiss me. I still wanted to track Mitch down and pound him.
“Thanks, Tracy,” Peggy said, acknowledging her help. Then she turned to me. “Please don’t hurt Mitch. He and I are friends because of cross-country. He just needed to understand that that’s all we are. If he flirts with me again, you can go all caveman and defend my honor.”
“Grr! Grog protect his women,” I said in my best ‘caveman,’ and grabbed both Tracy and Peggy and flipped them over my shoulders.
The other varsity cheerleaders came up to us to see what we were doing. I acted like I was sniffing the air. I put Peggy and Tracy down and put my arms out wide, like I was trying to herd them and the other cheerleaders together.
“Pretty! Grog like!” I announced.
I lunged for them and they squealed and scattered. Pam Bell, the transfer from California, was the slowest to react. I snatched her up and threw her over my shoulder. She freaked out a little and was wiggling and pounding on my back to let her go. I smacked her butt and she froze. I turned to Peggy and Tracy and gave them my best innocent look.
“Can I keep her?” I asked.
That was when the tide turned, and they all decided to tickle me. I had to put Pam down to try to defend myself.
Coach Hope broke up the fun when the cheerleaders had me on the ground. I wish he’d let it go on for just a little longer. What teenage boy would pass up the opportunity to have the varsity cheerleading squad climbing all over him? I admit that I lost that round, but I would exact my revenge at some point.